Pakboats

Anybody have any experience with Pakboats? Especially the Puffin Line how is the quality? Are they durable?



I have read the reviews on paddling.net already.



http://www.pakboats.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=96&Itemid=150

comment…
I have no personal experience with these kinds of boats…I talked to a guy who had a tandem Folbot brand boat…He had some minor issues with connectors , nothing a trip to the local hardware store for a bolt couldn’t solve …he said the boat was durable. I takes him about 45 minutes to set-up and break down. He commented that the boat was slow, as would be expected.

Have a Pak-Boat
but its a canoe (the 170) and while its slow its flexible and rides over waves rather like a raft.



Alv Elveson is very reputable.



I bought my boat for fly ins which are becoming less hard shell friendly due to Transport Canada restrictions. Saves on the budget too.



The bottoms are quite durable but not quite as much as hardshell. I have heard of aborted trips in Labrador due to the boats inability to be dragged upstream in bony waters. For trips with sufficient water the kayak should be fine.



I have seen a Folboat destroyed on the Moose River after having to be dragged some 70 kms. Again low water was the culprit.

I’ve tried one
It was reasonably comfortable, but seemed really slow for a 15 foot boat. it seemed pretty durable but I wouldn’t drag one anywhere except on grass.

Intent
I would mainly use this boat only is situations where it would be very difficult to reach the put in with a hard shell boat. Last year while paddling in the Adirondacks I stopped to check out the launch at South Pond on RT 28/30 once I reached the put in at the bottom of a steep slope I found this serene body of water. But I would not even think of trying to get any of my hard shell yaks down or worse hauling them back up the hill. Do you think hitting that submerged rock that you can’t see would be a major issue?

no
Pakboats whack rocks all the time. The aluminum frame inside is like a geodesic shape. Flexible.



Yes they are slow boats. And they fill an exploration niche. To fly out a hardshell boat from the Arctic Ocean can cost as much as the boat itself and since PakBoats fit in a duffel bag and can be carried as interior luggage a lot of money can be saved as well as avoiding littering the tundra.



Also handy for when no rentals are available and your trip logistics are complicated.

Had
the Puffin 12’ model and took it to Mexico and many other places in N. Cal. It’s been down rivers where the rocks are sharp, course sandbars, and no rips or tears…just scuffs. I’m 210lbs and the beauty is that the hulls flex, especially going over large boulders/rocks. I have not used a skirt with it, but in the warm waters of Mexico, I really did not want one. Easy to assemble and I could get it down under 25 minutes. I had no problems keeping up with fellow paddlers. Easy to take on the plane and it has let me get into areas (photography) I would not have been able to…as in remote areas do not generally have rentals. Sold the yak and wish I still had it. Have not paddled the 15’, but it should perform well. There are some YouTube videos of someone rolling a Pakboat. Talk to the owner Alv if possible…guy knows paddling.

Thanks
For all your input. I am eying up a Puffin Swift(14’) but would like to paddle one before taking the plunge into something that will not see a lot of use from me.