I am looking at the possibility of purchasing the AE PackLite Inflatable Kayak which is priced at about $295.00. It looks like a good UL calm river/lake raft option at 4lbs, but I can't find many reviews on this yet. Does any one have any experience with this raft, regarding durability and performance? Would you recommend? One other dumb question, on the Flyweight Designs video for this thing, it shows it being inflated with a good size pump, that I wouldn't want to carry into the backcountry. Does anyone know if there is any special reason why it might require more pressure then one could apply with inflation bags and mouth assist?
I should have waited to get a reply from AE. Their response to my question about the pump is below. It really rules out a backcountry option for this inflatable.
Ron,
Thank you for your interest in our products! You have a good eye. I posed the same question to Advanced Elements and they confirmed that indeed, inflation of the PackLite Kayak requires a pump. They have assured me that they are working on a lightweight solution to that problem. I will revise our product description to include that fact.
Alternatively, our soon to be released CrossFlyte raft does not require a pump to inflate. We use a one way Boston valve which can be inflated by breath, pump, or even the Instaflator that we also sell. You will need to top it off with your breath if you use the Instaflator.
Please let me know if you have any additional questions. Thank you!
Marc Shea
Managing Partner | FlyWeight Designs LLC
425-200-4FWD
marc@flyweightdesigns.com
