8.4ft Packraft TPU Inflatable Kayak Set for Flat/White Water Rafting Camping Trip,1 Person 400lb Weight Capacity,Kayak Paddle Included

The media could not be loaded.  I took the raft out on its maiden voyage yesterday.  A pack raft such as this just makes sense for carrying to remote waterways do to it’s light weight  Though the functionality of some of the parts left a bit to be desired, I'd give the boat itself 5 stars as it seems to be well made and fits my needs just fine.The raft came with a skag, a functional paddle, an inflation sack, an additional length of tube to blow air through (in case you need to top off the raft while in it...), an inflatable seat and back pad, a patch kit with numerous small and large patches, an instruction manual and finally a basic pack to carry it all.>I have experience with personal boats, but not much with rafts, so keep that in mind as I give my general observations.  I'm 5'9" and there was additional length room at my feet with my legs extended...I imagine it would be fine for someone over 6 feet tall.  As far as build, the underside (black material) is of a thick raft material (the type that I believe a river raft would be made from).  It appears to be abrasion and puncture resistant, and relatively bombproof.  The upper green portion is made from a much lighter material (to make it more packable and lighter, though it still seems pretty solid and rigid enough to hold shape with adequate pressure, as well as be able to stave off abrasion.  The raft itself seems to be of good design and very durable, and if needed, the patch kit seems adequate (though I didn't test it). The boat itself it also made of heavy material which is nice while using in the rocks and brush along some areas of lakes and rivers.>I like that there are loops around the perimeter and that it has the addition of a seat (for padding from rocks as well as insulation from the cold water).  The raft seams are all taped and overall, the design thought out is outstanding. I also REALLY like that there is a strap handle mounted inside on one of the main tubes to easily carry the raft when it's inflated.  This proved to be very functional in practice as I was able to carry it quite easily over and through thick brush while climbing upstream past rapids.  The main thing the raft is missing is a perimeter line. This is very important in the case of an accidental flip, it allows the paddler to hold onto the raft easily. It's also nice to hold onto before climbing in or after getting out so the boat doesn't drift away. This is an easy add though since it already has the loops and all I need is a light rope or some cordage. I appreciate that the loops are there for a perimeter line. I plan to add one before my next trip. The version I have does not have thigh straps though it seems that these would be very nice to have on bigger rapids. There were a few rapids I decided not to shoot because the waves were a bit larger than I felt comfortable shooting while not being attached to the boat.  My ocean kayak used to have thigh braces and these serve the same function.  Finally, a spray skirt would be nice as I found it to be much more difficult to stay dry in a raft as compared with a canoe or proper kayak (from the paddles and also from the rapids). That said, this isn't a problem with proper clothing (or if you're only paddling in the summer). >The addition of the skag is nice for directional paddling, but with such a short boat, it can't be expected to paddle very straight even with the skag.  It does make a bit of a difference though. The way the skag mounts is almost genius (it slips forward deeply into one loop then backward a bit into a second loop.  It's simple to put on and take off and stays on relatively securely for general use, BUT unfortunately I lost it on this first trip due to the fact that it doesn't lock into place. I found that if it hits anything while the boat is floating backwards, the skag slides out of the second loop and there is nothing to keep it from falling out after that.  Honestly though I don't miss it because I prefer not having the skag in the first place.  I like the maneuverability with such a small boat and there is less drag without it.  It would be nice to have for longer stretches of flat water though. Bummer of a loss, but I feel the skag is mainly functional for a recreation paddler using the boat primarily on flat water however in the streams I was in I was able to paddle forward fine without it.>In the manual, the paddle is referred to as an emergency paddle which I appreciate. It would make a great second paddle in the event you lose your main paddle. That said, I found it to be more than adequate and although I no longer have another kayak and no longer have my paddles, I'm not in a hurry to replace the one the boat comes with. The most important thing to me is that there are extra holes in the center of the paddle so that it can be angled.  The paddle can be set up straight, or the blades can be offset to cut the wind (I'm used to paddling with offset blades so this made me happy). Though it's not sexy, the paddle is durable and functional enough for my needs as they apply to this boat.  The blades could be a bit thicker for long term durability, but I like the fact that the paddle is lighter to carry due to less plastic too. The paddle breaks down into 4 pieces too. The paddle has drip rings as well as points on the underside of each blade for drips (so less water drains toward the boat each time you lift a blade out of the water which is nice).>The inflation sack works that comes with the boat is nice but I found the design of it to be fair to poor. The boat has one of those double valves where you can open the smaller cap and then the main cap. The smaller cap has a 1 way pass valve; meaning air can go in, but it can't escape.  When you're ready to deflate the boat, you just open the main valve and the air flows out. I wish the main valve were larger for a quicker deflate, but all in all, it only takes a couple minutes to get the air out.  I found it very odd though that the inflation sack screws into the main valve. This means that air is escaping as you fill the boat. It also means that when you remove the inflation sack (unscrew it), you unnecessarily lose more air before you can get the cap back on.  I was forced to top off the boat with my lungs.  This isn't a deal breaker, but it seems like a major design flaw when it comes to inflating the boat. The two times I inflated the boat (timed, it takes about 4-5 minutes) I accidentally unscrewed the bag components instead of the bag from the boat. I was confused for a second when I couldn't put that cap back on. I realized that the assembly from the bag was still in the boat.  I may end up re-designing the way my bag attaches to the boat so that it sticks into the 1 way valve with friction. The main opening of the bag has two pencil sized dowels sewn inside over part of the opening.  I think the intention is to make it easier to open the bag to let air in. I feel this could have been designed better as well. Again, not a deal breaker but something to consider in future builds.>The boat comes with a pack, but I found it to be useless for anything other than storage. It's a bit too small, and the straps make it very awkward to carry as a backpack.>I live near a lot of water and although my first love is my canoe, I really like the additional niches that this raft fills when it comes to not only ease of transport and access to water, but also the sheer fun of shooting rapids in a tiny and functionally seaworthy raft. I love that it is lightweight and packable. It fits the dream of freedom and of accessing new and cool places that otherwise I couldn't get to. There are some flaws with the skag, the inflation sack and a couple other minor issues -It seems most of the design budget went into the raft itself and not the auxiliary parts.  Overall I really like the boat and highly recommend it.