Gear Review: Rocky Mountain Rafts (RMR) Phatcat 120 Inflatable Cataraft
The RMR Phatcat is an incredibly fun, lightweight, and nimble raft ideal for 2 paddlers. I've taken mine on many different Pacific Northwest trips including day runs on the White Salmon, Clackamas, McKenzie, Sandy and Washougal rivers. I've also brought it along on multi-day trips like the Rogue River and the Deschutes River. The Phatcat is essentially a cataraft/raft hybrid. Instead of needing a frame to connect the tubes, you have inflatable thwarts that connect them. Unlike a raft, you do not need an I-beam or drop stitch floor to hold it together. This saves a ton of weight. This means you get the lightweight features of a Cat without having to lug around a metal frame and oars. Though you can definitely pop a frame on one of these to row solo if so desired.
The Rocky Mountain Rafts Phatcat is ideal for 2 paddlers because you cannot sit on the back of the tubes in the classic guide position like you can in a regular round raft. You must sit parallel with the other passenger to make sure you don't spin the boat when taking forward strokes. That being said, you can put a third passenger in the boat, or your dog, as long as they're up for it! Overall, the Phatcat performs excellently and is a great buy for the price. It is easy to maneuver and correct the direction of the boat. This makes it great for beginners. When I brought this on a Multi-Day on the Rogue River, I put some total newbies in the Phatcat and they handled all the whitewater no problem. Another reason that worked is because the Phatcat punches through holes and waves with ease! The exaggerated bow rocker on the tubes, and lack of overall surface area really allows this thing to punch through (almost) anything.
There are a few downsides to the Phatcat, though they are not specific to this model by RMR in particular. Rather just the nature of this design. The first is how catarafts handle in the wind. The tubes are relatively large, which is great for the whitewater but can act like a sail on a flat stretch of water with minimal current. If you have a headwind, you are going to be working extra hard to get through the flatwater. Obviously, this may be a rarity depending on where you are planning on using it. The other downside is the tracking ability of catarafts. Because the surface area contacting the water it minimal, it’s very easy to spin, which can be helpful, or frustrating if your partner doesn’t know what they’re doing. Another thing to note is that catarafts like the Phatcat don’t do big drops or waterfalls all that well. Unlike a standard round raft that has a lot of surface area on the nose, the phatcat just has the two rockered tubes. These pierce into the water a bit more, where a round bout would hit the water and pop up. So the same design feature that makes the phatcat great at punching holes, does lessen its performance on steep drops.
Overall, the Phatcat will offer you just about the most fun you can have in a raft on class 3 or 4 whitewater. It’s lightweight, nimble, and will keep you high and dry in whitewater no matter your experience level. The Phatcat is also very easy to transport because of how small it packs down. Lastly, the price is pretty much unbeatable to anything comparable on the market and RMR’s PVC is pretty bomber. Give one a try!
SPECS:
- Hull Material: 44-oz tubes & 66-oz floor/2000-denier RockShield PVC
- Length: 11' 9"
- Width: 5' 8"
- Cockpit Dimensions: 22” x 35”
- Claimed Weight: 63 lbs
- Manufacturer Warranty: 5 Years