Alpacka Caribou - Ultralight Bikeraft
Alpacka Caribou - Ultralight Bikeraft
Alpacka Raft's Caribou model stands out as a versatile and high-performance packraft, perfect for both all-around use and bike rafting. This ultralight packraft, featuring late-rise rocker technology and custom tie-downs, is specifically designed for carrying heavy loads on the bow. Whether you're navigating rivers, exploring lakes, or embarking on bike-packing adventures, the Caribou's lightweight construction and durability make it an ideal choice. By combining the best of both worlds—ultralight efficiency and all-around capability—the Caribou ensures you can tackle any adventure with confidence and ease
Originally designed as bikerafting model, the Caribou is also extremely versatile and ideal as a full sized ultralight packraft. It combines lots of space with minimal weight and packs up small and compact, easily fitting in the back of your car, on the train, in your backpack and of course on the handlebar of your bike! It is always ready for those quick adventures when you need a full sized packraft but not the weight and bulk.
Combining light and durable tubes with a full strength 840d ballistic nylon floor and Alpacka's innovative Late Rise Bow, the Caribou is the ultimate ultralight, ultra versatile front end loader. With the Open configuration weighing only 2.15kgs, the Caribou is one of the lighestest full size packrafts on the market and is perfect for those trips when a little extra space in needed for your bike, extra gear, four legged friend, children or that person in your life that just needs a little more time outdoors in nature.
For many years, the only way to carry your gear on large, multi-sport packraft adventures was either inside the boat on the floor, or mounted to the bow. However, in 2011, Alpacka changed the game completely when they invented the Cargo Fly internal gear storage system. This design not only kept your gear drier, it also dramatically increased handling and whitewater performance. However, it didn’t solve the problem of carrying large bulky items like bicycles and large frame packs on the bow.
Welcome the Caribou with the Late Rise Bow that combines the stability and load carrying ability of a rockerless hull with the whitewater and wave performance of a rockered hull. Unlike anything else on the market, the Late Rise Bow still provides a rocker to shed waves and whitewater, but it moves beginning of the rocker in front of the bow’s mounted load. The result is a broad stable platform for mounting bulky and heavy items like bicycles that carries them high and keeps them out of the water when paddling. And, the load remains balanced and stable on both water and land.
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BEST USE
- Bikerafting & touring
- Flat water paddling, lakes and easy river tours
- Easy whitewater tours (up to class 2)
- Urban Packrafting
- Canyoneering, exploration, micro adventures
- Fast packing, adventure races, geocaching
- Adventures when small and ultralight gear matters most
- Great for the kids and family fun at the lake and sea
- When a little more space is needed for bike, dog, kids, packs, fishing
- Lightweight sailing boat dingy
FEATURES
MANUFACTURING: Hand made by Alpacka Raft in Colorado, USA
SHAPE: Classic Hull with Late Rise Bow
TUBE DIAMETER: 11.7-inch
VALVE: Temper assist valve for inflation and deflation
ATTACHMENTS: 4 bow strap plates, 2 stern grab loops, and 1 bow handle
SEATING: Classic Seat Bottom
BUILD CONFIGURATIONS: Open and Self Bailer
CARGO FLY: Optional (zippered internal dry bags sold separately)
MATERIALS: Proprietary ultralight 210-denier high count nylon hull and 840-denier ballistic nylon floor (Made in USA).
INCLUDES: Inflation Bag, Stuff Sack, and Basic Repair Kit. T Zip lube is included with boats that come with a Cargo Fly
RECOMMENDED GEAR: Astral Willis 515 PFD Swimvest, TNP Rapa 4 Piece Paddle, Bike Strap Kit, The Bikeraft Guide Book
BUILD CONFIGURATIONS
OPEN: The Open configuration is the simplest, lightest, and most economical build configuration. It’s perfect for anything where you don't need the extra performance of a self bailer.
SELF BAILER: The Self Bailer configuration is ideal for anyone that prefers a self-bailing style setup. The advantages of a self bailing set up are any water that enters the boat (waves, splashes, entry & exit or dripping paddles) will drain away leaving the boat drier. Alpacka's self bailing design features a lightweight 3/4 length 18cm thick seat in the rear that is protected by a sleeve and a heavy-duty baffled foot brace in the front that keeps your feet up and out of the water.
CARGO FLY: The Cargo Fly is the ultimate packraft gear storage solution featuring an airtight zipper installed in the stern of the boat to allow you to load your gear inside the tubes. The system provides drier and more secure gear storage and improved paddling performance due to a lower center of gravity. The Caribou does not feature buckle attachments inside the tubes to secure internal dry bags because the Caribou is not designed for significant whitewater use. However, you can purchase internal dry bags separately and use them with the Caribou without the buckles.
SIZE & SPECIFICATIONS
Exterior Length - 246cm
Exterior Width - 97cm
Interior Length - 123cm
Interior Width - 37cm
Open Weight* - 2150grams
Open Weight with Cargo Fly* - 2270grams
Self Bailer Weight* - 2560grams
Self Bailer Weight* with Cargo Fly* - 2680grams
Open Packed Size** - 43x15cm
Max Capacity*** 181kgs
*Weight includes all components except inflation bag and repair kit.
**Packed size is a reference measurement based on folding each lengthwise edge of the boat to the center and rolling from the bow. There are many other methods of rolling and folding the boats that will result in a different packed size that may be more or less efficient for packing depending on the situation.
***Max Capacity is the maximum total weight (paddlers and cargo) that the boat can reasonably carry in flatwater under ideal conditions. Actual capacity for any given trip will vary widely based on the paddler’s skill and water conditions. Please review our weight carrying capacity guide for further details.