Rafts

Nothing can be more exhilarating than the raw power of nature that you experience as you navigate through whitewater rapids. The turbulence that causes the water to turn frothy white, the water depth, and the speed of flow – all contribute to the fun and excitement of the ride.  Whitewater is one of the many water activities that once you have come to experience will turn into something you want to do at every given chance you get.  Let’s say, you’re given the chance to ride these fast rivers, would you know which pontoon to ride? Read on as we find out what makes the best whitewater rafts.  Top 8 Best Whitewater Rafts: Making Frothy Fun Not a lot of outdoor/water sports can match the excitement that whitewater rafting brings. The adventure of riding the flow of bends, sprays of cold water, and drops will only be as thrilling if ridden with the best whitewater raft.  We’ve scoured the marketplace to find out the best whitewater rafts that you may consider to buy for your next whitewater rafting. With so many of them in the market, it all boils down to having one that will not just help you stay alive on waters but leave you feeling confident you still have a raft to sit on towards the next bend.  1.2mm PVC 15’ Whitewater Raft (BRF450) by Bris  Outlaw 130 Self-Bailing Raft by NRS 9’6″ Whitewater Raft (RD290X) by Saturn Boats Super Duper Puma by Aire Outfitter 10.5 Min-Max by Hyside SB-105 Storm 10.5′ Self-Bailing Raft by Rocky Mountain Williwaw 1 Raft by Maravia Sotar SL 13′ Liquid Raft  #1. 1.2mm PVC 15’ Whitewater Raft (BRF450) by Bris Inflatables – Best Overall Features Pressure release valve equipped on tubes Rubbing strake all over the raft 6 lifting handles in front and side Specifications Main tube fabric: 2000D 1.2mm PVC  Bottom floor fabric: 2000D 1.2mm PVC  Floor type: 140mm drop stitch air floor Bris Inflatables takes pride in having their river rafts all handcrafted and built tough with sturdy quadruple reinforced seams. This makes it easy for the raft to withstand the harshest water conditions. Complete with all the elements of durability and guaranteed quality, 1.2mm PVC 15’ Whitewater Raft easily becomes a must-have.  BRF450’s quadruple overlapped ridges make the raft excellent in resisting tearing and puncturing. The top-grade materials and superior construction back up the 3-year manufacturer guarantee, which is not entirely necessary, considering how tough it is.  Made with 2000 dtex 1.2mm PVC fabric together with polyester support, punctures and tears from rocks as you ride will not be an issue, especially that it is coupled with a high-pressure drop-stitch raft floor.  Aside from the promising durability, another reason to buy this whitewater raft is the many ideal accessories that come with it. To begin with, it has 3 inflatable thwart seats that can be attached/detached depending on necessity.  Inflation/deflation and repairs are a breeze with the repair kit and foot pump it comes with. The 12 D-rings all around are provided for an optional fishing frame or extra accessory attachment. BRF450 also includes an all-around lifeline rope than is a great deal of help.  While BRF450 does not come with a whitewater rating, a lot of rafters are confident that it is built strongly enough to handle up to Class 5 rapids. The length running at 15 ft and width at 7 ft make it roomy enough to have up to 12 adults hop in. Ideal for big groups and families, eh? Additionally, BRF450 has outstanding strake protection that keeps the raft against damage when coming into contact with rocks, boulders, or pointy objects. Plus, you won’t worry about your boat bursting up when pressure increases when it gets pinned down. BRF450 is equipped with pressure relief valves that are designed just for that.  #2. Outlaw 130 Self-Bailing Raft by NRS – Best All-Around Boat Features Frame wear patches 12 stainless steel 2″ D-rings Three main-tube air chambers Specifications Main tube fabric: 2000D PVC  Bottom floor fabric: 4000D PVC  Floor type: 4-inch thick drop-stitch floor What started as a professor’s attempt to prove the theories and principles he taught in the classroom turned into launching a line of boating gears all from $2000 savings. Bill Parks set out in 1972 the first catalog of NRS (National River Supplies) which aimed to carry out his vision to help others enjoy the water sport he loves so much.  His love for the rivers and all the beautiful places it carried him created the rugged and reliable pieces of equipment built to the standards of the toughest customers – professional outfitters and guides. Since its first product that launched in 1974, NRS’ line of products grew from dry bags, for boaters to boats, frames, life jackets, apparel, and accessories.  One of the creations they have is what has been considered the most versatile raft by a number of consumers.  Outlaw 130 Self-Bailing Raft is not just for rafting, but for camping, day trips, fishing, and cruising. This raft can ride all that.  With its 14 feet length and width of 7 feet, gears, accessories, and passengers can all fill the boat to the brim. The thwarts that are intended for comfort are removable so you can just put them when necessary. The D-rings it has are perfect for all your gears attachments.  Outlaw 130 Self-Bailing Raft comes with 2 removable thwarts but, you can actually put up to three of them with ease with the help of the NRS BAT (Batten Attachment Thwart) system. Sounds like it is overly convenient for gear attachment, right? It is more than that.  Its incredibly sturdy and durable construction includes hull and tubes that are made with Pennel Orca® material. This material is resistant to damage and degradation. Toughest rocks and sharpest corners won’t worry you too much.  This versatile boat is easy to store and inflate, thanks to Leafield™ C7 and A6 Pressure Relief Valves. You will admire just how smooth the outer … Read more

Rocky Mountain’s highly affordable range of products allows a broader range of users to experience battling with whitewater rapids. Offering inflatable rafts that can keep up with the pressure of rafting without breaking the bank makes them one of the boating crowd’s favorite brands. The brand’s continuous effort to innovate to maintain and improve its excellent quality manifests in its impressive selection of inflatable rafts. They show a simplicity that does not compromise performance, which also opens up better customization. Top 7 Best Rocky Mountain Rafts Reviewed We’ve reviewed some of Rocky Mountain’s bestsellers to help you choose a more fitting raft for your next date with the great outdoors. S-95 ThunderCloud SB-140 Self-Bailing Raft SB-180 Self-Bailing Raft SB-105 Storm SBDS-120 Drop-Stitch Raft PK-159 Peak PC-120 PhatCat 1. S-95 ThunderCloud We cannot underestimate the power the S-95 ThunderCloud offers despite its small size. Its compact build gives you a performance nothing short of excellent that it becomes perfect for your spontaneous whitewater adventures. ThunderCloud’s bottom has a smooth finish, allowing for smoother glides on water. The diminished tubes maximize your buoyancy but do not increase the raft’s drag, allowing for better water maneuverability. Its raised front allows for more comfortable resurfacing after steep dives, ensuring your safety as you paddle. Its factory setup allows for three paddlers, with its compact frame letting you have more contact with the water. This feature optimizes the energy of every paddle, giving you a maximum speed for significantly less effort. Applying a chafe-resistant layer on the bottom protects the raft from getting torn by the constant impact of rocks. Keeping this coating on the underside lets the raft remain lightweight, allowing for better portability. Two air chambers assure that you can finish the trail safely, with a patch kit included that allows you to make a temporary fix. Welding on its entire construction ensures that this raft can take the constant beating of whitewater rafting. The removable thwarts give you more control over how you want to maximize the deck space. 2. SB-140 Self-Bailing Raft The ultra-tough exterior of the SB-140 Self-bailing Raft lessens your worries about it being capable of handling customization. Its highly adaptable frame lets you have full control of the deck, letting you go from whitewater rafting to multi-day fishing trips smoothly. Rock Shield Polyvinyl Chloride makes the raft’s outer shell highly durable. The material promises superior resistance to impact and is highly compact, making the raft rigid. Triple-fused seam tapes seal the entire raft’s construction, which is comparatively better than glue or stitching. Leafield D7 Valves assure you that the SB-140 will remain airtight despite its massive carrying capacity. The same valve lets you spend more time paddling than setting everything up with its efficient inflation rate. Its Rapid Thwart Attachment System has pins holding them, allowing for more convenient removal and re-installation. The sloped ends of its thwarts improve its pins’ security, letting them be in closer contact with the raft’s hull. This feature allows for better weight distribution, spreading out the mass on the entire raft rather than concentrating in the center. Laced-in floors allow for more accessible storage since you can easily take it out after using it, making the raft more compact when deflated. This feature also expels excess water faster than glued-on floors, improving the raft’s buoyancy. 3. SB-180 Self-Bailing Raft The biggest among Rocky Mountain’s Raft offerings, the SB-180, is all gear boats’ mother, setting the standards high for its competitors. Its massive construction promises to be strong enough to carry all your gear and more, making it suitable for your multi-day camping trips. Its almost rockerless frame promises the ultimate stability, assuring that all your gear will stay dry. The smooth bottom reduces drag, which compliments the increased buoyancy in efficiently carrying massive cargo loads. These features, which make the raft relatively flat, allow you to maximize the entire deck, giving enough room for your stuff. Rock Shield Polyvinyl Chloride keeps the frame highly weatherproof and rigid, assuring you that the raft will remain airtight. Its Leafield D7 Valve efficiently traps enough air and optimizes its pressure to ensure your safety. SB-180’s welded construction assures you of excellent durability, making sure you get your money’s worth. If one of the air chambers gets punctured, though, you can make temporary repairs with the repair kit and wrench included in the package. 4. SB-105 Storm Rocky Mountain’s SB-105 Storm lets you go from adventures on foot to the water with its compact size. Having a relatively smaller raft also enables you to traverse all whitewater classes easily with excellent control and maneuverability. Its somewhat smaller tubes let you have more contact with the water, optimizing every paddle and gaining more speed. Leafield Valves on the two air chambers, two thwarts, and floor assure you that the raft will stay airtight from start to finish. This feature also lets you go whitewater immediately with its quick inflation and deflation. A Pressure Relief Valve will expel excess air to ensure the raft’s integrity and safety. Having separate air chambers for each tube also ensures that you will finish the course safely, with repair kits available to let you do a temporary fix. You need not worry about the raft’s durability with its Rock Shield PVC construction. The high-quality outer shell material promises to stay rigid to ensure your safety and is resistant to immediate damage from constant impact. The Rapid Thwart Attachment System lets you have full control of maximizing deck space, allowing for better customization. Removal and installation of these seats are convenient with pins that promise excellent security to help keep you in place as you paddle. 5. SBDS-120 Drop-Stitch Raft Much like the SB-105 Storm, the SBDS-120 Drop-Stitch Raft allows you to bring the rest of the family out from the backyard to battle the rapids. The increased size improves the raft’s balance letting you be more stable as you paddle. Doing away with an inflatable floor significantly reduces the raft’s weight allowing … Read more

Surviving 40 years in the inflatable rafts industry tells you that Sator is a brand worthy of an investment. Their dedication to continuously innovate and improve on their products effortlessly put them among the brands you can rely on for any water adventure. Their rafts are separated into series that lets you have a general idea of where they will be most suitable. Sotar offers extensive sizing options on their simplistic frames to let you fully control what goes in the raft before they start production. This option makes all Sotar rafts highly customizable, assuring that they are created to cater to your needs. Sotar Rafts Reviewed We review below every series Sotar has ever released to give you a glimpse of the craftsmanship put into every raft. #1. Classic Series Sotar’s Classic series’ timeless design gives them a sleek finish that anyone can appreciate. Its simplistic frame gives you the freedom to add the essentials for your rafting trip. Sotar offers this series in numerous sizing options letting you choose accordingly. Its smallest inflated 10 feet variant fits easily at the back of your pick-up truck, letting you leave the pump at home. Keeping it extremely lightweight allows you and your partner to carry the raft effortlessly on shallow waters, and maximizes buoyancy. Installing the extra thwart fits five people comfortably, making it perfect for your rafting trips with family and friends. The largest variant standing at 18 feet, has massive tubes that efficiently support its enormous carrying capacity. A ten-man team can paddle comfortably and chop through the wildest whitewater of the Grand Canyon with its rigid construction. Having seven air chambers on all rafts in this series ensures your safety if one area gets punctured. Equalizing the bow and stern’s rise improves their ability to resurface immediately after a steep dive and allows for better tracking. The inflatable floor keeps the frame rigid, ensuring your stability. This series’ hand-welded Urethane material promises durability that outlasts PVC and Hypalon rafts, assuring you of getting your money’s worth. Multiple D-rings help secure all your gear and keep additional attachments in place as you paddle. #2. Micro Strike Despite the small size, we cannot underestimate Micro Strike’s ability to perform excellently. Its rigid construction works perfectly as a fishing boat, promising excellent tracking and maneuverability to let you have the best catch with significantly less effort. Adding an angler to the modular frame will give you ample space for your fishing gear on the deck itself, letting you be ready for anything. The frame promises to be lightweight, improving on buoyancy and letting you have maximum maneuverability. Two air chambers ensure your safety, and a patch kit included with every purchase lets you repair the raft to safely get back to shore. Ten D-rings on the raft exterior enables you to secure your chosen frame and other necessary attachments to improve the overall experience. The inflatable floor welded on to the raft assures the raft’s rigidity, keeping your balance as you paddle. Its compact frame easily fits on top of a sedan when inflated, letting you keep the pump at home. #3. Blackfoot Strike Series The number of years it took to perfect the raft paid off as the series is considered the brand’s ultimate fishing boat. Sotar’s Blackfoot Strike Series design caters to everything a fisherman needs to ensure the best experience. Anglers would have ample space from the oars person, allowing for better maneuverability. The maximum tube diameter of 19 inches allows superior stability and optimal buoyancy to let you tread water lightly. Diminishing the tubes enables you to maximize deck space, letting you bring all the necessary fishing gear without the risk of capsizing. It’s almost flat, and asymmetrical construction maximizes the raft’s contact with the water without increasing drag. This feature also lets you have an unobstructed view of the environment, letting you set up your casts better. The slightly elevated bow and stern allow smoother spins, which, combined with the buoyancy, improve maneuverability. Having multiple air chambers on each tube ensures your safety if one gets punctured. The I beam floor helps keep the raft’s rigidity, with its welded construction assuring you of excellent durability that can take the constant beating. Sotar lets you customize your raft by adding the necessary accessories before delivering it to you. #4. Liquid Series Extending the waterline of all Sotar Liquid series rafts allows for the smoothest turns and maximum maneuverability. This feature makes these raft highly agile, allowing for optimal speed on whitewater. The diminished tubes improve your clearance of the water ahead, allowing you to better set up your moves. The same feature improves their buoyancy, letting you focus on paddling than worrying about capsizing. Having ample deck space because of these tubes will also allow you to bring all your camping gear for multi-day trips. Welding the seams on its 3000 denier Urethane construction assures you of excellent durability that can withstand the constant beating. The Urethane coating on the fabric also ensures these rafts highly weatherproof, ensuring that they are a worthy investment. Leafield D7 valves let you spend more time in the water with its fast inflation, and ensures your safety by keeping these rafts airtight. Having a rockered bow and stern allows these rafts to glide smoothly on water, using every paddle to provide maximum speed as you traverse the rapids. The elevated form will let you resurface quickly after a steep dive, while the rear allows for better guidance in direction. You need not worry about capsizing as the self-bailing I beam floor will keep you afloat as you paddle. #5. Catarafts While Sotar gives you four series to choose from their cataraft offerings, all equally promise an excellent performance that will let you glide through the most challenging whitewater. Sotar Legends Cataraft tubes’ reduced size does not fall short on its ability to keep up with the intensity of battling rapids. Being comparative smaller than the rest of Sotar’s offerings … Read more

From using copious amounts of Aquaseal to keep their first raft from falling apart, Alpacka has come a long way, providing a few of the best packrafts to date. Having each of their packrafts handmade to order assures you of getting them fresh of the factory with materials in pristine condition. Alpacka takes pride in giving you the liberty to fully customize your raft, building them up from their signature variants. Choosing among their vast selection of packrafts could get overwhelming, so we have narrowed the list to one for each hull shape. Top 4 Best Alpacka Rafts Reviewed Alpacka Caribou Alpacka Gnarwhal Alpacka Forager Alpacka Classic #1. Alpacka Caribou Features Classic Hull with a Late Rise Bow Open Deck Configuration Classic Seat Nylon Construction Material Ultralight at 5 lbs. The Alpacka Caribou makes it possible for you to go bike-packing without breaking your back from lifting your gear with the packraft’s ultralightweight feature. Its Classic Hull lets you securely load your bike in front without compromising stability and maneuverability on whitewater. Caribou’s light weight also contributes to better weight distribution since your keeping your balance with a bike in the raft’s front might pose a challenge. The patented Late Rise Bow technology gives it the ability to maximize the raft’s carrying capacity while giving you ample gliding capabilities. This feature allows multi-sport athletes to smoothly transition from biking to whitewater rafting, making this packraft highly adaptable. An optional Cargo Fly Zipper lets you store your gear in the packraft’s tubes should you wish to keep them drier. Alpacka also offers bike strap kits that allow you to secure your bike in place as you paddle. #2. Alpacka Gnarwhal Features Rally Hull Temper Assist Valve Whitewater Fit Standard Cargo Fly Nylon Construction Material (Vectran option available) The Alpacka Gnarwhal makes traversing big waves easier with its Rally Hull design. Its rear has a center panel that allows for more volume and buoyancy, while its curved ending improves maneuverability. A rockered bow lets you slice through waves and turn more smoothly. Compared to other Alpacka packrafts with Rally Hulls, the Gnarwhal is relatively rigid, giving you ample stability and better paddling control. This feature makes it possible for beginners to work on their footing since it is more forgiving than other packrafts. Its more massive size also allows for more storage capacity, making more room for your gear. A standard Cargo Fly Zipper keeps your gear inside the packraft’s tubes for better weight distribution. Its whitewater fit includes thigh straps and foot braces to secure you in place and focus more on paddling than keeping your stance. The seat comes with an adjustable backband to allow for better back support. This packraft, like any other Alpacka raft, is made to order with the whitewater or self-bailing deck options to choose from, allowing you to choose accordingly. A removable whitewater deck is also available for better customization. #3. Alpacka Forager Features Cargo Hull Self-Bailing Deck Inflatable Floor Standard Cargo Fly Nylon Construction Material Alpacka Forager is the perfect tandem packraft for your hunting and fishing trips. This packraft is a part of the BHA Series; wherein all proceeds go in support of the Backcountry Hunters and Anglers. The largest among both Tandem and BHA Series, the Forager fits you and your partner in the raft comfortably, wit more than enough space for your fishing or hunting gear. Its Cargo Hull construction allows for maximum storage capacity without compromising the packraft’s stability. Like the Rally Hull, a Cargo Hull’s rear has a center panel that maximizes volume and buoyancy, improving on the Forager’s balance. Its curved design lets you glide better, making the raft highly maneuverable. Alpacka’s Late Rise Bow design lets you cut through water better by adding weight to the front of the packraft. Forager’s broader but shorter built, in comparison to other Cargo Hull packrafts, makes it more stable and spacious, which is suitable for carrying back hunting game and whitewater rafting. This specific built also makes it possible for one person to paddle while the other sets up to hunt or fish.   #4. Alpacka Classic Features Classic Hull Temper Assist Valve Relaxed Fit Classic Seat with Inflatable Seatback Nylon Construction Material The Classic Hull in the Alpacka Classic allows it to have a more extended rear for improved stability with a slightly elevated front to assure better maneuverability in whitewater. Its lightweight that does not compromise on functionality lets you go on spontaneous adventures conveniently. Its no-fuss design leaves a lot of room for you to customize this packraft accordingly. Alpacka lets you choose between four built configurations, allowing you to tailor-fit this raft to your type of adventure. An open configuration lets you have full control of how you want to maximize the deck. This setup keeps the packraft’s weight to a minimum, making it perfect for recreational trips. The cruiser deck’s splash guard lets you stay warm and dry, allowing you to paddle during the winter. A Velcro closure makes you get in and out of the raft, quickly ensuring your safety in case of a wet exit. A whitewater deck’s securely fitted spray skirt provides the ultimate protection from getting utterly wet during backcountry rafting. Alpacka also offers a removable option for this type of floor, making it more adaptable for all seasons. The self-bailer configuration has a relatively open deck with a floor that helps in keeping you dry. This deck type is suitable for warmer days and for paddlers who prefer to get in and out of the raft quickly.   Top Pick: The Alpacka Caribou All the packrafts in this article each have unique traits to cater to a specific type of paddler, but what makes the Alpacka Caribou stand out is its more adaptable construction. While the Gnarwhal makes an excellent choice for its capability to handle stronger waves, the Caribou outshines the former for its portability. Outdoor activities with the Gnarwhal will ultimately be limited to whitewater rafting, whereas … Read more

Inflatable rafts make outdoor trips more convenient with its capacity to let you be in the water in a matter of minutes. This device allows for a more diverse trip from land to water and back, allowing for better adventures. Saturn easily comes up as one of the most trusted brands in inflatable rafts. The excellent quality and performance of everything they offer assure you of getting the best that will last. The competition is rough, though, even though Saturn offers consistently high-quality products, other brands pull countless attempts to outshine Saturn. This factor makes us beg for the question of whether or not the shiny specs list outweighs Saturn’s consistency. Top 8 Best Saturn Rafts Reviewed We’ve listed down the highest variants of every type of inflatable raft Saturn has to offer. Let’s find out what sets them apart from the competition. 16’ Saturn Rescue Boat 16’ Saturn Outfitter KaBoat 15’ 6” Saturn Cataraft 15’ Saturn KaBoat 13’ Saturn Fishing Kayak 12” 6’ Saturn Triton Whitewater Raft 12’ Saturn Dinghy Tender 12’ Saturn Catamaran #1. 16’ Saturn Rescue Boat The excellent overall performance of this raft makes it a reliable choice in doing search and rescue operations. Its ability to offer excellent stability, weight capacity, and buoyancy also makes it usable for recreational purposes. Upgrading this raft from having three to five air chambers assures you of your safety. The increased diameter on the tubes improves on its volume, creating better buoyancy and carrying capacity. Its massive interior deck space makes this raft for suitable for extensive fishing or scuba diving trips. The raft stays airtight with its safety valve, which also allows for convenient inflation and deflation. This valve also optimizes the raft’s air pressure by expelling the excess to keep it from exploding. The equal distribution of aluminum benches on the Rescue Boat allows for better weight distribution, optimizing the raft’s stability. These benches are highly rigid, which helps keep the raft fully erect. Paddles installed inside the raft allow for easier re-entry from the water, which improves on its safety. A heavy-duty DTEX Polyvinyl Chloride material makes this raft weatherproof and extremely resistant to wear and tear. Additional layers of the same material protect the bottom’s surface from immediate damage, making this raft excellently durability. #2. 16’ Saturn Outfitter KaBoat The massive diameter of this raft’s tubes and the added chambers make the 16′ Saturn Outfitter KaBoat a step up from the brand’s standard line up. Its extended frame gives you more interior deck space allowing you to pack more gear and let more people join in the adventure. Having four air chambers lets this hybrid boat stay inflated if one gets punctured, ensuring your safety. A repair kit included in the package enables you to fix and immediately get back on the water. Each chamber will remain airtight with the C7 inflation valves and allows for quick inflation and deflation. Rub Strake Protectors on the tubes’ sides makes it highly resistant against abrasions from impact. Its 16-inch tubes improve on this raft’s buoyancy, supporting its massive carrying capacity. The multi-layered Polyvinyl Chloride inflatable floor promises superior rigidity that ensures your stability. Its drop-stitched construction assures you of durability that can take a beating. Four fins strategically positioned on the tubes allows for better tracking, improving the raft’s speed and maneuverability. A transom at the rear makes it possible for you to attach a motor with a drain valve that expels excess water to keep you from capsizing. #3. 15’ 6” Saturn Cataraft The largest among Saturn’s Cataraft offerings, its 15′ 6″ variant, is perfect for any fishing or rafting trip. These cataraft tubes do not come with a standard frame, which allows you to customize accordingly. Having 24-inch tubes gives you an accurate view of what’s ahead, allowing for more time to set up your movements. This feature also lets you tread shallow waters smoothly, improving on the cataraft’s stability. It also offers the most stability regardless of the frame you choose, allowing for better water maneuverability. Its massive size allows for up to four people with abundant storage space, letting you bring all the necessary gear for the best adventures. The cataraft can carry up to 1800 lbs., making it the perfect companion for your multi-day camping trips. Adding extra layers of Polyvinyl Chloride and chafe protection on the tubes’ bottoms assures you of this cataraft’s durability, letting you get your money’s worth. The dual-chambers on each tube ensure that you will get back to shore if you get a puncture. Exterior valves make inflation and deflation fast and convenient, promises to keep the tubes airtight. Ten D-rings on each tube allows for easy installation of your chosen frame.   #4. 15’ Saturn KaBoat This patented combination of a kayak and dinghy boat makes the Saturn KaBoat highly versatile. Its extended frame allows for more interior deck space, making it possible for more people to join the fun. Having a narrower frame reduces its drag, allowing more smoother movement on the water. A Leafield C7 Valve assures you that this inflatable raft will stay airtight. The same valve also makes inflation and deflation fast and convenient, letting you go boating immediately. The Aluminum seats that come with this raft allows for more efficient weight distribution, ensuring your stability. Saturn’s improvement on this raft’s buoyancy lets you pack more gear an include more people without capsizing. A Polyvinyl Chloride splash guard wraps around this raft to keep your gear dry. The raft comes with a top rope that lets you add attachments like rod holders and allows for more comfortable entry. Its inflatable floor comprises drop-stitched material that promises to be very rigid, ensuring your stability and keeping the boat’s frame fully erect. The latest release of the Saturn KaBoat uses a German Heytex PVC material, which promises excellent durability that could take a beating. Its bottom compromises of multiple layers for added protection against abrasion.   #5. 13’ Saturn Fishing Kayak Saturn’s 13′ … Read more

The length of time that Northwest River Supplies (NRS) has been in the boating gear industry proves its unquestionable excellence. From having a straightforward catalog back in 1972, the brand has significantly grown over the years, quickly becoming any consumer’s go-to brand for boating essentials. Inflatable rafts are an adventurer’s ultimate camping or fishing companion. This device could ultimately make or break any adventure, so choosing the right one is vital. NRS gives us a vast array of choices for inflatable rafts, and we have listed below the best ones on their lineup. Top 7 Best NRS Rafts Reviewed NRS Otter Livery 106 NRS E-180 NRS 162-D NRS E-139D Dodger XL NRS E-130 NRS Otter Fishing Dodger NRS Otter 120D 1. NRS Otter Livery 106 Features 2-Chamber Construction Removable Thwarts Leafield C7 Valve Pennel Orca Construction Material NRS Batten Attachment Thwart System The NRS Otter Livery 106 is the perfect companion for lazy days when you want to float on flat lakes or cruise on calm rivers. It offers a sufficient amount of features to let you enjoy your weekend cruises. Pennel Orca construction assures you that this raft can stand a constant beating, proving its excellent durability. In case your raft gets punctured, the two-chamber construction lets you safely get back to shore. The raft also comes with a repair kit to make a temporary fix and get back in the water. This raft’s removable thwarts make the Otter Livery 106 highly customizable, letting you have full control of how you want to maximize its interior space. Like the Otter 120D, this raft has a Batten Attachment Thwart System that securely snaps the divisions in place should you wish to use them. Six stainless D-Rings let you securely attach accessories to the raft. A Leafield C7 Valve allows you to inflate and deflate this raft quickly and helps keep it airtight. Since this raft is not self-bailing, it will be more practical to keep a bucket on hand if water starts to build up on the inside. Drain Holes are strategically placed on the raft’s floor to expel water to retain buoyancy and improve your stability efficiently. The Batten Attachment Thwart Systems lets you remove the divisions and maximize the raft’s space accordingly. 2. NRS E-180 Features Self-bailing with Quick Drain Holes Leafield C7 Valve, A6 Pressure Relief Valve NRS Batten Attachment Thwart System Four Main Air Chambers HD40 Floor The massive tubes of the NRS E-180 make it capable of carrying anything in any water environment. It offers abundant stability and toughness that can take the beating of whitewater rapids, making sure that you get your money’s worth. Pennel Orca makes this raft’s frame highly durable, assuring you that it could withstand constant impact and delay the damage of weather changes. The four air chambers ensure that you will back to shore safely despite having a puncture. A repair kit included in the package also allows for a temporary fix, letting you get back to the water immediately. Like all NRS rafts, a Leafield C7 Valve secures the airtightness of the E-180 and makes inflation and deflation quick and convenient. The A6 Pressure Relief Valve keeps the floors at optimal inflation so that it stays inflated despite carrying heavy loads. You need not worry about sinking since the NRS-180 is self-bailing, expelling excess water immediately to retain buoyancy. This raft’s HD40 floor layers protect the raft from getting punctured easily, assuring your safety. Its Batten Attachment Thwart system lets you control how you want to maximize your raft’s interior space, making it highly adaptable. 3. NRS 162-D Features Outfitter Tough Construction Leafield C7 Valve, A6 Pressure Relief Valve Self-bailing with Quick Drain Holes Four Main Air Chambers Pennel Orca Material The NRS 162-D makes whitewater with big groups possible with its outfitter robust construction. It’s heavy-duty built assures you that no whitewater rapids are too strong, promising that you will get back to shore in one piece. Its floor has quick drain holes that improve its stability by immediately expelling the water that comes into the raft. An HD40 coat covers the sides and bottom layers of the 162-D, making it resistant to abrasions despite the constant impact. Four air chambers on the ultra-tough Pennel Orca construction assure you of this raft’s durability and safety. Even with the raft carrying full weight capacity, an A6 Pressure Relief Valve will keep the floor’s pressure at an optimal level, reducing the risk of explosion. A Leafield C7 Valve keeps the four air chambers airtight and allows for convenient inflation and deflation. Batten Attachment Thwart Systems lets you control how you want to maximize the raft’s interior. 14 D-rings and six handles make casting and rigging secure and relatively more convenient. The 162-D’s lowered sidewalls widen the interior floor area, allowing you to have more space for your gear. 4. NRS E-139D Dodger XL Features Three Pre-installed Thwarts Leafield C7 Valve, A6 Pressure Relief Valve Self-bailing Four Main Air Chambers 14 D-Rings The NRS E-139D Dodger XL makes adventure time for families and friends possible with the abundance of seating space in this raft. With the pre-installed thwarts, you can comfortably fit up to eight people or put on more fishing gear by using the Batten Attachment Thwart Systems to remove the divisions safely. Its self-bailing capabilities assure of this raft’s stability, immediately draining out water that comes in from constant impact with the rapids. An HD40 floor layer makes it weatherproof and protects the bottom from getting torn apart from hitting boulders. Four main air chambers assure your safety when the raft gets punctured. A Leafield C7 Valve improves the airtightness of the Pennel Orca material, ensuring you stay afloat and get you safely back to shore. The sturdy exterior material promises excellent durability as well, improving this raft’s lifespan. The abundance of D-rings and handles on this raft make casting and rigging convenient and secure. Its lowered sidewalls also give you a better view of the environment ahead … Read more

The world has a lot of treasures to offer, and some of them are hidden gems that you need to explore by riding the waters. It also provides a lot of enjoyable activities that you can enjoy by riding the challenges brought by whitewater regions. If you are one of those who want to explore these activities or try to see the world’s hidden treasures by paddling a lake or river, you should use the right equipment. Even though this world has many pretty things to offer, trudging through them requires you to take on some challenges, such as bumping into rocks, trees, or rough waves. Because of this, you need equipment that will allow you to handle these encounters. This article will guide you on how to get the right equipment for your journey. Top 6 Best Packrafts Reviewed Alpacka Raft Scout Alpacka Raft Caribou Alpacka Raft Mule Alpacka Raft Gnarwhal NRS PackRaft Kokopelli Packraft Nirvana Self-Bailing #1. Alpacka Raft Scout Specifications Length (feet): 6’4” Width (inches): 33 Weight (pounds): 3.25 Tube Diameter (inches): 9.2 The Alpacka Raft Scout is best for people who want to use it for canyoneering, because of its fast performance and lightness. The company is proud of this product’s compactness and lightness. This model is the lightest among the Alpacka Raft products for only weighing 3.25 pounds. It has a hull shape that provides more volume at the stern and the bow. The Alpacka Raft Scout is versatile enough to handle different kinds of water activities, such as canyoneering, fastpacking, mountain lake fishing, and the like. It is available in red and grey. If you want, you can add a Cargo Fly that allows you to use your packraft in backcountry adventures and other activities. #2. Alpacka Raft Caribou Specifications Length (feet): 8 Width (inches): 38 Weight (pounds): 4.8 without Cargo Fly Tube Diameter (inches): 11.7 The Alpacka Raft Caribou is lightweight and fast. It is ideal for those people who want to use the packraft for bike rafting. It is because its tubes are durable and light. The Alpacka Raft Caribou has an 840-D ballistic nylon floor and uses the Late Rise Bow, one of the newest Alpacka innovations. This Late Rise Bow offers stability and capability to support a heavy load while trudging the white areas, like the packrafts with the rocker-less hull. This technology also keeps your load safe from getting wet. With this product, you will enjoy the challenges offered by bike rafting and backcountry adventure. The Caribou model uses 210 denier nylon fabric, which is the same as the Scout model and 840-denier floor, which is the typical construction of Alpacka’s packrafts. The Caribou offers an additional lightweight cargo. If you choose to add a Cargo Fly, the weight will only become 5 pounds. This packraft is available in red and grey colors. #3. Alpacka Raft Mule Specifications Length (feet): 8’4 Width (inches): 38 Weight (pounds): 7 Tube Diameter (inches): 11.7 If you are tall or on a heavy side, you will like the Alpacka Raft Mule model. It is also for those who want to stretch their legs after paddling for hours. It is also for those who want to add more cargos on their boat. Most packrafts on the market cannot accommodate all the luggage that you need to take with you. This luggage can be crucial, especially when you have to be on your journey for days. Thankfully, the Alpacka Raft Mule has a solution for this issue. This Alpacka Raft model can carry tons of loads. It can even accommodate you even when you are a six-foot-tall guy or weigh 250 pounds. It is because this boat can take as much as 350 pounds of weight. Like the Caribou, the Mule model uses a Late Rise Bow technology and center panel stern that provides additional space, floatation, storage, and stability, which are the highlights of this boat. You also choose to add a cruise deck, a mule with an open, and whitewater deck. You also have an option to include a Cargo Fly storage. What makes this Alpacka Raft model more impressive is that you can request for customization. You only have to inform the company. #4. Alpacka Raft Gnarwhal Specifications Length (feet): 7’8, 7’9, 8’1, 8’3 Width (inches): 38 Weight (pounds): 7.7, 7.9, 8.1, 8.4 Tube Diameter (inches): 11.7 If you are the type of person who loves to explore the whitewater, you will like the Alpacka Raft Gnarwhal. Whether you are a beginner or advanced paddler, you can appreciate what this model has to offer. If you are a beginner, you do not have to worry about using it because it can hone your skills. The Alpacka Raft Gnarwhal can handle Class 4-5 whitewater, which the advanced-paddlers can appreciate. It is also stable, maneuverable, and forgiving, which the beginners can safely use to train their skills. This packraft model is ideal for riding the waters that need power, speed, and stability. The Gnarwhal uses a high-performance rigging called the rally hull. It also has a center panel stern that provides extra forgiveness and stability. You can also choose to use a Cargo Fly to go along with this product. This product is an excellent choice if you are looking for a packraft that is forgiving and effortless to paddle. #5. NRS Packraft Specifications Length (feet): 6’10” Width (inches): 36 Weight (pounds): 7.4 Number of Air Chambers: 4 Tube Diameter (inches): 11 The NRS Packraft is stable and lightweight, and it uses polyurethane-coated nylon. That is why you cannot doubt its durability. Aside from its heavy-duty construction, it is also safe and fun to use. You can fit it inside your bag when you go hiking. This product does not choose what kind of paddle you should use to propel it. You can use the kaya’s double-bladed paddle, or a tree branch will do. The NRS PackRaft comes with an inflatable seat and removable floor. It has a 70-denier tube and 210-denier floor … Read more

Unsurprisingly, Maravia has become one of the most trusted brands in the industry and one of the longest-running inflatable raft manufacturers in the game. Their high-quality products assure an excellent performance that will let you have the best time in the water every time. Maravia makes you look no further with the vast selection of rafts fit for every occasion. You need not worry about durability, though, as every raft goes through a standard construction process that ensures it can take a beating. Top 7 Best Maravia Rafts Reviewed We have chosen a few of the best rafts Maravia offers to give us a better idea of which raft could be the perfect companion for your next adventure. New Wave Series Scout Zephyr Williwaw 2 Tempest 2 Li’l Wave Maravia Catarafts 1. New Wave Series The simplistic design of the New Wave Series lets you get straight to rafting. Maravia makes these rafts in three, in-between sizing options and various colors to choose from, allowing for better customization. Like all Mararvia rafts, its outer shell comprises of high-quality Polyvinyl Chloride material that promises excellent durability. The Urethane coating, combined with the PVC, assures that these rafts can take a beating and will stay rigid when fully inflated. All rafts have a matte finish that gives you a firmer grip on the boat, improving your stability. Its flat hull creates a lower waterline, which improves your balance on the water. This feature allows for sufficient tracking and optimizes the energy of every paddle. It also allows you to maximize the interior deck’s space, letting you bring all the necessary gear. All rafts in this series have a self-bailing floor, which helps improve your buoyancy by expelling excess water from the raft. The drop-stitched core of this 6-inch floor promises excellent rigidity to maintain the raft’s shape and improve your stability. This feature also assures you that despite its thickness, and the base can resist abrasions and punctures. 2. Scout Despite Maravia Scout’s smaller size, its ample deck space allows you to pack enough gear for multi-day trips. Installing additional thwarts on the raft lets up to three people join in the fun. The relatively smaller tubes allow for better maximization of space and weight distribution. This feature also lets you view the water ahead better, helping you plan your next moves appropriately. Traversing through waterfalls will be a breeze given the raft’s increased buoyancy. Having four separate air chambers ensures that you will safely get back to shore if one section gets punctured. This feature also makes the raft highly rigid, ensuring your stability despite the smaller tubes. Handles strategically located on both ends of the raft allow for more comfortable transport to and from the water. This feature also allows you to flip the boat over quickly if it capsizes. The high bow allows you to resurface after diving, ensuring your safety immediately. Fitting in a cargo frame in the middle of the raft will ensure that everything stays in place as you paddle through rivers. Maximizing the attachments in this raft will allow you to comfortably fit up to seven people, letting this raft be suitable for families and friends. 3. Zephyr Like the Maravia Scout, the diminished tubes in the Zephyr allow you to tread shallow rivers better with its increased buoyancy. This feature also lets you maximize deck space, allowing for more gear or additional thwarts to let more people join. The Class VI welding in the body’s construction ensures you of a raft that will stay together despite constant crashing. Multiple layers of Urethane make up a Seamless Encapsulation process, which makes the raft airtight assuring your safety. This process enables the tubes to resist abrasions and delay the effects of wear and tear. Maravia’s Thermofused technology ensures that the seams are strong yet flexible enough to resist tears. Maravia improves your grip on the boat with its matte finish. This coating keeps you locked in place as you paddle and lets you gain more stability as you enter or exit the raft. Its bottom promises to be smooth like glass lets you glide effortlessly on water, allowing you to better maneuver. This raft’s self-bailing floor immediately expels excess water from the raft, assuring your safety and keeping you afloat. Its lace-in drop-stitch manufacturing ensures that the floor remains airtight yet agile enough to resist punctures. 4. Williwaw 2 It comes off as no surprise that the Williwaw 2 quickly became one of Maravia’s tops selling rafts. Its versatile construction, combined with excellent performance, makes it usable for any adventure, letting you get your money’s worth. This rafts increased carrying capacity makes it one of the few rafts capable of carrying massive loads, making it perfect for elaborate fishing or multi-day camping trips. Its diminished tubes increase deck space, allowing for better weight distribution. The lowered tube dimension increases your buoyancy, allowing you to float better on waterfalls and shallow waters. This feature also lets you plan your movements better as it gives a clearer view of the rapids ahead. Willy’s high and oversized bow keeps you dry and lets you resurface quickly from steep dives. This feature also enables you to slice through waves smoothly, improving the raft’s maneuverability. Its drop-stitched, self-bailing floor makes this raft rigid and ensures buoyancy, improving its safety. Multiple layers of Urethane protect the outer shell of this raft, assuring that it could withstand the constant beating. Its matte finish lets you have a better grip on the raft, ensuring your safety. Its smooth bottom deck improves the raft’s speed as it optimizes every paddle’s energy. 5. Tempest 2 A stretched-out version of Williwaw 2 lets the Tempest 2 be one of the industry’s best cargo rafts. Its classic design leaves a lot of room for upgrades, making it highly customizable. Maximizing its thwart capacity lets more people on a whitewater rafting while removing them gives you ample deck space to store all your camping gear. The slightly elevated … Read more

Inflatable rafts have become one of the outdoor activity essentials for it lets you go from hiking to rafting in minutes. Their portability lets you have a boat sturdy enough to keep up with intense whitewater rapids that fit your car’s back when the day ends. For over three decades, AIRE has been consistently making high-quality inflatable rafts, effortlessly making them one of the most trusted brands in the industry. Their rigorous quality testing combined with the consistent and intricate construction process assures you of getting nothing short of excellent. AIRE Rafts Review AIRE offers quite an extensive list of inflatable rafts to choose from, but we have narrowed down some of their bestsellers. We review each one to let you have a better idea of the more suitable raft for your next adventure. Puma Series Sabertooth Cataraft BAKraft Hybrid R Series E Series D Series Mammoth Cataraft Force Whitewater Raft Super Lynx #1. Puma Series Aire’s Puma series is the perfect companion for your weekend leisure cruises. Its simplistic design caters to your basic needs, allowing you to get up and go immediately. The highly adjustable frame leaves ample room for upgrading, allowing for better customization. The Polyvinyl Chloride coating in this raft’s frame promises to be bombproof, ensuring its durability. A second layer of the same material on the bottom of the raft makes it highly resistant to abrasions. This raft’s tubes remain airtight with the AIREcell technology. A urethane film made out of oversized cells comprises the tube’s interior walls, making it highly durable with thermal welding. The same material keeps the raft airtight, with an excellent balance of thickness and flexibility to be resistant to punctures. A smooth bottom deck allows this raft to glide smoothly on water, improving your maneuverability. Its comparatively narrower build lets you traverse smaller rivers, making this raft more usable in more water bodies. The elevated rocker and rear let you slice through small waves without the risk of capsizing, improving your stability. Its self-bailing floor keeps all Puma rafts optimally buoyant, allowing you to stay afloat despite maximizing its carrying capacity. #2. Sabertooth Cataraft Its compact frame makes the Sabertooth Cataraft highly maneuverable for two riders. Its elevated construction allows you to glide through waves and holes to maximize every paddle smoothly and plan your next moves accordingly. Carrying handles installed on both ends of the raft allow for more convenient transfers. A Leafield C7 valve, which promises excellent durability, ensures that its tubes will remain airtight despite battling rapids’ constant beating. The same valve allows for fast and convenient inflation and deflation, letting you get to rafting immediately. Foot cups strategically placed on the raft will lock you in place as you paddle, assuring your safety. The rockered shape of its tubes lets you glide through waves, punch holes and handle tricky landings, making the Sabertooth Cataraft highly maneuverable. Superman mesh improves the self-bailing capacity of this raft’s floor. This material does not hold water, immediately draining any that comes in, ensuring the raft’s buoyancy. Despite its relatively open construction, this cataraft stays rigid with the AIREcell system on the tubes. This technology keeps them airtight but agile enough to withstand getting punctured by boulders. Its Polyvinyl Chloride coating makes the Sabertooth Cataraft weatherproof and highly durable, letting you get your money’s worth. #3. BAKraft Hybrid The BAKraft series is the latest release of the brand that lets you go from hiking to rafting effortlessly with its compact storage size. This feature makes these series a perfect companion for any outdoor activity, for, despite the lightweight, they deliver an excellent overall performance. You need not worry about the raft’s durability with the use of Vectran 400 as its outer layer, letting you go from calm lakes to whitewater rafting. A dual-membrane combination of Dyneema and AIREcell technology makes this hybrid raft highly abrasion-resistant and airtight. This raft’s banana-shaped hull makes it thickset enough to lock you in place as you paddle. The unique shape lets you move through narrow rivers and glide smoothly through stronger whitewater. The inflatable floor keeps this raft’s frame fully erect, assuring your stability. Drain holes help the self-bailing floor immediately expel excess water to optimize buoyancy and reduce capsizing risk. Your gear will stay dry with the inflation bag included, which also a dry bag, doubles as your backrest, letting you stay comfortable as you paddle. This feature also lessens the unnecessary gear on the raft, allowing you to maximize the deck space for essentials only. Thigh straps will keep you in place as you face challenging whitewater to ensure your safety. #4. R Series “R” stands for Round, which shapes the five variants in this raft series. Having a pointless tip makes this raft excellently stable, letting you move better on big rivers. Wider beams maximize the raft’s interaction towards the floor, assuring your stability in the most challenging rivers. The relatively more massive tube diameters assure excellent buoyancy and widen the gap between you and boulders on impact. Combined with the widened beams, these tubes make this raft stiff, ensuring its integrity through the most challenging rapids. Chafe strips make the temperate areas of these rafts abrasion resistant, which improves their durability. The Polyvinyl Chloride material makes the tubes of the R Series rafts weatherproof and abrasion-resistant, strengthening their frame. AIREcell urethane films in the tubes’ interior assure you that they will remain airtight and agile enough to resist punctures. The raft’s inflation valve makes inflation and deflation convenient and helps the AIREcell layer keep the frame airtight. Its air pressure remains optimized by a pressure relief valve that expels the excess to keep the raft from exploding. #5. E Series The elliptical shape of all AIRE E Series rafts makes them highly maneuverable in the choppiest waters. Their comparatively narrower width makes cruising through smaller rivers possible and convenient. Its design lets you glide smoothly and allows for sharp slices through waves. Having an elevated and slightly pointed tip with … Read more