Tube diameter
Also: tube diameter
The thicker the tube, the more buoyancy and freeboard a packraft has and the stiffer it is.
That's also how the legend of the Packrafting Store's comparison table describes it. Thick tubes keep out waves better and carry more luggage, but increase weight and packed size. Whitewater boats often have thick tubes, ultralight boats thin ones.
Sources and further reading
Research as of 13 Nov 2026. We have marked manufacturer information as such.