• Matt (Admin) replied to the topic "Voyageur" extra huge. in the forum DIY Packrafts 7 years ago

    Excellent! Thanks for posting pictures, Derek!

  • Very cool! Thanks for posting!

  • Matt (Admin) replied to the topic Pure TPU as adhesive in the forum DIY Packrafts 7 years ago

    Thanks Naas, that’s good to know! It’s interesting that you have to clamp it. Do you think it would work on a flat surface if you pressed it with a roller or placed weights on top, or does it need to be clamped?

  • Hi Conrad – don’t worry, it’s just cosmetic. Once you get the hang of it, you’ll know how long you can heat it without melting through. In the meantime, just make sure you’ve got a non-stick surface underneath, such as parchment paper. Cheers!

  • Matt (Admin) replied to the topic Ski boots ties in the forum DIY Packrafts 7 years ago

    Cool! If you have any more photos, please post them. Thanks!

  • Matt (Admin) wrote a new post 7 years ago

    Note: There is a bug in the forum software that causes some people’s full names to be displayed next to their forum posts, even if they have selected the “Private” option next to the name field when they signed […]

  • Hi Pham,

    Tim at http://www.cubenmaker.com is a great resource for information about Dyneema fabrics.

    I think people usually use tape or sewing+tape to assemble Dyneema, and the problem with using it for inflatables is that the tape creeps over time under pressure (I’ve never tried it myself though).

    Cheers!

  • Hi Joe,

    It looks like you’ll need

    • 1 m of 1000D
    • 2 m of 210D for the tubes
    • 3 m 210D for the inflatable floor insert (you could use less, but then you’d have to patch together multiple pieces for the top and bottom, which would be difficult to make airtight)
    • At least four drain valves (front and back, left and right, placed near the seat…

    [Read more]

  • Matt (Admin) replied to the topic Seam strip start in the forum DIY Packrafts 7 years ago

    Hi Naas, I can’t see any reason why that wouldn’t work, so if you give it a go please let us know how you like it compared to the regular method.

    Cheers!

  • Matt (Admin) replied to the topic Pure TPU as adhesive in the forum DIY Packrafts 7 years ago

    Hi Naas, I tried using TPU tape and couldn’t get it to form a strong bond with the fabric so I gave up on the idea, but if you figure out a method that works, please let us know!

  • Matt (Admin) replied to the topic Seat Tie-in tabs in the forum DIY Packrafts 7 years ago

    Another excellent idea out of Fairbanks! Thanks, Bruce, and keep ’em coming!

    I’ll add this to the how-to page so more people will see it.

  • Beauty!

  • This is just a quick post to let you know that the 210D camouflage fabric is now in stock, so that means there’s nothing left on backorder. Now it’s just a matter of catching up on the orders that were placed on […]

    • Glad to hear! Don’t work too hard though, remember to breathe! By the way, is there any chance that you could get CADPAT (Canadian digital pattern) camouflage fabric material?

  • This is just an FYI that I’m making some improvements to the DIY Packraft website behind the scenes, with the goal of making the various pages load faster for you. In theory, this should only improve your browsing […]

  • Excellent – sounds good!

    One thing to note is that the higher up the center of gravity is, the less stable the boat will be and the lower the sides will seem. It should still be really stable (because it’s so wide), but just be careful with the little ones 🙂

  • I borrowed this book from my local library and I liked it quite a bit, so I thought I’d post a review here in case you’re looking for a paddling book. I might make book reviews an occasional feature of the blog, […]

  • I’ve added a quick video to the inflation bag instructions page. If it helps you, please “like” it on Youtube 🙂

  • I made a quick video of me making an inflatable seat from a seat kit, to go along with the text+picture instructions. It’s not the current seat with dedicated tie-down points, but the shape and number of baffles […]

    • I haven’t experienced this, but I’m curious if you added reinforcing strips to the TPU side of the baffle-to-seat welds – I’ve always done that, but I can see how it might peel over time if you didn’t. I’m also curious if it’s happening at the ends of the baffles (close to the side of the seat) or somewhere in the middle. When you make your inflatable floor, I recommend extending the baffles fairly close to the edge of the floor so there’s no tension on the edge of the baffles when the floor is inflated… if that doesn’t make sense, send me an email and I’ll draw a picture. One other tip is to avoid over-inflating the seat… it’s more comfortable and there’s much less tension on the welds when it’s a bit soft. Cheers!

    • Thanks, Reed. Please let me know if it gets worse.
      The 190 GSM fabric might be okay, but its tear strength is a lot lower than that of the 250 GSM fabric, so it probably depends on how you’ll use it. I haven’t tried it myself, so I can’t really advise you on that.

  • I noticed the FAQ menu was getting a bit long, so I’ve reorganized it to (hopefully) make it easier to navigate. I’m also adding some more content, such as this page I wrote about directional stability, or why […]

  • The airtight zippers and green fabric have arrived! Camouflage fabric should be here in about a week.

    There’s a bit of a backlog of orders that were waiting for the zippers – I’ll do my best to get them shipped […]

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