# River Tubes as "raft trailers?"



## Class3Hero (Dec 13, 2020)

I have a small cataraft with an oar frame. I can either fit my 7yr old kid OR my dog on it with me, but not both.
Has anyone ever towed a smaller craft for gear (or a dog) behind their boat to save space? This would only be used for big lazy river float trips like Ruby Horsethief or the Gunnison, etc.
I think that it would be an easy way for someone to get in and out of for swimming breaks on float trips or for my senior dog (w/a pfd) to ride along in.
Any input? Thanks.


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## Bootboy (Aug 25, 2020)

Does putting your beer in a drag bag count?


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## Danielseaney (Mar 12, 2021)

I just had 3 tubes tied to my paddle cat with the dogs up front Sunday on the Kootenai for 9 miles. I ran a 8' line to two off each tube and clipped the third off them to keep them in a triangle. With 3 adult girls in them I'm able to point at the shore and fish while they act as a drift anchor. Works great. Especially on flat big rivers. All you have to do is keep a good ferry angle! These were NRS tubes with D rings so it was really easy to tie to. If you're using cheap tubes just run the rope around the entire tube.


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## Danielseaney (Mar 12, 2021)

If you zoom in on that pic a 14' raft with fishing set up had 3 tubes in tow too.


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## KlaustheK (Mar 20, 2021)

I have done this pretty regularly on the junk run. I tow two river tubes and have them rigged up with a loose tow that can be tightened really quickly to make maneuvering easier when I need to. The kids love it.


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## dirtbagkayaker (Oct 29, 2008)

I prefer to use a long cam strap to tow because the strap floats better than webbing or rope and wont water log.


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## Danielseaney (Mar 12, 2021)

dirtbagkayaker said:


> I prefer to use a long cam strap to tow because the strap floats better than webbing or rope and wont water log.


Good thinking. I'll do the same now too!


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## Bkgarlington (Jan 18, 2021)

Class3Hero said:


> I have a small cataraft with an oar frame. I can either fit my 7yr old kid OR my dog on it with me, but not both.
> Has anyone ever towed a smaller craft for gear (or a dog) behind their boat to save space? This would only be used for big lazy river float trips like Ruby Horsethief or the Gunnison, etc.
> I think that it would be an easy way for someone to get in and out of for swimming breaks on float trips or for my senior dog (w/a pfd) to ride along in.
> Any input? Thanks.


I’m fairly new to rafting and on a trip down the grande Rhonde I had an IK hooked to a strap and was towing my daughter when we got hung up on a rock. It was a very small rock just below the surface and stopped us just enough hold us up. The IK pivoted around to the side of the raft and dumped my daughter. No major swim, but none the less not planned. I told myself no more towing kids…. I’m not sure if that’s a no no or not but from my experience here we are not going to do that anymore. We still tow it empty when the kids want to hop in the raft for snacks.


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## Electric-Mayhem (Jan 19, 2004)

Haha...saw this rig on the Yampa earlier this year(faces obscured since I don't know them)....










He was with a couple of kayakers and was a super easy going dude. This was their only gear boat. The orange raft appeared to be a cheap chinese job with no labels. I don't envy him having to row across rainbow park with that setup. Definitely a nice guy to take all the kayakers stuff too.


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## Bigwaterforeveryone (Feb 7, 2018)

Back when we had a Hyside Mini-Me, we used to cam it sideways to the back of our larger raft as a romper room for the gaggle of kids on mellow floats.


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