# i want my BOB to float.



## gaspump86 (May 5, 2012)

I will be trying out my bug out system on a canoe camping trip in Florida on the Sante Fe river in a couple months.
everything I need will be in or attached to my BOB. 
I want to know that if our canoe flips my BOB turns into a bobber. 
alot of my gear is in dry bags. I can fill the remaining space in them with air before closing them. it takes more space though. 
I also considered gettting an extra life vest to attach to the pack. 
any suggestions or experience with this?

my pack is heavy for this trip especially since I wont be carrying it much. im guessing around 55-60 pounds.


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## gaspump86 (May 5, 2012)

US GI molle large ruck- camo 
8x assorted size drybags


-3 days food and 6 days water


Protection:
kel tec su16 folding .223 
s&w sigma 9mm 
fixed blade knife


WATER PURIFICATION-
water filtration hand pump, water purifacation tablets, stainless steel water bottle, plastic water bottle, cofee filters, e-straw


Shelter-
camo 1 man tent & tarp, GI sleep mat, 2x GI wool blanket, mosquito head net, poncho, paracord & string


Fire & light- 
12 e-candles, trioxane, fire starter & magnesium, w/p matches, lighter, hand sanitizer, dryer lint, 2x water proof flashlight & extra AAs, Hand warmers, glow sticks, lantern,


Cooking & eating- 
mess kit, lexann utensils, pocket gas burner, 2 cans of fuel, seasoning, dish soap, pot holder, lighter, can opener, filet knife, 


Health- 
hygiene kit, goodys powder, bug repellent, t.p. & wipes, snake bite kit, glasses & goggles, body powder, foot powder, respirator, A&D ointment, sun screen, eye wash, peroxide, alcohol, antibiotic cream, first aid kit, gloves,


TOOLS-
machete, folding saw, folding shovel, hatchet/hammer/pry bar in 1, small hand tool kit, gun cleaning kit, mini rod and reel, tackle, bailing wire, wet stone, small knife, sewing kit, 


sandals, extra t-shirts, socks & underwear, shorts, 


folding chair (not in or on the pack)



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quite a few items stay attached to the outside of the pack.
like the....
folding shovel, machete, rod and reel, water bottles, tarp, tent, mat, & blankets, goggles, 1 flashlight, filet knife, lantern, ammunition,



we will also have a cooler with additional food & drinks.


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## gaspump86 (May 5, 2012)

I can't wait for this.


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## PreparedRifleman73 (Nov 2, 2012)

I am almost certain a life jacket will not save a 60 pound. Yes, I understand you weigh more...but its an issue of bouyancy.


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## gaspump86 (May 5, 2012)

hawkmiles said:


> I am almost certain a life jacket will not save a 60 pound. Yes, I understand you weigh more...but its an issue of bouyancy.


hey. im offended! i only weigh 58lbs....lol but seriously, that's why I think the life vest and the air in the drybags might do it.


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## FatTire (Mar 20, 2012)

i think if i was gonna do this id experiment with lashing inner tubes to the pack. find one that keeps it afloat, and attach three of em. bring along a patch kit and a means of inflating them too... ive not done this, but i think thats the direction id go


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## d_saum (Jan 17, 2012)

For some reason those pool "noodles" are coming to mind.. The ones I use on my pontoon boat are extremely buoyant, but not sure how many you'd need for your BOB to keep it afloat. My BOB is a large Alice Pack so there's plenty of room inside to stick some noodles cut into sections, and also attach on the outside if needed. Just a thought.. no matter how impractical.


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## TheLazyL (Jun 5, 2012)

Tie your BOB to the canoe


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## jsriley5 (Sep 22, 2012)

not sure if you wanna try a bath tub dink test but I"m thinking withthe dry bags you might get more bouyancy already than you think. I"d try it out. I had at one time planned to get an inflatable vest and several of the co2 cylinders to have with mine for extra bourancy never did get around to trying it or even getting the vest. have used a dry bag canoeing it had a 357 with catridge belt extra ammo and my GHB it was tied to the canoe but when we dumped it floated just barelynext to the canoe might have floated a little higher if not being dragged down a bit by the canoe it weighed quite a bit. So you might be suprised. if you added a dry gun bag (they make em but it's been a while since seen one) and vac bagged and or double zip bagged anything not in the dry bags you might see you really only need a little more bouyancy to get it to low float. I think the noodles are a great idea. would easily bend around the bag behind the frame kinda between the frame and pack.


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## FatTire (Mar 20, 2012)

TheLazyL said:


> Tie your BOB to the canoe


if i were going camping, this is likely what id do. for a bug out application, though i want mobility and have to address the possibility that i might need to abandon ship, and that bob is my life support system. thats my thinking anyway


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## gaspump86 (May 5, 2012)

TheLazyL said:


> Tie your BOB to the canoe


if the canoe sinks? a steady current and a 35 foot deep river bed might mess that plan up. lol I tie nothing to the boat but a paddle


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## cowboyhermit (Nov 10, 2012)

If traveling on water I would not trust something inflatable to keep my stuff afloat, too much risk that it would deflate on impact or just a slow leak without you noticing, an inflatable boat is different because if it loses air you will notice 
If it was just to cross a lake/river inflatable would be fine imo.
Full size life jackets are around 15-25 lbs buoyancy I think, would be great to have an extra one or two, depends on the density of your pack/drybag.


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## TheLazyL (Jun 5, 2012)

gaspump86 said:


> if the canoe sinks? a steady current and a 35 foot deep river bed might mess that plan up. lol I tie nothing to the boat but a paddle


But at least when you pull the canoe out of the water you'll still have your BoB.


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## gaspump86 (May 5, 2012)

TheLazyL said:


> But at least when you pull the canoe out of the water you'll still have your BoB.


I never want it to make it down under water.


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## cnsper (Sep 20, 2012)

gaspump86 said:


> I never want it to make it down under water.


Kinda unreasonable don't you think? If you are going to play with water, you are going to get wet. If things are packed in waterproof containers, they will contain air that will be buoyant. Thus reducing the amount of lift that you will need to keep it afloat.

If it is going to be in the canoe then just strap some Styrofoam to the pack and be good with it. You can attach a float and a line to the pack that will allow you to locate and retrieve the pack if it sinks. Line the entire inside with a trash bag and make a balloon out of the pack.

Many will be surprised how much a flotation device can hold up. Maybe one of those rescue rings or even just extra life jacket strapped on to the pack.


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## BlacksmithKevin (Jan 15, 2013)

Dry bag everything. Use one noodle float. I weigh over 200 and one does a good job hold me up and they do not hold water. And the most important is a tether line from ruck to canoe. No need to get complicated. I like the kiss method n


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## Caribou (Aug 18, 2012)

You do not need 60# of flotation to float 60#. It all depends on density. A 400# person will not sink, fat floats. Muscle and bone weigh more per volume and fat weighs less per volume than water. So, if you have 60# of freeze dried bananas in sealed mylar you will have a flotation device. If you have 60# of ammo you will have an anchor. Steel ships float because they displace as much water, in weight, as they weigh. So, either calculate the volume of your waterproof BOB, do the math, and calculate whether it will float or throw it in the pool and test it out now. You might be surprised at what will float and what will sink. A firefighter dressed in his heavy turnouts will float, for a considerable time, until the turnouts become soaked.

If you have more than one BOB spread out the heavy stuff between them. A five or six or seven gallon bucket with a Gamma lid attached to your BOB or a pack frame would be excellent flotation or water tight BOB. You can get spray paint for the plastic if you don't like the available color.


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## WWhermit (Mar 1, 2012)

FatTire said:


> if i were going camping, this is likely what id do. for a bug out application, though i want mobility and have to address the possibility that i might need to abandon ship, and that bob is my life support system. thats my thinking anyway


If your BOB weighs 60 lbs, you'd have to have some serious buoyancy to use it for a life support system, or even to keep it from sinking at all. You might want to focus on losing some of that weight.

I don't think you'd need 6 days of water if you're on the water anyways, for starters.


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## gaspump86 (May 5, 2012)

WWhermit said:


> If your BOB weighs 60 lbs, you'd have to have some serious buoyancy to use it for a life support system, or even to keep it from sinking at all. You might want to focus on losing some of that weight.
> 
> I don't think you'd need 6 days of water if you're on the water anyways, for starters.


I dont need the pack for a personal floatation device. 
I just want it to float if the boat flips. my pack is normaly 45lbs. 
I will have some things with me that I would not bring on foot. 
Like.... A chair, and yes I probably dont need all of this stuff.

For the amount of time im going, I could bring alot less items in the water purifacation, fire, & tool categories.


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## Killzo (Jan 19, 2013)

For flotation I'd recommend a couple of empty 2L plastic milk bottles. You just might want to silicone the lids shut to make sure they stay airtight. They are one of the cheapest, lightest and best form of flotation I've found and if there cleaned properly beforehand, break off the silicone and you have another 4 odd litres of water carriage.


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## forluvofsmoke (Jan 27, 2012)

Do some external buoyancy modifications as described, then fill a bathtub or kiddy-pool and lower it into the water to test your work...easy peasy...if you only get 10% of the volume of the BOB above water (say 2-1/2" above the surface), it will float, and even if fully submerged in moving water, it should resurface unless it gets hung in a under-current from rapids, which is someplace no one wants to be caught. Bear in mind, your BOB will take on more and more water over time in a real-world scenario, and to get accurate test results it should be completely full of water to simulate actual conditions. To accomplish this, force it under water and turn it over and roll it around to displace the air from the BOB itself until you see no more air bubbles surfacing. It's better to find out now, before your trip, and do more if needed than dump the boat and find out the hard way that you didn't add enough buoyancy...and trust me, if you dump on a body of water, you WILL need your BOB, 'cuz TS just HTF.


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## gaspump86 (May 5, 2012)

forluvofsmoke said:


> Do some external buoyancy modifications as described, then fill a bathtub or kiddy-pool and lower it into the water to test your work...easy peasy...if you only get 10% of the volume of the BOB above water (say 2-1/2" above the surface), it will float, and even if fully submerged in moving water, it should resurface unless it gets hung in a under-current from rapids, which is someplace no one wants to be caught. Bear in mind, your BOB will take on more and more water over time in a real-world scenario, and to get accurate test results it should be completely full of water to simulate actual conditions. To accomplish this, force it under water and turn it over and roll it around to displace the air from the BOB itself until you see no more air bubbles surfacing. It's better to find out now, before your trip, and do more if needed than dump the boat and find out the hard way that you didn't add enough buoyancy...and trust me, if you dump on a body of water, you WILL need your BOB, 'cuz TS just HTF.


Trust me. I already know. Long story. All I lost was a gerber gator machete. RIP.... Lol 
It has been replaced


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## cqp33 (Apr 2, 2012)

Just a note here, I looked up the bouyancy for the foam inserts, a 1 inch thick 16"x16" foam insert provides 8 lbs of bouyancy. Those are the inserts we are provided for use in the US Navy vests for boarding ships. Again the inserts are for overcoming the weight of the vest and a 9MM M9 beretta with 3 mags only!


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## Gravlore (Dec 10, 2011)

Need some kind of thick rubber air pillow or something that could double as flotation. At least it would provide comfort in two areas of a bug out.


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## gaspump86 (May 5, 2012)

Gravlore said:


> Need some kind of thick rubber air pillow or something that could double as flotation. At least it would provide comfort in two areas of a bug out.


Like a self infating sleep mat


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## KPGunn (Feb 2, 2013)

Get some of these.

http://www.amazon.com/USMC-Military-SealLine-Sack-Waterproof/dp/B0036YSE9Q

They float and are thick and durable, large too. Also are orange on the inside for search and rescue.


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## sholdon (Dec 1, 2011)

Attach a float to a piece of paracord so if it does go down, the float would 
help locate the bag. 

If the bag is tied to the canoe, you lose the canoe you lose your bag.

I am not saying it is a bad idea just throwing that out.
The canoe will not sink if it turns over or swamps. 

What do the white water rafters do?


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## swjohnsey (Jan 21, 2013)

Your pack will float unless it is full of full ammo cans.


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## Magus (Dec 1, 2008)

gaspump86 said:


> I will be trying out my bug out system on a canoe camping trip in Florida on the Sante Fe river in a couple months.
> everything I need will be in or attached to my BOB.
> I want to know that if our canoe flips my BOB turns into a bobber.
> alot of my gear is in dry bags. I can fill the remaining space in them with air before closing them. it takes more space though.
> ...


Cut up an old styrofoam cooler and line the walls with the blocks, add as many bricks to mimic the weight of the kit and pitch it in a pool if I remember right styrofoam will float 20X its weight.
you could also attach a life vest around it.


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## gaspump86 (May 5, 2012)

swjohnsey said:


> Your pack will float unless it is full of full ammo cans.


Im gonna toss it in the pool when the rest of my stuff arrives. 
I just ordered my BOB tent, tarp, water filtration pump, and some rifle accessories.

No ammo cans but.... Folding shovel, machete, hatchett, folding saw, 6 liters water, 150 rounds .223/9mm.... Just for starters lol


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## swjohnsey (Jan 21, 2013)

gaspump86 said:


> Im gonna toss it in the pool when the rest of my stuff arrives.
> I just ordered my BOB tent, tarp, water filtration pump, and some rifle accessories.
> 
> No ammo cans but.... Folding shovel, machete, hatchett, folding saw, 6 liters water, 150 rounds .223/9mm.... Just for starters lol


That's the best way. You can get an idea by looking at the pack volume. One liter/61 cubic inches = 2lbs of water. If a 2400 ci pack weighs less than about 80 lbs it will float.


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## forluvofsmoke (Jan 27, 2012)

swjohnsey said:


> That's the best way. You can get an idea by looking at the pack volume. One liter/61 cubic inches = 2lbs of water. If a 2400 ci pack weighs less than about 80 lbs it will float.


...only if it's air/water-tight...very few packs will be, and once they start taking on water, they will submerge, unless the items in the pack are inside air/water-tight containers which have an overall density that is lower than water, including the weight of the empty pack.

Your math is off a bit, but here's what I came up with: a liter is 33.82 oz, and 1 gallon (128oz) of city water = 8.328lbs. 128 / 33.82 = 3.7847 (liters per gal), therefore a liter of water weighs 2.2lbs [8.328 / 3.7847]. A 2400 ci pack weighing 86.55lb would be equal to the density of water...but yeah, an 80lb pack @ 2400 ci would float.


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## cowboyhermit (Nov 10, 2012)

So like they said if it is *less than 80lbs* it will float
The op said he uses dry bags, that is standard on canoe trips and they work well, other waterproof containers are great if you have the space.


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