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The 2-person model may be faster, but only when powered by two people. It is much wider than the single-person packrafts, with larger diameter tubes, so it is a very different boat.
The Telkwa’s length cannot be extended. The 2-person packraft could be shortened by removing 20-30 cm of material from the middle of the side tubes and floor, but this would add a significant amount of work to the project.
From your photo, it appears that you like to carry a lot of gear on your bike, so maybe the 2-person option is better for you, but I’m not sure. I don’t have plans to offer an in-between size packraft anytime soon.
Cheers!
The 2-person is a bit bigger and heavier when packed, so the disadvantage is it would be somewhat more difficult to carry on the bike. It may also be a bit slower on the water due to its larger size being powered by only one person. Cheers!
The 2-person is a bit bigger and heavier when packed, so the disadvantage is it would be somewhat more difficult to carry on the bike. It may also be a bit slower on the water due to its larger size being powered by only one person. Cheers!
Hi Dan, it’s hard to know for sure without seeing it, but if there’s already glue in there then you probably won’t be able to heat seal the pieces together and you’ll have to use more glue. A thick layer of Seam Grip or Aquaseal might do the job – sometimes I put a piece of fabric over top of the glue for good measure. Other people have recommended a glue called HH-66, but it’s not available where I live so I can’t vouch for it personally. If you’re considering an internal patch, I would look for HH-66 and give it a try on some scraps first, because Aquaseal and Seam Grip are great for filling small leaks, but not so great at gluing pieces of fabric together. Cheers!
Cool – whoever wants it can email me through the Contact page and I’ll put you guys in touch with each other. (I had to disable peer-to-peer messaging because people were getting spammed.)
Thanks!
Hi! I don’t offer a baffled option because it adds a significant amount of weight and complexity to the build, but it’s easy to add multiple chambers to your packraft if you have an airtight zipper installed – just put some drybags inside. This has been tested by at least one DIY Packrafter who paddled with the inflation valve open (on purpose), and he made it to shore just fine.
I’m not aware of anyone who has tried to make that type of raft using these DIY methods, but in principle it should work. I’m not sure where you’d find appropriate fabrics though… It looks like the Paddlecat is made from 1680D fabric, which is much heavier than any I sell.
It’s not exactly a donut, but start by checking out the link in this post: https://www.diypackraft.com/2017/09/08/lightweight-fishing-float-tube/
Cheers!
Hi guys, I had to disable direct private messaging between forum members because people were getting too much spam, so if you’d like to connect directly out of the public eye, just send me a message through the contact form and I’ll send you each other’s email addresses. I won’t do that until both parties have requested it though. Sorry for the inconvenience, but even an obscure site like this has to deal with a lot of bots.
Also, I second krstahl’s take on the temperature.
Hi Landon, I’m sorry to hear you’re having such a frustrating experience! It sounds like your iron might not be hot enough to fully weld the TPU layers together – after they’re welded it should be impossible for the seams to peel apart in the way you described.
After spending so much time on it already, it would be totally understandable if you just wanted to get rid of it, and I’m sure someone would want to buy your nearly complete packraft.
If you decide you want to give it another try though, first I would revisit the “Finding the Right Temperature” section of the Heat Sealing Technique page (and re-watch the video on that page) to make sure your iron is hot enough. Also remember you need to keep pressure on the welds as they cool so the fabric doesn’t wrinkle and lift up. Then I’d do several test welds on scrap fabric, let them cool fully, and pull them apart to make sure the TPU on the two layers of fabric is actually welding into a single layer that can’t be separated without tearing it away from the woven fabric.
When you’re sure that the iron is actually welding the fabric together, I’d go back to the packraft and give all of the tube-to-tube seams and reinforcing strips a once-over with the iron (and as much of the tube-to floor seams as possible through the zipper). If necessary, tube-to-floor seams can be reinforced from the outside with a strip of fabric. You can iron over Aquaseal without causing any issues – just place a piece of parchment paper between it and your iron (thanks to Stefan for this tip).
The above will likely take several hours, so if you decide you want to sell it I’ll try to help facilitate a sale. Cheers!
Welcome! I haven’t done any high pressure testing, but yeah, I think it will depend on the factors you mentioned plus the design of the inflatable object and how the forces are distributed along the welds. Cheers!
