New air for float tubes...

[WarrenP]

I do not own a float tube but I know a lot of fly fishermen that do and they are constantly adjusting the air pressure in the tubes due to heat and cold. Since the latest rage is replacing the air in your vehicle tires with nitrogen which is suppose to be less affected by temperture changes, I was wondering if anyone has tried replacing the air in their float tubes with nitrogen and if there would even be any advantages to doing this. Just a thought and nothing more.....

[Fly Goddess]

Interesting. But I have Bladdereless or have had Urethane and they aren't effected as much by Altitude or temp.

[ducksterman]

First off I hardly ever have significant adjustments....

Sorry I can't remember the details but the nitrogen thing in tires I've read about had as many cons as pros...maybe more

One that stood out was cost...doubt inflatable people want to go there...

And ,Warren, these are my thoughts and nothing more...

[DG]

Last time I checked, nitrogen followed the same set of physical laws as air, which is, after all, mostly nitrogen anyway. Sounds way too much like a gimmick to me.

PV=nrT (although neither air nor straight N2 is an ideal gas, it is close enough)

I definitely see temperature and pressure issues. I live at 5700 feet (80% of sea level pressure) and typically fish above 10,000 feet (~65% of sea level pressure), so the (over)pressure difference in a toon bladder is substantial. I always make my buddy John deflate his tube a bit before we leave the house, and he always says "Oh, it won't matter much", and I make him do it anyway. We get to the lake and it is twangy tight...

And it might be 120 in the back of the truck on a sunny day, with the toon coming out of 40 degree water, so it gets deflated when it goes in the truck every time.

I CAN see that using nitrogen instead of exhaled breath, which is what most of us end up putting in our tubes and toons at some point, would prevent buildup of moisture inside the toon, along with all the other stuff in our breath like bacteria and such that might get icky after a while.

[Normand]

I CAN see that using nitrogen instead of exhaled breath, which is what most of us end up putting in our tubes and toons at some point, would prevent buildup of moisture inside the toon, along with all the other stuff in our breath like bacteria and such that might get icky after a while.

my toon is not a pool toy

how many toons get inflated by exhaled breath

i'll stick to using my new high velocity pump and top it off with a hand pump

[Fly Goddess]

my toon is not a pool toy

how many toons get inflated by exhaled breath

i'll stick to using my new high velocity pump and top it off with a hand pump

DITTO! Norm

[Uncle Jesse]

I frequently ( once or twice a weekend) hike 3/4 miles with a tube on my back in the GA sunshine, after driving approx. 12 miles in the start point of the hike. When I was using a round tube with a 10.00 x 20 intertube in it I pump it up once or twice a year with an air compressor. I switched to a LCS4 with bladders last year and will top off the bladders with lung power before starting my float down the Hooch. I have a pump but that's a couple of more pounds to carry 3/4 mile.

Several year ago up in Gemrod's neighborhood, I witnessed a round tube explode as the owner was about to enter the lake. We figured he air it up down on the flatlands before coming up to about 9,000 elevation.

I don't remember the physic's laws regarding the expansion of gases but I under the principles. Like gravity, they are very reliable.

[Fly Goddess]

I think my head would explode if I tried to blow my toon up by mouth.
Granted the seat on the H3 and the Navigator is human inflation, but can't imagine trying to inflate the tube/toon that way.

3/4 mile isn't back breaking, heck I walk that to the grocery store for milk, but a K-Pump would work out quite well in that case.

[Normand]

after too many years of smoking, i no longer have the lung capacity for orally inflating a balloon let alone a float tube or pontoon.

i guess i'll leave that up to someone who can put out a lot more hot air than i can.

i can see my eyes bugging out of my head like arnold schwartzennegers did in the movie "total recall"

[hairwing]

Why not try NO2...? You could start a whole new thing. "GIGGLING" for trout.
No hatch, no fish, no problaymo.
NO SMOKING!