You should post pics of your setup or compare to the raft porn thread. I have a wife and 3 kids. I do all my setup at home over the course of a few days. I top off the tubes and am off the ramp in 5 mins. What kind of put ins are you using? Where are you based out of? Hours with a wife, grown kid and dogs seems outrageous to me. How you have your setup done will help people answer your questions.

 

I didn't read the full post but am just replying to the question: I could spend all day.

 

Most folks take a long time to do the initial load on most trips I go on. You just have to be chill about it. As a trip progresses the loading process for most folks gets much faster. One guy I boat with never gets any faster. Seems he never loads the the boat the same way twice. Dude takes friggin forever.

 

Thank you for your understanding...I guess we are all Padawans at some time. Your friend sounds like my spouse...abstract and always trying new things, which isn't bad it is just hard to watch sometimes. I'm linear and need focus.

 

Yes, way too long. I have wife, teenaged daughter and 2 dogs as well.
mutiday trip at put in, we’re on in 20 minutes, breaking camp on river, 45 minutes if we’re solo. We’re efficient but enjoy a cocktail or 2 while rigging. Not a huge rush. Same deal with bro trips. I don’t preload my boat as well, but I have everything ready in back of truck for the quick transfer.
Couple thoughts..
-If you have a schematic for where your gear goes, you bring way too much shit.
-I’d lose the motor if your using it just to catch up to people, wake up earlier or something. That stresses me out just thinking about it.
-Dogs, I wouldn’t bring my dogs if I was worried about them falling in or them being good boys at the put in. Sounds like they might be pampered. But I do appreciate you having kid watch them at put in if they can’t chill by themselves, tons of bad dog owners with bad dogs running around at put ins. My point is, get the dogs lined out and you’ll have that extra body to help.
-Finally, you say “heated arguments“ at the boat ramp with the wife. My wifes job at the put in is keeping my drink full and chatting with other groups. At boat camp she and kid pack their personal dry bags and help with the kitchen, that’s pretty much it. Point being is you can’t have too many cooks in the kitchen, one of you is slowing the group down with over packing and over thinking.
you said you’re relatively new, you’ll figure it out, or not. I agree with James above, I have a buddy that has done hundreds of multi days and is just as slow as his first time, pretty sure it’s a untreatable disease.
good luck dude

 

I have a checklist. I made it on google sheets. It’s divided into:
Raft/Camping/Kitchen/Food Pack/Personal Gear

It’s 6 pages long and goes in a clipboard. I’m always messing around with its contents. There’s 2 columns: Have and Packed. Do we have it, and is it packed?

It takes me about 5-6 hours to get propane, shop for groceries, pack all our group and personal gear, load most of the boat(or boats; on a trailer) and put the rest on the truck. This is whether the trip is 1 day or 9 days. If it’s 10-15 people and I’m doing the group cooking, and the menu is set, it adds another 4-5 hours.

I have never forgot anything super critical (but some small stuff) due to using a checklist. It’s only as good as your ability to use it. It keeps things really civil between my wife and daughter, friends and families. I share copies with my family and friends prior to the trip.

I don’t have a diagram of where things go. That’s a changing target. In general if you know you have the gear you need with you, it’s less stressful. Bummer you can’t rig them on the trailer. I have a dedicated raft trailer and it’s a rare day I need 4wd or need to dip the axles. I just shove it close enough and drag it. 16’ fully loaded, with my wife.

A checklist doesn’t make you not fun or nerdy. It keeps things fun by taking out the need to rely solely on our brains, which are already having to process transportation, navigation, meals, group dynamics and weather.

Give it a whirl!

 

Arrive early, get a good spot, crack beer..... see how easy that is 😀

 

Ya- I was thinking it should take more than a six pack.

 

I'd say from the time I roll up to the ramp to push off on a multi day trip...........3 to 4 hours. 16 foot Avon with motor. Take an hour or so off that if someone is helping me. Lacing in the beaver tails is one of the more time consuming jobs. I've found that overnight or multi day trips require taking about the same amount of gear along, just less food and cooler space to worry about.

Pretty much the norm for me on any rafting multi day trip is to arrive as early as I can. I'm talking at least a day early, especially for Deso or San Juan. Nothing like pulling in at night and blowing up boats to help unwind from the drive.
The next morning its fun watching all the confusion and tension of the group's trying to launch that day. As soon as they all leave..........bring your boats and gear down from camp to an empty beach and finish rigging for an early morning launch. 😎

 

A few strategies to make things go easier would be to pre rig loop straps for strapping down things. an everything bag and some hatches can really speed things up. Adding a motor is Definitely going to complicate things at the put in and take out. A 16 foot boat has room for 2 hatches a cooler and dry box bay. If you are spending a ton of time rigging boxes and coolers into your frame you could speed things up by having tabs welded on your box and using a canyon prospector or navigator.

Last thing to remember is you are on vacation enjoy the river, no need to argue or get frustrated at the put in or take out.

 

Practice rigging 3-5 times in your yard with no time pressure. Should be able to get it down to 45 min.

If you’re only doing class I-II, rigging should be fairly straightforward, as you aren’t worried about a flip.

My one bit of advice is fewer, bigger bags.

 

Not sure what the ramps look like where you're boating, but having a dedicated raft trailer would greatly speed your rigging time at the ramp. I can't remember the last time I've need 4WD to put my boat/trailer out. If you absolutely can't have the dedicated trailer, I'd make peace with it, get there early (maybe the day before?) and have a drink while rigging. It's better than being at work.

 

It's better than being at work.

I read your post and the last line is the most important. If you are really starting to dislike your happy place then then you really need to ask yourself "Am I happy to be on the river . . . . ?"

^^^
You are at the river to enjoy your time. Be way more Zen about it.

I would suggest pairing your load down to the absolute necessities, and some things that would be nice to have. Take a trip see how it works out, make a note and eliminate what you don't use but brought anyway.

Ruthless reductionism is a thing, and it is a good thing.
The less shit you bring, the less shit you have to deal with day after day.
If it gets cold, you should be able to wear ALL your layers and be just warm enough. Don't bring so much "just in case" stuff. You don't need most of it.
Don't pare down your emergency stuff too much...but you don't need 2 pairs of jeans, a hoodie, a puffy, a shell, a sweater, and a couple t-shirts for a summer trip. For a fall trip, maybe one pair of pants and the puffy. Add inner thermal layers (smaller/lighter) than more outer thermal layers.

Find the joy in having less stuff, and nailing more and more trips with a "just right" load.

If you're unpacking stuff from a trip, take note of all the stuff you never used. You really need to question if it gets packed next time.

One of the best purchases I have ever made is a big 'everything bag' similar to this: Everything Bag Cut my loading time in half.

For what it's worth, the offering from tuff River stuff is built better, and much easier to use.

Either version is better than a mess of straps. I agree, the TRS gear is bomber burly built. Tougher than the one I made for myself, for sure.

Loading gets a lot more simple when everyone knows where the stuff goes. Day 2-3 of a river trip, people can largely drop their own bags in order if you have a good sequence. Maybe it pares down a little during the trip as you consume food, or morphs in other areas when you create trash/recyclables. Having a big Santa Claus bag makes rigging a million times easier because you can just drop all the little bags in and not have to worry about rigging a strap through each.

I don't have a perfect pic of mine, but I just lace mine up the back and across the top, then spider straps over the top.
Oh, and back in to the beach. The majority of your stuff is in the back of the boat. Why carry it the length of the raft? Your bow passengers can walk down the boat and hit the beach, everything else that comes out nightly is in back. Maybe you climb on your boat to hit your cooler...but if you're sharing cooking duties, you may not be in your cooler several nights and then hit it heavily the couple nights its your cooking duty.

It would take me ~1.5 hr to rig with straps, ~45min to rig with an everything bag, and under 1/2hr to rig a dory - throw gear in and slam hatches closed.
So it's not just your rigging skill or communication (or lack thereof) with your wife...it's also your rigging system that will make an enormous difference in rigging time and stress.
Not gonna lie, I love packing my dory. It's just 6 big connected floating dryboxes.

1. OP, you say teenager must watch dogs. Why not leave them in the van with windows down? Or tethered to van/trailer/tree/post/boat? .....at least for the critical items that you need assistance with.

Absolutely tether the teenager if they're unwilling to help rigging!

3. I have to remind my spouse quite often that you can make an intense situation TRIPLE as intense if you add anger. (or whatever negative word you want to put in that sentence) I'm far from a marriage counselor, but it's not just the gear that makes it a slow messy process. Preventive human mentality measures must sometimes be taken too.

Having been married for almost 25 years I've learned that some preventative humility also goes a long way, too. If you can admit you're hangry or grumpy before insinuating she is...hopefully she becomes part of your solution rather than a new problem.

Don't be one of those couples arguing on the ramp that others stare and laugh at.

5. If only doing class 1-2, why can't some of the less essential rigging happen while floating?

IMHO if there's inessential stuff...it doesn't need to go on the trip in the first place.

 

I read your post and the last line is the most important. If you are really starting to dislike your happy place then then you really need to ask yourself "Am I happy to be on the river . . . . ?"

 

I guess that is why it is "my" happy place and not my family's! Hopefully things will cool down and all of the great tips I've gotten on this thread will mend their way into making rigging a more successful and pleasant experience.

BTW- there are no other happy places out there... it is the river 🌊 or nothing!

 

Wow. That much rigging for class 1-2? My first day of a multi day takes a bit to get it all figured out but after that not so much. Your 16 year old doesn't help except to watch the dogs? That sounds like a guest not a participant, send the wife to walk the dogs and make your kid help. Maybe send them both away and just do your thing. In terms of the arguing at the ramp...there can be only one 'captain'. You rig until you are happy and that is that. If she wants to help great. Have stuff there when it needs to be. Maybe let her do the rig and you assist but there really shouldn't be an argument about it before you even start. You have a diagram FFS, how hard can it be?

I do find that color coding straps does help me. All my four footers are green, sixes are dark blue, 10 footers are light blue etc. I also pre-rig straps in their locations even if I am not tying the gear on before travel. Good luck, it can be a life long battle to get rigged, but take the stress out...it is what it is.

 

I do find that color coding straps does help me. All my four footers are green, sixes are dark blue, 10 footers are light blue etc. I also pre-rig straps in their locations even if I am not tying the gear on before travel.

However, if you just stuff your straps in a bag with no system in place, you can just ask your significant other to sort the knotted, tangled straps while you rig. That keeps them busy, focused, quiet and feeling like they're contributing.

 

After many years sitting on the ramp at westwater watching people rig for class 3 and 4, I'd say most of them get it accomplished in 45 minutes to an hour. Husband and wife teams usually have a system, the husband rigs the wife brings. Now Ruby horse thief people de-rigging at the ramp can take anywhere from 2 to 4 hours, because it seems they bring everything they own! Huge piles of gear for an overnight trip. Never seen anything like it.

I would suggest pairing your load down to the absolute necessities, and some things that would be nice to have. Take a trip see how it works out, make a note and eliminate what you don't use but brought anyway. Agree with other people's observation that your wife should be taking care of the dog and your kid helping to rig. Spend a lot of time telling the kid where things go and when they end up there praise them by saying good job, repeatedly, it'll instill a sense of ownership into them, and make them want to do it again, and take pride in doing it correctly

 

Husband and wife teams usually have a system, the husband rigs the wife brings.

My wife and I also have a system. She has a cocktail or coffee and I do all the rigging.

 

Early in my rafting days I was invited on a Gates of Ladore trip with a group of retired raft guides. They had been boating together for decades and had it down to a near perfect plan. On the ramp the boats were loaded and in the water in less than 20 minutes. During the trip they were loaded in less than 10 minutes. It was a thing of beauty, like watching a well oiled machine.

On the other hand I have friends that will take 4-5 hours to load and rig for the same trip. The difference is simply good organization and planning.

The experienced boaters showed up with all the dry bags and coolers packed. No rearranging at the last minute. They knew where the straps were stored and had them pre-sorted by length and size. They had a rigging plan (written down on paper!), they new where each piece of gear was to go. And one person was in charge of loading, the boat captain.

One of the best purchases I have ever made is a big 'everything bag' similar to this: Everything Bag Cut my loading time in half.

Having a bad time on the ramp can really be stressful and is a poor start to the trip. Here are some things I do to make the rigging a bit stressful
1) If possible I like to arrive the night before and get a good nights rest. Or at least be with an hours drive.
2) Arrive early, less crowd and less desert heat improve the ramp experience.
3) Have a good meal before rigging. Hungry, tired cranky folks don't get along as well. I always pack some snacks for the ramp, feed anyone that seems cranky.
4) Have good group coordination so everyone is ready at the same time. Communicate clearly, we will arrive at the ramp at 8:00, we will rig and launch by 9:30. So everyone is on the same page.
5) For me rigging is a work in progress. Each time I load the boat I get a little better at it. I have started taking photos of the well rigged boat to use as a reference on the next trip. I also wrote down my strap usage, no more guessing.

Want to have the worst day on the ramp? Arrive late, drunk or hung over. Drive 5-6 hours non-stop and arrive tired and foggy headed. Time it so you can be on a concrete ramp when the desert temperature will be well over 100 degrees. Pack in a rush and leave critical things at home. Don't use a list, just wing it. Skip lunch because you are running late. Forget to gas up so your shuttle driver has to do it for you. Don't pack things ahead of time so you can be sorting cloths, food and gear on the ramp in huge 'garage sale' pile while your stuff gets mixed in with other groups.

 

Early in my rafting days I was invited on a Gates of Ladore trip with a group of retired raft guides. They had been boating together for decades and had it down to a near perfect plan. On the ramp the boats were loaded and in the water in less than 20 minutes. During the trip they were loaded in less than 10 minutes. It was a thing of beauty, like watching a well oiled machine.

On the other hand I have friends that will take 4-5 hours to load and rig for the same trip. The difference is simply good organization and planning.

The experienced boaters showed up with all the dry bags and coolers packed. No rearranging at the last minute. They knew where the straps were stored and had them pre-sorted by length and size. They had a rigging plan (written down on paper!), they new where each piece of gear was to go. And one person was in charge of loading, the boat captain.

One of the best purchases I have ever made is a big 'everything bag' similar to this: Everything Bag Cut my loading time in half.

Having a bad time on the ramp can really be stressful and is a poor start to the trip. Here are some things I do to make the rigging a bit stressful
1) If possible I like to arrive the night before and get a good nights rest. Or at least be with an hours drive.
2) Arrive early, less crowd and less desert heat improve the ramp experience.
3) Have a good meal before rigging. Hungry, tired cranky folks don't get along as well. I always pack some snacks for the ramp, feed anyone that seems cranky.
4) Have good group coordination so everyone is ready at the same time. Communicate clearly, we will arrive at the ramp at 8:00, we will rig and launch by 9:30. So everyone is on the same page.
5) For me rigging is a work in progress. Each time I load the boat I get a little better at it. I have started taking photos of the well rigged boat to use as a reference on the next trip. I also wrote down my strap usage, no more guessing.

Want to have the worst day on the ramp? Arrive late, drunk or hung over. Drive 5-6 hours non-stop and arrive tired and foggy headed. Time it so you can be on a concrete ramp when the desert temperature will be well over 100 degrees. Pack in a rush and leave critical things at home. Don't use a list, just wing it. Skip lunch because you are running late. Forget to gas up so your shuttle driver has to do it for you. Don't pack things ahead of time so you can be sorting cloths, food and gear on the ramp in huge 'garage sale' pile while your stuff gets mixed in with other groups.

A hearty second third and fourth and fifth for the everything bag, worth every last penny, toss it in the bag cinch it up throw a strap over the top of it and you are done. For what it's worth I think your pooches will like sitting on top of it as well because they can grab into the mesh with their toenails and it won't hurt a thing

 

"...dragging" and boating are not a good mix...

 

That's what it feels like! We all want family time together before the adults are too old to paddle and the teenager runs off to enjoy her own life, but it sure seems like I am dragging them along!

 

Sounds like a goddamned shitshow.

Before we had a trailer we were at about 1.5 hours to inflate and rig for an overnight trip.

Have a general idea where things will live. Though your mention of "hanging dry bags off to the sides" has me puzzled. Do you mean you're hanging dry bags to the outsides of your tubes? Like dangling near the water??

Anyway, have an idea of where you'll rig everything. Then, my approach for rigging is that Boat Captain is in the boat in the water and Assistant is ferrying gear from shore. "Ok, now hand me the green dry bag. Now the stove. Paco pads will be next, then the red dry bag..." Once you get some practice at it (particularly on, say, day 4 of a multiday float), Assistant should have a good idea of what bits come next. The approach avoids asses-and-elbows on the boat, and should cut down on all arguing.

As for how things are setup in my boat: Bow is for passenger legs and a couple snack drybags attached to internal D-rings. Front bay is for heavy things (water, metal), covered by a table, covered by pacos for a passenger seat. Then a big drybox (food and kitchen, plus other sundry shit). Then captain's foot bay with a day cooler to one side, first aid/pin/misc. captain's box to the other. Seat over cooler in Bay 4. Stern has a floor, it gets the soft things + sometimes propane bomb, covered by a mesh beaver tail.

 

I would 100% recommend looking into a Pacific River Bag from Cascade River Gear. It's a game changer if you're looking to speed up loading/securing cargo in the boat.

EDIT also: crack a beer when you first get to the ramp (time of day is not relevant). It helps put everything into perspective that you're there to enjoy where you are at and who you are there with.

 

I would 100% recommend looking into a Pacific River Bag from Cascade River Gear. It's a game changer if you're looking to speed up loading/securing cargo in the boat.

For what it's worth, the offering from tuff River stuff is built better, and much easier to use. I've seen them both and the Cascade offering isn't bad, but it is more expensive and more difficult to use.. not to mention that tuffriver stuff makes things right here in the good old USA in Salida Colorado, is a veteran owned business, and the owner despite suffering from multiple sclerosis is still putting out river gear...

Just saying..

 

1. OP, you say teenager must watch dogs. Why not leave them in the van with windows down? Or tethered to van/trailer/tree/post/boat? .....at least for the critical items that you need assistance with.

2. Kengore's advice is spot on. The right gear and prepping.

3. I have to remind my spouse quite often that you can make an intense situation TRIPLE as intense if you add anger. (or whatever negative word you want to put in that sentence) I'm far from a marriage counselor, but it's not just the gear that makes it a slow messy process. Preventive human mentality measures must sometimes be taken too.

4. Don't be afraid to ask for help. It's not always true but Tina Turner's words are what come to mind - People on the river are happy to give.

5. If only doing class 1-2, why can't some of the less essential rigging happen while floating?

6. Rig while she's shuttling?

*None of these mean my rigging times are in the Guinness Book of Records, but I strive to not be the last ready *

 

1. OP, you say teenager must watch dogs. Why not leave them in the van with windows down? Or tethered to van/trailer/tree/post/boat? .....at least for the critical items that you need assistance with.

2. Kengore's advice is spot on. The right gear and prepping.

3. I have to remind my spouse quite often that you can make an intense situation TRIPLE as intense if you add anger. (or whatever negative word you want to put in that sentence) I'm far from a marriage counselor, but it's not just the gear that makes it a slow messy process. Preventive human mentality measures must sometimes be taken too.

4. Don't be afraid to ask for help. It's not always true but Tina Turner's words are what come to mind - People on the river are happy to give.

5. If only doing class 1-2, why can't some of the less essential rigging happen while floating?

6. Rig while she's shuttling?

*None of these mean my rigging times are in the Guinness Book of Records, but I strive to not be the last ready *

Thank you for the breakdown of how to help! Sometimes just laying it out plain is simple makes things a bit easier to tackle and try!

Referring to #3.... we usually have a pre-crap show with the 7-9 hr drive to the night-before-the-launch campground, a crappy night's sleep knowing we have to repack all of the sleeping stuff back into the raft, a bit of indigestion from fast food on the road, and suddenly we have a recipe for disaster filled with tension!

#4 We have met some amazing people at the launch ramps and a few buttheads. For what it is worth, we have always tucked ourselves away from the main launch area (dragged our cargo to a thin section of the beach) so we don't make anyone wait on us to get out of the way. River and lake people are awesome...sometimes I can't believe genuinely friendly people as such still exist!

#5 great idea! We will try it!

 

I remember usenet and rec.boat.paddle.. Damn, I truly didn't need that reminder of how old I'm getting lol...

 

"Sonny, I was arguing about boating with strangers on my 11" VGA green screen before your mammy ever met your pappy in an AOL chatroom!"

 

You young whippersnapper!
I was using a teletype when you were just a glint in your pappy's eye!

I backed everything up on my paper tape punch 😂

 

Dammit, you have me beat there.

I was using usenet through a terminal on a VAX/VMS mainframe...but am too young to have done punch cards!
(but did use a paper punch to make 5.25" floppies double-sided)

 

You are a youngun.. I'm talking about a paper tape punch and a paper tape reader, spools of paper tape that when you use them it looked like braille but with holes instead of raised dots.. not a precursor to magnetic tape drives, but appeared on the scene at about the same time...

 

Oh, MT4 and myself are sorry about hijacking your thread. Back to our regularly scheduled programming

 

The arguments with the spouse will hopefully subside as more experience is gained. At least that was my experience... A root cause to our arguments was that she felt like she was in the way initially. I am fairly particular as most are when it comes to rigging... Have some patience, and get your spouse involved/explain why you like it a certain way. This went along ways with my spouse, and our timeliness once I realized the issue.

Color coded straps, and drop bags (I hate NRS cooler/drybox brackets) will also help greatly. Frame straps are great as well, and will help in the rigging process greatly as you can leave them on with minimal strap flap during transport, in addition to the drop bags! At the end of each trip try to set yourself up for success on your next outing by being organized when you break down. Thoroughly cleaning gear, inspecting it for defects (repairing before the next launch if needed), and being organized with straps will help in the frustration. Also, coming up with a system to load your car/truck will help when offloading to the ramp. That way you are pulling the items to rig out of your vehicle in the order you want to rig the boat to minimize your footprint at the ramp. The truck loading took me a couple of floats to figure out... nothing is worse than having to pull everything out for the item you want to rig 1st.

I leave the dog tied up to the truck, and make the 8 yr old work. He typically works on topping off the raft while we rig. It helps with the time crunch of getting off the ramp, and gives him a since of ownership in the process as well. We pre-pack our bills bags, and load them with the cooler, drybox and whatever else at the ramp. Our trailer doesn't have rollers, so offloading a completely rigged boat doesn't always work with three of us to offload/load due to the weight.

Repetition and experience will greatly expedite the process over time! On shorter floats where we are setting our own shuttle, we will drop the boat and set shuttle while the other rigs it that is an option. This is where explaining how you like the boat rigged will really play into your favor.

The initial rig/setup at the begging of the season typically takes a few hours as I sort out last seasons mess... Once the season is underway we typically take about 15 minutes while waiting in line at the ramp, and 15 minutes at the ramp once the boat is in the water.

Stick with it, and it will get easier! Arguing with the crew at the ramp while rigging is exhausting! Save that energy for head winds!

Cheers!

 

The arguments with the spouse will hopefully subside as more experience is gained. At least that was my experience... A root cause to our arguments was that she felt like she was in the way initially. I am fairly particular as most are when it comes to rigging... Have some patience, and get your spouse involved/explain why you like it a certain way. This went along ways with my spouse, and our timeliness once I realized the issue.

Color coded straps, and drop bags (I hate NRS cooler/drybox brackets) will also help greatly. Frame straps are great as well, and will help in the rigging process greatly as you can leave them on with minimal strap flap during transport, in addition to the drop bags! At the end of each trip try to set yourself up for success on your next outing by being organized when you break down. Thoroughly cleaning gear, inspecting it for defects (repairing before the next launch if needed), and being organized with straps will help in the frustration. Also, coming up with a system to load your car/truck will help when offloading to the ramp. That way you are pulling the items to rig out of your vehicle in the order you want to rig the boat to minimize your footprint at the ramp. The truck loading took me a couple of floats to figure out... nothing is worse than having to pull everything out for the item you want to rig 1st.

I leave the dog tied up to the truck, and make the 8 yr old work. He typically works on topping off the raft while we rig. It helps with the time crunch of getting off the ramp, and gives him a since of ownership in the process as well. We pre-pack our bills bags, and load them with the cooler, drybox and whatever else at the ramp. Our trailer doesn't have rollers, so offloading a completely rigged boat doesn't always work with three of us to offload/load due to the weight.

Repetition and experience will greatly expedite the process over time! On shorter floats where we are setting our own shuttle, we will drop the boat and set shuttle while the other rigs it that is an option. This is where explaining how you like the boat rigged will really play into your favor.

The initial rig/setup at the begging of the season typically takes a few hours as I sort out last seasons mess... Once the season is underway we typically take about 15 minutes while waiting in line at the ramp, and 15 minutes at the ramp once the boat is in the water.

Stick with it, and it will get easier! Arguing with the crew at the ramp while rigging is exhausting! Save that energy for head winds!

Cheers!

Thank you for your positive thoughts! I admit I have a "personal" problem with patience and just assume an adult would know what to do, which is completely arrogant of me. I assume my passion, being out in nature and on the river, is their passion, of which it is not. Gratefully, my spouse states that even through all of this crap they come with to spend time with myself and our daughter. Thanks again for the positive vibes! As my spouse would say- "no one ever went to college wearing diapers!"

 

Single parent w/ a 10 year old and 12 year old. I have a 16' cataraft that travels w/ tubes rolled & bagged. The three of us can typically be rigged and on the river (for multi-day) in 1 hour-ish.

 

Keep your bragging to yourself 😁... we are a work in progress! Just kidding, there are a ton of awesome people here that have it down and your family is part of that group! My family is in the trial-and-error-group. Lots of errors so far...