I guess it was easier to find folks than I expected.
Thanks for the replies. I’ll be in touch!
Thanks for the replies. I’ll be in touch!
I agree , the days of float tubes are done for me , although I used to hike into lakes never used a float tube anyway . Pontoons are so much better on so many levels.I recommend a pontoon boat. They keep your butt out of the water and afford you the flexibility of having both oars and kick fins. It's a lot easier (and safer, should a stiff headwind come up while you're at the far side) to row across a lake than to kick across it, and when you get where you're going, you have the kick fins to stay in place and make small movements.
Plus... as long as you get a decent one, you can use the pontoon on rivers, too!
The downside versus a float tube is when you need to hike in. You can drag a sturdy pontoon a lot of places, but I wouldn't recommend any more than about 1/4 mile for that one, especially if any uphill climbs are involved. That's where the donut rules....
Shameless plug!Do they even make quality donut tubes any more? I'm surprised they still call float tubes, "tubes" since the majority of good ones out there currently are in the FishCat/FatCat mold. more of a V-boat powered by fins. kinda the perfect hike in craft right there. Throw it on your back, sit just above the water, fin powered.....
I thought going to high altitude with a fully inflated tube was the problem?hall of float tube shame...last day at a high altitude lake wife and I had been camping at, bungied our Wood River V boats onto the bike rack, headed for home on the coast...pulled over for coffee at low altitude...and numbly noted the blown bladder and split nylon seam on one, the other looking like a swollen German susage.. being the dumbass who forgot to let air out before departing high altitude
Pete Ross's reply when I contacted him for repair..'yea, reason for most of our repairs'
Maybe it was more of a heat thing? Every +1000’ is like 3-4 degrees colder if I remember from hiking. Drop 6000 feet in elevation and you might gain 20-25*F.I thought going to high altitude with a fully inflated tube was the problem?
wet adiabatic lapse rate = 3.3 degrees of cooling every 1000' of altitude gain...without it, no snowMaybe it was more of a heat thing? Every +1000’ is like 3-4 degrees colder if I remember from hiking. Drop 6000 feet in elevation and you might gain 20-25*F.
Admittedly I cut most of my high school science classes and went fishing instead, but I also thought it was the other way around for pressure. First time I ever flew with a waterproof backpack (Fishpond Thunderhead) as my carry on, when I went to grab something out of it mid-flight it looked like it was about to blow.
That's a pressure related deal on flights. Less pressure up higher, volume of gas expands. Boyles law I think? Which requires temperature be constant, which it typically is on commercial flights. At least relatively constant.Admittedly I cut most of my high school science classes and went fishing instead, but I also thought it was the other way around for pressure. First time I ever flew with a waterproof backpack (Fishpond Thunderhead) as my carry on, when I went to grab something out of it mid-flight it looked like it was about to blblow.
Boyle's Law - something one get's introduced to on day one when getting scuba certified...the 'bends' being a divers worse nightmare (other than Whitey sneaking up behind him)That's a pressure related deal on flights. Less pressure up higher, volume of gas expands. Boyles law I think? Which requires temperature be constant, which it typically is on commercial flights. At least relatively constant.
^^^ +1A number of good suggestions have been made. One change that I made this year was to switch from using an inflatable vest to a full-on PFD. Mine is a NRS Chinook and I wear it when I’m on the water in my frameless pontoon and Fish Cat 4. Thanks @Buzzy for setting an example for the change.
Re-reviving this thread with "thread drift" -
Both my pant waders and chest waders come with neoprene (stretchy, very stretchy) wading belts that aren't very tight (I can pull my pant waders down to pee without undoing the belt and the belt is stretched to the max). I'm curious about wading belts for skinny old farts. Amazon seems to offer wading belts that look like something a lineman uses.
@jaredoconnor time for you to update your float tube experience. (Ps. I float tube alone often and worry more about car breakins than drowing, never without wearing my NRS Chinook PFD)