Hmm. I watched it earlier before it disappeared and they looked pretty amazing. I do some whitewater Kayaking, and they definitely didn't look as performance oriented in the rapids, but they seemed to do better than I would have expected. I'm amazed at how light weight they are. They also have some odd airbag inflation system that look pretty ingenious. I want one.

Sorry, I pulled it down because the music I stuck with it someone claimed copyrights to, I thought it was free so I am just uploading the video right now without music. It might take a few hours since it is 1.5 gig

Greg

Here is the video again without music, the rafting starts about half way through if you just want to skip the flying without engine sounds.

Awesome TR and vid Greg. My summer flying trips are done, kids back in school, work heating up.....sure missing the backcountry

I'd say that's a helluva testimonial to Alpacka rafts. They sure seem stout and stable. I'll be looking into those. Excellent video and TR. What camera, camera speed, and filter you using? Again, great video and thanks for taking the time to share it.

Brent

The camera was the Nflight by Contour, I had it in a water proof case (that is made for it) mounted to my helmet when I was rafting. I had the aviator lense on it for everything and shot the video in 1080p

Greg

Greg,
Thanks for the info.

Brent

I have watched Greg's video of this trip multiple times since he posted it a few years ago. This type of thing is right up my alley, and high on my to-do list. The rafts would also be handy to have in the airplane for just chillin on the water when it gets hot too, if there is a lake, river, or pond nearby where one is staying.

I just did a local hike here in PA a few weeks ago in the Lehigh River Gorge state park with my dog. The last section of the hike on the way back to the truck had us down on the river on a rails to trails/bike path.



Yesterday me and the pup walked three miles up the river and back (too windy for flying ), watching the various rafting companies floating by. Then it occurred to me...... Packraft! An Alpacka raft would be perfect for this.







A day hike with a medium sized backpack, a lunch, and a friend, (dog, or human person) and then float back to the truck, airplane, whatever....

So the question is, which one? Any experience out there? Anyone have a comment?

I am thinking that a two person would best suit my needs, but don't want to make it too bulky. Plus having two in one boat could make it better for someone who is not comfortable with even easy whitewater.

http://www.alpackaraft.com/

Thinking about this one:

The Explorer 42 is great option for bringing the kids or dogs! The Explorer 42 is designed with the extended stern and upturned bow as our Alpacka Raft series, but with additional length to accommodate an extra person or a lot of extra gear. If you need a Cargo Fly please visit our Build Options page. However, the Explorer 42 cannot be fitted with a spray deck or self bailing floor due to the configuration for two paddlers.

My only concern would be the comfort of a second full sized person. Maybe better suited to just children or the dog. A bigger raft may be necessary for two adults, but then the bulkiness/weight factor takes affect.

http://www.alpackaraft.com/product/explorer-42/

Its all really about compromise right? Everything.....

Anyway, just looking to see if anyone has any real experience with the multiple styles.

Crzyivan13 wrote:I have watched Greg's video of this trip multiple times since he posted it a few years ago. This type of thing is right up my alley, and high on my to-do list. The rafts would also be handy to have in the airplane for just chillin on the water when it gets hot too, if there is a lake, river, or pond nearby where one is staying.

I just did a local hike here in PA a few weeks ago in the Lehigh River Gorge state park with my dog. The last section of the hike on the way back to the truck had us down on the river on a rails to trails/bike path.



Yesterday me and the pup walked three miles up the river and back (too windy for flying ), watching the various rafting companies floating by. Then it occurred to me...... Packraft! An Alpacka raft would be perfect for this.







A day hike with a medium sized backpack, a lunch, and a friend, (dog, or human person) and then float back to the truck, airplane, whatever....

So the question is, which one? Any experience out there? Anyone have a comment?

I am thinking that a two person would best suit my needs, but don't want to make it too bulky. Plus having two in one boat could make it better for someone who is not comfortable with even easy whitewater.

http://www.alpackaraft.com/

Thinking about this one:

The Explorer 42 is great option for bringing the kids or dogs! The Explorer 42 is designed with the extended stern and upturned bow as our Alpacka Raft series, but with additional length to accommodate an extra person or a lot of extra gear. If you need a Cargo Fly please visit our Build Options page. However, the Explorer 42 cannot be fitted with a spray deck or self bailing floor due to the configuration for two paddlers.

My only concern would be the comfort of a second full sized person. Maybe better suited to just children or the dog. A bigger raft may be necessary for two adults, but then the bulkiness/weight factor takes affect.

http://www.alpackaraft.com/product/explorer-42/

Its all really about compromise right? Everything.....

Anyway, just looking to see if anyone has any real experience with the multiple styles.

Putting the cash that you saved on the tailwheel to good use I see! Good thinking! The Alpacka rafts are an awesome product! I would trust the guidance of the company. They are good folks.

Which hiking app is that?

Scolopax wrote:
Putting the cash that you saved on the tailwheel to good use I see! Good thinking! The Alpacka rafts are an awesome product! I would trust the guidance of the company. They are good folks.

Good advice. Thanks!

Cannon wrote:Which hiking app is that?

It is the I phone app for the Delorme InReach. It connects to the phone via bluetooth. I just turn it on (and tracking on) and stick it in the top pocket of my pack. It doesn't necessarily need to be in "open air" I guess. Works great in the top of the pack thus far.

Here is my tracking page: https://share.delorme.com/EvanDavis

The other app that I use often is Gaia GPS. It is a pay app, but you can download USGS topos and aerials to your phone before you go out in case there is no cell coverage where you are going. That is a must have app IMO if using cell phones for this stuff.

Crzyivan13 wrote:The other app that I use often is Gaia GPS. It is a pay app, but you can download USGS topos and aerials to your phone before you go out in case there is no cell coverage where you are going. That is a must have app IMO if using cell phones for this stuff.

I've been using Gaia GPS for about 5 years. I typically use it 3 times a week. I can't believe that it's not the most popular app in appland. For 20 bucks you turn your telephone in to a fully functional GPS.

Here is a screenshot from Gaia with my walk on Sunday up the gorge and back. I didnt take the delorme with me because i was not planning on going off the rail trail that day.



Gaia is an awesome app. Lots of tools for measurement and tracking.

Last summer my wife and I went over to Hood River, Oregon to hang out with Scottnt for an epic weekend of flying and general playing. They have 2 Alpackas and some paddleboards, so on a nice hot day we went out into the Columbia and paddled down to a little island. I have to say one thing about the Alpackas: They're very cool, well-built, and compact. The inflater bellows is kind of a clever system.

One thing they are not though, is a good flat water touring boat. They suffer serious yaw control issues. I'm cracking up laughing as I write this, it sounds so serious, like we're on a canoe forum. Anyway, lots of energy is wasted waggling to and fro, but it's not the end of the world. I think they would excel in some current.

I'd say go with the smallest/lightweight model for flying, because if you have a human partner, they'll need their own boat too. But if you want to bring a little gear, having the extra hull space would be nice, like that model you linked.

Good discussion on digital topo maps. I use "offline topo maps" which is a $10 map on my phone.

It came in really handy last summer when hiking from Vines to Dewey Moore in the Big Creek Drainage.......it was getting dark, and I was pretty sure I was close to Dewey Moore, but wanted to verify my position and distance. Pulling your phone out of your pocket and knowing all of this info, with your position noted on the topo map with a moving arrow, elevation, distance traveled etc, is super cool.

I also use the app a lot when mountain biking. Yesterday I was bushwacking through a trail that I had found on a map......I felt like I had gone to far and missed a turn off. Sure enough, pulling up my topo map with my position showed the ravine I was looking for a couple hundred yards behind me.

I just ordered a Sling Shot inflatable SUP http://www.slingshotsports.com/2016-Cro ... zyrrJErKhc to use out of the airplane. I am going with a SUP because I have some spots that I want to be able to paddle down river from a gravel bar to the Ocean and Surf. The big draw back is the weight........approximately 30ibs

Last night I flew over the gorge. Im planning a little overnight backpacking/camping trip here soon.

The first big bend to the right is the "Oxbow Bend" seen on the topo. (This is looking South)


Controlled burn area.

I was watching a vid a couple made about riding their fat tired bikes across the Utah desert on a several day trip. At one point they were floating across a river with the bikes on top some small rafts. I thought "what the hell, they made a big deal about being self contained, but they must have run across some rafters to help get them across." In the vid they skipped over the part about them carrying these same rafts all along, I had to read the text to figure it out, wow, they are that light and small, to carry on a multi day bike trip! Back in the ultralight days I flew with a cheap little Sevlor raft I paid 20 bucks for at Kmart. It lasted quite a while actually and once swamped (immediately) was real stable, I took it down the Snake River above Alpine several times so it actually got the job done as long as you didn't mind sitting in water the entire time.

I thought of this thread yesterday, flying to Jarbridge. This looks like it could be fun The possibilities of the combination of the e bike/plane I now have plus one of these rafts boggles the mind, I am trying to resist.......

One thing they are not though, is a good flat water touring boat.

I have had an older Alpacka for awhile, but probably have not used it as much as I should. I have used it a bit for getting into areas for hunting, and it works well if going in light. What really helps with yawing around is to have a pack strapped onto the bow of the boat, right over where you put your feet. This balances the boat out nicely, depending on how much crap is stuffed in the pack.

Another option would be the PR-49. I have not used one, but was on a hunting trip with someone who did, and it worked well. It is a little more robust and definitely larger. It is more than twice the weight of the Alpacka, but would easily fit into most aircraft. I think that it would be fine for two people.

Thanks to Mauleguy for the Epic Whine in the Original Post