Build-a-boat workshop: DIY packraft

The Vitals

Date: December 2022 – November 2023

Location: The basement

Time: 75+ hours

Resources: DIY Packraft

The Summary

Session	Activity	Time	Total Time
1	Cut fabric	2.5	2.5
2	Seat	0.75	3.25
3	Seat	2	5.25
4	Seat	1.75	7
5	Seat	1.5	8.5
6	Seat	1	9.5
7	Seat	1.5	11
8	Seat	1	12
9	Inflation bag	1	13
10	Backrest	1.5	14.5
11	Backrest	0.75	15.25
12	Backrest	0.5	15.75
13	Panel 3R	2	17.75
14	Panel 3R	2	19.75
15	Panel 3L	3.5	23.25
16	Panels 2LR	1	24.25
17	Panels 2LR	2	26.25
18	Panels 2LR	3	29.25
19	Panels 2LR	0.5	29.75
20	Panels 2LR	1	30.75
21	Panels 2LR	0.5	31.25
22	Panels 1LR	1	32.25
23	Panels 1LR	1	33.25
24	Panels 1LR	2.5	35.75
25	Panels 1LR	2.5	38.25
26	Panels 1LR	1	39.25
27	Front Seam	2.5	41.75
28	Front Seam	2.5	44.25
29	Front Seam	0.5	44.75
30	Front Seam	0.5	45.25
31	Zipper	0.5	45.75
32	Zipper	2	47.75
33	Panels 4LR	1.5	49.25
34	Panels 4LR	1.5	50.75
35	Panels 4LR	1	51.75
36	Panels 4LR	1	52.75
37	Panels 4LR	1	53.75
38	Panels 4LR	1.5	55.25
39	Panels 4LR	2.5	57.75
40	Panels 4LR	0.5	58.25
41	Inflation Valve	1.5	59.75
42	Rear Seam	3	62.75
43	Rear Seam	1	63.75
44	Leaks	1	64.75
45	Second test	0.25	65
46	Finishing touches	10	75

The Build

I had been interested in having a packraft for a long time and I also wanted some kind of winter hobby that was non-athletics based. Lucky for me, in January 2022, while stuck at home in a rare Vancouver snowstorm, I learned of the existence of DIY packraft kits out of a home business right here in BC.

At the time there was some uncertainty to the future of the business so I placed a pre-order for two Telkwa kits in red and yellow and waited patiently through the summer for supply chains to unclog and for the kits to be put together and shipped.

I received the kits just before Christmas in 2022 and dug into the first task of building the seat and backrest. Over the next few months, and more than 40 sessions, I picked away at each step as the raft began to take shape. The first sessions were the most difficult when it came to following the instructions but by the end I didn’t really need the instructions at all. By then it was just repeating similar actions to what I had already done. I also combined the red and yellow kits to make a custom colour combination.

At that point the biggest impediment was my heat-sealing iron which did not retain heat well. I could only work for about a minute before it would cool off too much and I would have to wait for a couple of minutes to get back up to temp. This is because I had an iron made for use in China or Europe. For the last few sessions, I fixed this problem by borrowing a transformer to boost my North American voltage to Chinese voltage. Suddenly I had too much heating power at my disposal and I burned the first material I attempted to weld. In general it seemed to take me much longer than the time estimates but I was trying to be very careful. I’m not particularly good at arts-and-crafts so it was important to me to take my time and stop work every couple of hours before I started making mistakes.

In July I made a concerted effort to finish the project as it had stretched well beyond the original winter timeline. I wanted it to be finished by August so I could bring it to Ontario when I visited family. The way the kit is designed, you have already put in tens of hours by the time you can attempt the first inflation. The day I went for the first inflation was a bit nerve-wracking but there was only one small hole on one of the first seams I had welded and it was easy to fix.

The first water test was done at Deep Cove with some borrowed gear and ended after 20 minutes when the seat popped. This was the result of insufficient welding and was also easily fixed. A week later, the same thing happened to the backrest but since then there has been no more trouble.

After the hectic summer season ended, I went back to work on the finishing touches – adding lash points and a kayak-style backband that I thought would be more supportive than the inflatable backrest. I also finally bought a paddle (210 cm Aqua Bound Sting Ray Carbon 2-piece) and PFD (Astral V-Eight). The biggest obstacle to getting out on the water is the lack of any trip partners. Two friends are building their kits still and, unfortunately, I don’t think I have the desire at the moment to build the second kit I bought. There are also some attractive complete rafts like the MRS Micoraft.

It’s nice that after 10 months the basement is no longer covered in pieces of TPU-coated nylon, wooden forms, rags, irons, and bits of tape. Next year I hope to put the boat to good use, linking up traverses and accessing zones that would otherwise be out of reach.