Kwok Wah Lai

I have used a similar sealing iron (I built my first packraft with one – you can see it in my older videos) and it works fine for sealing, but the ironing surface is too wide for most purposes so it is a bit slow because you have to use the tip or the edge of the iron instead of the flat surface.

The heating tools that I have used do not have…[Read more]

Sounds good! I think if you lay out the patterns efficiently then you might even be able to get away with just one meter for doubling up the outside of the tubes (depending on how high up the walls you want the lamination to go); I think 2 m should be plenty, and you might have enough left over for other things too.

Hi Mike,

I’m interested in trying this method, too. A cheap hot plate would probably work as a heater, or even a clothes iron held in a cradle – anything that would maintain a consistent temperature.

About how long do the irons stay hot before you need to reheat them, and how many of a given size do you need to make so you can switch between…[Read more]

Interesting – thanks for the post!

Hi Daniel – as of early April 2017 I’m not aware of anyone paddling any difficult whitewater in a DIY Packraft… 2017 will be the first full year they’re out there in the wild, however, so that may change soon.

In the interest of managing expectations, I just want to start by saying no lightweight inflatable will ever be as tough and…[Read more]

Hi Daniel – as of early April 2017 I’m not aware of anyone paddling any difficult whitewater in a DIY Packraft… 2017 will be the first full year they’re out there in the wild, however, so that may change soon.

In the interest of managing expectations, I just want to start by saying no lightweight inflatable will ever be as tough and…[Read more]

My Dritz Petite Press arrived today and this one does not get hot enough to seal properly. Others report that the Petite Press works for them, so there may be variation among them (as there is with the Clover irons). I will try to modify mine so it works (it is almost hot enough), but at this point I cannot recommend it.

Interesting! I might try something like this. Thanks, Jeb.

Sadly, no… and I don’t have a weight yet, either. If I had to guess, I’d say around 450 grams per square metre, and double that for the 1000D.

I agree with Mike, but regardless of whether you trim it or not, hold the adjacent corners lined up correctly on the floor and see where the uneven corner sits naturally. This might make the edges un-parallel, but that will probably be the best place to attach it because placing it there won’t have knock-on effects down the line (i.e. the next…[Read more]

I agree with Mike, but regardless of whether you trim it or not, hold the adjacent corners lined up correctly on the floor and see where the uneven corner sits naturally – that will probably be the best place for it to be attached because placing it there won’t have knock-on effects down the line (i.e. the next corner will sit where it should…[Read more]

Excellent work! I like the lightning bolt detail, too.

It’s a great feeling to paddle someplace where you know a boat has probably never been before – like being the first person to summit a mountain 🙂

Thanks, for the reviews, Jeb! I was wondering about both of those irons. I think the Polyvance will be out of most people’s price range, but the Dritz seems like a good option, especially since Clover seems to have a quality control problem or design flaw that leaves many people disappointed.

Hi Jaahan,

I don’t have experience paddling with a dog, but I think your comfort will have as much to do with your dog’s temperament and the distances you plan to paddle as anything else… I have paddled at a leisurely page with two people in a Small size DIY Packraft for an hour and that was fine in regard to buoyancy, handling, and comfort -…[Read more]

Thanks for the idea, @Lyn – I added links to this thread on the fabric product pages.

Looks great! Thanks for posting!

Hi James, @jameslthomson,

Sorry for the delayed response – I didn’t have internet access for a couple days.

Don’t worry – a 1 cm misalignment at the ends of a seam isn’t a big deal, and it’s not worth trying to re-seal the seam. At worst, you might have a small wrinkle near that corner.

You can either leave it the way it is or trim the…[Read more]

I don’t have a sewing machine, so I’m inclined to try Bruce’s tie-downs – I saw your test video @brucecampbell and the strength vs. weight is very impressive! Thanks for posting. (I’m in the middle of moving house, so haven’t posted your report yet.)