# When does everyone roll up the raft?



## seantana (Mar 5, 2015)

Never. I'll 303 and tarp it in late October usually, but it's always ready to come back out and play. I have a friend who is determined to fish from her raft every month this year and I imagine I may be involved in at least a couple "off-season" expeditions. It also helps to live 2 minutes from the nearest ramp, I imagine distance makes everything more difficult.


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## MT4Runner (Apr 6, 2012)

Probably sometime this week while it's warm out. I had a couple of magical low water floats on the MF Flathead when the skies were still blue and the water is crystal clear.

Like you, with family and kids and school and fall sports, life gets busy.


I store my rafts and cat tubes rolled/folded and on a pallet under my back deck, double-tarped. They don't get unrolled until a warm day in May or so.


I also kayak; if a late season flow appears, I take the hard boat. None of my regular raft passengers are crazy enough to take a 2k November run just because it's at 2k.


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## Riverwild (Jun 19, 2015)

I normally pack up the boat when it starts to snow and the thought of river running gives way to skiing. The boat normally makes a return on Presidents weekend for a desert float and stays out until late next fall.


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## PhilipJFry (Apr 1, 2013)

I don't roll it up. I roll it in to the garage and let her relax until she goes out next.


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## smhoeher (Jun 14, 2015)

My boat is still rigged and ready and, like seantana, I am 5 minutes from the nearest ramp. The water is so low I suspect my river time will be duckie floats through Grand Junction. I hope to get another Ruby/Horsethief trip in but am dedicated to my kids and their marching band. Fruita Monument HS is one of the top marching bands in Colorado!

As far as storage - I keep the boat on the trailer but deflate it and fold it into thirds, cover it with a tarp, and lay the frame on top to hold it in place. My brand new oars are going to go in the garage.

Pray for snow so we have a better ski season and a great boating season next year.


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## paulster (May 27, 2011)

I roll my raft up on the take out ramp and unroll it at the put in. I usually unroll, clean it, and roll it up again in the driveway post-trip. I have limited storage space, though. The calendar doesn't have anything to do with it.


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## wack (Jul 7, 2015)

I usually do it in late October after some lake fishing here with the trolling motor and the Brown trout spawn. After that, it's time to get my lower body in shape for ski season.


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## Beer Waggin (Jul 8, 2016)

I put my cats away mid July after a Deschutes river float... we pulled off the day the first fire started. This year we floated the John Day for five days, did two three day trips on the Grand and a three day trip on the Deschutes.

Lots of stuff to do with the kids this summer... three weeks in Costa Rica, trip down south to pick up the new dog from the trainer, fishing this weekend and start elk hunting the following weekend. Likely the best summer the kids have had (8 and 10 years old). Blessed to be able to afford all we do! 

My cats never have been rolled. They stay inflated, on the trailer, in my shop all year! I spent a weekend prior to leaving to CR washing and 303’ing them, then re-rigged them back to their frames, so they are ready to go come next spring!


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## MontanaLaz (Feb 15, 2018)

I don't roll my current boat, but I did roll my previous one. The thing about when to do it is that once it is rolled and stuffed on a shelf or in a basement then you are likely really, really done for the year and you'll probably wait longer before you get on the river next spring.

I recall rolling my old boat in September and then getting a 70 degree day in October when the cottonwoods and Aspens were all changing and thinking what a magnificent day it would have been for a float but not doing it because it was such a process to get ready to go.


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## DoubleShadow (May 2, 2013)

I don't understand why folks on here are acting like rolling a boat is this end all be all extremely hard thing to do and once you do it your done for the year. I used to roll 6 boats a day and unroll, then re-roll. No big deal takes like 5 minutes a boat maybe and you can transport around with a dolly. Roll it whenever you want and raft whenever you want.


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## Whitewater Worthy Equip (Dec 11, 2013)

We Only when the boat is going on an airplane!


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## whiskey_river (Mar 2, 2015)

Never! I get to stare at it all winter while it sits on the trailer in the garage and dream of warm sunny afternoons on tbe river.

Sent from my SM-S727VL using Mountain Buzz mobile app


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## MontanaLaz (Feb 15, 2018)

DoubleShadow said:


> I don't understand why folks on here are acting like rolling a boat is this end all be all extremely hard thing to do and once you do it your done for the year. I used to roll 6 boats a day and unroll, then re-roll. No big deal takes like 5 minutes a boat maybe and you can transport around with a dolly. Roll it whenever you want and raft whenever you want.


I agree that it isn't a big deal to roll/unroll. My issue is more of a mental thing.

It is way easier to clear the mental roadblock to get my butt moving and on the river if all I have to do is back the truck up to the trailer and pull the cover off.

I keep my ski gear neatly organized right by the front door for exactly the same reason.:lol:


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## LSB (Mar 23, 2004)

seantana said:


> Never. I'll 303 and tarp it in late October usually, but it's always ready to come back out and play. I have a friend who is determined to fish from her raft every month this year and I imagine I may be involved in at least a couple "off-season" expeditions. It also helps to live 2 minutes from the nearest ramp, I imagine distance makes everything more difficult.


Text me when you do


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## seantana (Mar 5, 2015)

LSB said:


> Text me when you do


Will do, probably need someone to pole icebergs out of the way in January!


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## Idaho_ski_bum (Jun 22, 2018)

I move the raft out when I need the space for firewood.. usually October ish. It just goes down the road a bit and sits inflated on the trailer in a shop space I'm lucky enough to have available to me. Every once in a while throughout the winter I go sit on the boat, have a beer and dream of warm sunny river days.


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## NativeDiver (Jun 7, 2017)

*Roll Your Boat*

I have found it is easier to roll before it gets covered in snow- plus, it does not make as big of mess!


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## stelz (Aug 10, 2018)

Mine stays on the trailer in the garage all year. 
Seems like the only months I don't get on the river are December and January. Whitewater fun is over in the late fall and early spring for us...but we focus on fishing pretty hard in the fall and spring. I've made runs to the bighorn in November and even floated the Arkansas at 65 degree temps in February. Floated the upper Gunnison in March before with ice and snow on the banks. Water is low usually but the fishing can be good and we like to float whenever we can. My boat is setup with a fishing frame with casting bars, seats and anchor so it takes about two hours to setup-plus I have a Vanguard and it's gut buster to roll.


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## mkashzg (Aug 9, 2006)

After each and every trip.


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