Assembly Instructions

Flying with Folding Boats

Mapping Out Your Next Trip

Packing & Securing Gear in a PakCanoe

Repair & Maintenance of Pakboats

Skin on Frame Boats

Surviving Mosquitoes & Black Flies

Enjoy hard-to-reach water with these collapsible boats. Backpacker Magazine, June 2003.

By Alan Kesselheim

So you want to go paddling this summer, but aren't too keen to haul your boat to remote put-ins? You aren't alone. Traditional, hard-shell canoes and kayaks are heavy, awkward, and expensive to transport.
Luckily, folding and inflatable boats have become viable options. Collapsible craft are a significant up-front investment, but in the long run they will save big bucks in transportation costs, and with the performance and cargo capacity necessary for big wilderness trips, they'll pay you back many times over in priceless adventures.

Pakboats Puffin II

Solo paddlers can go anywhere in this versatile craft.

For multiday travel, the Puffin II is designed to carry one solo paddler and a week's worth of gear. The durable aluminum tubing frame assembles easily, requires little maintenance, and handles sweetly in touring applications under a wide variety of water conditions. I've paddled it in class II rapids and on flat, open lakes without complaint. And I really like how effortlessly you can load the boat; simply unsnap the deck at the bow and stern to gain access. When disassembled, the whole thing packs into a small duffel you could carry on a plane.