Alpine Fishing Raft

chrome/22

chrome/22

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Back in the day I carried one of these WW2 survival rafts. Had a pair of waterproof ping pong paddles for propulsion. Total weight was 10.5 lbs.

I'd imagine things have improved sense 1980.Screenshot_20260509-164252.Chrome.png
 
Late ‘60’s a buddy and I came up with the idea to use inner tubes and ping pong paddles. It didn’t take long to realize that we should have invested in “waterproof” paddles!

We did catch fish though, so it wasn’t a total waste of our efforts.
 
I am very close to buy raft. Perhaps will be an Alpacka. Not much confidence in paddling but I will keep it safe.
 
That's similar to the one I carried, looks a touch bigger though. Was a lot stronger then, and before back injuries. 7.5# with one coat of rubber paint on the bottom. It was more a bulk problem than weight though. Mine had a weather cover I cut off. Had to blow it up by mouth through a bite valve tube. Man I miss being up in those places.
 
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We had a raft similar to the one chrome posted. It was made in Japan and lasted probably 30 years. We took it all over the west on our camping trip when I was a kid and I used it for lake fishing for many years after that. It finally gave up the ghost so I bought a similar replacement at the Duffle Bag in Tacoma. I think it was made in China or Korea at the time and only lasted a few years before it started leaking.
SF
 
My Dad got it @ an Army surplus store back in his hiking days and used it many years before I started packing it in.

I remember one trip in 1975 took it into Eightmile lake up off of the Icicle Creek Road

Caught a lunker Mackinaw on a deep trolled red-headed triple teaser.

And also caught a hellacious sunburn too boot. Remember trying to sleep that night with my sleeping bag flipped wide open & the pack rats running over my back.

Oh, to be young and stupid again
 
Good memories here. I bet there’s some great stories to go with.

I guess it’s a good thing for those old survival rafts to have been tough if they were intended to keep a person alive.
 
Greg Armstrong said:
Late ‘60’s a buddy and I came up with the idea to use inner tubes and ping pong paddles. It didn’t take long to realize that we should have invested in “waterproof” paddles!

We did catch fish though, so it wasn’t a total waste of our efforts.
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I would hate schlepping one of those around now! My original Creek Co U-Boat with a huge cut and vulcanized truck tire tube for the main bladder and a smaller tube folded in half and stuffed into the backrest was ~12#. After a few yrs I "upgraded" to the lightweight PU bladders and used it until the nylon cover seams started to deteriorate.

I took my young son fishing once where I put him in a Sevylor "2 man" raft about the size of that survival raft that was given to me. I tied a rope from it to my U-Boat and towed him around a local small lake. He hooked and landed a small bass with a spin cast rod and just a little line out of the tip and a weighted streamer.
 
chrome/22 said:
My Dad got it @ an Army surplus store back in his hiking days and used it many years before I started packing it in.
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WWII surplus supplied vast number of hikers, backpackers, climbers, sportsmen, scouts... back when I was a kid. When 'modern" lighter gear like Kelty and Jansport frame packs and tents started making its way into places like the SEA downtown REI, boy that was the ticket if you could afford it.
 
if push comes to shove, and you can't spare the room for paddles, there are webbed-finger gloves to be had for purchase online. I used to own a pair, back when I was into boogie boarding.
 
Any BIG NAME will tell you its ANTTHING THAT FLOATS!!!! ahh just rig it up. Ahh just a couple a pairs tied together. I'm a Big Name. By the way Rick once ya get the truck fixed I need you to haul away those branches
 
I prefer a raft. I flip it over and use it as a bed when I stay the night. I take naps on the water. Plenty of storage space.
 
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