ROBFIN PACKRAFT REVIEW and SULPHUR RIVER PACKRAFTING and KAYAKING - Grande Cache Willmore Wilderness
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 17 ต.ค. 2024
- I give an overview of the ROBfin M Sporty Packraft and compare it to the Alpacka Wolverine and Gnarwal and Kopelli Nirvana and Recon while I packraft the Sulphur River in the Wilmore Wilderness near Grande Cache Alberta. Paddling starts at 5:44.
SPECS:
Length: 240 cm
Width: 89 cm
Weight: 5,25 kg
Chambers: 3
Recomended load: 40 - 100 kg
Volume ISS (cargo fly): 115 l
Ìs there any dealers for these in alberta? I'm looking to get into packrafting this summer and wondering where to buy one?
Yes, there is. Info below. Tell them Ben Brochu sent you and get $50 off.
WATERBOY OUTFITTING
175 Coopers Hill SW
Airdrie, Alberta
Phone:403-651-9515 or 403-660-4805
Email: waterboyoutfitting@gmail.com
Thank you!
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Great video. You always do a great job. Thank you
That's for watching and commenting! It helps the channel a lot!
I also ride a Robfin Packraft for a few months and have been very satisfied so far. Will test a lot and cut videos. Good price / performance ratio. Greetings ronactive
Ywah I've been very impressed so far as well.
Very nice & helpful review! Just today ordered 2 "sporty M" for me and my friend here in Slovakia. Can't wait for testing it out :).
Awesome!
Great boats. I became a dealer for ROBfin in Scotland this summer and I just love them.
Great video. I had a Rob-Fin previously but ultimately switched to an Alpacka Gnarwal. The reasons were I found the Alpacka seat more comfortable (Rob fin is firm/higher pressure) and would hang up less on rocks. I also found the Alpacka tracked better on flat water. It definitely depends on the use case which is best for someone.
For sure. I have a Kokopelli Rodeo as well. All depends what you're doing.
Friggin love these! I hated how boring the Kokopelli was to paddle compared to a proper Kajak. This thing is the sweet in between! I havent seen any packraft that you can surf in a hole and roll. This thing does it all!
Do you have one? It definitely paddles more like a hardshell than any packraft I've paddled thus far. Most packrafts surf easily, but these ones roll easier than most because of the rigidity, seating position and outfitting. I haven't tried rolling it, because that water was cold and silty haha.
The more I see this boat the more I like it. Has everything a Packraft should be but at almost half the price of an Alpacka and is PVC tuff.
Yeah really the only downside is highest weight and bulk. It handles as good or better than any whitewater packraft I've seen. I can get you a deal on one if you PM me on Facebook.
After visiting the website I feel it may be one of those "if you have to ask how much it is, you can't afford it" kinda deals. Always enjoy your videos. Thank you.
These are half the price of regular packrafts actually and I can get you a discount as well. Glad you’re enjoying the videos.
@@HinterlandOutdoorsim sure we will talk soon, either about my my MD stuff in your world or about rafts, or both. By the way, you make all us other Dads look bad in comparison. Congrats on making what seem to be good, happy and capable people.
@@stevenlauzon7031 Sounds great. Doing the best I can .
$1400
what is the weight on this Robin? Wondering if it's manageable for backpacking 2 to 3 miles with light, day-use gear?
11.5 lbs. You could carry it for days no problem.
Thank you for your great video
My 2 questions are:
1: on a packraft I can get a 840 denier floor and 420 denier tube. I understand the tub on the robfin are thicker and probably stronger but I am concern on the floor air chamber sticking down a bit more than a packraft and rubbing directly on rock and difficult to repair (compare to a self bailing packraft with a separate floor air chamber). Do you know the floor denier rating or durability?
2: I do not seem to have many photo or video of the actual packing size. Is it (despite being slightly bigger and heavier) still easily packable on a backpack for a multi days hike?
Thanks for you help
The entire boat on the ROBfin is 1000 denier PVC, including the inflatable floor.
The boat is more bulky than a urethane packraft but still would fit in my pack with 2 weeks of food and gear.
@@HinterlandOutdoors Thanks for your reply
@@HinterlandOutdoors thanks exactly what i needed to know
@@stephane918 No problem. If you’re in Canada and want to buy one, let me know and I can get you a discount.
This is a really great review. Was it a little slow catching eddies?
No, but I was haha. First time in a packraft in about a year, so I was a little rusty. But it should catch eddies as good or better than any packraft.
@@HinterlandOutdoors Ha ha, I commented early. I noticed you smoothed out.
I've been looking at packrafts for river trips up North. Right now I canoe and getting a hard shell boat in and out runs from expensive to outrageous. I have an Ally canoe but it has a limitations in fragility and shallow water. Means learning to paddle like a kayaker though.
Do people rig them C1?
@@YerluvinunclePete Yeah the Allys are cool, but not for banging off rocks. ROBfin makes a bunch of different canoes. They're pretty much as cheap as the packrafts and they have a C1 whitewater version: robfin.ca/robfin-en/canoes/
@@HinterlandOutdoors The 15 foot Ally is a super sweet boat in big waves and fast water. The chine bars of the skeleton give you so much to carve with. It's surprisingly fast too.
Needs a sprayskirt though. The tumblehome makes it splashy.
And yeah. they stick to rocks. Hard stop. Middle of the rapid.
How does the speed compare to a standard packraft?? My kokopelli nirvana feels REAL slooo.
Thanks, great review and one of the first out there in English. One question: I am considering a Robfin as my first self bailer, but hesitant because the only downside I heard so far seems to be lack of draining wholes you mentioned, because you basically always need to wear a drysuit to avoid getting wet, even when paddling a lake in summer. I have heard from other self bailers, that you only really get wet wenn in WW or fast paddling.
What is your experience with getting wet inside during casual paddling? Thanks
Glad you enjoyed the review. Where did I mention a "lack of draining holes?" The boat drains very well. It is less wet on flat water than other self-bailers. Of the ones I've used, the Alpackas are the "wettest." But if you're planning to only paddle lakes, a decked boat is better.
@@HinterlandOutdoors Sorry, I was misinterpreting, you mentioned (1:46) that (only) on right side "they don't have enough space for the drain to work as good as it could" and I went with the "best new, but also wetter self bailer"-bias I had heard before.
Anyway, good to hear you consider rather the contrary.
I already have decked PR for whitewater and also one for lakes, but as mentioned I am looking into getting my first self-bailer. The Robfin was my first choice anyway and your review has confirmed that. I am asking because I often take guests out to nearby lakes for their first packrafting. It would be great if the 4th person in my coming self-bailer (probably me) doesn't have to wear dry pants for those short outings.
@@alexmultimodalpackrafting915 What I said was that other packrafts don’t have enough space for the drain holes but this one does.
@@HinterlandOutdoors makes also more sense now and I misunderstood. thanks for clearing that up.
Great packraft, but that hill that hangs low in the water cathes EVERYTHING! if u hit a rock going sideways, u WILL flip over. These packrafrs are AWFUL in shallow water. I still use my kokopelli nirvana for that...
Also cross currents really wants to grab the hull and at times, u have to FIGHT HARD to maintain correct boat angle.
Faster than the nirvana and punches through stuff better! More confidence inspiring!
It paddles more like a kayak for sure, with the same pros and cons. I have no trouble in shallow water or cross currents but you need to lean and edge it like you do a kayak. A traditional packraft is more forgiving for sure.
@HinterlandOutdoors I paddled this in shallow rivers in Mexico this winter....every submerged rock flipped me. It was maddening.
That can be solved via paddling technique, but it does ride lower in the water than a Nirvana.
@HinterlandOutdoors what technique do you suggest to prevent the hull from hanging up on submerged Rocks that uou can't see?
I meant the flipping part 😁. You have to lean towards the rock instead of away from it. Let the current swing you around until you can pop off the rock and continue on your way.
I love my RMR ducky. It’s 35 pounds so no good to carry, but so stable. I would have thought the bottom of that one you got would be considerably less stable too
Enjoyed the video Ben, what’s the weight on this raft?
And I know a friend took over your mountain springs channel, but where did it go? Was it renamed?
@@nudetaynehatwobble It's 11.5 lbs. They also have smaller and larger models. This is the medium one.
@@nudetaynehatwobble I sold the channel and it is called "Everest Experts" now. All of my old videos have been removed from the channel and most are on this channel now.
The secondary stability was surprisingly good on this boat.