Kayaks for tramping access

these look interesting http://folbot.com/ alpackas seem to be the name that comes up a lot with people using inflatables, esp in the states. https://alpackarafts.com/

Cheers for that wayno. I don't necessarily need something i can carry with me, just something that will get me to the start of a walk. So feel free to open the options up to include packrafts, but lets not limit it to them. I'm not after makes/models specifically but rather a discussion from those that have used each type of boat over the advantages / disadvantages of each approach (siton, inflatable, packraft)

trip here with some guys doing a pass hop into the landsborough and using alpacka rafts down the river https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ZQvmPnD34Y and down the Waiatoto https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wBENsxEXj8U

That folbot link was good except after all the what do you need questions it says i need the 'sporting life' and i click on details and get 'not found'

Fulbot: ouch. $2450 US! Should say budget of 1000ish

sitons you dont have to worry about them getting flooded or sinking, self baling, but not so stable in rough water, only other thing i've used is sea kayaks, great stability, not so good at manoeurvring in tighter locations on rivers as shorter options like sitons, loads of storage with a sea kayak. plastic are near indestructible but heavier than fibreglass which are more fragile.. you could put your dog sticking out of one of the compartments if you've got a single sea kayak. watertight with a spray skirt.

i forgot, i've used canadian canoes as well. great storage capacity, but need more skill to use them than kayaks, less stable, esp in any rough conditions, and rapids. terrible to handle in a cross wind or head wind. mate of mine put a two horse outboard on his to make life easier. his was fibre glass, so could be fragile, he'd broken it in half and had patched it back together again.

I regularly do alot of kayak/tramping/camping, indeed heading to Motutapu tomorrow, and will be camping at Home Bay and walking to Rangitoto and on Motutapu. I've both sit in and a sit on kayak, both have the advantages. For distance, speed and effort you can't beat a sit in, though there's more flexibility and probably safer with sit on kayaking solo. Also easier to move position etc. I've not used inflatables, but they are probably more exposed to the wind sitting higher on the water. On the north island, both Lake Tarawera and Lake Waikaremoana are great for kayaking. The former especially so, as if you've trolley for the kayak, it's possible to do the 1km portage and kayak on Lake Rotomahana and see the steaming cliffs close up (wouldn't do that on an inflatable mind!) that plus camping at Hot Water Bay.

I used to be a sea kayak guide using both sit-ins and sit-on-tops. The big advantages of sit-on-tops are stability, manoeuvrability, safety and ease of use. Our safety briefing was "if you fall out just climb back on". Sit-ins require learning how to self-rescue as, if you tip over you can really be in trouble. They are also usually much more 'tippy'. A wide sit-on-top will be very stable and should have heaps of room for gear and the dog but will be slow comparatively. Took out some customers once who insisted in taking their dog with us. Put it in the centre hatch but it decided to leap out in mid-ocean! It was big and we had a hell of a job getting it back in. Would suggest tying it up next time. I prefer plastic as you can bash them around with no problems. Even had one fall off the trailer once with no damage - fortunately no one was behind us! Used a Canadian once (in Canada actually) and it was great to load up with our packs to cross a lake. However they are pigs to use in wind and very slow compared to kayaks.