Packraft Ultima Backpacker
We've tailored Backpacker for those looking for ultralight and the most packable packraft, which, however, can still handle not only calm water, but also a classic river in normal condition, i.e. up to about difficulty WW I.
In order to keep the weight as low as possible, the Backpacker open boat is equipped with a combination of TPU 210D floor and narrower 25cm TPU 210D tubes. The result is weight of 2,5 kg In order to keep the weight as low as possible, the Backpacker open boat is equipped with a combination of TPU 210D floor and narrower 25cm TPU 210D tubes. The result is lightweight boat (2,5 kg) with amazingpackability .
The boat is therefore slightly less durable than its other siblings from the Ultima Packrafts stable, but it still handled the classic section of the Sázava Týnec - Pikovice under minimal water conditions, when part of the river was literally shuffled along the bottom over rocks.
Thanks to the narrower cut of the stern, the Backpacker also has a slightly lower load capacity than our other packrafts (approx. 100 kg).
Basic packraft equipment
The Packraft Backpacker is equipped with everything you'll need to set sail. However, the boat can be further retrofitted and optimized according to your preferences (see below).
The boat is basically equipped with an inflatable seat and an inflatable backrest.
The boat also includes 4 loops on the bow and 4 on the stern for securing cargo.
Also included is an inflatable bag, patch kit and a small boat bag.
Optional equipment
Packraft can also be fitted with optional accessories (tick when adding items to your basket).
Skeg
The Packraft is equipped with the option to clamp a skeg (bottom fin, supplied separately) for better directional hold when sailing on calm water.
TIZIP
Packraft can also be selected in the TIZIP storage system variant. In this case it is equipped with two TIZIP zippers in the side rollers of the boat.
Who is Backpacker for? The Backpacker is a packraft for those who are looking for a small lightweight boat that can still take them not only on calm water, but also on classic (not only) Czech rivers. For those who like to backpack with the boat and who like to go off the beaten track and reach the river in a few days. For those who disappear away from civilization where the world is still normal.
Who is Backpacker not for? It is not for packrafters who are going into heavier water and rapids. Nor is it for bikerrafters and heavy loaders, reindeer hunters and fur traders. If you are one of these people check out fellow Tramp, Cargo or Eddy kayaks.
And what do we say? We always take a backpacker when we want to go light for a day or more and we don't expect any major complications on the river. A backpacker is an open boat that is occasionally swamped by a wave from a weir or rapids. But we're happy to spill that - its weight and storage make up for it.
The freedom to wander through nature has never been closer.
STAY WILD, BE FREE!
#staywildebefree #tramp
Choose the packraft primarily according to what you intend to do with it. As with a bike, there is no such thing as a packraft that is great for everything. You'll have a hard time carrying big loads with a wild water special, and conversely, you can't jump waterfalls with a boat designed for fishing.
Next, consider whether you can easily fit into the boat - if it should be too small for you, go for the larger version.
And at the very end, deal with the little things. Whether you need a skeg, whether you use knee straps, skeg, etc.
You can then store whatever you can fit inside the boat. Of course, it is ideal to store the things you need once in a while in the boat, because every time you open the TIZIP, the boat will naturally deflate. Classically, tents, sleeping bags, mattresses, food supplies for the next few days, etc will come in the boat.
Our packrafts equipped with the TIZIP system have an extra buckle inside to which the load can be attached - we recommend using our drybags equipped with an anti-clip buckle.
But not everything has advantages. TIZIP needs to be taken care of, basically all the time. It needs to be cleaned and lubricated not only after every use, but ideally also during multi-day trips and expeditions. Every dirt in the packraft means a reduction in its functionality and therefore probably an air leak from the boat. And of course you don't want that.
Of course, the cargo inside the ship also changes its characteristics and manoeuvrability. In the case of wild water, in general, a small load inside the boat (up to about 15 kg) will always improve its behaviour. With a larger load you will reduce the speed of the boat's reaction to your manoeuvre, but on the other hand you will make the boat a tank that can better cope with, for example, a larger water current that does not necessarily require fast zigzagging etc.
So all this must be considered when choosing a packraft.
Personally, due to our natural laziness, we reach for a packraft with TIZIP only in case of multi-day expeditions, when we need to transport more cargo than can fit on the boat. Then we don't have to worry about the packraft at all, which of course suits our nature 😊.
They last a lot. Much more than it might seem at first glance.
However, always keep in mind that packraft is designed to make the most of its essence. That is a boat that is lightweight, easy to pack into a backpack, and great to store at home. Just a boat you can take anywhere.
For this reason, the Packraft is less robust than, say, other inflatable craft, but weighs many times more and when packed down makes for a separate seventy-litre loom. Logically, therefore, it should last less, or its eventual puncture should be easier.
It's true. A packraft will definitely last less than a conventional raft with the same impact. But you'll still only break through it by a really bad accident. It has to be a really nasty collision with a sharp rock or a piece of metal left behind on a weir. If you are a bit clumsy, you can pierce it with a branch while carrying it, or with a knife blade while cutting sausages.
If you manage to break through the floor, nothing happens. You'll just get a little water from underneath the boat, which will pour out through the same hole. At the next stop, just tape over the gorilla tape and you're done.
If you puncture the cylinder, you'll naturally start leaking air out of the ship. In most cases, it's a slow leak, which you can fix with a temporary patch and then fix at home for good.
Only if you are really unlucky will you make a hole in the ship that will cause the packraft to launch almost instantly. That's never happened to us, and we don't really mess with our ships. However, in that case, you have to take into account that a big hole equals instant float. Therefore, always go out on packrafts equipped to deal with a possible swim. A life jacket, spare clothing and possibly a helmet are the basics without which you should never go on the water. Even a big hole can be easily repaired - it doesn't mean the end of the vessel.
A simple question with a complex answer.
Packraft can carry a lot. However, it is necessary to distinguish between what the Packraft can carry without sinking and how much it can carry in order to use it for its intended purpose (crossing a lake versus the wild water of WW IV difficulty).
In general, a packraft will carry the number of people it is designed to carry, plus a load equivalent to, say, a full rucksack that you are able to carry on an expedition.
The packraft can carry even more, but then you have to take into account that it will not behave in the water as you would imagine. For example, with a really overloaded Packraft Eddy you can sail across the lake, but definitely don't take it into difficult wild water.
We always recommend that you test the behaviour of a particular ship with a particular load under optimum conditions. Before the expedition, load the boat with the planned cargo exactly as you plan later and test it in the calm of the shore, for example on a pond. If you have trouble keeping your load balanced on the duck behind your house, chances are it won't be any better on the class IV rapids. Not to mention Grand Canyon😊. Every boat will behave differently with different types and weights of cargo and how they are loaded (bow / stern / inside the boat). Give everything time and find a way that works for you.
Not particularly. Except for boats equipped with the TIZIP system, where zipper care is essential, you don't have to overdo it with packraft care.
During the action, the packraft requires essentially no attention. After inflating the packraft, always inflate it (put it in water for a while, which will usually be colder than the air - for this reason the volume of air in the boat will decrease and the boat will soften) and then inflate it again.
Do not leave the packraft inflated in the sun during stops. The direct sun and heat can really increase the air pressure in the boat and can damage seams, zippers, etc. Ideally the boat should be deflated for safety during breaks on hot days.
Always rinse the packraft free of dirt and sand and allow to dry after use. Then roll it up at will and throw it somewhere in a closet or under the bed out of the sun's rays. That's all.
We are able to do almost anything. Almost any color. Longer, shorter, wider packraft. More loops, less loops. Just let us know!
Delivery time of on demand packraft is around 1 month.
| Weight | 6,5 kg |
|---|---|
| Color | green |
| Floor material | TPU 210D |
| Tubes material | TPU 210D |
| Floor | TPU solid |
| Tubes diameter | 25 cm |
| Outer length | 215 cm |
| Outer width | 84 cm |
| Inner length | 125 cm |
| Plain packraft weight | 2500 g |
| Basic setup weight | 2800 g |
| TIZIP | Yes, No |
| Load capacity | cca 100 kg |
We wrote about Ultima Backpacker
We wanted a packraft really pocketable. A ship that wouldn't sink as easily as the pocket battleship Admiral Graf Spee did in 1939 at Montevideo. The Ultima Backpacker was born - a lightweight and extremely portable packraft that you can take on any of our traditional rivers up to about WW I. About the lakes,
