DIY Packraft Maiden Voyage 

Thank you! Yup, I love that area, hope to get back out there this summer! Cheers!

Thank you! Cheers!

Thank you!

Haha, yup, but it floats, so it was worth it...I think! Haha!

@@ChrisTarzanClemens what product did you use to seal the seams?

@@odakyuodakyu6650 I think I used Seam Grip from Gear Aid, but I can't remember for sure.

@@ChrisTarzanClemens ahh ok, im in a different country but its just good to know brand names cause it can be useful.

Ha, well, I probably wouldn't have trusted it with a serious back country trip the day that I finished it, ha! I'm just using it for fun now, but if I wanted to do a real trip I'd probably buy a professionally made packraft. Cheers!

@@ChrisTarzanClemens ty enjoy.

It was actually in Montrose, Colorado. A pretty fun day for sure!

Ha, well...I was tracking the hours I had into it to compare to buying a pre-made packraft...I stopped tracking at 70 or 80 hours because it was making me sick, ha! It just took a really long time to find all the tiny leaks I had before it would float

It was the kit from DIY packraft in Canada: www.diypackraft.com/

The cap on the truck is an old Leer canopy shell that came with my Tacoma when I bought it used. Cheers!

Thanks! I'm not sure what the exact weight is...I bought the DIY Packraft because it was simple and light, but I added like a pound of seam sealer, haha, so that kinda defeated the purpose of lightweight, but at least it floats!

I've only used it a few times. I'm not sure why, but it took me a really really long time to get it to hold air. I used several bottles of seam sealer....it is a great kit and a good project, but if I had to do it over again I'd probably buy a professionally built packraft. Good luck!

@@ChrisTarzanClemens same.

This was at the Montrose Water Sports Park in Montrose, Colorado

I think I just didn't seal the seams well enough with the heat iron. I was tracking down lots of small air leaks and eventually just used seam sealer on all the seams to be sure!

@@ChrisTarzanClemens did you use one of the irons he recommended or something else? Do you have any other recommendations for someone considering this DIY option or know of where I can find more information in the form of reviews, etc? Look forward to seeing your long term review and adventures along the way. Cheers.

Yup, I used the recommended iron. If you can maybe find something more industrial it would help, I think some of his new videos look like he has a different iron that kinda looks better. It was a task, I probably put in a solid 50+ hours, maybe closer to 70 or more. It took longer than I expected, but all in all it's relatively simple. If I were to do it over again, with the amount of hours I put into it, I'd probably buy one already done from Alpaca or Kokopelli.

@@ChrisTarzanClemens I have an Alpackaraft Classic Llama but I'm going to make a DIY one as well. With regards to that chinese leather iron that's recommended, a big advantage would be to use a step up/down voltage converter. Don't know if you did that or just plugged it in with US 110V AC. Using a converter to get 220V makes a difference in getting that iron heated to the most effective temp for heat sealing the TPU. Your raft still looks good and I'm willing to bet the seams will hold up for many years and even if you do find more leaks in the future, just use the Aquaseal or Seam Grip to fix it. Those are permanent fixes once they cure. Also, Tyvek tape is your friend.

@@robertruff7460 Awesome, thanks! I didn't use a voltage converter, but, that makes a lot of sense!

Yup, great products and service!

@@ChrisTarzanClemens I'm building one with my dad :)