How to make a raft

The first river rafting adventure involved four of us. I told my friends to be an adventure-disaster ready, get wet and cold. Three took the bait. We took only a hatchet, a small hacksaw, snacks, water, and whatever scraps of rope we could find - all in a small backpack.

We parked on a bridge and hiked along the river until we were a few miles from the car. We would like to build a raft, with dead trees and our scraps of rope. Then we begin to float and then back to the car.This is so to speak, what we have - but that's another story. This is a How-To Guide.

How to make a raft

Ax or hatchet can help, but it will be the easiest way to cut your trees with a saw. For some reason, the toolbox working cropped size saws better than longer, and must be paid better in a pack a day. Other than this tool is all you really need about 100 meters of rope or heavy twine. This can be broken or you can buy what they have in store dollar.

OnceYou are in the woods, either for a zone that is near the river and a scout for many dead trees. Besides the environmental issue, not only live plants swim well. Look for trees that are not more than ten or twelve inches in diameter, or you can try to cut it to fray.

What kind of trees should you use? You can not have much choice. If you have the choice to search for the lighter than wood, and these two are on the cut - simple to try, if forIt's possible. More deaths and dried maple are probably at 45 pounds per cubic foot - that is, do not weigh much thrust. They will also reduce one of the most difficult. A white cedar to 30 pounds per cubic foot is the best choice.

Cutting cedar is not easy, however. For easy cutting rotted, and light weight, my favorite is slightly dry poplar or poplar trees. Some older specimens are like Styrofoam when you cut and probably weigh about 25 pounds per cubicMouth. The only problem is that soak faster than other ships, so they are better for day trips.

Cut down trees and cut lengths available. Shorter logs mean further cuts. For this reason and for maneuverability, may be better to have a longer, narrow raft. I like protocols for more than twelve meters in length, target ten.

How many logs? Depends on the weight of passengers and gear, and used the wood. Water weighs 64 pounds per cubic foot.Subtract the weight of wood used, and your dependents. In other words, if the trees are about 39 pounds of weight per cubic foot will be about 25 pounds per cubic foot (64 less 39) contribute.

Suppose you have 600 pounds of people and equipment, and wood, has a capacity of 25 pounds per cubic foot. In this case, to 24 cubic meters of wood is floating (600 25) is divided - but try for a double or you're going to be in the water while"Float". You should therefore aim at 48 cubic feet.

The volume of a cylindrical object is pi times the radius squared, multiplied by the length. Pi is approximately 3.14, and there are 1728 cubic inches in a cubic foot. Now take your logs are about 12 feet long and 8 inches in diameter. Let's see ... the radius is 4 inches. Square, (4 x 4) and get the 16th Multiply that times 3.14 and 50.24 to 144 cm in length have a total of 7,234 cc. Divide in 1728 and obtained 4.19Cubic feet per log.

Okay, you have about 12 logs, to get your 48 cubic meters of wood. Is there an easier way? You bet. Just being together a lot more minutes than you think you need.

The easiest way is to mount the boat in water - a lesson learned by hard experience. Cut four or five long, thin rods. There are two trunks in the foreground, the two ends to be tied, and is intended to be diagonally (important - another lesson learned the hard way). The others are one or twoThe rafting poles you and your friend who used to drive the boat.

If you have a cooler, put them in the middle of the seat to keep all non-pilots out of their way. You can also use an old stump or log for this. Control groups should remain standing throughout the journey, as we learn from experience. This is like a raft floating down a river.