Doesn't the dropstich floor in the moki help? Because the Deschutes has no dropstich floor and only 1 psi more in the tubes so I don't see how it would be much different..

But maybe the 420d tpu+1000d pvc just isn't that rigid even at 2 psi.. They sell the Moki light for $290 and the Moki I for $350 in my country and I always wondered why they are so much cheaper than all other inflatables..

It's not always daft, it depends on the conditions.. I use a paddle leash to IK's/Packrafts when solo paddling on big open water. But never in whitewater or surf..

I also occasionally use a floating throw rope between the boat and my PFD (in a quick release buckle and a river knife close by) when solo paddling packrafts and IKs in oceans or big lakes. 1. Because I like to take a swim from the boat sometimes, and 2. Because if falling in or capsizing a lightweight boat will get away from you very quickly. I've been blown off an inflatable sit-on-top twice because of sudden gales and a high seating position, and this has saved me from being separated from my boat both times..

For years I didn't even consider using it but then I was capsized once in a sudden storm and when I had righted myself I noticed the boat was already several meters away.. I had to first find and collect my paddle and then start to swim towards the boat, by mere luck and motivation I was able to reach the boat and self-rescue. (It was weighed down by my gear, otherwise I wouldn't have had a chance)

That said, I never use them in (sit-in) touring/sea kayaks but instead rely on my roll.

Aquaseal won't hold down tie-out points but it can be used to strengthen the edges on the ones you glue on with 2 component adhesives..

Prep: isopropanol, smooth sand paper

Glue: helaplast, 3026 pvc adhesive (etc.)

Love em too!

"That's what you sound like" 😅 hahahahaha... Guess talking to yourself/to wild life is a trait with many kayakers and not just me.

...or maybe you're just doing it because the camera is on.

I do believe they have mini pumps intended for sleeping pads etc that might be a bit weaker and maybe lack a few adapters. (But I'm not sure)

The Max pump plus, Max pump 2 pro, tiny pump 2x, and all of these work very well. I have not tried the Zero pump personally but I have seen it sold in packraft specific stores so I think it'll work fine.

Many Boston valve packrafts come without the valve installed (you install it yourself very easily). It's probably easy to replace.

But otherwise wiping down with isopropanol, then sanding a little, then wiping down with isopropanol again and when it is dry (within a few seconds usually) add a hefty layer of Aquaseal around the valve and let dry for 20hrs... It'll be like a transparent rubber line around the valve..

Welcome to the world of packrafting! Glad you're enjoying it.

I'd say; Get a flextailgear tiny pump, their battery lasts for maybe 30 pumps before needing to be recharged (usb-c charging).. use it on the fully open valve and it takes about 1min to inflate. Then close the first valve and top up the last bit with your lungs or an MRS Hand Pump.

I use dry backpacks like Earthpak 55L and similar diving backpacks.. they are usually made of PVC, so fully waterproof, but a bit heavier than today's ultralight standards..

P.s. in the picture your paddle is upside down, (just a friendly reminder if you didn't know) you can look for a logo on the paddle and make sure it is right side up to determine the correct way.

Oh it's a local store in Stockholm, Sweden so it probably won't help you:/

They received a higher stock on the Chelan than they wanted this year (since everyone around here wants the Blackfoot) so they sell out 2 Chelan 140 for half the price which is about $500. And 1 Chelan 155 for $700, also last year's Blackfoot 160 for $700..

You'll have better luck with this question in a music related forum sadly.

But I'm gonna start of by saying it depends on what music you like..

Personally I don't like digitally composed music when I'm out in nature so I mostly listen to 40s-70s. or acoustic/live renditions of songs I like..

In the summer I prefer the 50-60s soul from the U.S. the 70s roots reggae from Jamaica, the jazz and son from Cuba, a little bossa nova, or just an acoustic mix.

In the winter I prefer all things jazz.

But I also make mixes of Sami and other natives music, which can be a magical soundtrack to amazing places..

P.s. I stay out for days, some days I have music some I don't, some hours of the day I have music, some I don't.. so I get my fair share of listening to nature, don't you worry my reddit camping gatekeepers.

You could probably get away with other brands 2.5 due to the size difference you mention, since the xt3 comps that come stock are pretty wide 2.4s. However I think the XR4s are pretty wide 2.6s so probably not.

But ask trek, they are helpful.. sent me a list of compatible dropper posts etc when I needed some upgrades.

Inflatable options by ease of carry/weight:

Aquaglide - Blackfoot 130

NRS - Pike

Sea eagle - fastrack Angler

Advanced elements - Straitedge Angler pro

Ok wow, yes that seems serious. I used to suffer from it as a kid in cars/busses. Someone told me to watch the road ahead, after learning that I got over it.. but now if I ride shotgun while staring at my phone I can still get motion sickness from some drivers.

Never on a bike though, and weirdly enough not at sea.. so I guess motion sickness is very individual.

Maybe your best options are:

1- Try different riding/riding positions in different settings to analyze if it's always or sometimes.

2- Try a different helmet (loan one or maybe buy a super cheap one to see if there's a difference)

3- Take some kind of anti histamine/ motion sickness meds before long rides.

4- Check your sight, if you need glasses this can be related.

P.s an old trick my grandma taught me is having an earbud in one ear (don't know if it ever really worked though)

*Motion sickness happens when your brain gets conflicting information from your body, your eyes, and your inner ear (which tells your brain how your head is moving).

Yes I know.. thus: " if I liked my life and health a little less I'd skip them"

I love what they can do and I appreciate their function, but I hate everything else about them.. I'd ride my bike 99% of the time if a helmet wasn't involved.. makes me choose other modes of transportation sometimes.. (I've owned 11 helmets and never found one comfortable enough to not be a nuisance)

I second this.. there are already some poor factory workers somewhere who've sown a bunch of them so a store can sell them for $10 on Amazon, temu, AliExpress, SheIn, and.. well you get it..

Or ask Big Agnes for a new one.. don't think it'll be too much of a hassle for them..

I don't know the scientific connection, maybe it offsets your sense of balance somehow. but I do hate helmets.. If I liked my life and health a little less I'd give them up completely.

Sometimes symptoms of motion sickness are psychosomatic. I see it a lot at sea. Accepting it, not fearing it or worrying about it, can make it go away. Focus on something specific and breathe evenly. Sometimes it helps to challenge it, like, going faster, rougher terrain etc..

You don't often hear mountainbikes suffer from this, because there is so much detail focus and feeling involved.

Every community has conservative thinkers and gatekeepers just like every community has liberal thinkers and innovaters.. development works best with both. One to evolve, change and warp, open doors and branch out. One to set rules, enforce rules, preserve, organize, and honor the history and traditions etc..

Both serve a purpose. Accept your role even if it touches both sides, and let others have theirs...

I did 1300km on my Marlin 6 gen 3.. from Sweden to Norway. Just standard bikepacking, loaded with food, water and camping gear, slept in a tent and went for all the single track I could find. I also did 600km bikepacking loaded with my gear + packraft + kit and bikerafted in Norway. I also have been doing 200km trips on and off in the back country of northern Sweden, just a bunch of trails in the woods. I'm off to ride the southern coast now..

It's a bike, it rolls... Can't get much easier..

Also: I have still not serviced the bike (nothing's wrong with it) So I'd say it's pretty good quality.. there are plenty of better options out there but this is still ten times better than the ones I rode growing up..

I have however installed narrower tyres for this ride down the coast.. And a new saddle..

Ok thank you for your time and insight' I still believe if that's the only tradeoff, I might be alright with the 140. It's only 30lbs and has straps so that is not a big issue for me. I currently tie my 3 piece kayak together on a collapsible kayak cart for public transit, it's huge, and weighs +50lbs So anything even remotely easier to carry will be a blast:)

Edit: scratch that.. I just saw a more IRL close up video of the 140 and ye it actually looks a lot bigger.. maybe unnecessarily so.. the pumping will take longer, more to wash down, worse for portages, maybe not as versatile usage for a solo paddler. might be better to just pay full price for a 120 and learn ways to spread out gear for longer trips..

Yea I figured as much, I'll probably take all my camping gear in my 90L waterproof bag on wheels and then carry the Chelan on my back. It's mostly a 5min walk to a bus that takes me to three different put-ins so I won't have to carry it far..

I like to put in somewhere promising and then paddle for a day or a couple of days and then take out wherever I end up, I am not a fan of having to return to the put-in because I need to get to a car. So I want something paddle-able that still can be transported on the back for short distances.

I have a bunch of packrafts and 10ft IK for more hiking/travelling related paddling. And I have a hardshell 3-piece touring kayak I use for longer trips and sea exploration.

So the question is pretty much will the size and ease of transport of the 120 be worth the $500 extra🤔

For all the Chelan 140 users, I've had my eyes set on the 120 after some research ( I'm 5'11 at 165lbs)

I was just offered to buy the Chelan 140 (new) for under $600. While the Chelan 120 would be $1000

Is it totally worth it or should I just go for the 120 that might fit me better?

I will mostly be paddling; lakes, island hopping in the baltic ocean, explore calm rivers (maybe some short class I-II) and camp for 1-4 nights.. I don't have a car but live in a city where public transportation can take me to any waterway I want (this is why I'm looking for a nice touring IK)

Does the skirt have something to cinch it down around the rim? Because in that case the excess material shouldn't be a problem but if it is as loose around the cockpit rim as it looks it'll probably not hold in the rough stuff..

Sit in it and press from above to see if it lets go easily.

Damn, must be nice.. Around here we have to scout everything over a class I.. there are very few sections without log jams and low water rock gardens + all other types of debris that'll block rivers..

I have the Big Agnes Rapide SL LW From 2021 and I haven't experienced a better pad yet.. Super comfortable, super easy to roll back up, definetily durable enough.(the pump sack could be a bit bigger though, but it works)

I did like the Nemo tensor for a while but me and another both had leaks from two completely different journeys.. my rapide is my most used pad ever and it's still going strong..

I will probably get the new Nemo Tensor Extreme for winter camping though. I'm not a fan of having to bring an extra foam pad to have underneath the air pad during winter camping so I think It'll be great for me.

Ok very true, there are more reviews from beginners when it comes to Orus and it's usually the inlet.. I wouldn't really take a novice experience of a kayak to any real extent though. My heresay comes from 2 people in a club that used the Oru bays a while for their overnight trips. But I do know ORU's unpopularity in clubs has more to do with what you mention below about tradeoffs in safety. Anyways, nice to hear positive things about the Oru bay ST from someone with actual first hand knowledge. I took it off my "maybe list" because of those two.

And yes I've been paddling enough IKs and packrafts to know that a loaded lightweight boat will handle a lot better in rougher conditions ..

This is my list for potential non-inflatable portables:

-TRAK 2.0

-Nortik Navigator or Argo

-Pakboat Quest 150

-Oru Coast

-Oru Bay ST

Ok yes I've seen the listed weight capacity. I've just heard that they handle very badly even at 230lbs (paddler+gear) but I guess it depends on what you compare it with and who's complaining. And I wonder how much is really left of the hull with two large float bags and your legs up front? Anyways not knocking Oru, it's a super innovative design'

Yes you are right, I am tracking this as we speak actually, they pop up here and there but in my country people tend to sell used or "ordered but not yet received" for pretty much the same price.. But if I find it on FB,reddit or whatnot in Europe there'll maybe just be an extra shipping fee...

But I'll buy one when an opportunity strikes:) it's the perfect solution for my travels. Today, I use packrafts, renting on location, and twice my 3-piece kayak (which was a hassle and really expensive).