Packraft recommendation
 

Hi folks
I am thinking to buy a Packraft to carry on my tours,I really don t have much experience so I am not planning to do crazy rivers at the moment
Could someone recommend me a model must be light and big to carry my bike and all my panniers?
In Germany I can get the Adventure x2 or Microraft not sure which one?
Do I need to get one with spray deck?

MRS Adventure X2 - Anfibio Packrafting Store
MRS Microraft (mit Spritzdecke) - Anfibio Packrafting Store

Thank you

Recommendations on the boat itself is probably a question better suited for a whitewater/boating forum.

Don't forget the need to carry a pump and paddles. I'd imagine all that would take up the better part of two panniers.

You don t need to carry a pump and the paddles are very small too

Out of curiosity, how do you inflate without a pump. The specs mention an "inflation bag." What is that?


BTW...That second one has an interior width of only 35 cm. And the L/XL size has an interior length of only 125 cm. How do you envision fitting your body, a bike and all your gear in that space?

check it
Extra Inflation Bag - Alpacka Raft LLC

I agree that a boating or kayak forum will yield better results. The only aspect of it that is bike-specific is storage capacity and how small it folds down. Those two factors are going to be important to more than just cyclists, so you still might find that info even if it's not in relation to bikes.

I have read a few blogs and trip reports involving packrafts and bikes. The main company that comes up is Alpacka. A number of their rafts seem suitable. It just becomes a trade off in which the bigger the raft, the easier it will be to attach all of your luggage and you bike, and the harder it will be to carry on your bike.

If you're not talking about whitewater rafting, I'm guessing a spraydeck would be entirely optional. The pictures I've seen of people packrafting with a bike attached usually do not have a spraydeck. It might even be that attaching your bike to the raft makes using a spraydeck difficult.

While I've been lusting after an Alpacka for years, I know that I have other projects and expenses that are going to make the price of a packraft hard to justify, especially since it's unclear how much use I'd get from it. So I have been looking seriously at this one: https://www.klymit.com/litewater-dinghy.html
Not really in the same league as Alpacka, from what I had read, but considering I mainly want to occasionally cross some calm water or float down a lazy river, it seems like it might do the trick. Or least give me an idea of how much I would use a packraft without making my piggy bank cry.

A folding bike+packraft tour of the Shetland Islands, south to north:

Here's my rig.

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7408/...98d8bc4d_h.jpg

Haven't paired it with a bicycle, or bicycle touring yet, but it would probably be work great with my ultra-compact touring rig (Brompton + 30L T-bag).

I think it all weighs ~11 lbs and can be set-up in <10 mins. The spray deck is worthwhile if you want to do whitewater or paddle when it's cold out, but calm water/summer use, it's kind of a pain (more stuff to dry out). Keep in mind these things are pretty slow on water - don't expect much more than 1mph without a huge effort, and if there's any wind...:innocent:.

packraft+bicycle = <3

I have rafted as part of a number of tours.
The Sevylor I have weighs in at about 28 lbs with all the extra gear.
(That's a lot of extra pounds and tough to ride with.)
I would ship the raft to the nearest post office.
Then I would struggle under all the weight to get to my put-in.
(Oh - - - I also carried a big inner tube to strap the bike onto.)

Once I was on the river I probably looked like the Beverly Hillbillies.
But it was sweet - and I could camp on quiet river islands, etc.
I had me and all my gear on the raft.
And I trailed the inner tube with my bike strapped to it.
Obviously, I was not set up for anything remotely technical.

I think it cost me $25 each way for postage - so the outing was $50 extra.
I've done parts of the Missouri and Yellowstone Rivers.
In both these cases, I spend a few days on the river.

Can't remember the river crossing in Alberta.
Really, $50 and the time to set up is pricey for what amounts to ferry ride.
But it allowed me to ride on super quiet back roads.

Actually, it's easier and cheaper to hitch-hike across rivers.
You ride to a moderately popular put-in.
Then pull your sign out with a big thumb.
Sometimes it's only 5-10 minutes - other times an hour or two.
But I always have gotten across the river.
Done it on the Columbia, Mississippi, Potomac and a few others.

Bikepacking-Packrafting Western Scotland:

Why are we looking at a four year old thread?

Oh, a newbie resurrected it.

Slightly OT, but the Burlington bike causeway has a little (>200') gap with a privately run ferry. I think it would be fun to raft across. I was thinking of just using empty Ortlieb panniers and swimming. I'm sure someone has done it, but I have never heard of it.

I was there in September, but on a weekday, so no ferry service.


https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...5d9fedbfc.jpeg