Are you looking to venture farther away from civilization with a capable watercraft stowed in your backpack? The latest release from Alpacka Raft aims for low weight and high durability, adding a new model to the brand’s already diverse catalog.
The Mage, designed for intermediate and advanced paddlers tackling Class III-IV whitewater, falls between the Class V-capable Valkyrie V3 and the beginner-friendly Gnarwhal. By combining an improved hull with performance features from the Valkyrie V3, Alpacka Raft calls the Mage “the fastest, smoothest, and most responsive traditional whitewater packraft” the brand has ever made.
Its key feature is a full-length inflatable pad that sits below the raft’s tubes. That allows the boat to have a secondary edge when cruising through the water, according to Alpacka.
“When you’re trying to carve around features and into and out of eddies, this boat can get on edge and stay there really easily,” a brand representative said in an explainer video. “It allows the user to have more control over what you want to do and how you want to do it.”
Why Pick the Mage?
There’s no hiding the fact that we’re big fans of Alpacka Raft here at GearJunkie. In fact, five of our seven recommendations in the Best Packrafts of 2025 come from the Mancos, Colorado-based company.
So, what’s so special about the Mage? For starters, at just 9.5 lbs pounds for a large-size, self-bailing model, the Mage weighs significantly less than either the 9-pound Gnarwhal or the 14-pound Valkyrie V3. But, it’s still got more cargo capacity for extended trips.
Moreover, the low-volume center panel used for the stern hull is longer and narrower than other whitewater models. That gives the Mage speeds similar to the Valkyrie while also boosting edging, secondary stability, and efficiency, the brand said.
