I have been doing week long mini expeditions in Europe for 5 years now using an Alpacka Gnarwhal . I only use public transit and get the job done with only a 120 ltr duffle bag. My last trip was in Scotland. I started on River Dochart (class 2-3)out of Crianlarich followed it it to Falls of Dochart where I portaged roughly 2 km down to Loch Tay. Then I sailed Loch Tay with prevailing winds to River Tay (Class 3) to Perth. It was roughly 110-120 km on the water over 5 days punctuated with a distillery tour and countless pub and grub stops. Wild camped legally in Scotland the entire trip and arrived and departed using public transit. Long story short... packrafts are one of my favorite inventions in the last 20 years they really do open up the map in lots of new ways.

@madaprak

16 күн бұрын

Planning the trips is half the fun.

@MCKNEW77

10 күн бұрын

@@madaprak Reason why I started was so I could use the train for shuttle here in Europe. Would love hearing more about your go to multi-days over here.

Alpacka make boats as light as 2.3lbs! :) Great company who have been pushing the boundaries of packrafts since their inception.

I’ve been messing around in packrafts for a couple of years and think they’re great - I haven’t used my canoe in ages because of it. It love that I can paddle in my lightweight packraft down a river, get out, deflate and pack it down. Then put it in my rucksack and run or eboard back to my car.

While there's no doubt that Alpacka makes great packrafts, other manufacturers have packraft models that are more suitable for flat water padding and touring , and come close, if not superior to, inflatable kayaks for performance. Most come with removable skegs, have a more kayak like shape, track more like a kayak, and the seat can be better positioned for regular kayaking. MRS Nomad S1 is worth a review, although there are already many favorable reviews on YT. Aquaglide also offers a nice one. I mention the other options because I think that your audience is more interested in flatwater/bay/ocean padding over whitewater. Alpacka is great for white water, but the others may be a better choice for most.

Great to see these boats getting a little more attention. Been using them for more excursion based trips for awhile now and love the niche gap the fill. With that I cant recommend the Mekong Jekyll enough. Hand made in France by some local legends and they are the best boats Ive been in. Sidenote: Make sure to clean the tzip very well after every use. Sand will make them leak super fast.

It looked like fun.... the skirt worked better than I thought it would. Great review...I could tell you had fun.

YEP! Another amazing review.

Caribou and Forager owner here. Love my Alpackas. From fun day trips to week long hunts in winter. They've been flawless so far.

Very cool option for light boats! Thanks for the review!

Packrafting IS fun. still putting smiles on my face

Great video!

Love Packrafting🙌🙌🙌

I have the Alpacka Gnarwhal and love it. Have camped with it on the Gila River. Very stable.

I recently bought two alpacaraft caribou boats. We're backpackers and took these up to a favorite lake, only accessible by foot trail. We were surprised how well the boats tracked in a straight line. Not perfect, but very effective. We placed our packs on the bow of the boats and paddled to the far end of the lake. Worked well, very stable and easy to paddle.

You should try one of the little Klymit ones. Super light end of the spectrum, don’t take it too seriously and they are great fun.

Yea man cant believe this is the first you have paddled one. They have been around for a while. I love mine. I have a few videos of me paddling a Kokopelli and an Alpacka on my channel. I find them an indispensable tool for the water.

That’s the Kayak Pete and crew used on “Unsanctioned “ Thanks for the review!❤

I am glad you had so much fun! If you ever have the chance, try the Alpacka Valkyrie. It's specially designed for whitewater. Quite expensive, though. Another packraft intended for longer distances and with a skeg is the Davy Rocket from Mekong Packrafts in France. Supposedly, it is the fastest packraft paddling at 6 km/h.

Paddled the Rogue with a guy in a pack raft. He did great. And could carry all his gear for a 4 day River camping trip. So, they do have their niche.

You should get the MRS Nomad S1D tested, its like a packraft kayak hybrid. Alpackas are great whitewater brands but are outdone in flatwater by many other brands.

Try the Valkyrie next - you'll get a lot more performance and the secondary stability you are looking for. Comes at a 4 or 5 pound weight cost compared to the Expedition.

Outstanding video review…New Sub 👍👍

@PaddleTV

10 күн бұрын

Cheers!

I'd love to see you take a look at the Sevylor K5 if you ever get the chance. I constantly see it cheaper than those Intex ones and think it puts up a far better performance (for an entry-level cheapie, of course).

Throw that pack raft in the back of your Stratos and you can use it to make side trips off your main float or the group has an emergency raft, or tow a cooler/ wood back to camp. Use it like a trailer for your sea kayak, bring that over sized dog.. .

Man, if that's true about companies controlling what is and isn't allowed by law on a public river, that's ridiculous. They obviously can control their landings, but the second you're on the water their authority should vanish.

@THE-RIVER-RAT

16 күн бұрын

With it being an old law. I would think it was put in place back in the day when inflatables where more like pool floats of today. so probably for safety which is great, but now days inflatable boat's have come a long way, so perhaps it's time for the powers that be, to revise the law's

@nunyabidness3075

15 күн бұрын

I think the problem might be the safety aspect on really cheap inflatables. Also, the environmental problems caused by tubing operations might be something worth avoiding. Still, simply deleting a particular type of boat rather than demanding a certain level of safety is not great governance.

@MrNategates

14 күн бұрын

More bureaucratic B.S. stupidity. High quality inflatable kayaks & rafts are MORE safe than anything else. Govt & private companies both should have no say in the matter.

@nunyabidness3075

14 күн бұрын

@@MrNategates Sure, so what about low quality rafts that create needs for rescues and get discarded, often in the park? Who decides what is what and what to do about it? I’m a libertarian leaning guy, but I’m not unrealistic. These are real concerns that communities near me had to deal with.

The price is insane ☺️

@n-da-bunka2650

15 күн бұрын

unobtainium level of insane IMHO

@jeffswett5553

14 күн бұрын

I have had 3, one I sold, 2 I still own, one for general use ( hunting, fishing, flat water and cl. 2-3 whitewater, one for white water. Alpacka is expensive, but most are less expensive than the demo boat. Compared to a hardshell whitewater kayak the price is comparable. They are also durable as all get out.

@forestflood5338

9 күн бұрын

Thats just Alpacka brand tag, theyre overpriced, there's plenty of cheaper great alternatives.

I think River Kings does pack rafting. You should plan a trip with them.

Ken, these have also been found by the 'small RV' crowd, from Van owners to off-road trailer & roof tent 4WD owners. They make day hikes & explorations across lakes, rivers and reservoirs possible from the base camp. Thank you for trying one of these. Not a solution for my dinghy/tender needs but helpful to watch for that same reason.

For people concerned about the price look at the various models, many are priced less. Kokopelli makes a comparable quality for about the same money . My gnarwhal was about $1500, open cockpit self bailer w/ knee brace and the t-zip. Comparable to a new hard shell kayak

I like kayak camping, but I kayak a lot and hike a little at best. My Itiwit x500 has a nice backpack, but for a short portage across a small island, deflating and packing it isn't worth the effort, and it's too large and heavy for a long hike. I usually don't pack it to travel to a local lake. I fold it as much as necessary to shove it in the back of my hatchback and carry it the same way to and from the water. The x500 doesn't feel so heavy once it's on my back and I'm on my feet, but I couldn't carry much else. If I wanted to hike a lot and paddle a little on a remote stretch of river, or if I needed to paddle through rapids and carry the boat a considerable distance back upriver, the Alpacka makes sense, but I'm getting too old for rough rapids anyway. When Advanced Elements introduced the PackLite, I was tempted to get one for my granddaughter, but she can handle my AF Sport (other than carrying it to the water), and the Sport actually tracks well. Paddling something that hardly tracks at all is not how I want her to learn. The PackLite is only four pounds and less than four hundred bucks, but it has few of the features of the Alpacka (spray skirt, foot braces, seat with back and inflatable cushion, ...). I definitely wouldn't take it on rough water, but for a long hike followed by a little paddling on calm water, it could be fun.

Alpacka should definitely provide it with a fin, because its course is absolute rubbish without it, like with any vessel tbh. It makes a huge difference, you can buy separate fin sets and glue it to the bottom. I did that with the Itiwit 100 and it cost me about 20 Euro.

For those who say is to expensive. There are places where you can buy the kit to build it yourself for a lot cheaper 😊

Juniper springs in Florida also has that lame no inflatables rule. By the US forest system

Fun times .....

Packrafting is about getting to water that is inaccessible by vehicle-you have to pack everything in. It's not backpacking with a boat in case you find water. No-one carries 5-10lbs extra gear in mountains just in case.

The antithesis of an ultralighter, James Bond brings it backpacking 100%

NRS and RMR make some great inflatable whitewater kayaks you can get around the $800 mark, and even less if you look around for a sale during the holidays. That's a lot more bang for your buck than a $1700 kayak that really only excels for niche backpack kayaking. I would also be a bit concerned about taking a single air chamber kayak on a remote backpacking trip with all your gear inside the raft... does the gear shift around? What happens with a catastrophic tear/puncture... is your gear going to be dropping out the hole and floating all over the river?

@DanRansom

16 күн бұрын

Folks have been running deep wilderness rivers in packrafts for years. They excel for hiking and flying in. Alaska is prime territory. If you really want extra chambers, you can get sealed ones that hold your gear, and then you seal them and inflate them for additional buoyancy if you somehow blow the main chamber. Catastrophic failures are super rare though. The gear clips into webbing on the inside, so it doesn't shift much. Once the gear is inside it's super secure. You can actually carry way more gear inside a packraft than a hardshell, it's awesome for multiday trips.

@jeffswett5553

14 күн бұрын

The t-zip boats have a clip for the Alpacka dry bags to keep them from sliding around. A repair kit is included but tyvex tape is suggested for the trip kit.

Great review but i have to ask, what happened to ya paddle :)

Did you recover your paddle?

there are reason my Gnarwhal is open and a self bailer.

Hey Ken do you think this might be a good boat to start learning whitewater skills in? As a tall and heavy paddler(6'4"/300puonds), it's difficult to find something in the rotomolded creek boats that fits me. I don't have a ton of whitewater around me, but I am planning on vacationing near places with whitewater locations. Would this pack raft be a good starting point to learn or would it be a better plan to continue to lose weight until I can fit in a proper white kayak to learn the skills? (Apologies if this a "well it depends" question)

@BoomVang

16 күн бұрын

There are many proper white water inflatables exactly suited to your size that don't have these compromises for ultralight compactness. SeaEagle 300x for example.

@Kayaking_to_escape_family

15 күн бұрын

Start off with a STAR Raven II Inflatable Kayak. A Pyranha Fusion SOT may just do it. (Optimum Paddler Weight: 30-130kg / 66-286lb). I own a Fusion sit on kayak and its a nice roomily boat. For now stay away from the sit in kayaks. You will never get a comfortable fit. They design them for vegans who never had a beer !!!!

@jeffswett5553

14 күн бұрын

The alpacka would hold your weight but I think you'll be better served by an inflatable like the Star tributary to learn in. I paddled a class 3-4 gorge in Maine with a guy who had run his trib ( his was a 2 person boat but they make singles) on the grand canyon, solo, twice. He was glad he had not run his hardshell ( a hard shell newbie ) and used the boat he knew well. Its obviously heavier than the Alpacka but I think it might serve you better.

Please, next review ROBfin Packraft L

Curious on your thoughts on kokopelli rafts trying the rougelite

@PaddleTV

10 күн бұрын

Wish I could give you an informed opinion. I reached out to them to do a review, but have been ghosted by them. Feel free to send them an email letting them know they should get me to do a review! :)

@halofanjames5424

9 күн бұрын

@@PaddleTV I've found they no longer ship internationally and a lot of heavier products 30-40 lbs don't ship to canada (don't really see the reasoning) you might need to go through level six or canada river supply that's who i dealt with for pro deals

It looked like it came from Walmart. But wow, it worked! Great for backpacking whitewater.

They ride a lot better with some gear in the pontoons

This should go along with a compact paddle. Even in 4 pieces they're kind of bulky. I wonder if there are double ended telescopic paddles. Some single blade paddles telescope really small, but that would send you in circles. How about hand paddles that just extend each hand?

Well not for me But it was nice to see you Swim lol Sorry Ken.

The Alpacka Classic is cheaper to buy at £900. I cant see much difference between the two. I think you'd be better off with a STAR Viper for the money. I know these boats weight in at 15kg but I'd feel a lot safter in it and its better on flat water.

a kayak less then 10lbs is just a balloon lol good survival item though, lets be honest, if you get stuck/lost in the woods and need to cross water.... i mean... (although, getting wet can also be fatal in these situations, so tread carefully.)

As soon as he said the price, I stopped watching.

You have to be insane to buy a $1700 balloon. That is just dumb money.

@Paul-gy7dn

15 күн бұрын

$500 would be a bit more fair. I spend my money stupidly but I couldn’t see that kind of money for a balloon like ya said lol

@forestflood5338

9 күн бұрын

Alpackas are overpriced, but Packrafts aren't pool toys, they're durable pieces of equipment.

@jeffswett5553

9 күн бұрын

I’d argue Alpacka are not over priced. Expensive yes but for the money we’ll build, well engineered, and durable as all get out

@forestflood5338

9 күн бұрын

@@jeffswett5553 I'm sure they're masterfully crafted built, I mean they better be at that price, but it just comes to the point of diminishing returns. Only so much can be added to simple boats. Now the Valkyrie is a different story because it's actually a completely unique one-of-a-kind concept and innovative and warrants its big price tag. But for regular Packrafts? Most of the industry already use the standard 210d+840d durable material.

Thanks, Ken. I've seen these a lot but had no idea what they cost. Still pretty nice.👍🙂🛶