SHOP
Blue Duck Packrafting offer a lot of options on our packrafts. Here are some questions to help you decide:
Still can't decide? Talk to us.
FEATURES OF BLUE DUCK PACKRAFTS
DESIGN & MANUFACTURE
Frontier Packrafts are made to Blue Duck's designs in Qingdao China in a modern factory with the latest machinery. The fabrics are nylon coated with TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane). TPU coatings provide excellent UV resistance and wear. View technical details here. Most joins are welded and some are glued.
The designs are a collaboration between Blue Duck Packrafting and the Frontier factory designers. We know our rivers and lakes and we have paddled most of them and result is a top quality, fit-for-purpose range of state-of-the-art packrafts.
The design features are oriented to our conditions:
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Cruising
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Expeditions
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Whitewater
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Adventure Racing
FLOORS
We took a lesson from whitewater rafts where the best rafts have a raised floor design that keeps the floor off the bottom of the gap between the tubes. Some packraft models have this feature and we like it for NZ conditions. Our floors wrap right around the tube bottoms so you get a double layer where the most wear occurs.
What it also does is reduce the span by a third, increasing the tension and making the floor very tight and flat. You don’t have your butt bulging down to hit every rock and the boat is just that much quicker across the water. In self-bailing models there is less water in the boat.
COMFORT
MULTIPLE COLOUR OPTIONS
SINGLE OR DOUBLE-COATED NYLON
ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERN - TPU VS PVC?
Packrafters. by the very nature of the activity, will want to know they are making the right environmental choices when considering their purchases.
This is a technical comparison of the two most common materials used in inflatable boats.
All our packrafts are made from TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane) by a sophisticated welding process. Some joints, due to access during manufacture, are glued using a specialised 2-part adhesive. TPU, under the right heat for the right time, joins to TPU and the resulting bond is molecular and permanent. There are other considerations when considering the bigger picture.

However, to work around this, most PVC product manufacturers apply DWR (durable water repellent) on the outer surface of their products, or they add anti-UV chemicals that stabilize the coating agent by absorbing and dissipating the UV light as heat. TPU, on the other hand, offers solid protection against the damaging impacts of the UV rays.
The big reasons why TPU is used in all our packrafts?
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LIGHTER
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SLIPPERY WHEN WET
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MORE DURABLE
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LESS ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
PACKRAFT OPTIONS
TI-ZIPS BAGS (FACTORY FITTED)
The experts agree. If you intend to run overnight trips then a TiZip is more than a nice-to-have, it’s essential. Storing overnight gear such as tents, clothes and food inside the tubes keeps the weight low for stability, off the decks to stop it all getting wet, and maintains a smooth profile for wind and water to shed off the boat.
We don’t offer dry bags with the TiZip option. They are available at Bivouac and kayak retailers and are very cheap online on TradeMe. Aim for a diameter of around 250mm or they won’t be easy to load and unload. HINT: put them in handle end last.
SPRAY DECK (FACTORY FITTED)
SELF BAILING VENTURI DRAINS (FACTORY FITTED)
OTHER CUSTOMISATIONS
You can ask for additional D-rings and attachment points at very low cost.
ALL Blue Duck Packrafts are made to order and therefore payment is in advance.