Alpacka Ghost for fishing alpine lakes?

[David K]

I’m looking for any experiences anyone has had with the alpacka ghost or any other UL packraft that has been used tp fish alpine lakes…. looking at the ghost, the supai matkat, anfibio nano SL(though they don’t ship to the US?) But am open to suggestions.. need something around 2lbs or lighter as weight is as if nor mire important than durability given the distance/elevation gain of the hikes into the lakes I plan to fish…

[Terran Terran]

There’s a lot of side to side movement when paddling a raft. Wasted effort. Of the two available, I think the Alpacka will track a lot better, it’ll be more comfortable and just easier to move through the water. With a pack raft, your body is what keeps it stiff. Your feet against the bow and your knees against the sides. Again, I think the Alpaca wins out. I don’t know much about the Supai nor the Alpaca Ghost in particular . I do have an older Alpacka. I think a Scout. I installed knee straps. Too heavy to carry, but a pleasure on the lakes. Now days I use a kayak. Check the lakes. They’re not all stocked.

[Terran Terran]

Just to add to your weight.

Cold water

[Philip Tschersich]

I’ve had two generations of Scouts, a Curiyak, and I currently have a Ghost (in addition to my pile of other Alpackas). Among them, the Ghost is somewhat better paddling due to the slightly extended stern. That said, it still is slow and has poor directional stability. But this should not be surprising. It is extremely light and packs down tiny, and is quite roomy once you are in it. I added some minimal gear loops to the bow for my day pack, and a bungee loop on the floor to secure a seat. I use mine to shuttle between our research vessel and the beach if on my hike I plan on taking my raft with me (to do a loop, etc).

If you are looking for a decent performing, UL, calm-water boat that is still acceptably durable and from a company that has arguably the best construction on the market, this is it.

[Philip Tschersich]

Here are my Alpacka gear loop additions. I used fresh Clifton urethan adhesive. It tends to expire in about 1 year. I figured out where I wanted the bow gear loops and then lightly scuffed the out surface of the material:

The old Alpacka gear loops were made out of a single layer of hypalon. Now, for some reason, it’s a stack of 3 layers making them stiff and weird. These are the old ones:

I used hooked linelocs for the gear straps. I can use them in an x-rigging (shown) or as parallel straps. The loop configuration creates constriction around the pack being strapped onto the bow for a more secure hold.

I’m a huge fan of adding a portage grab handle along the inside of one tube. It makes carrying the raft any distance more pleasant.

I made a flat gear loop with a blank disc base for a bungee to keep the seat in place. I use a Klymit X-pillow as my seat in the Ghost. I like sitting up a bit and keeping my butt out of any water in the boat.

[Terran Terran]

Very nice. Did you use MEK?

[Philip Tschersich]

Yep. The NRS website has good instructional videos for urethane raft repair/modification as does Luc Mehl.

[Brian Curtis]

The Ghost is a great raft. But you should not use kayak paddles. They are too heavy, bulky, and not great for fishing. Instead you should fashion hand paddles. I’ve seen many creative ideas from cutting up 2-liter pop bottles to cutting them from reinforced campaign signs. I use paddles made from plastic honeycomb which are perfect. But I have no idea how that material might be sourced.

[Terran Terran]

Good thought on the paddle. My carbon fiber paddle weighs 36 ounces. My PFD weighs 33 ounces plus my cold water protection. I don’t carry it far. I did add “D” rings and knee straps a few years ago per NRS instructions.“D” rings

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