Inflatable Something or Other?

[canyonrover]

Carbon-Yes you could inflate with standard vehicle compressor but the continuous run time on the compressor would be quite long and you would have to make an adapter to fit the IK valves. You would also have to watch out for over pressurizing the IK if it has a real good seal at the IK valve. The barrel or hand pump or even foot pump is very easy to use and you should take it on the IK when out anyway in case you get a small leak and need to top off to get back to shore or your truck.

And yes, the IK is a large bundle to haul and a bit heavy (lighter than a hard side though, in my opinion).

Gooseberry-The Alpaca Raft is definitely sweet especially if you are looking to save space. A couple buddies have them and love them. They pack them in on long bike trips and do bike/raft trips all the time. This all comes with a price though. But what doesn't.

If I was to buy an IK again I would probably go with the Alpaca Raft this time.

Canyonrover

 

[PirateMcGee]

If you want something to just tool around in that will last a long time and won't break the bank get a sevylor tahiti: http://www.sevylor.com/Tahiti-Classic-Kayak-P1813C41.aspx. I've used one for years and while it's not the greatest thing on the water (tracking is pretty poor). It has been durable, is easy to setup/takedown, and still gets me on the water. I've take one through series of class VI rapids and it handled them alright when properly inflated (I would not suggest this for someone new though).

EDIT: You can also get schrader to boston valve adapters that work on these (and many other inflatables): http://www.ebay.com/itm/AirHead-Inf...ert-Boston-Schrader-Valve-AHMV1-/200910738431 works well with my mv-50

 

[WAND3R3R]

I have an Innova Safari, love it! It's a one person, but I believe Innova makes a 2 person…. not sure how that would work with your child? I have taken the Safari to Brazil, Europe and Africa and it worked out well!
-AK

 

[WAND3R3R]

I just blogged about kayaking with an inflatable, I cover some pros and cons, might interest original poster.
-AK

Link below,
http://www.apocketfullofwanderlust.com/2014/04/a-day-on-green-river.html

 

[Ace Brown]

Weight is an important consideration for any boat you will be hauling around or launching by hand. Pack rafts are light but very slow. Regular river rafts are godawful heavy. Most tandem hard shell kayaks are heavy too. With that RTT on your rig that pretty much limits your choices to a IK. Take a look at Inova IKs. The tandem Sunny weighs about 35# and easily carries 2.5 people. One feature of most IKs that I really like is the ease to move seats around so you can go solo if desired or just to trim the boat. Another feature of an IK is that it is easily hidden if traveling in an area where boat theft is likely. I just spent two months in Baja and found my IK to be a great choice for paddling the Cortez. I'd say the mix of IK to hard shell kayak is about 50/50 in Baja and the majority of the latter are sit-on-tops. Open canoes are very rare. Most rafts seen are bigger motorized boats. Another thing to consider is getting a self-bailing boat if you might be paddling in whitewater or surf.


2008 FJ Cruiser expedition ready and off-road trailer with RTT.

 

[photo_i]

We used to have Lynx II Aire kayak - excellent boat with tons of load capacity.

http://www.aire.com/aire/products/default.aspx?id=196

 

[Ace Brown]

^ Good boat. My Tributary Sawtooth is very similar and actually built by AIre. All Aire boats have double wall air chambers and tend to be heavy. NRS river supply catalogs many inflatable kayaks.


2008 FJ Cruiser expedition ready and off-road trailer with RTT.

 

[double moo]

I've got a Sea Ealge Explorer 420x that has been good to me. Very durable, 2-3 passenger, class 4 WW rated, 800lbs+ capacity, 10min set up/take down. Tracks OK with the skeg in. There are some nice boats out there - Aire, NRS, etc.. I got a great deal on my Explorer as the demo at a trade show so I went Sea Eagle.

http://www.seaeagle.com/ExplorerKayaks.aspx

 

[Octotat]

You may also want to explore the foldable/stowable canoes and kayaks like Folbot or Pakboat. These fold out into rigid hulls, which track and paddle much better on flat water if you are primarily interested in lakes and calm rivers.

http://pakboats.com

 

[Belltownbikes]

ISUP

We have a couple of the inflatable stand up paddlebaords and like them very much. It would be tough getting all 3 of you on one board. I regularly paddle with one of the kids on the board with me, and have occasionally paddled with my wife on the board with me. They pack small and inflate in 5 minutes with a hand pump.

One can always sit and paddle the SUP if need be. Two of them would fit your family for a long time, and probably decrease overall stress!

No to start the SUP vs yak debate (because I love both), but there is no simpler way to get on the water than the SUP. I think the stand up is better for poking around and looking at stuff too.

If you look, 6" is a good thickness, and don't buy anything that inflates less than 15#.

See here:

http://www.towerpaddleboards.com/Inflatable-SUP-s/33.htm

We have the 9'10" board that we call "chubby" it is stable and maneuverable, but a little on the slow side.

And here:

http://www.islesurfboards.com/inflatable-stand-up-paddle-boards.aspx

We have the 12'6" board, which is faster and can carry a lot of weight.

B

 

[carbon60]

We have a couple of the inflatable stand up paddlebaords and like them very much. It would be tough getting all 3 of you on one board. I regularly paddle with one of the kids on the board with me, and have occasionally paddled with my wife on the board with me. They pack small and inflate in 5 minutes with a hand pump.

I was actually looking at them, seem like the smallest packed size of anything that gets you on the water, for sure. I guess we'll need two of them.

The "max beginner weight" is listed pretty low, seeing as I'm 210 lbs. How does that work in reality?

Thanks for your reply,

A.

 

[Belltownbikes]

payload

That 12'6" Isle could easily carry you at 200# and a kid. I have paddled it at 185# with my wife sitting on it, adding an undisclosed amount of weight which I estimate to be about 130#. Paddled fine.

You would need two of them.

If your wife is <130#, she would be fine on a board like the Solstice Bali, which is only 4" thick. We have a friend that likes hers a lot. Available on Amazon, for <$500.

Good luck! B

 

[Wilyone]

Anyone have any experience with Advanced Elements? About suitcase size when packed and it looks like they track very well.

http://www.advancedelements.com/advancedframe_convertible.html

 

[carbon60]

I had completely forgotten about this thread! Haven't purchased something, yet.

 

[mezmochill]

Alpacka Rafts. Best packable rafts ever.

X2