06-19-2003, 11:07 AM
[cool]Hey, Bro. Good input. How's the shoulder doing? Hope you are being more careful about those trenches.
In my book on tubing I make a lot of suggestions about backpacking with a tube. The first is what you brought up...take a light tube. The same applies to waders and fins. RedBall used to make an ultralight wader that folded up small and weighed very little. You can't find really good lightweights now. The breathables all weigh more and most of them let you get some moisture. And, since you have to take some sweats for the cool nights anyway, use them for warmth. The chill waters right after ice out will have you going to the bank to warm up a few times, but neoprenes are bulky and heavier than you want to carry.
Fins can be heavy, but since you are not kicking great distances on the small lakes, you don't need the biggest and most powerful fins. Buy the lightest (but serviceable) you can find.
The last thing is to have a proper pack frame if you are going long distances. It's okay to carry an inflated tube on your head for a ways, but if you are taking a serious hike, you need proper pack gear and a balanced load. Every pound on your back takes a toll as you trudge up the trail, so the better you arrange your load the better you will survive until the next trip.
There are many little lakes that have feeding areas way offshore, that you can't reach even with a long cast with a bubble and fly. It is so much better to kick out there with a tube and to be able to fling a fly right in the fishies' faces making only short, controlled casts.
The really good thing about backpacking is that the trip out is usually easier than the trip in...if you are going downhill. Just be careful that you make controlled steps and don't let the extra weight of the tube overwork your legs and joints. Injuries result from fatigue and overuse. And, the human body was not designed for efficient downhill travel.
TubeDude
[signature]
In my book on tubing I make a lot of suggestions about backpacking with a tube. The first is what you brought up...take a light tube. The same applies to waders and fins. RedBall used to make an ultralight wader that folded up small and weighed very little. You can't find really good lightweights now. The breathables all weigh more and most of them let you get some moisture. And, since you have to take some sweats for the cool nights anyway, use them for warmth. The chill waters right after ice out will have you going to the bank to warm up a few times, but neoprenes are bulky and heavier than you want to carry.
Fins can be heavy, but since you are not kicking great distances on the small lakes, you don't need the biggest and most powerful fins. Buy the lightest (but serviceable) you can find.
The last thing is to have a proper pack frame if you are going long distances. It's okay to carry an inflated tube on your head for a ways, but if you are taking a serious hike, you need proper pack gear and a balanced load. Every pound on your back takes a toll as you trudge up the trail, so the better you arrange your load the better you will survive until the next trip.
There are many little lakes that have feeding areas way offshore, that you can't reach even with a long cast with a bubble and fly. It is so much better to kick out there with a tube and to be able to fling a fly right in the fishies' faces making only short, controlled casts.
The really good thing about backpacking is that the trip out is usually easier than the trip in...if you are going downhill. Just be careful that you make controlled steps and don't let the extra weight of the tube overwork your legs and joints. Injuries result from fatigue and overuse. And, the human body was not designed for efficient downhill travel.
TubeDude
[signature]