Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Alaska inflatable boats?

Can anybody tell me of a dealer in Fairbanks that sells inflatable boats? If I have to go to Anchorage, is there a dealer there?
Thanks from dry dock!
Fred

AK Raft and Kayak in Anchorage is one of quite a few here... The owner is a friend and good guy.

I can't help, but just wonder about the inflatable boat.
Why do you want one?
Sorry about the cheechako question.

Wabigon, Very versatile up here, storage, fly ins, and new drop stitch floors makes them a different boat than older boats. My 95#
15 ft Kaboat does 21 MPH with a 9.8 HP with 500 # load.

http://www.boatstogo.com/

Royce my Saturn is holding up well still impressed with it for the money and performance.

A friend has fished the Great Slave in the NW Territories in a Zodiac.
That was a fly-in.

Safe, dry, successful fishing to you.

wabigon
Fair question-
For the last three summers, we have gone touring around British Columbia/Alaska in a 2011 Toyota Tundra pulling a 30" trailer. I hate carying a canoe on a rack on the truck because it usually ends up beating the truck and the canoe up and it limits what I can see out of the truck.
There are a lot of lakes we'd like to explore but without a boat of some sort we are sol. Thinking very seriously of trying an inflatable that I can throw in the back of the truck, along with a small motor.
That's my story, and I'm sticking to it!

Fred

And thanks for all the responses, Art, wabigoon,kk alaska

I'd check with 'Moose, he rents 'em and I believe sells em as well up there:

http://www.bluemooseraft.com/

Another good option would be Larry Bartlett, he has an extensive line of inflateables:

http://www.pristineventures.com/products/rafts-canoes.html

Royce, I have a couple of Innova Helios II kayaks. Top shelf two person inflatable canoe/kayaks that fit in a custom innova backpack.
They are meant to be paddled however, ie no motor option.
Looks like you are in Helena, you could swing by my place here in north Idaho and pick one up for your journey...just take care of the thing.
I have everything needed for use.


Google Innova Helios...
Frank

I think Larry sells his boats through Test the Waters in Fairbanks. He build some very good boats designed mainly for floating the shallow stuff.

My neighbors in Ontario have used a folding boat to explore some of the remote lakes in the area. They seem very happy with it.

Click Here

One thing to consider in comparing a folding boat to an inflatable is it's rather time consuming to inflate and deflate an inflatable every time you break camp. They're great if you're going to inflate it at the beginning of the season and deflate it to store it for winter, but not so much every few days.

How do those inflatable boats handle rough water?

In the 70s and 80s I had a Z MK 2GR. I took it out of Valdez, Homer, Seward, Homer and Deep Ck. It worked very well. It was stable and safe. In rough water you will get wet, just a fact of life. Riding waves into the wind created the most problem as a strong wind would get under the bow and try to flip the boat. Also, there is not alot of room on these boats. I had a lot of fun with this boat then I got the airplane bug and the boat went away.

I'd look into a 12' Zodiac or Avon inflatable that could handle an 8 to 15hp motor, preferably a Honda or Yamaha.

One of my buds has a 14ft Achilles with a 20hp Honda that we use to run up and down the Tanana in. I never found the inflating and deflating to be much of an issue.

Alaska series rafts

Jim king

5 year warranty, they have all kinds of models.

I've got the old school stuff....welllll because I'm old


I've got a Grabner inflatable canoe, and I love the dang thang.

but technology marches onward.

it weighs 47 lbs. will haul most of a moose or 2 guys and their backpacks.

easy to inflate and deflate, made in Germany

bought it many moons ago for $1300.00 worth every penny

but there's offerings now that are cheaper and just as good if not better.

Test the Waters as reco'ed already is a good place to start.

but there's also Beaver Sports in town, Frontier outfitters and now REI and of course Sportsman's.

I bet one of those places will have what you need right here in da Banks. (Fairbanks, kids lingo)

lots of good choices out there, these are the good old days where gear is concerned.

enjoy, gonna shoot you a pm with my phone. If you have enough time in town and would like to meet FTF, be happy to buy you a beer or beverage of your choice.

There's an REI in bearflanks now?

That coming from a guy that hunts with a pump rifle!