MRS Surveyor packraft. Is this the lightest, best made and most cost effective packraft out there?

[@mrspackraft4341]

Thank you for your careful and complete review. I hope MRS packraft can give you a great journey

[@alexmultimodalpackrafting915]

Very helpful review ( as far as I know the first) thank you! It is probably meant to replace the MRS Nomad S1 light, as e.g. Anfibio already did (around 25 cm shorter, 9cm wider and at least 1kg lighter depending on the colour). I wouldn't be surprised if they come out with a removable decked version next year to replace the the full version Nomad S1D. It would be a little slower, due to being shorter and wider, but 1-1,5 kg less than the current weight of the fully assembled Nomad S1D (approx. 4,5kg) and a more compact packing size, would be welcome besides making it more manoeuvrable in whitewater conditions.

[@Vildmark]

There is plans for a decked version.

[@alexmultimodalpackrafting915]

@@Vildmark, thanks for the info!

[@nicklasnilsson8217]

Nice review thanks! Looks very good. Beside from the thinner floor, is the tubes as thick as on other Packrafts or is it also thinner? I also wonder if this packraft is big enough for me being 189cm tall and 98kg heavy. Thanks a lot 🙂

[@Vildmark]

Tubes are the same thickness. Most Packrafts are 210tpu. Plenty of space for you, youre just a little taller than me.

[@SanJava]

Nice review. Surveyor looks like a lot of fun. Can you tell us what length and brand of paddle you are using with the Surveyor? Have you seen the Surveyor with the spraydeck? Wondering if that upgrade is worthwhile. Thank you!

[@Vildmark]

This is the paddle: paqualife.co.uk/product/glassfibre-4-piece-paddle-standard/ a basic 4 piece adjustable paddle. As for the spraydeck version. It really depends on what you’re using it for and if you want to save weight. Personally I would go for the spray deck option as it’s better to have it and not use it than need it and don’t have it.

[@SanJava]

I emailed MRS and they confirmed that if you choose the spray deck option they upgrade the floor to 420D. Great upgrade.

[@Vildmark]

@SanJava that’s great. Makes it a really good packraft

[@prommerjakub]

Would the 210D floor be an issue when scrapping on occasional rock or two? I really love this one, but I'm on fence due to the floor. In most cases I'm gonna be on slow flowing rivers and lakes, but I might find myself on rivers with low water levels and or WW II... would this one handle it well? Thanks! :)

[@Vildmark]

It’s a brilliant packraft and I’m taking this one on expedition this summer. It will handle the odd scrape depending on what it’s scraping on, speed the packraft is moving and if there’s weight above it or not (critical point). If you’re worried about it get a packraft with a stronger floor, like the Microraft. Better to have a strong floor than keep repairing it.

[@prommerjakub]

@@Vildmark thanks for the reply, Microraft feels too big and heavy for me, I'd like to keep the weight and packability down to about 2kg boat itself.. I have narrowed it down to Delta MX, Sigma TX, MRS Surveyor, Rebel 2k and Revo CL... Also the Norseraft Loki appeals to me, but it's probably too heavy. I want to balance the weight and packability (I'm mainly backpacker/hiker), speed, handling, WW capability.. I'd probably spend most of the time on slow flowing rivers max WW II and some lakes.. I would go for MRS Surveyor without a thought, but I don't know whether it will be good for this sort of things or not. With that in mind I'm gravitating towards Rebel 2K. With your experience of packrafting can you perhaps recommend something that would fit the bill the best?

[@pandubiel]

Thanks for the review, how does it compare to rebel 2k?

[@Vildmark]

It’s around the same weight but bigger internally. It doesn’t have the the cockpit cover like the rebel 2k. I have 5% discount codes for both the surveyor and rebel 2k if you’re interested. It’s not a huge amount but will help when investing in either of these rafts.

[@pandubiel]

@@Vildmark thanks, sure I am, i gravitate towards 2k because of stronger deck but still a bit on the fence

[@Vildmark]

@pandubiel I completely agree the surveyor is 210 across the board where the rebel 2k is 210/420. Maybe have a look at the MRS Microraft kzbin.info/www/bejne/aKGtcqB5qbt5pc0si=YXEXgmntjVH_AqNe

[@pandubiel]

@@Vildmark checking it out right now!

[@Vildmark]

@pandubiel that has an 840 floor and the deck is completely removable.

[@MidNight-cd9wr]

MRS конечно фирма знаменитая во всем мире, но ценники у них очень большие. Скажите, пожалуйста, у них двухсторонняя ТПУ ткань?

[@Vildmark]

Single sided tpu like most good quality packrafts. Double sided tpu is normally double sided because the quality isn’t that good that they have to make it double sided.

[@MidNight-cd9wr]

@@Vildmark тут не согласен ) У меня был пакрафт из пвх, тпу (дешевый) и тпу дорогой(двухсторонний), вот двухсторонний - просто крутой. В нем больше волокон, он рвется как пвх, но проткнуть тяжелее из-за того что тпу. У китайской компании Frontier такая. Если попадется Вам в руки, то обязательно попробуйте. А MRS тоже хочется, но пока что денег на такого нет.

[@hntrains2]

This looks like a balloon shaped like a boat; it probably costs 50 bucks to make - plus accessories (another 50?). Why does it sell for that much, then?

[@Vildmark]

Quality of design and materials. Simple as that. These are not your supermarket pvc kayak.

[@hntrains2]

@@Vildmark, that is very true; but how different are they, really, from such a kayak? How justified, that is, is such a price tag as that of an MRS boat? It looks very much like they are following the Apple model (iPhone costs $175 to make, they sell it for $750 and higher).

[@Vildmark]

@hntrains2 they are way different. I wouldn’t trust a pvc kayak personally. Maybe a high end one but that would cost around the same as a packraft. I think the price is justified for what you get out of it. If you use it for loads of adventures be it, micro adventures or a fantastic hiking and Packrafting trip once a year then they are worth it. Check my videos in Glaskogen national park and you’ll see just how they open the doors to adventure.

[@hntrains2]

@@Vildmark, I have just watched your two-and-a-half-hour video about your trip on those lakes there; I would say that I can do all that on my PVC boat which is, indeed, at least twice as heavy as your packraft while it is also bigger when packed. Other than that, for a mere 40 euro (true enough, I spent an extra 10 euro on a different set of oars), it offers more stability and comfort. Speed? No idea! Perhaps, not much different?! My other PVC boat, which is slightly larger and a lot heavier - it's a different class (by the same manufacturer) -, has been used to row about 3,000 kilometres (2,220 of those, in one go over eight weeks). The boat has cut and punctured a lot since I got it three years ago, but nothing which has not been fairly easy to fix. Not saying that my PVC boats are better; they can certainly be improved (in particular, the in-tube storage is a brilliant idea; then, lighter and harder-to-puncture material would be most welcome a change). But they cost a fraction of what everyone charges for packrafts or other nylon boats. Imagine you could get a packraft for a tenth of what you are paying now; you could use all the money left in your pocket on sweets, drinks, entertainment, gear - whatever your needs and desires may be. But you can't pay that little because manufacturers know there are people out there who are willing to pay more when they could pay less.

[@Vildmark]

@hntrains2 but they are still not Packrafts, they are what is called sackrafts. Personally I’d prefer to spend more money for something that is lighter and stronger. Glad you enjoying the outdoors in your kayaks though. Each to their own. I get a lot of comments like this and my reply is once you try a packraft you’ll understand. Atb