Some Thoughts about "Unwrapping" Inflatable Rafts | Ep. 140 

Really like the tip about trying several angles before committing to a time intensive z drag. It can be a huge time saver. Not saying try all angles before committing to a z drag, but at least find an angle that has an affect on the boat. If five guides pulling dosnt budge, a z drag will be more of the same. Excellent points on upstream and downstream saftey as well.

I feel like I'm a better rafter just by finding this channel. Awesome

Excellent ideas... we wrapped one on the Owyhee river and we were there for a full day, lost the frame... and then it decided to hail on us. 😄

Nice discussion. I really appreciate your application of physics, and when you make those references your drawings and your comments become much more clear. It makes so much sense to work the physics of the wrap instead of yarding until you rip something loose. Thanks Zach!

The self equalizing anchor is such an important concept. I wish I knew that in 1983 when I was pinned midstream in the Cribworks on the Penobscot for 2 1/2 hrs. We pulled every D ring off of that bucket boat.

Zach, great info that everyone who runs class 3 and above needs to consider. One safety issue that could cause extreme injuries is when a Z drag rope pops. I pray that no one is in the way. With a oar boat hooking to the frame in a couple points makes more sense. Paddle boats your thoughts on multiple points is the way to go. Finding a solid anchor to pull from is a challenge down here in the desert where we do not have trees along the river . Solid anchors are another must if you attempt to make a z drag pull. Its never a fun day when you have to pull out these skills, but you always learn something, great video Zach, Thomas Grand Junction, Colorado

Good thoughtful info like always. Thanks!

I'm a big believer in deflating tubes. Seems like the easiest safest option. Great video! Thanks!

Good micro lesson! And good brief on establishing command.

Great one thanks!

I want to say thank you for all this content. If been a subscriber for a few years now and always enjoy your thoughts and opinions. With that said I'd love to hear your thoughts on a safe way of getting to a wrapped boat.

Zach, your content is tremendous and a great service to the rafting community. Here some of my thoughts on wraps: I started boating in 1984. Sometime around that time, an acquaintance lost an eye when a z-drag rope snapped off of a wrapped a raft. Preventable, yes - as are most accidents in hindsight. But it scared me off ropes ever since, even though I know very well how to use them. And in maybe 100 wraps and pins over the years (mine and other boaters around me), I've pulled out a z-drag system and mechanically-advantaged ropes exactly twice. I will avoid ropes wherever I can, at nearly all costs. Here's my sequential strategy, agreeing most of yours: 1. First, take time to really study the aqua-dynamics of the situation. Can you deflect the water filling or pinning the boat in any way? A self-bailer might just be able to do its job and lift if you can stem a bit of the tide. Could you pull gently on a line to change flow? Or even divert water with a paddle enough to make a difference? 2. Will strategic deflation support point 1, or collapse the boat just enough to move on the pin obstacle? Deflate with deflecting water as the goal. Be careful: It's possible to exacerbate the pin if deflation is done wrong. Also, when deflating, if the valve is underwater, cup a hand slightly over it, and punch the button hard so you get full blasting air exhaust. You're trying to avoid getting water inside the tube. Let out a few blasts at a time, and consider the permanent damage you may do to your baffles. 3. Don't set the z-drag just yet. But some strategic sheer pulling on a deflated portion of the boat might deflect enough water to shift the boat. (I did this three weeks ago for a friend's boat in a near-flat-wrap/pin situation; deflated a downstream corner enough to left the opposite corner to deflect water and soften the boat enough to become "unpinched.") 4. If those measures fail or absolutely cannot be used, do you have a laced-in floor like on a SOTAR? If you've laced it properly - ideally in a couple of separate sections, you could consider using a rope cutter/safety hook knife to strategically cut a floor lace and let some water flow through. I've done this maybe ten times or more in challenging situations (like one-boat trips on class V exploratories back in the day; once on the Middle Feather). It temporarily disables the boat, yes. But it'll take you ten minutes to re-lace the floor; vastly less time than setting up and putting away the wrap kit. (Obviously be extremely careful digging around in a wrapped boat so as not to get trapped yourself.) 5. These measures will get 95% of your traditional wraps off. And if not, then consider the ropes. And please mind your eyes.

I'm really enjoying this entire series Zach. I'd like to hear your thoughts on dislodging a gear boat that is stuck (high-centered) on a rock in the middle of river, in deep water. What I've done in the past is try to shift the weight in the boat to try to use the current to help dislodge the raft (including bouncing up and down and from side to side), but if there's a better way, or another technique to try, I'd love to hear it. Ideally I'd have another boat upstream to be able to eddy out and help, but that's not always the case. Thanks the great content!

First off, your channel is an amazing resource. Thank you for all the info! Had my first and only wrap a couple weeks ago on the Sandy. No one else was going to be coming along, so I got a rope (throw bag) tied off to 2 d-rings then to shore and couldn’t budge it, even with a 3:1. We hiked out, got cell service, called for some help and when we came back, the boat had popped up and was now just bobbing up against the rock; we just pulled it off. My question: since we all swam initially, is there any advice for getting back to the boat? Honestly, that was the scariest part for me.

Might it be the best of both worlds to deflate the tube as described after - if one can safely reach them - establishing a self-equalizing anchor on the submerged D rings across the boat from where you'd recommended attaching the anchor? In this way, the raft collapses from the deflating tube, reducing the size of the catcher's mitt, while the direction of pull remains the same, helping to peel off the boat, all the while minimizing the risk of flipping the boat. Finally, a question: When folks try the tube deflation method, do you know of anyone having tried relaxing the straps fixing the frame to the tube to be deflated?

I like these discussions especially. The geometry, and geography involved in a wrap is difficult to reproduce on a show. We came close to having two wraps on Blossom a few years ago. Luckily, there were people already in place trying to free the drift boat that was pinned vertical. It is a really daunting task to navigate Blossom and just set a simple rope to a raft.

if the raft is not evenly wrapped; then on the longest protrusion from the rock tie a bucket on to the D rings, which will pull downstream while you pull upstream on the other end.

The biggest weakness with the rope systems we use to unwrap boats is giving out slack quickly or under tension. When a heavy (gear) boat becomes unwrapped and needs to be lowered past an obstacle (usually on shore) things get sticky. In a perfect world you can just swing the boat to shore. I've seen both ropes and prussic cut, emergency munter hitch deployment for a boat belay, and plenty of rope burns. Local fire and S&R use the CMC MPD to give slack on raft wraps. Petzl has a new device that is just as heavy duty (captures progress and gives slack), but I don't keep either in my wrap kit. I've also used secondary lines to pendulum boats to shore if the haul line won't work (additional rocks to snag on or just not long enough to pendulum) or needs to be released. It would be great to hear opinions on recovery after the boat releases.

Hey Zach, I love your videos they are very informative. I was wondering if you might talk about how to set up a stern rowers seat for when I want to take company but still have the control of oars. I have a NRS frame and a stern seat, I just don't know if i should sit all the way back or on the dry box. I have a 14.5' raft and would like to take four paddlers in the front. I see in some of your vids you have your guides in the back on the oars.

great info. goofy headband.

try attaching the rope to D rings under the raft corner instead of above the water. this will lift that corner, especially after deflating the upper corner. yes, it will try to flip, but if you have someone standing on the rock also pulling vertically; then it doesn't.

This is the unwrapping angle talk! Good stuff. Much experience with the 4:1 'piggy back' system? Sounds complicated, but it's pretty straight forward.

Thanks for the time spent producing great videos. Could you discuss rescue scenarios when beyond throwbag reach? Appreciate your safety perspective. Also we had an injury on a trip and debated moving on. Can you sometime discuss medical emergencies, decision-making, extraction, etc?

I like having a rescue squirrel in charge... ;) Communication is vital. Do you have video on non-verbal communication where yelling over the noise of the water is pointless? Found it! ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-her2Mneqlgw.html