2022 - Alpacka Wolverine - Whitewater Packraft

Alpacka is renowned for innovation. For continually defining and redefining the sport of Packrafting and of what we thought was possible for Whitewater packrafting. The Wolverine is leads the way, it is the love child of the Alpacka Gnarwhal and the Alpacka Alpackalypse, the Wolverine is the perfect blend of quick engagement, predictable edge control, and precision handling to hit those tight lines that make the difference between just making it to the bottom and running a rapid with style. In whitewater kayaking, there are play boats for throwing tricks, river runners for carving lines, slalom boats for precision and speed, creek boats for getting rowdy, and all kinds of specialty models which blur the lines. While whitewater packrafts are a long way from achieving similar specialization, kayaks still provide a great source of inspiration for how we approach packraft performance.

Think of the Wolverine as a mashup of the stable, forgiving, high-volume creeker inspired Gnarwhal and the quick, responsive, low-volume river runner inspired Alpackalypse, with a few new school kayak features like a slightly shorter stern and a more pronounced bow rocker. The result is a new standard in whitewater packraft performance that provides both the confidence to hit difficult lines with style and the predictability and stability to ride out the rough stuff when you make a mistake.

The Wolverine is built with Alpacka's Rally Hull, high-performance whitewater rigging, Cargo Fly zipper internal storage system, and available with a Whitewater Deck or as a Self Bailer. The Rally Hull is the high performance whitewater hull with a center panel stern for stability and forgiveness and a rockered bow for punching over holes and carving eddy turns.

The Wolverine is lower volume than the Gnarwhal for quicker engagement and predictable edging. The whitewater rigging includes an adjustable foam backband, ¾ length seat and foot brace and Alpackas patented 4-point thigh straps.

Trying to choose between the mid-volume Wolverine and the high-volume Gnarwhal? You’ll love the Wolverine if you want squeeze as much as you can out of a rapid with a quick and easy to edge packraft that likes to hit every eddy and play feature, and boof off every lip. You’ll love the Gnarwhal if you want a forgiving and easy to paddle packraft that takes the intimidation out of paddling moderate whitewater, if you want to charge hard in bigger water and features, or if you need to carry a large cargo load on a long trip.

Both the Wolverine and Gnarwhal can be reliably rolled by skilled boaters with thigh straps, but the Wolverine roll is a bit easier for most people.

The Gnarwhal and Wolverine are sized to fit most average sized adults, but larger and heavier (over 182cm and 100kgs) paddlers will fit better in the Gnarwhal while smaller and lighter paddlers (under 170 and 75kgs) will fit better in the Wolverine.

Alpacka Wolverine - Best use:

• Whitewater paddling up to class 4
  

Alpacka Wolverine - Features:

• Manufacturing: Hand made by Alpacka Raft, in Mancos, Colorado, USA
• Shape: Rally Hull Tube
• Diameter: 10.6-inch
• Fit: Whitewater (See sizing and specifications below)
• Colours & Fabric: Red 420D, Fireweed 210D, Forget Me Not 210D
• Valve: Temper assist valve for inflation and deflation
  
• Attachments: 4 bow grab loops, 2 stern grab loops, 2 double D-Rings, 2 ankle loops, 2 multi-slot strap plates, and 2 strap plates
• Seating & Rigging: 3/4 Length WW Seat, WW Foot Brace, Adjustable Foam Backband, Patented 4-point Thigh Straps
• Build Configurations: Whitewater Deck & Self Bailer
  
• Cargo Fly: Standard (Internal Zippered Dry Bags sold seperately)
  
• Includes: Inflation Bag, Stuff Sack, and Basic Repair Kit. T Zip lube is included with boats that come with a Cargo Fly
  

Alpacka Wolverine - Materials:

• Hull: Proprietary 210 & 420-denier high count nylon, single side laminated with a pigmented polyurethane film (Made in USA).
  
• Floor: Proprietary 840-denier ballistics nylon, laminated on both sides with polyurethane film (Made in USA).
• Seating: 200-denier oxford nylon, with single side proprietary polyurethane film (Made in USA).
  
• Accessories: All grab loops and similar attachments are manufactured by Alpacka Raft in Mancos, Colorado out of scrap floor materials and USA made webbing. Small parts and fasteners are Made in USA, when available, and sourced from industry leaders like Duraflex, YKK, and ITW-Nexus

Alpacka Wolverine - Build Configurations:

• Whitewater Deck: The Wolverine with a Whitewater Deck, maximizes performance in difficult whitewater. The Whitewater Deck features a large kayak style cockpit, one-piece pex coaming, and an ultralight spray skirt. Because the Whitewater Deck will not fill with water when pushing through a wave or hole, it maintains more speed and can punch through larger waves and stickier holes than the self bailing configuration.
• Self Bailer: Our maximum recommended paddler weight limit for the Wolverine self bailer is 70kgs and 25kgs of cargo because the boat loses enough buoyancy with heavier paddlers that it reduces handling.  For paddlers within the recommended weight limits, the self bailer is perfect for warmer conditions, quick entry and exit, and anyone that prefers a self-bailing setup. It is slightly slower than the WW deck version when punching through waves and small holes, but it tends to stabilize in these situations which helps boaters navigate through tricky spots. If you swim, no dumping is required and you can just self rescue right back in.
• Cargo Fly Zipper: The Cargo Fly internal storage system comes standard on the Wolverine. Internal zippered dry bags may be purchased separately. The Cargo Fly features an airtight zipper installed in the stern of the boat to allow you to store 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 optional dry bags clip in place along inside of the tubes with 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.

Alpacka Wolverine - Size & Specifications:

The sizing below shows our recommended size based on your sit length and the Wolverine’s fit profile. To determine your sit length, sit against a wall with your legs flat (wearing your preferred paddling shoes) and measure the distance from the wall to your heels. The Wolverine is sized for a whitewater fit, meaning that a typical paddler in the recommended size will be able to deeply bend their knees for maximum engagement in the thigh straps for the most secure high-performance fit. You can size up or down for a more performance or relaxed fit.

• Paddler Sit Length - 91 - 104cm
• Exterior Length - 229cm
  
• Exterior Width - 91cm
• Interior Length - 107cm
• Width at Hips - 38cm
• Weight* - 3900grams
• Packed Size** - 46x19cm
• Max Capacity*** 159kgs

Medium

• Paddler Sit Length - 99 - 109cm
• Exterior Length - 234cm
  
• Exterior Width - 91cm
• Interior Length - 112cm
• Width at Hips - 38cm
• Weight* - 4000grams
• Packed Size** - 46x20cm
• Max Capacity*** 159kgs

Large

• Paddler Sit Length - 107 - 117cm
• Exterior Length - 241cm
  
• Exterior Width - 91cm
• Interior Length - 122cm
• Width at Hips - 38cm
• Weight* - 4120grams
• Packed Size** - 46x22cm
• Max Capacity*** 159kgs

*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.