- DIY Packraft

OlympicMtnBoy started the topic Inflatable Floors in the forum DIY Packrafts 8 years, 1 month ago

<p style=”text-align: left;”>Slowly working away on mine, it’s been a slow process of laying out baffle placements on both pieces of fabric so they will line up, sizing out baffles, etc. I know due to the curve at the bow and stern I’ll probably have some wrinkles but we’ll see how it looks when I finish. Someday.</p>
I opted for seven baffles…[Read more]

OlympicMtnBoy started the topic Inflatable Floors in the forum DIY Packrafts 8 years, 1 month ago

Slowly working away on mine, it’s been a slow process of laying out baffle placements on both pieces of fabric so they will line up, sizing out baffles, etc. I know due to the curve at the bow and stern I’ll probably have some wrinkles but we’ll see how it looks when I finish. Someday.

I opten for seven baffles running now to stern, the center…[Read more]

OlympicMtnBoy replied to the topic Heat-sealing tools in the forum DIY Packrafts 8 years, 1 month ago

I picked up a military surplus Valad Heat Sealing Iron off eBay like one of these: http://www.ebay.com/itm/VALAD-SEALING-IRON-HS3T-150W-120V-HEATING-PARTS-TOOL-HOT-ELECTRIC-MILITARY-USED-/172624490089?hash=item283138ae69:g:Sb0AAOSwoydWqAl8

I didn’t have much luck with the clover either, this is much heavier and seems to hold the heat better.…[Read more]

OlympicMtnBoy replied to the topic An improved tie down in the forum DIY Packrafts 8 years, 2 months ago

A few more pics of our diy patches. They were a bit hard to get to seal right, you have to work both front and back well, but I think they look good and seem pretty strong. About 3.5 inches in diameter.

OlympicMtnBoy started the topic An improved tie down in the forum DIY Packrafts 8 years, 3 months ago

I haven’t had much time to work on my raft (grabbing an evening a week with a friend to work on them), but I wanted to post up our last session on tie downs. We wanted to do these before closing our tubes so we have easy access the the inside to heat seat the tie down patches on well.

We did up a couple as Matt demonstrated. With the lighter f…[Read more]

OlympicMtnBoy replied to the topic DIY Packraft Photos in the forum DIY Packrafts 8 years, 3 months ago

OlympicMtnBoy replied to the topic What plans/kits would you like to see next? in the forum DIY Packrafts 8 years, 3 months ago

Thanks Lyn, that’s a good suggestion! I have an exped downmat and that sort of valve would work great. I think I’ll probably just end up getting a couple more things from Matt but I may keep an eye out at the used gear spots for a similar mattress for late projects.

OlympicMtnBoy replied to the topic DIY Packraft Photos in the forum DIY Packrafts 8 years, 3 months ago

Let’s see if these pics work from my phone. Here is Evan working on Step 1 of his ultralight:

evan

And me hard at work on my blue raft. These are gonna need names I guess!

stewart

OlympicMtnBoy replied to the topic DIY Packraft Photos in the forum DIY Packrafts 8 years, 3 months ago

Let’s see if these pics work from my phone. Here is Evan working on Step 1 of his ultralight:

evan

And me hard at work on my blue raft. These are gonna need names I guess!

stewart

OlympicMtnBoy replied to the topic DIY Packraft Photos in the forum DIY Packrafts 8 years, 3 months ago

Let’s see if these pics work from my phone. Here is Evan working on Step 1 of his ultralight:

evan

And me hard at work on my blue raft. These are gonna need names I guess!

stewart

OlympicMtnBoy replied to the topic DIY Packraft Photos in the forum DIY Packrafts 8 years, 3 months ago

Let’s see if these pics work from my phone. Here is Evan working on Step 1 of his ultralight:

evan

And me hard at work on my blue raft. These are gonna need names I guess!

stewart

OlympicMtnBoy replied to the topic What plans/kits would you like to see next? in the forum DIY Packrafts 8 years, 4 months ago

Thanks Matt! I am going to start putting my kit together tomorrow and I’m planning on doing an inflatable floor with it! Now I wish I had ordered an extra small valve though. Do you have any suggestions on US suppliers (or even what type of item to search for)? Or can you figure out a shipping break if I only order a small valve ($7 shipping…[Read more]

OlympicMtnBoy replied to the topic What plans/kits would you like to see next? in the forum DIY Packrafts 8 years, 5 months ago

I like the self bailing floor idea, always made more sense to me in a raft like this than a spray skirt if it could be done for a reasonable weight. Also a seat with a back would be handy, often I just fold up a full length self inflating sleeping pad into a back rest/seat and that works ok in my current raft.

An inflation bag seems fairly…[Read more]

OlympicMtnBoy started the topic Packraft Sizing? in the forum DIY Packrafts 8 years, 5 months ago

I’m curious how people are finding the sizing? I have been using a very old aviation liferaft on my trips which is technically a 2 person raft (weighs about 7 lbs). Not very maneuverable but I can put my pack on the floor in front of me with my feet on either side.

If I measure as Matt says I should get a small, but will there be any room for…[Read more]

OlympicMtnBoy

@olympicmtnboy