• Handmade in Colorado, USA

• Colour / Material:

  • Antarctic Sky (Lightweight) 210D (Bi-Colour Arctic Blue/Blueberry)

• Available Ready to Ship Size:

  • Large

• Weight: Approx. ~3.1kg (weight determined by configuration/material, see chart below for comparison)

• Build Configurations: Whitewater (WW) Deck (Includes include one-piece PEX coaming and ultralight spray skirt)

• Cargo Zipper (TiZip): As standard (internal drybags sold separately)

• Shape: Classic Hull

• Tube Diameter: 10-inch

• Valve: Temper assist valve for inflation and deflation

• Attachments: 4 Bow Grab Loops, 2 Stern Grab Loops, 2 Strap Plates, 2 Double D-Rings, 2 Ankle Webbing Loops, Seat Toggle, and WW Footbrace Toggle

• Seating & Rigging: Scout Seat, Backband, 2-Point Thigh Straps, and WW Footbrace Included

• Materials: Proprietary lightweight 210-denier high count nylon hull and 840-denier nylon floor (Made in USA).

• Includes: Alpacka Raft packraft with Whitewater Spraydeck, Ultralight Sprayskirt, inflatable scout seat, inflatable WW foot pillow, adjustable backrest, 2 point adjustable thigh straps, inflation bag, small basic field repair kit and ultralight stuff sack

The Refuge (V3)

The Alpacka Raft Refuge is the dream boat for the old school packrafter, the person who spends their winters drawing lines on maps and their summers exploring up and down valleys and over the crests of mountains finding their own route instead of following an established one. Featuring a Whitewater Spraydeck, Stern Cargo Zipper (TiZip internal storage), adjustable backband, and refined 2-point thigh straps for added control and manoeuvrability.

Alaska packrafting in the 1980s and 1990s was an exercise in gear failure, hypothermia, and general suffering. The lightweight open vinyl and nylon inflatable boats available were simply not up to the task of the Alaska backcountry. But the experience of following your own path on a big landscape traverse was often worth the misery of paddling for hours in an ice water bathtub. Alpacka Raft was founded to remedy the gear failures and suffering on those original packraft trips. And Alpacka like to think they’ve done a pretty good job over the years, innovating fabrics, hull shapes, spray decks, and the Cargo Zipper internal storage system along the way. But as amazing as these innovations are, Alpacka still had a gap in their lineup for a packraft that would combine all of their best innovations and features, into the lightest possible package for the ultimate landscape traverse packraft.

Meet the Refuge, weighing just on on 3kg with full featured outfitting. That weight savings can add days and miles to your range on big trips with a lot of hiking. This is Alpacka Raft’s third generation Refuge and it optimizes the features of the prior versions. The fabrics pair Alpacka’s lightweight 210D nylon hull to minimize weight and bulk with Alpacka’s full strength 840D floor for maximum abrasion resistance in shallow backcountry rivers. The Whitewater (WW) Spraydeck keeps you dry and the Cargo Zipper internal storage system lets you pack your gear inside the tubes. Finally, Alpacka Raft added their foam backband and their first ever 2-point thigh strap system. The 2-point thigh straps provide better control in a lightweight affordable package, but lack the comfort and harder whitewater performance of their patented 4-point thigh strap systems.

Compared to the Classic, the Refuge is lighter and more packable but doesn’t offer as much carrying capacity, durability, or stability for every-day use. Experienced whitewater paddlers should be able to paddle the occasional Class III rapid in the Refuge, but whitewater and eddylines will be more difficult for novice and intermediate paddlers. The Refuge is ideal for the experienced wilderness packrafter who can limit their pack weight to ~22kg for a 14-day trip.

Build Configurations

Specifications