Advanced Elements Packlite Kayak Bundle

Disappointing—I would not order this again. The inflatable seat failed in the first 2 minutes of use when a seam burst. I wrote it off as a minor inconvenience. The rest of the boat worked the first time, and worked pretty well. The second time that I pulled the boat out to use it, I gave up. The bottom inflation chamber uses a vinyl straw for inflation, and that had broken (in two places!), rendering that chamber unusable. Also, I misplaced the special adapter needed to connect the AE foot pump to the AE boat, so inflation of the other chambers was difficult at best. Very poor design on both of these elements. I also own one of those Klymit pack rafts. When it worked, the AE boat seemed more sturdy and tracked better than the Klymit. But the Klymit is half the weight, which is important when you’re planning to carry it for miles before use. And of course, the fact that the Klymit doesn’t fail after one use makes it the choice for me.

Thanks for responding. I ultimately decided not to go with it after doing additional research. He's my oldest brother who always takes care of us (3 younger sisters) so we really just wanted something radical for him!

If he already has a “decent pack raft,” I wouldn’t get this one. This is not for whitewater. It’s a fun little boat that can be hauled to mountain lakes, and can be used to bob down streams, but if he‘s on the Colorado, this really isn’t the right boat. You’re a pretty awesome brother to be thinking about this, though!