Inflatable kayaks/canoes?

[Gooseberry]

I had the sea eagle but moving it around and setting it up was a time consuming venture and it took up space.

I went with a Alpaca pack raft for a few reasons.

Made in Colorado by a handful of employees
small size and weight of a 2 man tent when packed
sets up in 10 minutes easy 5 minutes if you work at it.
You can get a skirt to do white water but with dogs and mostly lakes and slow moving water I did not get it.

https://www.alpackaraft.com/index.cfm/s ... fts/Alpaca

I'm thinking of getting the 2 man version just because I need more room for the dogs

[chromisdesigns]

Originally Posted by Gooseberry

I had the sea eagle but moving it around and setting it up was a time consuming venture and it took up space.

I went with a Alpaca pack raft for a few reasons.

Made in Colorado by a handful of employees
small size and weight of a 2 man tent when packed
sets up in 10 minutes easy 5 minutes if you work at it.
You can get a skirt to do white water but with dogs and mostly lakes and slow moving water I did not get it.

I would love to have one of those for fishing, how small does it fold up if you are diligent? The other problem aside from space would be convincing SWMBO that we need yet another accessory for the coach!

[Gooseberry]

Originally Posted by chromisdesigns

I would love to have one of those for fishing, how small does it fold up if you are diligent? The other problem aside from space would be convincing SWMBO that we need yet another accessory for the coach!

It's the size of a two man backpacking tent and fits in a small doufle bag with paddle no problem. It's for backpacking and you could attach to you pack and use it in the back country

[shenrie]

thanks for posting gooseberry! we did a float down the southfork of the snake river last weekend and 2 of the people in our party had a tandem sea eagle (we were in a 16' hauling gear). they were darting all over the place and having a blast and it was making me double think my (current) decision for the explorer 42 from alpacka. the alpacka just looks like a more simple setup, plus it sounded about 15 or so lbs lighter. we havent purchased yet as ive been doing research, but i think you sealed the deal for me. thanks for your imput!

[rltilley]

I just picked up a Sea Eagle 420X with the Pro package. I'll hopefully get it pumped up this week & test it out in the pool. I likely won't get it in the real water until the new year. Amazon had a used one sold directly by Sea Eagle on their site for $599. Don't see one now but they seem to pop up occasionally. The kayak looks brand new & still carries the 180 day return option & 3 year warranty. Looking forward to getting it in the water. I got mine here:

http://www.amazon.com/Sea-Eagle-Inflata ... +pro+kayak

[Whitelephant]

I carry an IK in the underfloor stowage compartment along with freediving and spear fishing gear. I have used my kayak in class 3 and 4 white water with no problems. These really are pretty tough little boats. I agree that the aire boats are great if you can afford them. Sailboats togo has sailing rigs available for most IKs than stow in very little space if you want to extend your range on flat water. Imagine that a boat for flat water, diving, fishing and sailing that fits inside a campervan, away from prying eyes. While it is true that an IK is'nt the best at anything, try finding anything else that can do it all as well. Good paddling.

[Vegasrandall]

One thing to remember is sometimes inflatables can't be paddled into a stiff wind. If you're offshore and the wind is strong enough you're not going anywhere but downwind. There have been several yachties lost because their zodiac motor quit and they couldn't row into the wind to get to their boat or back to shore.

[tlg]

Test paddled a K-Pak by The Folding Boat Co at Overland Expo East and was instantly sold. Believe its the perfect solution for the SMB given the boat's profile and packability. The K-Pak is a polyurethane fabric boat that achieves rigidity through an aluminum frame and inflatable tubes that run the length of the vessel. 9'3" long and sits 30" wide when ready to paddle. On the water, the boat is nimble and relatively fast. I was able to maintain 2.5 mph on flat water with ease (despite the presence of a stiff wind). The boat weighs a mere 21 pounds and folds into a compact package. It fits nicely into the back of the SMB while leaving ample room for the rest of the gear we usually carry (as seen below). The simple design also allows for a set up/break down time of 5 mins. That was the big selling factor for me. Additional details at foldingboatco.com.

[BroncoHauler]

Originally Posted by tlg

Test paddled a K-Pak by The Folding Boat Co at Overland Expo East and was instantly sold. Believe its the perfect solution for the SMB given the boat's profile and packability. The K-Pak is a polyurethane fabric boat that achieves rigidity through an aluminum frame and inflatable tubes that run the length of the vessel. 9'3" long and sits 30" wide when ready to paddle. On the water, the boat is nimble and relatively fast. I was able to maintain 2.5 mph on flat water with ease (despite the presence of a stiff wind). The boat weighs a mere 21 pounds and folds into a compact package. It fits nicely into the back of the SMB while leaving ample room for the rest of the gear we usually carry (as seen below). The simple design also allows for a set up/break down time of 5 mins. That was the big selling factor for me. Additional details at foldingboatco.com.

Very nice.

[PatO]

The first living room "test" drive for any gear is always the best!