Alpacka Explorer 42

Our lightest and most compact multi-person packraft, the Explorer 42 is the perfect boat for introducing your kids to paddling or taking your dog on a backcountry trip. It can also comfortably be paddled by two smaller adults looking to save weight and bulk on long traverses and adventure races.

On any given day there are 8-10 dogs roaming the Alpacka factory. It’s only natural that we’d want to make a boat that is perfect to bring your four legged companion on your adventures. The Explorer 42 is lightweight and easy to paddle for one person but with extra space in the bow, which makes it our best boat for bringing kids and pets on adventures. It’s also about half the weight of carrying two single packrafts, which makes it a great choice for two adults doing long traverses that involve shorter days on the water or adventure races that require you to carry your boats for long distances.

The Explorer 42 is built with our 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 our center panel stern and our late rise bow, which maximize stability, buoyancy, leg room, and cargo capacity. The 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.