Our lightest and most compact multi-person packraft, the Explorer 42 is the perfect boat for introducing your kids to paddling or taking your dog on a backcountry trip. It can also comfortably be paddled by two smaller adults looking to save weight and bulk on long traverses and adventure races.
Explorer 42
Build to Order
Pay in 4 interest-free installments of $362.50 using ShopPay
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Check out our Custom Lab packrafts.
Product Description
Our lightest and most compact multi-person packraft, the Explorer 42 is the perfect boat for introducing your kids to paddling or taking your dog on a backcountry trip. It can also comfortably be paddled by two smaller adults looking to save weight and bulk on long traverses and adventure races.
On any given day there are 8-10 dogs roaming the Alpacka factory. It’s only natural that we’d want to make a boat that is perfect to bring your four legged companion on your adventures. The Explorer 42 is lightweight and easy to paddle for one person but with extra space in the bow, which makes it our best boat for bringing kids and pets on adventures. It’s also about half the weight of carrying two single packrafts, which makes it a great choice for two adults doing long traverses that involve shorter days on the water or adventure races that require you to carry your boats for long distances.
The Explorer 42 is built with our 11.7-inch diameter Cargo Hull, which is easier to paddle for one person than the larger diameter Cargo Hulls in the Oryx and Forager. The Cargo Hull features our center panel stern and our late rise bow, which maximize stability, buoyancy, leg room, and cargo capacity. The Explorer 42 seating system allows the rear paddler to slot their feet on either side of the seat for better control while the front paddler sits on the forward third of the seat. A backband can also be added for the front paddler.
Features
Manufacturing
Made to Order in Mancos, Colorado
Shape
Cargo Hull
Tube Diameter
11.7-inch
Valve
Temper assist valve for inflation and deflation
Attachments
4 bow grab loops, 2 stern grab loops, 2 rear strap plates, and 2 forward strap plates
Seating
3/4 length Explorer 42 seat, Inflatable Backrest for back paddler, Optional front passenger backband
Build Configurations
Open
Cargo Fly
Optional (Internal Dry Bags sold separately)
Materials
Proprietary 210-denier high count nylon hull and 840-denier ballistic nylon floor (Made in USA).
Includes
Inflation Bag, Stuff Sack, and Basic Repair Kit
California Proposition 65 Warning
Using the Aquaseal in the repair kit will expose you to toluene, a chemical known to the State of California to cause birth defects or other reproductive harm. For more information go to www.P65Warnings.ca.gov.
Build Configurations
Open
The Explorer 42 is available only in the open build configuration. It is not available with spray decks due to the variance between one and two paddlers. It is not available in a self-bailing configuration because the seating configuration necessary to fit two people in the boat will result in too much water pooling in the seating area.
Cargo Fly Zipper
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.
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.
Specifications
Specifications
Exterior Length110in | 279cm
Exterior Width38in | 97cm
Interior Length62in | 157cm
Interior Width15in | 38cm
Front Cockpit Length28in | 71cm
Weight w/o Cargo Fly*8.1lb | 3.6kg
Weight with Cargo Fly*8.3lb | 3.7kg
Packed Size**19x7.5in | 48x19cm
Max Capacity***600lb | 272kg
*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.
**Weight includes all components except inflation bag, repair kit, and internal dry bags for Cargo Fly.
**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.
