To get a sense of how excited Alpacka is about its newest creation, the Alpackalypse, look no further than the fact that it’s marketed as the “world’s first whitewater packraft” when the company already produces three — the Alpaca, Yukon Yak, and Denali Llama — it says are fit for Grand Canyon whitewater. What Alpacka really means is that the Alpackalypse is one badass raft, far superior to anything we’ve seen come down the line.
The biggest difference from those other great rafts is the Alpackalypse’s internal rigging system. It has adjustable knee cups, inflatable hip pads, and a foot brace that gives it the feel of a kayak, with increased overall control. Low-volume tubes improve lateral stability, edge, speed and acceleration over standard rafts. It’s also durable on all forms of tough whitewater thanks to tubes made of 400-denier Vectran fabric and topped by a reinforced floor and heavy-duty seat.
The Alpackalypse’s design (which they’ve been working on for four years) doesn’t just lend the feel and handling of a hardshell kayak — it allows for great portability. At a tick over ten pounds, the boat is heavier than others in the Alpacka line, but it does pack down to 17 x 11-inch cylinder for transport, meaning that it is still very much a backpackers raft. Now in its preorder stage, the Alpackalypse is primed to hit the market, and anyone who fancies themselves a river rat ought to take a look.