Rucksack for carrying a float tube

[corsican dave]

I personally think its agreat idea BUT I have been racking my brains (as has tony) for a solution to get all the gear you need to the places you want to be. My previous post only stands for day trips, I too cant come up with a way of getting ALL the gear for more than one day. perhaps next time we are out one of us should carry the tubes and the other other gear, 1 stove rtc minimalism! teaming up (unless tony builds the 'Hill Cartie' :-)) and splittint the gear is the only way I can think of.
I took all the float tube gear up to Boltachan in my rucksack and it was murder!
tube itself isnt too bad but there has to be a better light weight solution to the flippers and also some way of negating the need for wading boots. could probably save 5kg on those alone.
When I win the lotteyr I'm getting a helicopter tahts will solve all the problems :-)

that's where the pack frames come into their own. forgive my stupidity, but why on earth do you need wading boots for float tube use? surely stocking-foot waders fit straight into fins? even so, you might like to consider using a pair of wading boots you can walk in. I do this with some thin neoprene socks (or even bare feet in the summer), then hop into my waders and slip them back on again when i'm fishing. as for a 35Kg pack weight; i'll borrow a float tube over the weekend and see what my multi-night gear would weigh. I didn't even have 35Kg for this:[attachimg=1]

and that included some firewood and a 3-man tent.....

[Wildfisher]

35 Kilos Fred?

My float tube, fishing gear and food for a day trip came in at about 20KG you need neoprene waders, life jacket, warm clothes etc. The flippers alone are about 2KG

I used to do a fair bit of it and you can see I did not overdo the gear I carried.

http://www.wildfisher.co.uk/wildfisher/index.php/articles/articles-index-newest-first/293-float-tubing-on-wild-lochs

[Wildfisher]

but why on earth do you need wading boots for float tube use?

You don't but sometimes you do have to walk over rough ground which might hole stocking foot waders and it hurts!  Best thing I used were neoprene wetsuit boots, light, cheap, warm, comfy and strong.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/OSPREY-3MM-WETSUIT-BOOTS-ADULT-SIZE-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11-/250797643895?pt=UK_SportingGoods_Wetsuits_WatersportsClothing_CA&var=&hash=item3a64b45877

[Fishtales]

As I said Fred, these are figures I got from the web. This says 6.5 Kilos for tube, fins and pump.

http://www.troutcatchers.co.uk/acatalog/float_tube.html

I wasn't thinking neoprene but breathable ones.

This Lifejacket http://www.lifejackets.co.uk/products/387/seapro-150n-automatic-gas-lifejacket-save-10 comes in at 800g as does the boots so just kilo and a half taken off the spare weight leaving 3½ Kilos for warm clothes.

I'm not saying you are wrong I am saying with the right gear it is doable at 20 Kilos.

[Wildfisher]

As I said Sandy, I used to do quite a lot of float tubing so I am giving this info. from personal experience of doing it.  I can't see how I could have got it much lower without compromising safety. My float tubing and fishing gear alone filled the 100ltr  rucksack, there would have been no room for camping gear and I would not have liked to have carried  more weight than that uphill.  If you want to camp and float tube you will need a larger capacity than 100ltr.

[Robbie]

My plan is to use breathable waders, I believe replacing the wading boots with diving boots will also allow use of lighter flippers. The things that came with my tube are not lightweight.

The pack frame caught my interest because you do not seem to have a rigid volume limit. also possibly suitable for overnight trips. My thinking is that if going for an overnight trip I will not be in such a hurry to get to the water and can afford to take my time and have plenty of rest stop. I may be a bit of a masochist.

Splitting gear between pairs/teams is a great idea, used to do this for DOE type trips.

[Wildfisher]

My plan is to use breathable waders

Allan Liddle told me that he had to be pulled out of Loch Kander by his pals when he was float tubing with breathable waders and he was in a pretty bad way for a while. You would probably be OK on most waters in high summer, but I'd be very cautious about using them on high corrie lochs.

[Bobfly]

Maybe my circulation is not too bad but I normally use breathable waders and in cold conditions a pair of fleece trousers. Neoprenes only at the start or very end of the season and only quite near to an access. No lifevest (there are four bladders!), no spare clothing, no stove only a bit of food, the flippers float and so are not that heavy, no pump (mouth inflated bladders). I have very light breathables that take up just over one litre in volume when rolled up. Hill boots on my feet to go in the flippers and short goretex oversocks taken to wear inside the wet boots for the walk out. The tube on its straps carries everything in and out. Light carbon poles used to help the walk.