Inflatable Kayaks?

On my recent trip to the Wind Rivers I twice saw people using these. At Marms lake I saw a guy fishing out of one and then from the Midsummer Dome I could see what appeared to be two on Pyramid Lake. Marms is only about 7 miles in but Pyramid is a good 12 miles from the TH.
I can't imagine carrying something like that into the backcountry. Wondered if anybody was familiar with these lightweight boats.

Were they kayaks or packrafts? The latter run about 2 to 4 pounds, so are light enough to be considered part of a lightweight pack. "The other lightweight backpacking site" (BPL, which requires a paid subscription) has, in the past, featured them frequently both for fishing and for river crossings.

Of course, some folks have no objection to carrying the heavier ones. Anything to get closer to the fish! Also, those with heavier watercraft may have been dropped off by horse packers.

Let’s see... an inflatable boat (presumably a coated fabric?) and fishing hooks - what could possibly go wrong?

Actually, Colin Fletcher talked about these in at least two editions of the Complete Walker books, if I’m remembering right.

Something I always wondered too--the compatibility of fishhooks and inflatable boats. . . . A lot of people do fish from inflatables, so maybe it's just a case of being extra careful?

Way back when, I had a "2-man" raft (1-person, really) that I packed in. It might have been made by Sevylor, but I'm not sure. I recall it weighed six pounds without the oars. I could usually find some pieces of bark or something to use for paddles. I had lots of fun with it, but it was definitely only suited for small, calm lakes. It was made of PVC. No issues with fishhooks, at least small ones. Bass fishermen might need to take more care.

They used to make a similar raft out of coated nylon, similar, I think, to what drybags are made of. I recall they were more expensive, but lighter.

Here's a 1 kg option that's tougher and lighter than the little vinyl boats. In an area with lots of alpine and subalpine lakes it would be lots of fun.

Cheers,

That LWD looks amazing for the weight. The price isn't bad, either.

Not sure whether they were kayaks or rafts. The one I saw up close was shaped a little like a kayak. And yes, one would have to be very careful with the hooks!! I don't think I'd ever use one without a life vest of some kind which might weigh almost as much as the LiteWater dinghy!
Looked interesting though, to the fisherman in me.

, everyone. Hope the coming year is a great one for us all!

Here's what Matt of diypackraft.com has to say about punctures and leaks in a packraft (and I assume other small inflatable water craft).