# What To Take On Float Trip?



## big rockpile (Feb 24, 2003)

Ok thinking of taking a 3 day trip with my Son floating down the river, hunt and fish along the way. Sleep on gravel bars.

First of I'm wanting to just take small Popup Tent, my Son wants to take my Large Tent and Cots. First off I'm not wanting to be seen that easy because legally we are not to be camping there.

Next he is wanting to take a Canoe I'm wanting to take 12 foot Flat Bottom Jon Boat. Son says Jon Boat gets up on a Log or Rock it's harder to get off than a Canoe. I'm thinking Jon Boat will be more stable.

Plus I'm thinking the fact on amount of gear, four Rod and Reels, Fishing Gear, and two Firearms, plus hopefully hundreds of pounds of meat.

Thoughts???

big rockpile


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## swamp man (Dec 25, 2005)

Depends on the waterway. Lots of low water and snags?....canoe. Clear sailin'? .....john boat. Cots are an awful lot to tote along unless you're gonna' stop off at one spot for a few days. If y'all have a spot picked out to hunt and fish for a while, I'd take the cots and big tent, and set up a comfortable camp.


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## frogmammy (Dec 8, 2004)

BR, if you're planning on getting UP when you wake up in the morning, you might reconsider the cots, or think about a ground pad. Old bones don't do ground too well, and gravel even less well.

Which weighs less, the canoe or the flattie?

Mon


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## Raymond James (Apr 15, 2013)

I use canoe, small backpacking type tent , sleeping pad, sleeping bag, backpack stove and pans, fillet knife, cooking oil , skillet, flash light, first aid kit, fishing gear two rods per person, water filter, TP, hand trowel to bury the stuff you use the TP for, spare clothes at least underwear and socks to change daily( I like to change pants/shirt every other day) rain jacket, sunscreen, bug repellent, bug hat ,/bug jacket if you are going in very buggy areas, sun hat , sunglasses. binoculars , camera. Short trip cooler but multi day usually not. 

Check the rules for the river . Not sure it would be illegal to camp on sand/ gravel bars. If it is what other camping spots are along that river. You do need to make sure you ask before camping on private property . This past summer incident of floater who stopped along the river to urinate being killed by a property owner. 

I recently got a Hensley hammock "tent". If you have trees make two hammocks and get two tarps or if you can afford it a Hensley hammock or one like it. No sleeping on the wet hard ground.


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## gimpy (Sep 18, 2007)

big rockpile said:


> First off I'm not wanting to be seen that easy because legally we are not to be camping there.


I think you just answered your own question. You know that it's illegal and you just posted your plan to do it anyway on a public forum. They got you. Well, they got you assuming they get you.


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## big rockpile (Feb 24, 2003)

Well it's COE Land, legally we can't Camp but we have done this before, throw a Line out say we are not Camping but actively fishing. They've let it slide.

It is only 8 miles there is 3 gravel bars. If by chance we kill a nice Hog we will go straight to the Take out no Camping. I killed a 450 pounder in there.

The other option we have is stay at my Cabin, drive 15 miles to the river, deal with it each day. If we did this we wouldn't cover as much ground and I could use my bigger Boat.

big rockpile


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## poorboy (Apr 15, 2006)

12' jon boat and alla that gear + 2people..:lookoutlease put me in yer will fer the doubly barrel muzzyloader afore ya go!


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## big rockpile (Feb 24, 2003)

poorboy said:


> 12' jon boat and alla that gear + 2people..:lookoutlease put me in yer will fer the doubly barrel muzzyloader afore ya go!


Sets up pretty good with just me.




I've had 3 people and gear in it for short trip did pretty good. That was when my wife decided to get rid of our Camper.

Of course my Big Boat does set little better just don't do good in shallow.



big rockpile


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## 1shotwade (Jul 9, 2013)

My brother and I took a float trip a few years ago. We had a 14' canoe,2 savage 24's in 22/410,2 -4ft ultra lites,2 pocket tackle boxes,2 sheets of plastic,2 mess kits w/cups,coffee,sugar salt pepper and flour,cooking oil.That was it except what we could care in our pockets. We spent 3 days not seeing anyone else,caught lots of fish and killed a few squirrels and ate and slept good and had plenty of room in the little canoe and very little weight to lug around over the rapids etc. Fresh fish cooked on a flat rock and squirrel on a spit.
I think there are different definitions of things like a float trip. The gear I've heard mentioned,I wouldn't be comfortable in anything smaller than a pontoon boat.To each his own.


Wade


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## big rockpile (Feb 24, 2003)

1shotwade said:


> My brother and I took a float trip a few years ago. We had a 14' canoe,2 savage 24's in 22/410,2 -4ft ultra lites,2 pocket tackle boxes,2 sheets of plastic,2 mess kits w/cups,coffee,sugar salt pepper and flour,cooking oil.That was it except what we could care in our pockets. We spent 3 days not seeing anyone else,caught lots of fish and killed a few squirrels and ate and slept good and had plenty of room in the little canoe and very little weight to lug around over the rapids etc. Fresh fish cooked on a flat rock and squirrel on a spit.
> I think there are different definitions of things like a float trip. The gear I've heard mentioned,I wouldn't be comfortable in anything smaller than a pontoon boat.To each his own.
> 
> 
> Wade


 I'm really thinking just stay at the Cabin and using my Big Boat considering we are Hog hunting and fish run 20+ Pounds.

big rockpile


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## Oldcountryboy (Feb 23, 2008)

Rock, what time of the year are you planning this 3 day float trip? 

I hope to go on a big long one this next summer. It might take several days also. But I'm going in the middle of summer so I wont have to pack too many clothes and I'm gonna eat mostly fish and potatoes. Take along a lot of jerky, nuts, , and dehydrated meals. Tinfoil to cook the taters in. And plenty of drinking water. 

My cooking method for the fish and taters: Dig small trench in gravel bar. Wrap potatoes in tinfoil or clay mud and place in trench. Cover with gravel rocks and build a big fire on top. While taters are cooking, scale caught fish. When fire has burned down to coals, place wire grate about 4" above the coals. Season with salt and lay fish on top of grate and cook for about 4 minutes on each side. When fish are done, remove. Rake back any existing coals and dig up taters and unwrap. Cut open the taters and spray with liquid butter and then season with salt and pepper. Enjoy! 

You can also take a few ears of corn with you and do the same as the taters mentioned above. Take a few lemon juice packets or whole lemons to sprinkle over the cooked fish. 

I'm gonna pack as light as I can and enjoy more of the scenery then fishing. I'm only gonna fish just long enough in the morning to catch breakfast and in the late evening to catch supper. And only be fishing mainly for large sunfish or small mouth bass. They're my favorites! 

I hope to float the whole Illinoise river that begins about 20 miles inside Arkansas and flows south through Oklahoma and dumps into the Arkansas River way down the state. I figure I'm going to have to do it in 3 sessions, each about 4 or 5 days long maybe. So I might not get it all done in one summer. But it's going to be a once in a lifetime adventure I've always dreamed of. Hope to take a lot of pictures.


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