Alpacka Refuge 2024 - Lightweight Packraft
Alpacka Refuge 2024 - Lightweight Packraft
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Alpacka Refuge - 2024
Alaska packrafting in the 1980s and 1990s was an exercise in gear failure, hypothermia, and general suffering. The lightweight open vinyl and nylon inflatable boats available were simply not up to the task of the Alaska backcountry. But the experience of following your own path on a big landscape traverse was often worth the misery of paddling for hours in an ice water bathtub. Alpacka Raft was founded to remedy the gear failures and suffering on those original packraft trips. And we like to think that we've done a pretty good job over the years, innovating fabrics, hull shapes, spray decks, and the Cargo Fly internal storage system along the way. But as amazing as these innovations are, we still had a hole in our lineup for a packraft that would combine all of our best features into the lightest possible package for the ultimate landscape traverse packraft.
Meet the Refuge, weighing just over 3kgs with full featured outfitting. That weight savings can add days and miles to your range on big trips with a lot of hiking. This is our third generation Refuge and it optimizes the features of the prior versions. The fabrics pair our lightweight 210d nylon hull to minimize weight and bulk with our full strength 840d floor for maximum abrasion resistance in shallow backcountry rives. The WW deck keeps you dry and the Cargo Fly internal storage system lets you pack your gear inside the tubes. Finally, we added our foam backband and our first ever 2-point thigh strap system. The 2-point thigh straps provide better control in a lightweight affordable package, but lack the comfort and harder whitewater performance of our patented 4-point thigh strap systems.
Compared to the Classic, the Refuge is lighter and more packable but doesn’t offer as much carrying capacity, durability, or stability for every-day use. Experienced whitewater paddlers should be able to paddle the occasional Class III rapid in the Refuge, but whitewater and eddylines will be more difficult for novice and intermediate paddlers. The Refuge is ideal for the experienced wilderness packrafter who can limit their pack weight to 25kgs for a 14-day trip.
Very small paddlers who find the small Classic and Expedition to have too much volume should consider building a Custom Lab Refuge with standard fabrics for a better fit. Contact our Custom Lab specialists for additional details.
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BEST USE
- Hiking & touring
- Flat water paddling, lakes and easy river tours
- Whitewater tours (up to class 3)
- Urban Packrafting
- Wilderness Packrafting
- Canyoneering, exploration, micro adventures
- Fast packing, adventure races, geocaching
- Adventures when small and ultralight gear matters most
FEATURES
MANUFACTURING: Hand made by Alpacka Raft in Colorado, USA
SHAPE: Classic Hull
TUBE DIAMETER: 10 inch
VALVE: Temper assist valve for inflation and deflation
ATTACHMENTS: 4 Bow Grab Loops, 2 Stern Grab Loops, 2 Strap Plates, 2 Double D-Rings, 2 Ankle Webbing Loops, Seat Toggle, and WW Footbrace Toggle
SEATING & RIGGING: Scout Seat, Backband, 2-Point Thigh Straps, and WW Footbrace Included
BUILD CONFIGURATIONS: Whitewater Deck (Includes include one-piece PEX coaming and ultralight spray skirt)
CARGO FLY: Standard (Size Small Internal Dry Bags sold separately)
MATERIALS: Proprietary lightweight 210-denier high count nylon hull and 840-denier 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, Aquabound Whiskey 4 Piece Paddle 205cm, TNP Rapa Carbon 4 Piece Paddle 200-210, Alpacka Pack-A-Pump, The Packraft Handbook
BUILD CONFIGURATIONS
WHITEWATER DECK: The Whitewater Refuge comes standard with the Whitewater Deck, Alpackas driest and warmest configuration. It is ideal for all water types in cool climates and the highest performance option for whitewater. The Whitewater Deck features a large kayak style cockpit and includes a one-piece PEX coaming, and an ultralight secure fitting spray skirt. Contact us if you need a XL or larger spray skirt tunnel size.
CARGO FLY: A standard option on the Refuge, the Cargo Fly is the ultimate packraft gear storage solution. It features 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 Cargo Fly is perfect for expeditions, whitewater performance, and keeping your gear dry in any conditions. Size Small Internal Dry Bags may be purchased separately and are designed to work with the Cargo Fly system. The bags clip in place along each side of the tubes with a side release buckle and allow for better organization and weight balance than placing the contents of your pack loose inside the Cargo Fly. They also act as additional balanced air chambers to make it easier to get to shore in the event of a puncture.
SIZE & SPECIFICATIONS
MEDIUM:
Paddler Sit Length 97-107cm
Exterior Length 221cm
Exterior Width 88cm
Interior Length 118cm
Interior Width 38cm
Weight* 3kg
Packed Size** 38x18cm
Max Capacity*** 113kg
LARGE:
Paddler Sit Length 104-114cm
Exterior Length 227cm
Exterior Width 88cm
Interior Length 126cm
Interior Width 38cm
Weight* 3.1kg
Packed Size** 38x20cm
Max Capacity*** 125kg
*Weight includes all components except inflation bag, and repair kit. The Refuge base weight (without seat, backrest, coaming, and skirt) is 2.13kgs.
**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.