Inflatable Raft options for Flying

[Family Man]

Looking for an inflatable raft that is tough enough to handle 2-week floats in Alaska while carrying two hunters and hopefully a couple of moose also. Also want to be able to Fly commercially with it. That means the main body needs to weigh no more than 92 lbs so that I can place it inside a duffel and weigh less than 100 lbs. The max weight for a checked bag is 100 lbs. I'm ok with placing the floor, straps, oars ect is a separate bag.

I was looking at a Levitator from Pristine Ventures however it weighs about 8-10 pounds too much.

What are some other good rafts?

 

[thinhorn_AK]

Check out the pristine ventures rafts. They are made for that. The alpacka forager is another option.

 

[Sadler]

I’ve been looking at rafts for a few months for a moose hunt this year and @Larry Bartlett has the best I’ve found. His sight says the levitator is 110 lbs without accessories so I’d reach out to him and ask if that 110lbs includes the floor insert. The floor insert for the x-stream weighs 16lbs so if that 110lbs for the levitator is with the floor insert you may be able to squeak by.

If not maybe two Korks or Legends would be a good compromise? I know the legends have paddle kits, not sure if the Korks do.

 

[Yukon Cornelius]

Looking for an inflatable raft that is tough enough to handle 2-week floats in Alaska while carrying two hunters and hopefully a couple of moose also. Also want to be able to Fly commercially with it. That means the main body needs to weigh no more than 92 lbs so that I can place it inside a duffel and weigh less than 100 lbs. The max weight for a checked bag is 100 lbs. I'm ok with placing the floor, straps, oars ect is a separate bag.

I was looking at a Levitator from Pristine Ventures however it weighs about 8-10 pounds too much.

What are some other good rafts?

Not really helpful, but the Saturn Kaboat is a phenomenal system. I’ve used mine for 7 seasons now. 2 guys and an animal gets crowded, but you can purchase one locally and pick it up when you land.

 

[280rem]

You will not find any rafts that check all those boxes, nothing will have that capacity and be below the weight you need for travel. There are couple of routes that would get close. I would recommend thinking about a main raft that meets your weight requirement, then having a second pack raft type along and stowed. Then if the occasion occurs that a second moose is taken inflate the small raft and one guy takes it with some gear or meat. You otherwise would have to overload your main raft and risk safety and maneuverability. There are good answers to your situation but nothing that meets your stated requirements. Been down this path and happy to share more specifics if you like.

 

[thinhorn_AK]

I missed the part where you mentioned carrying 2 moose. You should get 2 legends and call it good. That’s what I’d do.

 

[ramsdude47]

Not possible

I own a HYSIDE Max 12 which weighs exactly 92 pounds. You need at least a 16 foot boat for what you are describing.

A floorless custom (jacks plastic?) in an appropriate 16 foot might weigh under 92 pounds (probably not), but your separate oar/dunnage bag will just weigh more.

 

[PNWGATOR]

Buy Larry Bartlett’s books and browse everything he’s written and watch his videos and take a look at his web site. Don’t try to reinvent the wheel, but rather learn from one of, if not, the most experienced at float hunting.

 

[AKDoc]

Buy Larry Bartlett’s books and browse everything he’s written and watch his videos and take a look at his web site. Don’t try to reinvent the wheel, but rather learn from one of, if not, the most experienced at float hunting.

^^^^This is an excellent suggestion^^^^

I own two of LB's rafts and have logged some miles with them. Be sure to also watch and learn from LB's video regarding responsible meat management on a float, and read the AK regulations/requirements for meat salvage. The adventure that you are describing could be quite a chore with many challenging variables, e.g., distance on the river to take out, moving two moose loads responsibly, water conditions, wx, etc.

I'm sure nothing I've said is new to you. I wish you the best for a safe and memorable adventure.

 

[Family Man]

I've read Larry's Books and watched Larry's video's their great. I encourage everyone to watch his meat-handling video. I also use his game bags for moose and other animals. I contacted Larry to get the actual weight of the Levator without a floor. It weighs 100-103 lbs. I still would have to put it in a duffel to protect it making the combined weight too heavy to fly as a checked bag. That is why I am asking if there is anything lighter that would work.

I am very particular about my gear and would like to have the boat at home to set up in a way that I like.
We will be floating on a good size river with plenty of water and few rocks.
I want both hunters to be in the same boat while hunting.
These are the options I've been considering.

Option 1 I could buy a Pioneer Xstream and a PR-49. If/when we kill a second Moose maybe we could pull it behind. Is there a better option than a PR-49 as a tag behind

Option 2 Buy the Levitator and rent a storage unit in Anchorage. Could also leave some other gear there too.

Option 3 A lighter 16' raft new stuff gets invented all the time

Option 4 Rent, done that, I'm ready to own.

 

[ramsdude47]

First and foremost I would recommend searching (and maybe joining) MountainBuzz if you haven’t already. Besides this trip what will your usage of the raft be? Lightweight means Hypalon which costs more but lasts longer (and usually a lot longer). To achieve lightweight with PVC or urethane your options are to go small, floorless, or cataraft.

Not that this necessarily means anything, but I had never heard of Pristine Ventures before this post. Former raft guide, so I know most reputable manufacturers. If you’re set on PV, find out if they use glued or welded PVC. My guess given the price point is glued, and given the incredibly small market share potentially very cheaply sourced.

 

[Johnboy]

I think this really depends on the class of river you're planning to float. I've only done three floats now and have only used the Levitator (which you can rent if chartering out of Fairbanks). But I'll say this: as a relative novice in rafting, I wouldn't want anything less than a Levitator in terms of draft/floatation if I had me, my buddy, our camp and a moose onboard in class II water. Water levels as effected by rainfall can also cause wide variation in float conditions. I wonder if I may have encountered class III water last September in a few sections, given the absurdly high water. But I have no reference to compare. More experienced raftsmen may disagree with my take on this, so for what it's worth from a rookie...

 

[John Havard]

Back in the early '80's when living in Alaska I owned an Avon 16' whitewater raft with rowing frame, the whole schmear. Twice I had two hunters and two bulls in that raft and I'm here to testify that it was HEAVY and hard to control around tight bends. The raft & rowing frame and all associated gear was close to 200# as I recall. If you plan on two hunters and two moose you need a skookum setup and it cannot possibly fit within your weight budget.

 

[VernAK]

Two boned out bull moose+ cape + antlers = 1500 pounds

Two hunters and gear puts you well over a ton in one raft.

 

[Family Man]

A member here directed me toward the Hyside Livery 14 ordered with removable Thwarts it weighs 82 lbs. and will carry the weight.

It has Non-Self Bailing Floor so it will ride higher in the water. The downside is water will collect in the bottom

What is everyone's option of Self Bailing v.s. Non-Self Bailing? I have only used the self Bailing before.

 

[Larry Bartlett]

A 14' raft is generally 6.5-7' wide and holds about 1800-1900 lbs. as a standard floor model.

you'll lose hauling capacity without an inflatable floor. That's a big raft for most remote rivers, but it'll do for a moose and couple guys and gear...but two moose not likely safely or in shallow sections. The Pioneer Xstream has roughly the same capacity as the hyside 14' standard floor model from my recollection.

A frame for that raft is another 50-75 lbs minimum with oars.

Just some thoughts

 

[280rem]

A member here directed me toward the Hyside Livery 14 ordered with removable Thwarts it weighs 82 lbs. and will carry the weight.

It has Non-Self Bailing Floor so it will ride higher in the water. The downside is water will collect in the bottom

What is everyone's option of Self Bailing v.s. Non-Self Bailing? I have only used the self Bailing before.

There are a lot of choices to consider and you’re not going to find a perfect option that covers every scenario.
If you want maximum floatation in a hunting raft and have no plans of anything more than class 2 water, then non-bailing is the way to go (although it has some downsides)
That being said, it’s best to have an inflated floor, which would take care of some of the downsides. There are some options out there for this. Larry has GREAT options to consider, Jim King also has a raft that is non-bailing inflated floor and breaks down for different flying situations. If you contact Sotar they will custom make a non-bailer with inflated floor and get you in under the weight you desire, although this would be the most expensive route but you would have a Cadillac of a raft.
THE lightest weight in a float ready rig will be Larry’s, the other round boat raft options will require frames and longer oars and although you could keep any single part of it under the 100lbs your still going to be at best in the 150lb range for everything vs a pioneer X-stream at around the 110lb mark. That 40ish lbs starts cutting into charter flight weight budgets pretty quick.
BUT, none of these options give you something that I would personally take down a river with 2 ppl + gear/food + 2 moose, if I could keep from it. They will float it, but maneuverability will be horrible and safety will be at risk. As well as your “trailer” raft idea can come with plenty of risks as well.

 

[BCsteve]

Does it have to go with you as checked baggage? Any reason you can't ship it ahead of time?

 

[Family Man]

You could ship it for maybe $500. One oversized checked bag is a flat $100. The oars could probably be taped to my gun case. I always book a direct flight to Anchorage so the risk of losing something is minimal.