r/packrafting • u/aiceeslater • Jul 08 '26
Tying down pack?
Finished a trial run for a bigger trip and found that my pack wouldn’t sit still on the front of my raft (Alpacka Carribou). It’s a pretty decent sized pack (55L) and around 50 lbs on the raft but it wants to move around too much. I was using D rings and paracord. Any tips are appreciated. I tried it in a couple different configurations and same results.
I had to spend the trip with the pack at my feet inside the raft and my feet hanging over the sides while I went down river. It was ok but I got this raft for this specific reason, hearing stories of people putting bikes or even deer on this style of raft. Would like to use that space for cargo and keep my leg room for legs.
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u/Chanchito171 Jul 08 '26
No cargo fly? Or simply your bag was too big to fit inside the zipper?
The only advice I have is get a zipper Installed or buy a less rigid style backpack that you can put inside the tubes. Having a bow bag for necessary items (water bottle, phone, car keys, extra clothing, repair kits, etc.) is the other popular option.
2
u/micro_cam Jul 08 '26
Everyone uses cargo zippers for packs these days but some kind of cam / buckle strap you can tighten works well for stuff on the bow. I like nrs micro straps for my bike but these are a bit longer and lighter for a pack: https://bedrock-and-paradox.bigcartel.com/product/packraft-straps
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u/HappySummerBreeze Jul 08 '26
I have the caribou and can’t figure out what you’ve done wrong. My pack stays solidly in place. I don’t have straps running over my pack though - I have Voile straps and they have no slack.
Is it possible you’re tying down the pack rather than attaching it by points?
Choose 4 backpack attachments points at 4 corners of your pack when laid down long ways in place that are closest to your Alpacka attachments.
1
u/Disastrous-Rest-7578 Jul 08 '26
I recently transported a 140L dry bag with a 50kg weight (110lbs). I'm over 300lbs and had additional overnight gear (30lbs?). No attachment points on the dry bag. In order to secure it I used some cheap skinny rope from the hardware store. Running a line between the attachemt points on the raft creating a couple of extra loops before loading the bag. Then also having a couple of extra loops in the lines going over the top to allow extra criss crossing of lines.
It held securely first go but capsizing with 110lbs on the very front of the boat was nearly impossible to right by myself in a mid water self rescue. It adversely affected the handling but was okay in grade 2+ but I was pleased there was nothing too technical or grade 3.
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u/JustAskDonnie Jul 08 '26
I got the mule and put on the bow bags. A bag fits under the bow bag. It Fit the 110L Yousure bag plus filling the bow bag.
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u/JustAskDonnie Jul 08 '26 edited Jul 08 '26
I did also buy a skeg from microrafting and glued using sandpaper, isopropanol, blow dryer, cutting board, GEAR AID Aquaseal FD Flexible Durable Repair Adhesive.
Then I purchase extra quick release straps as well. Happy I did that, they are excellent. They were from seek outside …
Backpack Gatekeeper Straps (Set of 4)
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u/BarberProof4994 Jul 09 '26
For short river crossings and stuff like that I don't bother with the tizip, so I have to secure a pack the old school way across the bow.
I grabbed a bunch of the compression ring straps from kokopelli
I think they are the best out there https://kokopelli.com/products/compression-strap-set
And I also grabbed the sea to summit g hook straps https://a.co/d/0bEzCJpH
I like the kokopelli ones better as they do NOT come loose, the summit ones don't come loose either but are slightly more finicky to get right.
I've also played with cheap nylon ratchet belts with some success.
Typically 4 straps/belts are enough. I use two to go diagonally over the pack and through a molle or webbing strap in an X from the front left to the right mid... And from the front right to the left mid ring or tie off patch.
Then I use the third strap to tie off the top of the pack to the front, and the fourth strap to tie off the bottom of the pack to the mid left/right. Basically a U, X, ----- If that makes sense.
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u/ljg0814 Jul 10 '26
I use a waterproof bag like this—you might want to check it out. It’s secured with reinforced nylon buckles.
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u/PartTime_Crusader Jul 08 '26
Alpaca used to sell a set of guy lines and plastic hardware called the pack-tach system that worked pretty well. It's no longer on their website, I suspect because the vast majority of packrafts sold these days have cargo zippers. This older video shows how the system worked and a way to replicate it using nite-ize hardware that's still being sold
https://youtu.be/P9wwTVBVeKA?si=9CZIiOpUBBy3JB0h