The Alpacka Expedition: Built for Serious Whitewater

The Alpacka Expedition is the go-to for paddlers looking for a performance driven all around boat that can handle challenging conditions. At just 8.4 lbs, it’s lightweight and highly portable. But, what makes the Expedition unique is the deck system. You can get the boat with either a fixed or removable deck. Either way, it's designed to be used with a spray skirt (which comes with the boat), to prevent any water from getting inside the cockpit. This is one of the key features that makes the Alpacka Expedition packraft ideal for paddling in more technical, challenging whitewater environments—up to Class IV rapids.

Comfort and Control with the Alpacka Expedition

One of the strengths of the Alpacka Expedition is its outfitting. The boat features a high-performance back band for support, high-peformance adjustable thigh hooks, and an inflatable foot brace. These features give you a snug fit and great control, making it a boat that any whitewater enthusiast should consider.

Durability of the Alpacka Expedition

The Alpacka Expedition is what I would consider to be a moderately durable packraft. The floor is constructed with a highly durable 840 denier nylon that is TPU coated on both sides. The main body of the Expedition is constructed with a much lighter, 210 denier nylon, which is only TPU coated on the outside. The benefit of this material is a significant weight savings, and so this boat is designed for paddlers who are willing to sacrifice some durability for weight savings and performance.

The NRS Neutron: Durability Meets Versatility

The NRS Neutron is another fantastic all-rounder that stands out for its durability. Weighing in at 12.2 lbs, it's about 50% heavier than the Alpacka. The additional weight is a result of the Neutron using a heavier duty material for the main body. More specifically, the main body of the Neutron is made from 420 denier nylon, which is TPU coated on both sides. This makes the Neutron extremely tough and resistant to wear and tear, but this durability is also what makes the boat 4lbs heavier than the Alpacka Expedition.

A Self-Bailing Packraft

One of the big differences between the Neutron and the Expedition is that the Neutron doesn't have a deck that can be used with a skirt to keep water out of the cockpit. The Neutron is a self-bailing packraft, which has an inflatable floor with holes beneath it, so water that enters the boat will drain out automatically. While this still allows the Neutron to tackle whitewater, it can only reasonably be used in whitewater up to Class III, whereas the Alpacka Expedition can be used in whitewater up to Class IV because of its decked design.

Is the NRS Neutron Comfortable?

The Neutron’s outfitting is solid. It features a high-performance backband and basic thigh hooks that can easily be upgraded. Unlike the Alpacka Expedition, it lacks a foot brace, which results in a slightly looser fit.

Comparing Materials, Weight, and Durability

One of the key differences between these two packrafts is the material. The Alpacka’s lighter 210 denier nylon hull means it’s about 4 lbs lighter than the Neutron, but that weight saving comes at the expense of durability. The NRS Neutron’s 420 denier nylon hull has dual TPU coating, giving it superior resistance to wear and tear.

Features for Multi-Day Trips

Both boats share some useful features for adventurers who plan on multi-day paddling trips. They each have a stern TIZIP zipper. The zipper allows you to store gear inside the boat, along with internal tie-down points to keep that gear secure. However, one thing I’d love to see improved on both models is the addition of more external tie-down points. Tie down points particularly in the stern would be helpful. This would make it easier to secure gear that you don’t want to store inside the boat during the day.

Packraft Pricing: A Key Consideration

One of the biggest differences between the Alpacka Expedition and the NRS Neutron is the price. The Alpacka Expedition retails for $1,725 to $1,825, depending on whether you choose the removable or fixed deck. In comparison, the NRS Neutron is much more affordable, ranging from $1,150 to $1,200. That’s a $500 to $600 difference.

For that extra money, the Alpacka gives you a high-performance deck system (with basic skirt), thigh hooks, a foot brace, and a lighter weight. On the other hand, the Neutron offers better durability.

Who Should Choose the Alpacka Expedition?

The Alpacka Expedition is designed for paddlers who want a high-performance all-around packraft that can tackle tough, technical whitewater up to Class IV. If you’re planning long backcountry expeditions where weight is a critical factor, or if you need a boat that will perform in challenging conditions, the Expedition is the right choice for you. It’s also for those who are willing to invest more in a lightweight, feature-rich packraft.

Who Should Choose the NRS Neutron?

The NRS Neutron is an ideal all-around packraft for paddlers who value durability and versatility. If you’re looking for a tough, reliable boat that can handle flatwater and rapids up to Class III, the Neutron is an excellent choice, and significantly cheaper.

In the end, both of these boats are high quality boats. The choice comes down to what you prioritize—weight savings and whitewater performance, or durability and price.

If you want to dive deeper, check out the full reviews and adventures I’ve taken with both of these boats on PaddleTV, and be sure to subscribe for more gear reviews and paddling tips!

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That is no longer the case. There are now whitewater specific packrafts on the market, which allow paddlers to tackle very challenging whitewater runs. There are also a growing number of all-around packrafts, which are designed for use in both flatwater and in whitewater. This is where the Alpacka Expedition packraft fits in. The question we're going to answer in this article, is whether or not the Alpacka Expedition is the right packraft for you?

First though, I want to give a special shout-out to the American Canoe Association (ACA). They've been instrumental in promoting paddling safety and education, and created a free, on-line paddling safety course that I believe everyone should take the time to do. You can check it out here.

Is the Alpacka Expedition Packraft Easy to Set-up?

Packrafts are not large boats and they're made with a single air chamber. You simply attach the included inflation bag, and start ‘pumping'. While at first it seems as though it will take a long time to inflate, I was surprised how quickly I got the job done. In less than a few minutes the boat was inflated, and few extra hard breaths into the valve got the packraft to 1.5 psi – it's ideal pressure.

Once the hull is inflated, there are a few other small ‘set-up' related steps, like blowing up the seat and foot braces, and threading the tubing through the cockpit rim to create a rigid structure for a skirt to connect to. A well thought out design made these set-up steps quick and easy. Within 5 minutes, I was ready for the water.

What Material is the Alpacka Expedition Made With? Is the Alpacka Expedition Durable?

The Expedition is built with lightweight and durable fabric. The main body of the packraft is made with 210D TPU coated nylon. The floor of the boat is made with a much more robust 840D nylon with dual TPU coating. What does this mean? The number (210 or 840) refers to the density of fibers within the fabric. The floor fabric has 4x the fiber density, which makes it much tougher.

TPU coating refers to a highly durable, flexible, and waterproof plastic-like layer that is bonded to the fabric. The floor of the Expedition has dual TPU coating, which means the fabric is TPU coated on the outside, where it will get the most action, and on the inside. The benefit of having the TPU coating on the inside as well, is that if a the outer coating were to get a deep scratch, or enough abrasion to wear through, the inner TPU coating would provide a secondary defence that prevents any leaks.

The main body of the Expedition is made with 210D fabric that only has TPU coating on the outside. This means the main body of the boat is much less durable than the floor, and it doesn't benefit from having the inner TPU coating as a backup to prevent a leak. The benefit of making the main hull like this, is a significant reduction in weight. To put this into perspective, the NRS Neutron packraft, which has the same floor material, has a 420D dual TPU coated nylon for the main hull. This results in a packraft that is 12.2lbs instead of the Expedition's 8.4lbs. Of course, the trade off is that the NRS Neutron is significantly more durable.

How well does the Alpacka Expedition Perform?

The Alpacka Expedition is a typical packraft in that it is very stable, but performs very poorly on flatwater as compared to other paddle crafts on the market, including kayaks, canoes, and stand up paddle boards. The reason is simple. It's very short and wide, it has a flat hull, and it has no fins. The result is a boat that is highly stable, but very slow and doesn't track well.

In whitewater, the Expedition is a different story. It's still slow, but speed is not always important when paddling in whitewater. For most paddlers, stability and maneuverability are equally important, and the Expedition has plenty of both. I found the Expedition to be fun to paddle in whitewater, even though it lacked the high performance of a true whitewater kayak. I also really appreciated the boats deck and skirt, which kept water from filling the cockpit of the raft. This provided a consistent feel and reliable control throughout the rapid. For this reason, I believe experienced whitewater paddlers could effectively use the Expedition in whitewater up to and including Class 4.

Key Features of the Alpacka Expedition

The Expedition has a number of features that I really appreciated.

The outfitting in the Expedition is high quality and offers a great ‘performance' fit for great control in whitewater. This includes a high performance backbend and thigh hooks, and an inflatable foot rest.

The Expedition comes standard with a TiZip closure in the stern so that you can use the inside of the packraft as storage for multi-day trips. Here's a link to a multi-day trip that I did, using the inside of a packraft as storage.

The Expedition comes with a fixed deck, or a removable deck (for an extra $100), and a basic skirt that attaches to the deck to prevent water from getting into the cockpit. The skirt is a very basic nylon one. I was surprised at how effectively and reliable it did the job. I wasn't concerned that the skirt would come off in the whitewater, even though I was testing the packraft in some very significant class 3/4 rapids.

Overall Summary on the Alpacka Expedition Packraft

The Alpacka Expedition Packraft is an all-around packraft that's capable of handling flatwater to class 4 whitewater adventures. The Alpacka Expedition is well designed, well built, and confidence inspiring. At 8.4 pounds, the Expedition is extremely light for a boat that's capable of class 4 Whitewater. The trade-off for such a lightweight boat is durability. At $1725 – $1825 USD, the Expedition is also one of the more expensive packrafts.

To put this into perspective, the NRS Neutron all-around packraft that I tested this year is $1150 – $1195 USD. That's around $600 cheaper! What do you get with the Expedition for the extra $600? The Alpacka Expedition is a lighter boat (8.4lbs instead of 12.2lbs). It has higher performance outfitting, a deck and skirt. The Neutron is open-decked and self-bailing. This provides better control and makes the Alpacka Expedition usable in up to Class 4 whitewater, whereas the NRS Neutron is only practical in up to Class 3 whitewater. On the downside, the Expedition has a main body that is made with a light fabric (210D). This means the fabric won't be as durable.

What this means is that the Alpacka Expedition is a great boat for someone who has whitewater performance as a priority, and who is willing to give up some of their boat's durability for a significant weight savings.

Finally, I want to give another special shout-out to the American Canoe Association (ACA). They've been instrumental in promoting paddling safety and education. Check out their paddling course for more great information.

Check out these videos to watch Packraft Reviews

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