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Are you trying to enterprise farther away from civilization with a succesful watercraft stowed in your backpack? The most recent launch from Alpacka Raft goals for low weight and excessive sturdiness, including a brand new mannequin to the model’s already numerous catalog.
The Mage, designed for intermediate and superior paddlers tackling Class III-IV whitewater, falls between the Class V-capable Valkyrie V3 and the beginner-friendly Gnarwhal. By combining an improved hull with efficiency options from the Valkyrie V3, Alpacka Raft calls the Mage “the fastest, smoothest, and most responsive traditional whitewater packraft” the model has ever made.
Its key function is a full-length inflatable pad that sits beneath the raft’s tubes. That enables the boat to have a secondary edge when cruising via the water, in keeping with Alpacka.
“When you’re trying to carve around features and into and out of eddies, this boat can get on edge and stay there really easily,” a model consultant mentioned in an explainer video. “It allows the user to have more control over what you want to do and how you want to do it.”
The Alpacka Mage; (picture/Alpacka Rafts)
Why Decide the Mage?
There’s no hiding the truth that we’re large followers of Alpacka Raft right here at GearJunkie. In reality, 5 of our seven suggestions within the Greatest Packrafts of 2025 come from the Mancos, Colorado-based firm.
So, what’s so particular concerning the Mage? For starters, at simply 6 kilos for a large-size, self-bailing mannequin, the Mage weighs considerably lower than both the 9-pound Gnarwhal or the 14-pound Valkyrie V3. However, it’s nonetheless obtained extra cargo capability for prolonged journeys.
Furthermore, the low-volume heart panel used for the strict hull is longer and narrower than different whitewater fashions. That offers the Mage speeds much like the Valkyrie whereas additionally boosting edging, secondary stability, and effectivity, the model mentioned.
(Picture/John Baker for Alpacka Rafts)
A small enhance within the bow and stern rockers means the boat rides over whitewater extra simply than the Gnarwhal. That ought to hold paddlers excessive and dry with out sacrificing velocity, Alpacka mentioned.
Different options embrace a whitewater foot brace linked on to the boat, and self-bailing draining holes. The latter consists of mesh-backed venturi flaps meant to extend velocity and hold paddlers dry, particularly whereas browsing.
Alpacka Mage: Pricing & Availability
At $1,600, the Mage arrives with an identical price ticket to the opposite whitewater-oriented Alpacka Raft fashions.
Accessible in each a whitewater deck and self-bailing configuration, the Mage goals to fulfill the wants of quite a lot of paddling environments. The brand new mannequin comes geared up with a lace-in whitewater seat, Alpacka’s patented four-point thigh straps, a backband, and a whitewater foot brace. It’s additionally accessible in three completely different colourful designs.
As for sizing, Alpacka can be kicking off a brand new sizing system for its packrafts. As a substitute of utilizing sit size, sizes now align with normal height-based and basic dimension classes corresponding to small, medium, and enormous.
We haven’t gotten to check this dangerous boy but — however Alpacka’s new Mage has already forged a spell.
