How to maintain your TiZIP?

Looking after your TiZIP carefully will prolong it’s life and ensure you have trouble-free packrafting.

A TiZIP is an incredible piece of kit, but it must be maintained properly. Looked after properly, there is no reason why a TiZIP cannot last many years.

It is important that when you store your packraft, you also keep it dry and in an area not subject to moisture or damp. This will help prolong its life, but particularly if you have a TiZIP fitted. TiZIPs are particularly sensitive to being stored for long periods in damp conditions and can suffer from hydrolysis, a chemical reaction with the TiZIP material which can lead to degradation of the material and air leaking. In a TiZIP, this would normally be evident by bubbles appearing when soapy water is applied to the surface of the TiZIP while the packraft is fully inflated. Learning  how to properly maintain your TiZIP will help prevent such degredation occurring. If you find this occurring, please see How to repair your packraft.

When your MRS packraft is fitted with a TiZIP, you will need to roll your packraft a certain way. If you fold your TiZIP, twist or roll too tightly, you risk damaging it; given that your TiZIP is holding air into your packraft, it is very important it is looked after carefully. You can roll your packraft with a TiZIP fitted in one of two ways. The best way is to keep your TiZIP straight and to roll your packraft in a way that doesn’t need to bend the TiZIP (as shown in video further below, showing the MRS Microraft L with TiZIP being rolled). If you do decide to roll your TiZIP lengthways to achieve a more compact packed shape; this is also ok but requires greater care to protect your zip. To roll your packraft along the TiZIP lengthways, follow the same steps as shown in the earlier video above, but ensure you roll from the opposite end of the packraft first so that whilst the TiZIP is rolled along it’s length, it is not done tightly and therefore causes less strain on the zip itself (i.e. if the TiZIP is in the centre of a rolled packraft, it can place undue strain on the teeth of the zip). See How to pack, roll and store your packraft for more information.

For further information on how to maintain your TiZIP, please watch the below video guide.