NRS PackRaft

Comments about NRS PackRaft:

I just got off a 7 day trip down Utah's Dirty Devil with a couple of friends. I have the NRS, a buddy has an Alpaca, and another has a tandem Tomcat. For the Dirty Devil I feel that the NRS is the perfect boat. On such a trip is is necessary to get in and out of the cockpit very often in order to drag the boat through very shallow areas (the river is ankle deep most of the time).

The NRS has a lower center of gravity than an Alpaca which is nice because in the situation outlined above, the Alpaca was prone to tipping over and filling with water while being towed. The NRS is also easier to get in and out of. We encounted rapids up to class three and the NRS did fine though I did take on some water. The included floor pad kept me from sitting in a puddle. There were lots of bony rapids and each time I hit a rock I thought it was the end of the boat but it always came through beautifully. Very durable.

CONS: The D rings are a joke. I still can't belive they are being used. I'd heard that this was the case and so I babied mine. Still by day three they had all ripped off completely forcing me to put my bag in the bottom of the boat. On such an expensive piece of equipment by such a reputable manufacturer this should not be a problem.

Comments about NRS PackRaft:

My experience with this boat is very disappointing. On its maiden voyage on a swiftwater stream, a tube was punctured within 10 minutes. Also, out of the box it had a defective valve. NRS, to their credit, replaced the boat. Maiden voyage of boat #2 on a rocky creek: the floor sustained a 6 inch tear. On both of these trips, other packrafts (not NRS) sustained no damage. I've sworn by NRS gear for years and will continue to do so, but not this boat.

Comments about NRS PackRaft:

River professional in Fairbanks, Alaska. We bought 14 of them over the last 9 months and have put many miles on them. Have used alpaca's many times in the past but we never owned any due to the cost involved. Very good value, almost half the cost of a standard Alpaca without the optional floor pad or sprayskirt. NRS gives you the floor pad with the boat, and I know of two Alaska outdoor gear companies that are happy to build sprayskirts and glue them on, Alpaca's sparyskirt design is still lacking anyway. As a bonus, the NRS is 10" longer than Alpaca's biggest river worthy raft, so that extra person or more gear is a more realistic option.

BUT... Two major yet really simple issues. Why are the two chambers valves at opposite ends of the boat? How are we expected to roll up the boat with out air pockets in one side? Seriously, try it. And the D rings are incredibly poor. Plan on gluing in an additional valve at the bow so both chambers can be deflated while rolling up the boat, and cut off their "d-rings" and buy some from Alpaca. Then you'll have a rugged affordable boat.. We plan to contact NRS about these two flaws directly..

Comments about NRS PackRaft:

Bought this boat thinking I would save a few bucks compared to the price of buying an alpacka and that I wouldn't need a spraydeck if not using for serious whitewater. I was wrong. The boat is very comparable to alpaca as far as weight, maneuverability, and durability. I like the fact that it has 2 chambers, but a spraydeck is essential. On my favorite local splashy class 2 run I have to pull over and bail twice everytime which is more difficult than it should be due to to the faulty webbing loops that were used in the place of D-rings and quickly tear off under the weight of a swamped boat. Even in flat water a spaydeck is very nice to have just to shield you from the water dripping off your paddle if you don't want to wear your drysuit to paddle class 1. I really like where NRS is going with this boat if they continue to develop it, but if a spraydeck retrofit is not offered soon I will definately be returning it and buying an alpacka

Comments about NRS PackRaft:

After seeing several Youtube videos of this being used in white water I purchased one used. I was so happy with it I bought a 2nd new from NRS. I think there are some very loyal fans of Alpacka rafts who would be slow to accept how on par this raft is. It should be noted that this raft is not made for a spray deck. Also it does not come is smaller sizes available from Alpacka rafts.

For the small weight penalty I really appreciate the extra space. I take my wife or daughter in it with me and still have room for some gear. The seat and inflatable floor included work great. The removable inflatable floor is thick and could be used as an emergency flotation device or sleeping pad (not full size). The seat is not removable and works with or without the floor. The thicker material making up the floor itself is very well thought out as this is the area that takes the most beating. I am not looking to go through any serious white water, but it is nice to know the raft can handle it. I really like this raft. Even if I could get an Alpacka for the same price I think I would choose the NRS.