TR: Fat Cat

[mikesee]

aka "The Doom Direct".

See it HERE.

[paulk]

Starting to think I need a packraft

[GearDog]

Super impressed. Love the attitude you guys have. I also watched the Bob Marshall episode, love it. Would enjoy picking your brain sometime. My wife and I have kayaked for over 10 years and we're thinking this might be our next adventure - Packrafting.

If your open, maybe we could trade email addresses and I could get some firsthand information?

Thanks, Mike, Lenny

[paulk]

I'm also curious about these, specifically how they paddle. Not sure if you were the one rolling it, but how much control/stability do you lose from a hardshell? Also how much gear/weight can you take before it becomes too weighed down?

Not going to be my everyday boat, but these trips are awesome. Thanks

[mikesee]

Originally Posted by paulk

I'm also curious about these, specifically how they paddle. Not sure if you were the one rolling it, but how much control/stability do you lose from a hardshell? Also how much gear/weight can you take before it becomes too weighed down?

Not going to be my everyday boat, but these trips are awesome. Thanks

The short answer is that I haven't hardshelled except to learn to roll in a pool. I got into boating pretty much exclusively to do trips like this, thus my time has all been focused in the boat I plan to use.

I think you have to look at packrafts as more different than similar from kayaks as far as how they handle. Packrafts are so buoyant you're always atop the water instead of in it. Makes crossing eddy lines super easy and punching holes somewhat harder.

Rolling took me a long time to learn (in a packraft) because I didn't have anyone to point out what I was doing wrong, and there are a few fundamental differences from a kayak roll. That said, I think anyone with a bomber kayak roll could figure it out in a matter of minutes.

Elsewhere here on MB I posted a TR from our 'River of Return' trip. That was an 8-day outing, and IMO the boat handles better with 8 days worth of 'stuff' than it does empty. Well, maybe not for creeking but for the MF and Main it sure did.

On a different note, I've been jonesing to get up and do Shoshone this fall. I have a second packraft that I'd be willing to loan to a competent partner that wants to give it a go while running laps up there.

[mikesee]

Originally Posted by GearDog

Super impressed. Love the attitude you guys have. I also watched the Bob Marshall episode, love it. Would enjoy picking your brain sometime. My wife and I have kayaked for over 10 years and we're thinking this might be our next adventure - Packrafting.

If your open, maybe we could trade email addresses and I could get some firsthand information?

Thanks, Mike, Lenny

I'd love to help, but I'd prefer to keep the info 'open source' i.e. right here so that others might learn from it as well.

Don't hesitate with questions.

[caspermike]

After seeing mulkey trip down the east wind with his pack raft buddies makes you wonder. Problem is don't know if I want to put that kayak down. Think I'm going get into the wilderness multi-day trips more next year. Surprising how many quality runs surround us and how many are left over to do. My plan for next year is Be able to shoulder the boat for 20 miles in one day. Lots of training to do. Pack raft would def make it easy though.

[Rojo]

Amazing video and pictures.
I just keep watching all the following adventures.
Nice life "Moe".

[GearDog]

Sounds good, thanks.

So, with your experience, what is the absolute best packraft, money not an issue, for doing the most difficult whitewater? If you can supply a link, that would be great, then I (we) can present additional questions about what I (we) see on the link.

Thanks, Lenny.

[mikesee]

Originally Posted by GearDog

Sounds good, thanks.

So, with your experience, what is the absolute best packraft, money not an issue, for doing the most difficult whitewater? If you can supply a link, that would be great, then I (we) can present additional questions about what I (we) see on the link.

Thanks, Lenny.

My experience is with the mainline Alpacka boats, as well as minimal experience with the NRS and Feathercraft units.

Given what's available today, the mainline Alpacka boats win by a landslide. Pick your size (according to height) and get the whitewater deck.

In the Cataract vid linked above, Moe is 5'8" and in a Yak, I'm 5'10" and also in a Yak, Doom is 6'0" and also in a Yak. I could fit an Alpaca or Llama if necessary, but the Yak is pretty much ideal for me.

You'll have to glue on d-rings for thigh straps, and I can't stress enough how important this is for anything class III and up.

But note that above I said 'Given what's available today'. That's because Alpacka has been working on a dedicated whitewater boat, and it sounds like they're literally days (maybe weeks) away from going to production. That boat is called the Orca. I haven't paddled it yet but I've seen it up close and personal. My $.02 is that it bridges the gap between hardshells and the currently available packrafts. And what I mean by that is that it's not quite as light nor packable as the Yak I have now, but still worlds lighter and smaller than a hardshell. And it paddles/punches/boofs/carves much closer to a hardshell--or so I'm told by the big boys and girls that have prototypes.

Hope that helps.

MC