I am thinking of taking the plunge, pun intended, and adding a packraft to the growing fleet of water craft.
Anyone have recommendations for a packraft that won’t break the bank? I’ll be doing mostly desert rivers, and can’t imagine ever wanting to do anything more than class 3. Kokopelli XPD seems like a great bang for my buck, but fairly heavy for long carries.
Anyone have recommendations?
If you truly only want it for Canyoneering, go as light and sackable as possible. Lots of the trips that require a packraft have long hikes.
If you love the water and rivers in general, an Alpacka will take you places you never imagined.
I had a Gnarwal and it can do amazing things, but I wouldn’t want to carry it into the GC to cross the river.
I am looking at a used Alpacka Classic. I have a San Juan trip this spring that I thought it would be a good opportunity to bring a packraft to get some experience since it won’t take up much space on the raft when not in use.
My plan is more rivers than canyoneering initially, but do suspect an Alpacka might be a gateway boat to getting a second lighter one for canyoneering… Then more boats for the rest of the family… 
Do you have a paddle recommendation? Seems there are a lot of options. For class 3 or easier, I assume I want the lightest I can get since I doubt durability will be an issue?
I use an aqua bound shred and then later a whiskey. carbon fiber break down.
Not cheap, but strong and powerful in any condition. Usually can find reasonable deals on them as well. I think I found my shred on CL for $50
+1 for Alpacka. Lesser-priced models will mean you’ll regret your purchase. I have a Wolverine and recommend a spray skirt deck over a self-bailing floor and gear storage in the tubes as must-have features. I have friends in Kokopellis but the systems and features aren’t as dialed in when we compare the two, and they weigh more.
As for paddles, i found 110 cm to be the right length for my 6’ tall arms, and went a little cheaper on the paddle with a composite shaft paddle. The weight savings wasn’t worth it for the full carbon model. A 4-piece is great but you can carry the two halves in if you have to.
Thanks for the paddle recommendation. I ended up with a used Alpacka with a spray skirt instead of self bailing. Works really well for me, but I’ve been using a 130cm paddle that has seemed too long. I’ll try a 110cm. My wife and daughter seem to love it as much as I do. Pic from the lower San Juan last year.
