The missing link - Anfibio Packsuit

Ice blocks in the river

Higher end packrafting can be rough and you'll likely get wet if you (like me) fancy rafting during spring floods. Many drysuits which are targeted for paddling market are quite heavy and cost a fortune. Alpacka understood this at some point and started producing their own Stowaway drysuit in collaboration with Kokatat. The idea was right, but the price was still too high.

Photo copyright: Packrafting Store ©

Our European friend Packrafting Store made a huge favor to us all when they developed their own Anfibio Packsuit. The regular model is sold for 399€ and the basic model with less effective fabrics is sold for 299€. I purchased the regular one for testing as I felt this is something we all have waited for a long time.

First impressions

The Packsuit weighs only about 800 grams, which is attained by leaving off everything that is not necessary. Even the amount of seams is minimized and the single TiZip zipper stands high on chest level. The fabric is 3-layer breathable and waterproof and so thick that it resembled the same material which is used on US army soldiers' rainwear. I have the pants myself, and after years of hard use they still look somewhat new.

When I first jumped in the suit I realised that my subtle german top-yeast beer belly almost didn't fit in but luckily I was wrong. This was quite strange as most of my clothes are XS-S -sized. Next thing I noticed that my balls almost got crushed. I can understand this design as a drysuit must be airtight and excess air inside it is not a good thing. The upper part is really roomy and it will not interfere with paddling. The zipper is quite long and therefore bends a bit and feels strange under a PFD.

My suit is the standard model with latex neck enclosure. Latex seals must be worn in before actual use. As my body figure (and neck) resembles Gimli's (even though I have no epic beard) I almost passed out when I first tried the suit on. I stuffed a large kettle inside the seal for a few days -> problem solved. The enclosure could also be cut in shape but I didn't want to risk it.

Out in the water

The ice dam couldn't be avoided

I hate swimming because water is wet and I'm a coward, but now when I had invested 0,4k€ to a swimming suit I had to try it. I didn't measure the water temperature myself but regarding the forecast it was around -0,04°C. I had merinowool underalls and socks for insulation. Over regular socks I used a pair of latex socks to keep the water out and regular fast-drying shoes over them. Hands were protected by neoprene gloves and I was of course wearing a PFD.

Merino, latex & sneakers

This time I didn't really plan to test the suit in water but due to high flow I ran straight to an ice dam and got stuck there. The only way away from there was to swim and crawl over flowing water and huge ice blocks. The suit held all the water outside and took no damage while crossing the ice. I also noted the need of neoprene, as my hands were fully operational (even comfortable) but my feet were somewhat freezing.

A more or less forced flip

Later in the spring I hired a damsel (well, actually she volunteered and was in fact quite excited :P ) to test the suit further. After a little bit of diving I'm able to confirm that the latex seals won't let any water in even if whirling around like a washing machine. The important thing is to let all the air out of the suit as the overleft air will move inside it depending on the user's position. In worst case scenario you may even end upside down and therefore it's imperative to always wear a PFD.

If you happen to flip over in calm water or float down into an eddy, you can easily let the excess air out by opening the neck enclosure with your finger a little bit.

Hiking mode

Packsuit opens nicely for ventilation

On longer expeditions Packsuit is not a suitable substitute for rainwear because the latex seals make long walks uncomfortable. But on shorter trips where walking distances are not too long and the plan is to concentrate in boating Packsuit can be used directly with small backpack. (Note: this blog focuses on finnish/nordic style of hiking: 50-liter backpack is still considered small ;)) The upper part can be wrapped down to the waist or worn without the head section. Both styles work well in good weather, but if it's rainy and you'll have to walk while wearing a closed suit, you'll most likely be drowning in sweat. An airtight suit cannot be ventilated by any means, and no waterproof fabric breathes well enough to pass intense sweat through.

Keep in mind that if you order the suit with attached latex socks you can forget about walking in it. Latex socks are not suitable for walking distances longer than ~500m, after that the combination of sweat and friction will tear your skin open at some point. Don't risk it!

Conclusion

Considering the price Anfibio Packsuit is a very good product. The cut could be improved, but excessive product development may lead to increase in prices. I'd rather see prices remaining on a reasonable level than any fancy gimmicks. Packrafting Store will serve European packrafting market much better if they continue providing reasonably priced accessories rather than trying to make extra money with them. But I'm quite sure the earlier is what will most likely happen. =)

I might have been happier with a Medium-sized suit, but this will do it's job. Anfibio Packsuit sports the most important features of a drysuit: it will keep you dry and you can easily paddle and even swim in it. If these suits turn out to be durable enough, I'm quite sure they will become standard equipment in European packrafting scene. Well done Packrafting Store.