Lakes

The Zephyr is the ideal packraft for paddlers taking day trips where they do not need extra space on flatwater rivers or lakes. It's the perfect packraft for those that want to keep a packraft in their car and don't want to deal with kayak racks. It's also a perfect vacation packraft that you can fly with wherever your trips take you. The Zephyr delivers impressive performance in a lightweight, highly packable inflatable package.

Rivers

While the Zephyr is not recommended for lightwater, whitwater, or splashy rivers, its great for downriver travel on flatwater rivers. This makes it ideal for exploring all over the mid-west, the northeast, most major cities, and the lowland rivers of Europe. Perfect for getting out on a quick paddle before work while traveling.

Protected Coastal Areas

Throw the Zephyr in your checked baggage on your next tropical vacation and you won't need to pay for a rental or figure out a way to transport a traditional hardshell rec kayak. The Zephyr is the perfect packraft for exploring harbours, lagoons, protected bays, and new snorkeling spots.

Zephyr vs. Chinook

The Zephyr and Chinook share the same elongated hull design, but with different build configurations and end purposes. The Zephyr is an open build with no cargo fly internal storage or thigh straps. Its perfect for day trips on warmer and more protected waters like lakes, flatwater rivers, and protected coastal waters. It is not recommended for splashy rivers, whitewater, or windy and wavy conditions on lakes and coastal waters. It’s the packraft version of a recreational kayak. Perfect for paddlers who want to get out regularly or travel—without dealing with roof racks or the bulk of a traditional boat.

The Chinook, by contrast, adds a spray deck, 3-point thigh straps, and cargo fly internal storage. This makes the Chinook the preferred option for colder water, multi-day flatwater trips, and rougher conditions like wind and small waves. It can also handle occasional lightwater on river trips. The Chinook is more versatile, but also has more components to maintain and fit if you don't need them.

Zephyr vs. Aleutian

The Zephyr is the packraft version of a recreational kayak, while the Aleutian is the packraft version of a sea kayak. Both are ideal for air travel as they can easily be put in a checked bag, but the Zephyr should be limited to recreational paddling on calm lakes, rivers, and protected coastal areas. The Aleutian is faster, much more capable in rougher waters and the only packraft capable of handling unprotected open water.

Zephyr vs. Caribou

The Zephyr is faster and more streamlined than the Caribou, so its the preferred choice if you are focused on flatwater day trips. The Caribou is much more versatile and is the preferred choice for a wider variety of trips from flatwater day trips to backcountry expeditions, mountain lakes, and bike rafting.

Zephyr vs Recreational Kayak

The Zephyr is the packraft version of a recreational kayak. Recreational kayaks are affordable fun boats for getting out on protected flatwater. However, they are heavy and cumbersome on land, so they are impractical to keep in your garage and transport in your car, and impossible to bring on an airplane. The Zephyr allows you to do anything you would do with a recreational kayak, but in a travel friendly package.

Open

The Zephyr is available in the open build configuration, ideal for calm conditions and warmer water.