Forager

Features

• Handmade in Mancos, Colorado, USA
• High Volume hull design
• Patent-Pending high volume stern provides superior floatation and stability
• Late Rise Bow design optimizes stability, load carrying, and whitewater performance
• One-way valve that provides high pressure inflation and easy deflation with a quick twist of the valve core
• Available in 400-denier Vectran® or 420-denier nylon
• 840d ballistic nylon floor
• Removable inflatable self bailing floor insert
• Cargo Fly with 2 Forager Roll-Top Dry Bags
• Bow handle
• 16 heavy duty webbing loops with 4mm stainless D-Rings for lashing cargo
• Includes: Inflation bag, stuff sack, and repair kit
• Optional seat for front passenger (+$75) (13.5oz 380g)
• Weight: 13lb 7oz / 6.10kg (420d nylon version)

Cargo Fly

The Cargo Fly is the ultimate packraft gear storage solution. The three-piece system utilizes an airtight and watertight zipper installed in the stern of the boat together with two gear storage dry bags that fit inside the tubes. The system provides dry and secure gear storage, improved paddling performance due to a lower center of gravity, quicker transitions from packrafting to hiking, and the internal dry bags act as additional balanced air chambers for increased safety in the event of a puncture.  The Forager comes standard with a Cargo Fly and Forager Internal Dry Bags.

Tube Fabrics

420-Denier Nylon

Our standard Forager tube fabric is a USA woven 420-denier nylon, which is coated on one side with a medium weight polyurethane film. This fabric has better tear strength and rigidity than our 210-denier high count nylon used in our standard packrafts, which is necessary for the additional weight that the Forager is designed to carry. Compared to the Vectran®, the 420-denier nylon is more affordable while the Vectran® offers additional tear strength and rigidity.

400-Denier Vectran®

Our premium Forager tube fabric is 400-denier Vectran®, which is the burliest option in our fabric lineup. Vectran® is a high-performance multifilament yarn spun from liquid crystal polymer (LCP), which is five times stronger than steel and ten times stronger than aluminum. Vectran® fabrics provide exceptional tear strength and rigidity (due to its lower stretch) than comparable Nylon deniers, which results in a stiffer, higher performance hull.

840-Denier Ballistic Nylon Heavy Double Coat Floor

The Forager features a USA woven 840-denier nylon floor, which is coated on both sides with heavy polyurethane film custom designed for packrafts by our USA supplier.  Our floor fabric is designed to optimize weight and durability in a packraft floor.

Seat Fabrics

The Forager inflatable floor and seat are made with a combination of 200-denier oxford nylon and 210-denier high count nylon, each of which are coated on one side with a lightweight polyurethane coating.  Both fabrics are woven and urethane coated in the USA.

*Gear Capacity is a general estimate of the useful carrying load of gear in a cargo fly equipped boat with two average sized adults.  The gear capacity will increase or decrease depending on water conditions and paddler experience and capability. It is the paddler’s responsibility to make an informed decision on gear weight based on conditions and their experience.

**Weight is based on 420-denier nylon version and includes all components except the passenger seat, inflation bag, repair kit, and internal dry bags for the cargo fly.

Since we made the original Alpacka Raft in 2000, backcountry hunters have sought our packrafts out to access remote country and pack out big game. In one early tale, an Alaskan hunter drew a coveted bison tag in Copper River basin and loaded a “stubby” Denali Llama with the bison and then flopped on top of the meat and hide to carefully paddle himself out of the backcountry.  Our owners, Thor and Sarah Tingey, have packed out multiple Dall sheep with packrafts.

Over the years, we have had many requests from hunters to make a packraft that could more comfortably handle larger loads like a moose while still remaining backpackable. This is where the Forager project started. We began by expanding the tube diameter and overall width for greater floatation and stability. We then added a self-bailing floor since it is too difficult to empty out a fully loaded bucket boat. Finally, we added a series of adjustable strap plates to give a huge number of low profile lashing points.

We began testing in the summer of 2016 and were immediately thrilled with how well the Forager handled both flatwater, whitewater, and heavy loads.  Then we started thinking and realized how much more than a hunting boat the Forager was. We recalled fly in float trips the Alaskan arctic using 75-pound folding kayaks and inflatable canoes because they were half the weight of a full raft and thought of how much easier it would be to fly in and out with such a light boat, without sacrificing any on water comfort, performance, or gear capacity. Even better, the Forager would easily fit in a checked bag on a commercial airline. We also thought about hiking down into the Gunny Gorge with a two people and a Forager for a little fishing and sightseeing. Finally, we thought about taking a family float trip for the weekend and realized how easy it would be to pack the Forager up in the back of the car and take it out with two people and a dog or kids.  When you start thinking about what you can do with a 13lb packraft that will comfortably carry two people and all of their gear on a multi week trip anywhere in the world, the possibilities are endless.

For 2018, we continued to refine the Forager design based on testing and new innovations. During 2017, our staff took the Forager on a hike in 3-day backcountry fishing trip in Colorado, an 8 day fly-in fishing trip in Western Alaska, and a 6 day trip down Desolation and Grey Canyons on the Green River in Utah. We also solicited feedback from our customers and professional reviewers.  The main requests were more D-rings in the tie down system, a seat for the front passenger, and a more affordable fabric option. We’ve implemented all of those requests into the new 2018 Forager, plus we developed a new method of attaching the inflatable floor via zippers instead of the large fabric sleeve. Finally, in the course of developing the Caribou, we realized that the new bow design could be adapted to the Forager to provide a drier ride for the front passenger and better carrying capacity in the bow. The result is everything that was awesome about the original Forager with new refinements that make the comfort and performance better than ever.  The ultimate test of the new design was a self-support winter trip down the Grand Canyon where the Forager carried all gear and food for two people, plus two spare Gnarwhals (just for fun!), and performed outstandingly through both the flatwater and huge whitewater sections.