Video · Inflatables & Skiffs
Kokopelli Packrafts at ICAST: Why I Changed My Mind on Them
I never understood Kokopelli boats until I walked into their ICAST booth and saw how light and packable these inflatables really are.
What’s in this video
Kokopelli was a company I didn’t get. I thought their boats looked cheap in the ads. Then I walked into their booth at ICAST and held a five and a half pound boat the size of a paper towel roll. Their pump is six ounces. These are built for hikers, bikers and people rappelling into canyons, and nothing else packs down like this. I also learned they use TPU materials and high grade valves. I couldn’t have been more wrong.
The big fishing news was the 2024 Caster, set for spring 2024. It’s based on their Plot platform but adds five universal mounting points for rods and tackle, tough 1000 denier PVC coated pontoon sides to resist hook nicks, a seat riser that lifts you about six inches, and a drop stitch floor at five or six PSI so it tracks like a hard boat. The pump, bag, seat and paddle all come in the box.
They’re also updating the XPD from about 14 pounds down to 10, with a removable nine inch tracking fin. A new utility deck clips on with D-rings, with a mount on one side and an EVA pad on the other for a kid or a dog. Then there’s the Rogue with a spray deck, the Nirvana whitewater boat, the Chasm Lite paddle board at 12.9 pounds that fits under an airplane seat, and the Twain Lite at 8.7 pounds with extra deck room.
Quick takeaways
- The Caster adds five universal mounts, hook-resistant pontoon sides and a seat riser for better sight lines.
- The updated XPD drops to about 10 pounds and has a removable tracking fin for shallow water or wind.
- The Chasm Lite paddle board weighs 12.9 pounds fully equipped and packs to about backpack size.
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