This is a nicely designed product, but the factory in Indonesia appears to have some serious quality control problems that rendered the kayak useless. Received it in an undamaged box, opened it, and tried to inflate it. It has three air chambers, and the bottom one wouldn’t hold air because its inflation tube was kinked and torn. Couldn’t repair this problem because their patch kit only has a flat patch for a puncture. Although it was shipped directly from Amazon, tried to contact the manufacturer for advice. Their Customer Assistance number was always busy, and never got through. Tried to use Amazon’s online return button but the system said that it wasn’t returnable! Didn’t give up and used their Chat function. Chat room agent cheerfully refunded my money! Will use the refund to buy a similar product made by someone else, but want to thank Amazon for their superior customer service!

Update 4/21: I have used this raft about 6 times so far in a variety of conditions. Durability is still good, I beached on pebbles, dirt, junk filled boat ramp and have folded/unfolded it several times, no wear whatsoever. I've taken it on large urban lakes, a class I river and a particularly choppy lake near the mountains. Performance is fine in small bodies of water or narrow rivers but, you will feel like you are not making much progress in larger bodies. I've been pushed around by wake and by very choppy water that resembles constant waves of wake. I'd avoid going too far out on larger bodies of water - just stay decently close to shore as paddling back will take some time in this thing. I'm talking 1-3mph. I haven't found a way to paddle as efficient as hardbody kayak. It's hard to engage the core without causing the bow to wag even with a little weight up front. I'll keep practicing and/or finding ways to add more weight to the front maybe I can get a more efficient paddle. Once again, I feel this product wasn't built for speed but, for possibilities. However, once you stop paddling and take a break, this raft is so stable and comfy.Original post:The packlite is a nice little craft. Highly portable and can be stored anywhere. Combined with the separate foot pump and paddle, everything fits into a bookbag sized day pack (if you allow the paddles to stick out of the top). I bought this over IKs for it's portability and over other packrafts as it's much more affordable.I've put some time into watching videos and reading reviews before using it. One tip I can pass along is not to inflate the floor that much. Just enough to look like it has air in it. You should be able to step into and feel the floor/ground on the other side. It sounds weird but, it has enough air to float and reduces the chance of overloading the seams. I also found that the seat works better as a backrest than sitting on it. The other chambers I inflated until they were looking fully inflated but, still had mild creases and can take a depression.On my first outing on a cold and choppy lake, I found it performs fine. It's pretty stable but, you will feel wake underneath you. It reminds me of a subdued waterbed. I've paddled into larger boat wake and like a sit on top, you'll just ride on top the waves. I don't feel I sit "high" on it. The d-rings on it are great, I was able to attach a large bag across the front. With bag on top, I found it actually a little snug and surprisingly cozy for a cold day. The air surrounding you helps insulate. You won't win any races with it as you'll need to use shallow strokes but, it will get you from point A to point B. That point to point travel is intriguing as you can begin and end your paddle wherever there's a viable shore. It's held up to my pack/unpack tests and dragging against pebble shoreline to launch and return. Need more time with it see how well it holds up but, so far it looks flawless.I don't love everything about it. The floor and seat valves don't look very durable compared to the other valves. Even with practice and proper trials, I haven't been able to get it fold back down to the factory size. I got close enough to be satisfied however. This is even harder to do if you are in a rush to pack up after making it to shore. Depending on your launch, you'll need to clean it off when your back home as it'll pick up dirt, sand or pebbles. Drying isn't a huge issue though. My first outing took me 20 minutes to setup before I left shore. Some of that time was spent on other things so, I can probably cut the time down with practice. I also found itself and the necessary parts to get out on the water a little pricey for what you get but, that may change if I get a lot of mileage out of it.Overall, if you are looking for something that you can store and take anywhere (especially isolated waterways) but, don't want to spend a small fortune on a packraft, this is a solid craft.OPTIONAL: I was able to find the outer cover for this kayak. This is a game changer as it encloses the deck, adds a skeg for tracking, adds a bunting ring for spray skits and another layer of ripstop material over the entire unit, protecting it further. This makes it seem more like an inflatable sit inside kayak than a dinghy. I used it after my initial trial laps and makes the whole package seem more complete. I feel confident taking into choppy waters and slow rivers with this. However, it does add more weight, setup time and does not pack down as small as the craft itself. Be advised, It's becoming rare to find online.

Advanced Elements PackLite Kayak gonflable...KAYAK LÉGER ET PRATIQUE POUR LES RIVIÈRES ET LACS..PRODUIT FIABLE MAIS ATTENTION À BIEN RESPECTER LA PROCÉDURE DE GONFLAGE DANS LE BON ORDRE !VOIR VIDÉO OU NOTICE DE ADVANCED ÉLÉMENTJE RECOMMANDE CE PRODUIT SANS PROBLÈMES

We own and borrow several kayaks, so I am not unfamiliar with every style. This kayak is perfect for what it is, and that is an insanely portable backpacking kayak, it is definitely not a pool toy. It is not a substitute for a hard shell if you have easy access to the water, but if you need/want to pack a kayak across land for long distances on foot...this is it! It is made from an ultralight reinforced material and can roll up to fit in a very small bag. I am over half way through my second season with it, without any leaks or punctures and it has enabled me to go places I could never go before. I can roll up this kayak down to the size of a large rolled up beach towel, put it in a stuff sack and put that into a backpack with all the necessary gear and head out for an adventure. I pack with it a lightweight 4 part collapsible paddle, a lightweight foot pump, dry bag, full camera gear, dry clothes, inflatable back cushion,floor pad, water and food. All this (the kayak itself is only about 6lbs) fits into a frame-less back pack at under a 24 lb load (my camera gear is pretty heavy) and head out over hill and dale to put in in otherwise inaccessible places; interesting inlets, hidden creeks, etc. It is quick to inflate and get into. I have added shock cord to the front eyelets to attach my backpack and gear as I paddle, and sleeping pad cut to fit in the bottom for a bit of elevation. Some days I go farther than planned, deflate the kayak, pack it up, travel to a different location or inlet and re-inflate and put in again. It is so quick to deflate and pack that this is not an issue.Now having said all that...I will say this. Everything in life is a compromise. This is a small kayak, with no skeg and so it does have nose wag. However, I find that because it is so lightweight, even with the nose wag, each stroke yields more distance than you would expect. I spend my time on slow moving creeks, rivers and lakes, I would not use it in fast water over rough rocks. Is it ugly? yep, do I care what people think? no. Have I had much joy over the last two summers going places mere mortals with car racks and kayaks have not been able to reach? Oh yes! Do I have to struggle to load it onto a car rack or into my truck? No. Can I take off on a hike, decide to put into the water or not, and have a great adventure, yes. Would I buy it again? Yep.