Have two older Alpackas still in use. One is from back when they came out of Sheri’s shed off 36th and when the big one was called the “Row’r” (2005 or 06), retrofitted with a spray-deck, primarily used for mini-expeditions carrying gear or a bike. The other is from just after the move (2007 or 08?), Yak (I think), used for day-ww-trips and meeting rocks, wood, and whatever else is in the water that I can hit with paddling skills reminiscent of a cat that has fallen into a bathtub. Both have “expert” repairs for slashes already that have held up surprisingly well.
Is there a lifespan for particularly the main material that I need to be concerned about? Is there anything to watch out for that would show signs of trouble (eg discoloration) or things I should be very mindful to check (eg stitching somewhere)? Is there anything I should be doing to prolong their lives? I’m not doing much other that vacuuming out debris and mostly storing them semi-loose. I would really really really like to not find myself in deep Alaskan sh-- that could be avoided and to someday break the record for most rocks one packraft can bounce off of, if I do not already hold that.
Thank you for any replies, or for gifting me a new model 