Tom Grundy's Ongoing MRS Viking EVO2 Packraft Review Page

In order to do a packrafting trip with Iris I got a new packraft - the MRS Viking EVO2. This is a tandem self bailing packraft with a Tizip in the bow which allows you to store gear inside the tubes. The one I got is a sporty red - we call it Pepper. The self bailing design for this boat is a little different than most, the lowest spot in the floor is where your feet go, and the self bailing holes are only there and have flaps over them so that when you are paddling forward they create less drag. This seems to work, although it might drain a little more slowly than if it had more drain holes. When it is totally swamped I'm guessing it takes 15-30 seconds to drain. Also your heels are almost always in the water, so unless the water is quite warm it is a good idea to have footwear that can handle cold water immersion.

The seats are inflatable and have a compartment with another Tizip for each seat. This allows you to store some items inside the seat. Plus - you can store items in the seat, but they aren't so easy to get at while on the water, especially if they are in the space all the way at the back of the back seat. It can be hard to get everything out if they migrate under the inflatable seat or otherwise hide. The front and back seat are connected so if one leaks the water can get in both. I'm not sure that is the best plan, but it might make deflation easier. My back seat came with one broken baffle. I contacted MRS and they said they would send another. I have yet to recieve it and when asked a follow up a few weeks later have not heard back. The good news is the seat with a bulge still works, I think it might not drain quite as well, and I am a little worried the stress will weaken the other baffles.

This packraft comes with 4 point thigh straps. They can be cranked down and really connect you to the raft. One advantage of the self bailer is you can get into and out of the thigh straps and crank them down tighter without messing with a sprayskirt. I find if I keep the straps on tight too long it makes my hips sore more quickly. I like that the person in the back can sit on the back of the tubes for a change of position. I wouldn't want to paddle a rapid like this, but it is a nice change for flat and mild water and provides better vision over the front paddlers head. The back rest connects in 6 places and seems pretty solid - definitely more comfortable than the inflatable back rest on my other packraft (standard Alpacka single from about 2008). It is also quite a bit heavier - more in the 16 lb range, especially with the thigh straps and backrests (I need to actually weigh it though).

Iris adds some air to the MRS Viking EVO2

The raft inflates quite quickly with the inflation bag. Then the second level of the main valve has a one-way valve that lets you add to the pressure without losing air when you aren't actively inflating it. You do need to get the pressure up pretty good. About the max I can blow with my lungs (I think my years of playing trumpet help here, as Iris was unable to add any air when I still could). A hand pump makes it much easier to top up, especially if you have to do it on the river after the boat is tempered. I modified a balloon? hand pump with some gorilla tape and a bit of rubber hose to get it to the right diameter. They say inflate to 1.5 psi - I need to measure this somehow and see what I am getting it to. If it is low the boat tends to fold a bit next to the front seat. It will do this anyway when you hit a hole, but it is more pronounced if the pressure is low. The only other tandem packrafts I have paddled are the Alpacka Gnu - which was quite solid but not very comfortable for me over a long distance (it is sort of like straddling the hotdog of a hotdog in a bun), a Kokopelli double that was quite flexible and not very suited for whitewater, and the MRS Barricuda which is pretty good and possibly a little stiffer (it is shorter), but takes longer to get in and out because of the spray skirt and you do have to stop to dump it out every once in a while.

You can see more of the specs here: link to Micro Rafting Systems page for Viking EVO2

I got the Deluxe model with heavier fabric and the internal storage system.

For my first paddle I did a bike - paddle - bike. This boat is definitely bigger and a bit unwieldy to roll up tight since it has 420D fabric for the main body and 840D for the floor and you don't want to bend the Tizips or the flaps over the drain holes too much (or for a long time). Still, I got it all into my backpack and biked to the put in. Then I inflated the boat and strapped the bike on the front. The back tire (a 29er) was held down nicely by the thigh straps and the rest of the bike was in front of that. This kept it totally out of the way for paddling from the back seat. I didn't paddle any whitewater like this, but there was a lot of current trying to push me into the willows on the bank and a bit of wind. The boat handled well and seemed reasonably fast. It didn't turn immediately like a single does, but did track a bit better. The boat does come with a removable skeg, but I haven't used it yet. It should make tracking easier and turning a bit harder.

bicycle lashed securely on the front of the raft
it will be secure once I finish blowing it up anyway

The next paddle test was on the Rogue R in Oregon. The water level in Grants Pass was around 1700-1400 cfs during this time - quite low for early April. First we paddled a 25 mile section from MacGregor Park to Touvelle. It was class II and pretty easy, but a good warm up. Next we did the Hog Creek to Grave Creek section. This got into some II+ sections and maybe even class III as we ran the start of Grave Creek rapid the first day and then ran through Grave Creek Falls the second day. So far no flips except when we did it on purpose to practice getting out of the thigh straps (easy) and getting back in mid stream - easier than a single or boats with sprayskirts. This section is where we first took on enough water to swamp the boat and properly test the self bailing - it takes a bit (15-30 sec? - I'll have to look at the gopro footage to see if I can see how long it takes). When it is full the boat is pretty sluggish, but it is also quite stable.

MRS Viking EVO2 with an Alpacka Gnarwhal for scale

In the next few days we paddled 2 more sections of the Rogue (Gold Bar to Grants Pass and a short section down to Dillon Falls). We did flip in Dillon Falls and then portaged back up above and ran it cleanly. I would say this was solid class III at the water level we did. Then we went to the Klamath and ran the section from the old (and removed JC Boyle powerplant down to the campground). This featured at least one Class III rapid and once again we didn't flip, although we did completely swamp a few times and it wasn't casual. The final test was in the Reno Truckee R whitewater park. We ran down the left side a number of times. We stopped to surf in a few of the smaller holes but were not brave enough to try to surf the bigger linear holes. It worked fairly well although at some point we got turned sideways which in my experience with packrafts almost always results in a flip - I kept a strong downstream lean while Iris paddled us forward and out of the hole - nice.

Rogue River Rapid

in the business of Dillon Falls (just before the flip)

lots of excitement on the Klamath

hitting the second wave in the Reno WW park - note fold in tube to right of Iris

So far things I like - solid, nice thigh straps and seat, easy to get in and out, seems pretty fast for a self bailing packraft, Tizip and big long dry bags means a lot can be stored inside the boat. Lots of lash points, 2 mode valve is easier than my old packraft valve, sitting on the stern provides a change of position. Things I am less sure about - front and back seat Tizips are the same air chamber, a little bendy in the middle. Things I might try to modify - a way to have my feet in the back braced farther back - so even with my short legs I can move the seat back a bit and be solid in the thigh straps and have less paddle interference with the front paddler (and not knock her in the head as much when trying to steer in rapids) - that said, there is enough space for both paddlers as long as you coordinate or are careful. One thing is the user's manual and product brochure that came with the raft seem out of date and don't include the actual model I got (purchase 3-2026), It does seem like this is a pretty new boat, but it is odd. Another thing I might try to modify the back of the seat to have a water bottle holder or maybe some other sort of pouch.

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