Alpacka Mule Or Gnu

[rancid badger]

Not a request for zoo animals but I've decided I want to get into packrafting and I'm looking to buy either a mule or a gnu from Alpacka.

The only retailer in the UK that I know of is Backcountry Biking in Aviemore.

Any others and what about Europe? I know of at least one retailer in Germany.

Cheers

Steve

 

[rancid badger]

No one on here with any info?

 

[Trig]

I bought mine last september, and i think the only retailers i found were Backcountry biking and the german one also. Think the german one also hires them out if you wanna try before buying.

Backcountry biking never had what i wanted in stock, but i sent an email and they were waiting on fresh stock. So it may be worth asking if you dont see what you want on their sit.

What sort of trips are you planning on using the raft for?

Also.. I decided to buy mine fitted with the Cruiser spray deck. Cost quite a bit extra and tbh, ive not used it after the first few trips.
It is pretty hard to avoid getting wet up to shin height when entering, so your getting water inside the craft that way anyway. Water gathers on top when paddling/raining, which the deck keeps most out, but some gets in also.

Id save on the cost and extra weight/bulk of the deck and buy a decent pair of dry trousers. I wear a pair with built in socks. No more wet feet, and no more wet **** sitting in a puddle.

Not sure what the white water decks are like, but i dont see how you avoid bringing water in with wet feet anyway.

 

[Jared]

Sweden http://www.avanzakayak.com/AlpackaRaft.htm
Norway https://www.packrafting.com/

 

[rancid badger]

I bought mine last september, and i think the only retailers i found were Backcountry biking and the german one also. Think the german one also hires them out if you wanna try before buying.

Backcountry biking never had what i wanted in stock, but i sent an email and they were waiting on fresh stock. So it may be worth asking if you dont see what you want on their sit.

What sort of trips are you planning on using the raft for?

Also.. I decided to buy mine fitted with the Cruiser spray deck. Cost quite a bit extra and tbh, ive not used it after the first few trips.
It is pretty hard to avoid getting wet up to shin height when entering, so your getting water inside the craft that way anyway. Water gathers on top when paddling/raining, which the deck keeps most out, but some gets in also.

Id save on the cost and extra weight/bulk of the deck and buy a decent pair of dry trousers. I wear a pair with built in socks. No more wet feet, and no more wet **** sitting in a puddle.

Not sure what the white water decks are like, but i dont see how you avoid bringing water in with wet feet anyway.

I'm no stranger to paddling as such, having owned 6 open canoes and a sit on top since 2008 so a bit of water in the boat is nothing new, that's what dry bags are for. I'd definitely go for the cruiser deck if I buy a mule but possibly not for the gnu, as the big attraction of the gnu is the central tube/storage unit which is designed to act as not only a seat which you can keep shifting position on but has a "cargo fly" fitted which actually allows you to place kit inside the tube, then zip it up and inflate it:- stiffener/storage/seat.

I want something that's not too "noddy" ( constantly turning left/right as you paddle) so that at least it feels like most of the effort of paddling is actually going into making progress ahead.The gnu is supposed to be the fastest of the rafts so far built and also the best for "tracking" (not expecting much on that front to be honest). Then I want decent space for occasional tandem trips ( the gnu is designed for exactly this scenario, while the mule is just a bigger version of the basic rafts apparently)

Trip wise? Well I've got all sorts of ideas ticking around in my mind, from driving to put ins up river and pottering down slow rivers, getting to my destination and deflating the boat, shoving it in my bag and catching buses back to my car or vise versa. Paddling in the Lake District (or anywhere else for that matter) without having to find parking spaces with loads of room to get boats on and off cars. Then there are the camping trips, the odd mackerel fishing jaunt, etc etc. The key points are: portability-durability-convenience. The trips will develop as I get used to the limitations and practicalities but the real goal is to get out and paddle places I couldn't really get to with hard shell open canoes due to the excessive weight and palava of loading/unloading on and off cars and on and off the water (it was this that eventually led to me getting rid of my last boat and it only weighed about 25kg. I don't think most people realise just how damned unwieldy and potentially dangerous an open canoe is to man handle).

I definitely want to get up to the North West of Scotland, Knoydart in particular, as well as having a go at the Shiel circuit and other such odds and ends. I don't want to be limited by having to lug 25kg of solid plastic around.

If I find it's not happening, I'll just have to accept that time, for me, has indeed rolled on and sell up. I reckon I stand to lose around £400 on a new boat and paddle in the first couple of trips but if I can get a few decent trips in before giving up I reckon I'll have come out more or less even

I'm also toying with an Ally folding canoe which is a completely different animal-It's a proper 15/16ft canoe that folds and rolls up and weighs in around 16kg but the pack size is immense! Cost is about equal to the Gnu but I'll have to add at least £150 for a knock down paddle for the raft, whereas I've already got my canoe paddles sitting.

I might even just end up buying a cheapish sit on top!

We'll just have to wait and see.


Steve

 

[Trig]

I looked at getting a sit on top myself, having never paddled before, but i ended up going all in and getting a packraft for all the same reasons you mention. Mainly so i could paddle somewhere and catch a bus/train back to the car with no hassle. It is brilliant.

I got the Yukon Yak, which i think is the mid sized normal type raft. After some practice and with my rucksack strapped on the front, it doesnt really sway side to side when paddling. Without the rucksack though, it does tend to a bit. Not sure what the other crafts are like, but if your carrying gear in it, id think they would be fine.

Decks are personal preference i guess. My gears all in dry bags anyway,plus the rucksack sits on top above the deck, so i found the deck wasnt really doing anything for me.
I think it was the 2nd time i was trying the raft out, with just dry socks and rain trousers, that i tried getting in without getting my feet wet. One foot on a rock, one in a raft, and then suddenly both feet in the air and my body underwater. Lesson learned,dry trousers purchased

This guy has some interesting trips which might be of interest http://gridnorth.blogspot.co.uk/p/blog-archive.html

 

[Tengu]

Honest to goodness, did you see that inflation method? Have you seen anything as simple and ingenious??

 

[rancid badger]

Honest to goodness, did you see that inflation method? Have you seen anything as simple and ingenious??

Quite brilliant isn't it! No springs, no shafts, handles or cylinders to wear out or go wrong.

 

[rancid badger]

Well I eventually decided that I couldn't justify spending the thick end of £1000-£1500 on either an Ally folder or an Alpacka and the sit on top was just a different flavour of the same thing as far as storage, transport and handling goes. So I hit the middle ground and spent £550 on one of these:


inside of which were these:


which contained these:


And so on;






I did a bit of research and found quite a few Gumotex videos on youtube and the "Palava" was/is being used for some really serious white water, expedition level journeying by Czechs in particular, with some big Canadian river trips being especially impressive.

I wasn't sure what to expect on opening the box, although Rob at Solely Marine had assured me of the superior quality and durability of the boats, you always wonder if your going to get a shock or a surprise.

In this case, I got both! the quality of the thing and the accessories was superb and once I got the thing put together (took 20 mins first time) I was indeed shocked and surprised at what I had bought but in all the good ways.

It was a bit late in the day to pop along to Hexham for a paddle so I packed up and waited till the following day (Tuesday gone) and took myself off to Ullswater.

I'll post a trip report separately and link across.


Suffice to say here: If you are looking at buying a canoe,before you buy; try a few hard shells, then if possible, try one of these things as well.I've paddled "proper" canoes for about 8 years now and this thing actually paddles as well as any comparably sized hard shell canoe but you have none of the hassle of lugging the thing on and off roof bars or the storage issues either. I wish I'd gone this route years ago.

Steve.

Link as promised: http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/newreply.php?do=postreply&t=139423