A Quick, Non-Technical Look at the Alpacka Raft Mage

Please note this is a non-technical look at the Mage, where I compare how it *feels* compared to the Wolverine and the Gnarwhal. On January 6th, we’re publishing Episode #11 of, A Beginner’s Guide to Packrafting, featuring one of Alpacka Raft’s designers, Dustin Partridge. In it, Dustin offers a more technical description of the Mage versus the Valykyrie. You can also find out more technical specs about the boat on launch day on the Alpacka Raft website. I put this quick video and podcast together to answer your questions. And, yes, if you are a Class II to IV boater or an whitewater packrafter aspiring to run Class III and the occasional Class IV and who also wants to do backcountry adventures, get the Mage. ~Lizzy

Correction: The backband configuration is different on the Wolverine compared to the Mage. There are only three points of contact on the Mage versus four on the Wolverine. Thus, there are fewer moving parts. As well, the Mage has a piece of webbing instead of the bungees found on the Wolverine. I like the Mage configuration much better. I always found the bungees annoying to deal with, especially when using the Sockdolager Equipment Seat Bag, which is now a standard feature on my boats. It appears that Alpacka is using this new configuration on all their whitewater boats. It's a small, but noticeable improvement. 

Technical specs from Alpacka: https://alpackaraft.com/products/mage Video by Dustin: https://vimeo.com/1035769419/786623251f