NRS PackRaft
- This light water craft fits into a space 18" x 15" x 5", making it easy to throw in a pack, the back of your ATV or anywhere in your rig.
- Propel yourself along with a double bladed kayak paddle, raft/canoe paddle, or shoot, in an emergency use a handy tree branch.
- Two inflation chambers in the tubes, the inflatable seat and removable floor insert give you maximum safety margins.
- The 70-denier tube material and 210-denier floor material is super strong and abrasion-resistant while still being very lightweight.
- Each of the tube chambers has a large opening, inflation/deflation valve and a second smaller twist valve for top off and pressure adjustment.
- Four front and two rear webbing tie-down points let you securely lash on packs and other gear.
- Comes with a repair kit and convenient storage bag.
- Length: 6' 10"
- Width: 36"
- Weight: 7.4 lbs.
- Tube Diameter: 11"
- Number of Thwarts: 0
- Bow Kick: 14"
- Stern Kick: 12.5"
- Number of Air Chambers: 4
- Valve Type: Boston type
- Self Bailing: No
- Type of Material: Urethane
- Weight/Denier of Tube Material: 70 denier
- Weight/Denier of Floor Material: 210 denier
- Number of D-rings: 0
- Number of Handles: 0
- Center Compartment Width: 14" x 56"
- Repair Kit: Yes
- Warranty: 2 Years Retail, 2 Years Commercial
-
Features:
- Boat is 5.6 lbs and the floor is 1.8 lbs. Total weight 7.4 lbs.
REVIEW SNAPSHOT®
by PowerReviews(based on 6 reviews)
Ratings Distribution
67%
of respondents would recommend this to a friend.
Pros
- Easy to fill (5)
- Easy to use (5)
- Fun (5)
- Durable (3)
Cons
- Not durable (3)
Best Uses
- Was this a gift?:
- No (5)
Reviewed by 6 customers
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Displaying reviews 1-5
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Pros
- Durable
- Easy To Clean
- Easy to Fill
- Easy To Use
- Fun
- Good Deal
Cons
Best Uses
- Backcountry Travel
- Class 4- And Below
Comments about NRS PackRaft:
Packrafting...
Nothing like crossing a steep AK range pass and blowing up the packraft to float 25 miles out... I've carried 2 people and 2 packs (a hilarious day pinballing down a river), creek boated class 3+ many times, and comfortably floated multiple days on mile wide rivers. It is pretty easy to build your own sprayskirt (cost me $30 at a fabric store) so it holds up better to waves, and the bigger size makes it more comfy than an Alpaca. I think the NRS is a great deal at half the price of the alpaca, but for sport boating you need to rig a backrest and sprayskirt to keep up. A little improvement and this boat could be more than an oddity to packrafters.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Easy to Fill
- Easy To Use
- Fun
Cons
- Breaks Easily
Best Uses
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.
- Was this a gift?:
- Yes
Pros
Cons
- Breaks Easily
Best Uses
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.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Durable
- Easy to Fill
- Easy To Use
- Fun
- Good value
Cons
- Breaks Easily
- Hard To Empty
Best Uses
- Backpacking
- Lightweight river running
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..
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Easy To Clean
- Easy to Fill
- Easy To Use
- Fun
Cons
- Hard To Empty
Best Uses
- Flat water
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
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Displaying reviews 1-5
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Do you have questions about this product?
get answers from real customers and in-house experts with AnswerBox.
- NRS PackRaft
Q:
Hi
I need a packraft floor for this boat. Any idea where I can get one?Asked on 6/2/2013 by Jessica from Ashburn, VA1 answer
A:
Jessica, do you mean the inflatable floor insert that comes with the PackRaft? Give us a call, 800.635.5202, to order one.Answered on 6/2/2013 by Clyde from NRS
- NRS PackRaft
Q:
Is this self inflating? How does that work?Asked on 3/14/2013 by julia from wilmington, nc1 answer
A:
Julia, it's not self inflating, you have to add the air. Since the raft is a lightweight craft, we've built a lightweight "pump" for it. Take a look at the PackRaft Fill Bag, Item # 16302. Use it to add most of the air to the raft, then finish topping it off by mouth through the small twist valves.Answered on 3/14/2013 by Clyde from NRS
- NRS PackRaft
Q:
What is the maximum weight to carry in this raft?Asked on 8/25/2012 by Scot from Alaska1 answer
VERIFIED BUYER
A:
It just depends on the water conditions. Completely calm flat water I bet you could float 400-500 lbs in it. But the more weight the lower it sits and the easier little waves will make it over the pontoons. I like to float down the Rogue river in Oregon from the city of Rogue River to Grants Pass through small rapids with my 4 year old daughter it the same raft. I have also strapped my bike to the front, but it does not go over waves well when front heavy.Answered on 8/27/2012 by Anonymous
Merchant response: We are currently working on a spraydeck for the PackRaft.