AO First Impressions – Alpacka Raft Aleutian Sea Kayak Packraft

This summer I got an afternoon on a mellow 5-mile river stretch with Alpacka’s new Aleutian, their take on a travel-friendly sea kayak in packraft form. I’m used to regular packrafts that feel more like floating couches than precise boats, so I was curious how this longer, more kayak-shaped design would handle on moving water and whether the “sea kayak performance in a packable package” claim held up in real use.

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Specs – Aleutian Sea Kayak

• Exterior Length: 13’3″ (405 cm)
• Exterior Width: 33.5″ (85 cm)
• Weight: 11.9 lb (5.4 kg)
• Capacity: Ideal for paddlers up to ~240 lb
• One-size fit (optimized for roughly 5’7″–6’1″)
• Hull: Proprietary TPU-coated 400d Vectran with 840d nylon floor
• Standard features: Full-length inflatable floor pad, lace-in seat, 4-point thigh straps, foam backband, Cargo Fly zipper, removable skeg, spray deck, PEX rim pole (spray skirt sold separately)
• MSRP: Around $2,150

First Afternoon on the Water

Getting the boat set up was simple enough in my opinion. It is small enough when packed to be put in the car or in a backpack if you have a lot of free space. It is certainly a lot easier to move around than a hard-shell canoe or kayak that weighs more than 50 pounds where this weights just under 12 pounds. A good pump will have it fully pressurized in a few minutes, and if you don’t want to carry a pump or don’t have one, you can always use the included air sack for a more manual experience. I would recommend the air pump, though, as it is necessary for performance since the design calls for a rigid feel, free of creases once you are in your seat.

Out on the river one could tell right away how it differs from an ordinary packraft. The tracking is much better. There is not as much need to correct the paddle stroke to keep a straight line and the long, slender-baffled hull makes short work of the current. The skeg is removable but does its part to help keep you on track; even withough the skeg, the boat has more direction than the broad, floaty rafts I am accustomed to. All in all the control is tighter and more responsive, which helps in putting the boat exactly where it needs to be around rocks, strainers, and the odd eddy.

Then there is the weight. Coming in at under 12 pounds, it is no effort to heave it over an obstacle or drag it along a gravel bar for the portages that come up. One does not have to wrestle a heavy boat up a bank or past a fallen tree. That is the appeal of the Aleutian in my opinion.  You have something that paddles like a sea kayak but without the roof-rack and storage problems of the conventional type.

What Stood Out – Aleutian

Portability is the headline feature. This is a boat you can take where a rigid sea kayak would require some serious logistics to get to. The control is a definite improvement on most packrafts, more exacting and less prone to wander. The lightness means getting out and walking is hardly a chore.

It will not stand in for a hard-shell on big open-water days in any condition, nor is it a whitewater specialist, but for mixed river and flatwater or when you want the efficiency of a kayak minus the size, it works.

Early Pros – Aleutian

Good portability and packs down well. Tracking and control are superior to the standard packraft. At the length and capability offered it is very light, so obstacles and portages are easy. The outfitting is sound for the performance angle (thigh straps, floor pad, skeg).

Early Cons / Open Questions

An afternoon is not a thorough test. More time is needed to judge durability, comfort over distance and how it fares in coastal waters. The Vectran hull is tough and rigid but will scrape easier than nylon, so be mindful on rocky landings. And it is on the pricey side for a packraft.

Final Thoughts – Aleutian

The Aleutian made a strong first impression after a 5-mile run on the river. The fact that it is so convenient to pack, has better control than a regular raft.  It is light enough to make portaging and dealing with obstacles effortless is what is interesting about the design. It is not a panacea for every other boat but it is the sort of thing Alpacka has been going after for some time: sea-kayak manners in a bag. I will be putting in more hours on it, on flatter water and for longer days, to see how the speed and tracking stand up to the mileage. For the moment, it is a promising bit of kit and makes the prospect of stowing a high-performance inflatable “kayak” in the trunk or on a plane seem entirely feasible.

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