Just finished the bowron in mine... Awesome boat and you can send the boat back to alpaca and they will install a zip in. Highly recommend it.

@@boutthere3374 Help me out. I just tried my last week. My skirt that Alpaca sent was to small so I didnt use it. But I couldn't believe how wet I got from paddle drip. I'm new at this some please help. Is my paddle too short? How long is yours.

@@cretan911 on the road but I'll respond when back at cabin.those drips are annoying i know.

@@cretan911 I am 5ft 11 inches tall and in the mule I use an accent pro core fir paddle thats is 220 cm and is a high angle paddle.I also have used my werner paddle that is adjustable fr 210 -220.I don't think there is any real way to avoid getting wet from the paddle in these boats but I have found the best protection for crusing paddling is a good pair of gore-tex bibpants and a gore-tex jacket.With this set up you vent a bit more and seem to stay dry longer.My dry suit is great when there is a risk of going in but I still get wet due to condensation.On this Bowron trip I had the crusier deck over my lower half and I still got wet from condensation so I had to rely on having dry clothes at days end.I know from past experience the bib pants and jacket would have kept me a lot drier and I wish I had of brought that for the Bowron. As for your paddle lenght you need to try as many as you can and see what works for you. I thought I prefered low angle paddling but soon learned that I cruise much better as a high angle paddler.Hope this helps and I'll try to answer any questions you have....Happy Paddling brother.

@@boutthere3374 thank you my friend, the input is well received. This may be a deal breaker for me. A canoe is a better choice. I'm heart broken.And for the cost of that raft I was well half way into a glorious canoe.

It's a great question. The boat weighs nothing without gear inside and you will notice it when paddling but you can limit it a bit with keeping your paddle closer to the tube as it enters the water. I also really recommend ordering the DIY self bailer kit separately for the boat and just using the inflatable floor and inflatable foot section(no need to punch the holes unless you want that). Using the inflatable floor gives some structure to the boat bottom and it defiantly tracks better on flat water with it. In rough water I let air out of the floor so I sink lower in the boat lowering my centre of gravity. It will never track like a canoe but you do get use to it and with even paddle strokes on either side you do go in the direction you want with some dog tracking but you get use to it. On my last Bowron canoe circuit I paddled 37 km's in one shot the final day. For fishing this boat will get you anywhere you want to go....... I should also add that I always make sure I am connected to the boat on big water and I tie it on to something when ashore otherwise the wind will take it away given the chance. The Tzip is fantastic for more reasons than gear storage. With it you can patch the boat from the inside if you ever need to. Get the Tzip,

@@boutthere3374 wow, thanks for the info! It helps a lot. It’s a big purchase so I want to be sure what I’m getting is exactly what I need. I do a lot of hiking/fishing on backcountry ponds/small lakes. I may order the boat without a tzip initially, and if I don’t like it I can always ship it back to get installed. I’ve done a fair amount of research and for what I’m going to use it for…and the tzip seems like an unnecessary luxury - a lot of maintenance, and just another factor on the boat that could go wrong. But probably a great feature for someone who is traveling down rivers/portaging! I’ll let you know how it works out. Thanks again!

Hi, the boots are MEC(mountain equipment Co-Op) tall neoprene booties but I don't think they make them anymore.Some other options. Kokatat Hydrus Tempest Pants(or any brand) + footwear of your choice and then you would be water proof up to your waist. I also really like Bridgedale StormSocks kneehigh which are waterproof socks and i just wear a suitable footwear over them. Only issue with the StormSock is they eventually lose their waterproofness. Something else I seen but haven't tried is the Wild Bird Society of Japan Rain Boots...if you google(Wild Bird Society of Japan Rain Boots) you will find them and they look ideal. I may have to try a pair at some point. The boots I seem to wear the most are Xtratuf 15 inch rain boot- they offer no ankle support but seem to last(4yrs going). You are going to love your new boat. Being able to carry a boat on your back pack is almost like having a super power....lol...Cheers.

@@boutthere3374 Fantastic information. Thanks so much.

It's an absolutely fantastic boat indeed. The island has some amazing places to go that why I split my time between here and there. I'll keep you in mind.Cheers.

Yes and I added a stern grab line that also allows me to add a stern bag. I ordered a few extra DYI attachments so I could add them if need be.

Good question. Well I am 5'11 and reach the foot brace fine. I have the back brace(pad) as well and that is adjustable so you do lose some of that 52 interior length. The foot brace also can be inflated as much or as little as you choose so the total interior length has room to be customize as desired. I'll be heading up soon for my first paddle this year and will add a little demo on this. All the Best.

B Outthere thank you so much!! I’ll look forward to your video

I actually bought two mules.... One as my back up. I'm heading out tomorrow and will do a vid with all three. I'll also go through my dry suit that I'll be taking.. Cheers.

@@boutthere3374 what's your size and weight please ? Ah may be you have better stick on a peene in front of the boat ?!!

I'm about 5 foot 11 and weight about 175.the mule is suited to much bigger.

I didnt buy the Vectran this time. Alpacka didn't recommend it.My forager is the vectran.

Do you think I could take a friend on the boat (not paddler)? Thanks

Thx for that.... Yes the white bags are the bags that actually came with my 2017 alpaca Forager(they changed this design in 2018). They are massive and I've since then bought Alpacka's inflatable internal dry bags and really like them as well. if you go to about 4:37 in this video I show the inflatable bags....I should change the title of this vid....kzfaq.info/get/bejne/pJ6jZ5SmusXYdas.html

Thanks!

Thank you for that and I totally agree. This has really been a learning experience for me and I appreciate all the tips people can give.

In this video I am using my 4 piece Werner Pack-tour m. PACK-TOUR M ADJUSTABLE STRAIGHT SHAFT Its a good back up paddle but not great for rough use. The paddle(not in the video) that is my favourite now is this one accentpaddles.com/products/pro-core-fit-advantage I have it in 220 cm.

@@boutthere3374 Thanks a lot for your reply ! I'd like to use this boat occasionaly with à friend :do you think it is possible ? Thanks again

@@pedoncule36 It could handle the weight but I think it would be too cramped.

@@boutthere3374 Thanks again but it would be very occasionaly !! So..

I do know that Western Canoe Kayak westerncanoekayak.com/ apparently sell Kokopelli pack rafts. I seem to recall there was a place that sold alpacka ready made rafts so you got what they had but I can't seem to find them now....I'll have a dig and see if I can locate them. All my boats I ordered directly from Alpacka but that was before all this virus stuff.Cheers.

So I found it....mtwaddingtons.com/ Mt Waddingtons Outdoors in Chilliwack, BC is listed as a dealer......Good luck.