Alpacka Explorer 42 – 2 Person Packraft

Alpacka’s lightest and most compact 2 person packraft, the Explorer 42 is the perfect all round boat. Versatile enough to paddle on your own but with enough space for extra gear or to bring your partner, kids, dog on your next packrafting trip.

Originally designed by Alpacka for the Alpacka family and staff needs (many of them dog owners themselves). The design of the Explorer 42 enables it to be paddled solo with enough space in the front to bring your four legged friend or another person. It can also be paddled by two smaller adults looking to save weight and bulk on long traverses and adventure races.

The Alpacka Explorer 42 really shines as a lightweight versatile packraft for flat water touring, exploring easy rivers and lakes and just sharing the joy of packrafting with your family and friends.

The Explorer 42 is built with Alpacka’s 11.7-inch diameter Cargo Hull, which is easier to paddle for one person than the larger diameter Cargo Hulls in the Oryx and Forager. The Cargo Hull features Alpacka’s centre panel stern and late rise bow, which maximize stability, buoyancy, leg room, and cargo capacity.

The Alpacka Explorer 42 seating system allows the rear paddler to slot their feet on either side of the seat for better control while the front paddler sits on the forward third of the seat. A backband can also be added for the front paddler.

Alpacka Explorer 42 – Best Use:

• 1 – 2 person lighweight paddle touring
• Flat water paddling, lakes and easy river tours
• Easy whitewater tours (up to class 2)
• Exploration, micro adventures
• Expeditions, adventure races, geocaching for 1-2 persons
• Great family packraft for fun at the lake, sea and on the river
• Lightweight 1-2 person packraft and sailing boat dingy

Alpacka Explorer 42 – Features:

• Manufacturing: Hand made by Alpacka Raft in Mancos, Colorado, USA
• Shape: Cargo Hull
• Tube Diameter: 11.7-inch
• Colour: Red and Arctic Blue
• Valve: Temper assist valve for inflation and deflation
• Attachments: 4 bow grab loops, 2 stern grab loops, 2 rear strap plates, and 2 forward strap plates
• Seating: 3/4 length Explorer 42 seat, Optional front passenger backband
• Build Configurations: Open
• Cargo Fly: Optional (internal dry bags sold separately)
• Includes: Inflation Bag, Stuff Sack, and Basic Repair Kit. T Zip lube is included with boats that come with a Cargo Fly.

Alpacka Explorer 42 – Materials:

• Hull: Proprietary 210-denier high count nylon, single side laminated with a pigmented polyurethane film (Made in USA).
• Floor: Proprietary 840-denier ballistics nylon, laminated on both sides with polyurethane film (Made in USA).
• Seating: 200-denier oxford nylon with single side polyurethane laminate (Made in USA).
• Accessories: All grab loops and similar attachments are manufactured by Alpacka Raft in Mancos, Colorado out of scrap floor materials and USA made webbing. Small parts and fasteners are Made in USA, when available, and sourced from industry leaders like Duraflex, YKK, and ITW-Nexus

Alpacka Explorer 42 – Build Configurations:

• Open: The Explorer 42 is available only in the open build configuration.
• Cargo Fly Zipper: The Cargo Fly is the ultimate packraft gear storage solution featuring an airtight zipper installed in the stern of the boat to allow you to load your gear inside the tubes. The system provides drier and more secure gear storage and improved paddling performance due to a lower centre of gravity. The Cargo Fly is perfect for expeditions, whitewater performance, and keeping your gear dry in any conditions. Internal dry bags are an optional upgrade on all Explorer 42 models with a Cargo Fly. The dry bags clip in place along each side of the tubes with a side release buckle and allow for better organization and weight balance than placing the contents of your pack loose inside the Cargo Fly. They also act as additional balanced air chambers to make it easier to get to shore in the event of a puncture.

Explorer 42 Size & Specifications:

• Exterior Length – 279cm
• Exterior Width – 97cm
• Interior Length – 157cm
• Interior Width – 38cm
• Rear Cockpit Length – 104cm
• Front Cockpit Length – 71cm
• Weight* – 3630grams
• Weight with Cargo Fly* – 3740grams
• Packed Size** – 48x19cm
• Max Capacity*** 272kgs

*Weight includes all components except inflation bag and repair kit.

**Packed size is a reference measurement based on folding each lengthwise edge of the boat to the center and rolling from the bow. There are many other methods of rolling and folding the boats that will result in a different packed size that may be more or less efficient for packing depending on the situation.

***Max Capacity is the maximum total weight (paddlers and cargo) that the boat can reasonably carry in flatwater under ideal conditions. Actual capacity for any given trip will vary widely based on the paddler’s skill and water conditions. Please review our weight carrying capacity guide for further details