When do you use float bags?

[Steve in Idaho]

Enough to keep them afloat, or enough to stop them getting pinned? Hopefully you haven't actually tested the latter but figured I'd ask.

With gear for a well supplied day trip secured to the boat and the canoe swamped, it floated on its side high enough that I think it would avoid a pin in most cases. It was pretty easy to roll it on over to empty, once I got to calm water

 

[eckilson]

was your partner on his seat at the top of that drop?

He was at the top, but not at the bottom. Doesn't look like I am on the seat either. We hit a rock at the bottom that knocked us both off our seats.

 

[Erica]

It's all about displacement, a 100 litre dry bag filled with gear will displace the same amount of water as a 100 litre air bag. Unless your gear bag is filled with sand or concrete there will be plenty of air to provide basic flotation.

Thank you, recped. I was starting to worry. When I am out tripping for 3-4 weeks, there is no place in my canoe for float bags. All space is taken up with gear and food. All are in dry bags. I am pretty compulsive about making sure dry bags are sealed tightly.

 

[Erica]

He was at the top, but not at the bottom. Doesn't look like I am on the seat either. We hit a rock at the bottom that knocked us both off our seats.

So you don't kneel and use thigh straps in that kind of water? Not critical. Just curious.

 

[Tsuga8]

He was at the top, but not at the bottom. Doesn't look like I am on the seat either. We hit a rock at the bottom that knocked us both off our seats.

Pretty sure I'd be in white-knuckle-death-grip-on-the-gunnels mode at that point too.

 

[eckilson]

So you don't kneel and use thigh straps in that kind of water? Not critical. Just curious.

We were both kneeing. The boat is set up with thigh straps that would have helped, but I don't usually put them in anymore. It's bad enough getting my feet out from under the bench seat. The straps would just be one more thing to get hung up on.

 

[PaddlingPika]

I’ve been on some big windy lakes that made me wish I had flotation. Some say packs of gear will suffice if strapped in, but Im skeptical. I do put dry bags inside my packs but they have little air in them.

Aside from providing flotation in case of a capsize, filling any empty space with float bags so that the canoe is packed to the gunnels when paddling in windy conditions can help a little with deflecting wind over the canoe rather than the wind pushing on the inside as much.

 

[Erica]

We were both kneeing. The boat is set up with thigh straps that would have helped, but I don't usually put them in anymore. It's bad enough getting your feet out from under the bench seat. The straps would just be one more thing to get hung up on.

Good point. When I was paddling tandem I could easily get out of my thigh straps. With the narrower solo, I wear only neoprene socks and my feet are small. I can slip out easily. But I do not paddle anything like what you’re showing there.