Double duty: tube recommendation for the local hill and very casual river floating

Yes I know this thread will open me up to all sorts of silliness. I welcome it.

But I'm also being genuine: I could use a recommendation for a not-super pricey tube that my kids (but really I) could possibly use both for *very casual* river floating and also for sending the course at the local tubing hill. Does such a product exist? Or are the two applications somewhat at odds with each other?

We do a fair bit of RV ski resort parking lot camping, and some of these places have tubing hills that are accessible / hike up to after hours when the resort is shut down. It seems like some tubes that are marketed for snow may not be great for water? And some of the materials on closed bottom water tubes may drag poorly on snow?

We got on a friend's no-longer-made SOTAR whitewater tube and it was perfect: great in the water (of course, its a SOTAR-built product, totally overkill for just floating in an eddy and tied back into a shore anchor), a good raised and draining platform in the middle, and I imagined it would be pretty fast on snow, and ultimately durable, though probably overkill and I can't imagine that thing was cheap.

I need something with handles and reinforced tie-in loops. Ideally with a raised but draining bottom, and not a flush bottom that would be slow and drag on snow. And reasonably durable. It seems like the options are $30 Walmart garbage that will self destruct in the first season of use, or a $250 AIRE or NRS legit whitewater tube.

Given all the water folks on here, I'm sure some of you have tried to find a double duty solution?
Many thanks!

We've had our Intex River Rat tubes for several years. Lots of hours of wet drinking in them, bashing them against all kinds of rocks without much issue. No idea how it'd perform on snow. We tie a bunch together in the river without much issue.

We have Intex River Runs for the, uh, river..

Tore a hole in one the first use by running over a beaver lodge, so got some of these for added protection:

https://a.co/d/cSj5Ltr

(which I now see are no longer available.. but you get the point.)

https://rockymountainrafts.com/collections/river-tubes

These guys make quality white water rafts and they use the same heavy duty fabric and construction on their tubes.


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As I’m reading, it seems like mid level river tubes $50-100) are typically protected by high friction fabrics that will be slow and won’t do well in freezing conditions. And then commercial snow tubes ($140) use an inexpensive inner tube combined with a hard shelled bottom. So the high end whitewater PVC tubes ($200-250) seem to be the only ones that would truly work for double duty.

Like this one.
https://www.lakesurf.com/products/skookum-tube

no need to reinvent the wheel here…


https://i5.walmartimages.com/asr/a35...8&odnBg=FFFFFF


https://www.walmart.com/ip/Bradley-T...ubes/152768409




fact.

As much as you’d like to type “fact.” into every goddamn post on the TRGs while adding absolutely zero value, you are still the most ignored poster here.

fact.

Or maybe I should use a capital letter, like a big boy.

Fact.

OP asked a legit question. Deal with it, you garbage monkey.

Wait— are you Jer? HighwayStar? Spook? You’re definitely not Ernest Hemingway or Fred. Nor are you Jongslaughter.

My guess is you’re new. And you’re trying out your new insignia.

fact.

Fuck off, beater.

I mean— that’s how we used to roll around here.

have a another drink, pal.

https://images.fineartamerica.com/im...uss-design.jpg

fact.

It must be brutal to learn that Barney is considered to be a more valuable contribution than yourself.

fact.

OP wants a tube that slides the tubing zones and floats the river.

Help out, bro.

Or, fuck off, beater.

Choose a path around here.

Why can't you get both? They aren't expensive and they don't take up much space deflated. Are they even that different? Spray some silicone on the bottom of the river runner. Maybe you'll get it like Christmas Vacation. (If so, maybe wear a helmet?)
Also, if it works on snow, and it's inflatable (and therefore buoyant) would it not then be dual use?
I bet your local Ace Hardware has you covered.
My extensive experience getting shit faced on the Clark Fork has shown that the river runners are quite durable and easily repairable. As long as they don't say they're pool toys, the PVC holds up to all kinds of rocks and other shenanigans.

PS: I have also been drunk on the Blackfoot and it's a lot rockier.

PPS: why not just get sleds?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by gaijin

It must be brutal to learn that Barney is considered to be a more valuable contribution than yourself.

fact.

OP wants a tube that slides the tubing zones and floats the river.

Help out, bro.

Or, fuck off, beater.

Choose a path around here.

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ok, now that you've had time to sober up a bit "bro", reread my post.

see that link? well that's my positive contribution to the op, who asked:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by SchralphMacchio

Yes I know this thread will open me up to all sorts of silliness. I welcome it.

But I'm also being genuine: I could use a recommendation for a not-super pricey tube that my kids (but really I) could possibly use both for *very casual* river floating and also for sending the course at the local tubing hill. Does such a product exist? Or are the two applications somewhat at odds with each other?

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we use a bunch of them tubes year round with minimal needs for repair. any repairs needed are usually quick and easy with rubber cement kits widely available. replacement is cheep too. it's a popular choice here in the upstates...


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SeaPWtUkhj0

and these tubes have the stubby stem so you don't get poked, which is nice.

op's not operating a tubing hill. as such, he dosen't need something that can take hundreds of runs per day down refrozen groomer crust day after day all season. where i work, they put rough bottoms on 'em to slow 'em down some 'cause that rubber is just too damned fast on its own.





now, reread your post... could i ask you to please point out your positive contribution? or is shit posting about a fellow maggot while drinking all that you got to offer us?

and if that is the case, no worries "bro", the rest of us maggots still got you covered with a thread just for you...

https://www.tetongravity.com/forums/...ight=get+drunk


or you can "fuck off, beater" too. whatever works for you, "bro"...





fact.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by stuckathuntermtn

Also, if it works on snow, and it's inflatable (and therefore buoyant) would it not then be dual use?
I bet your local Ace Hardware has you covered.
My extensive experience getting shit faced on the Clark Fork has shown that the river runners are quite durable and easily repairable. As long as they don't say they're pool toys, the PVC holds up to all kinds of rocks and other shenanigans.
PPS: why not just get sleds?

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Closed bottom snow tubes may not be self bailing in the water. I don’t have any firsthand experience but I can see how refrozen high water content corduroy is a lot rougher on tubes than river rocks.
A sled is more likely to want to try to jump a berm wall and overtopple than a tube that will surf or bounce off the berm wall.
I could get separate ones, but my gear storage area is in very bad need of aggressive reduction.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by m2711c

we use a bunch of them tubes year round with minimal needs for repair. any repairs needed are usually quick and easy with rubber cement kits widely available. replacement is cheep too. it's a popular choice here in the upstates...
and these tubes have the stubby stem so you don't get poked, which is nice.

op's not operating a tubing hill. as such, he dosen't need something that can take hundreds of runs per day down refrozen groomer crust day after day all season. where i work, they put rough bottoms on 'em to slow 'em down some 'cause that rubber is just too damned fast on its own.

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That’s all good to know, thanks. I still need handles and at least one well reinforced tie loop. But it opens the possibility to a truck tire style tube with separate summer / winter covers.

The whitewater tube still seems like the least hassle solution, if I’m willing to pony up $225 for it.

I could probably help you get actual snow tubes from a tubing area

If those river runners can handle college students after 12 white claws, they can handle some snow tubing. Wear ski pants.

m2711c,

Your name is like a robot. It's hard to recall. But don't take this personally. I'm Gaijin... I'm the foreigner to these boards. I play the Tony Hinchcliff game. I beat the shit out of everyone in a form of stand-up beat-offs.

In other words... I say shit to you, that you're supposed to bounce. And that's it. We tag back and forth and play a game. You're not supposed to take this seriously.

We're talking about inner-tubes right now. People sliding in rubber tubes. There has to be humor in that, otherwise we're all fucked. ;-)

Sorry if I came off a bit too strong. I won't lie. I even forgot this thread even existed yesterday.

What about a tube that's designed to be towed behind a boat? Those things are burly, have handles, and can be had for $100. Lots of shape options too.

https://solpaddle.com/products/soltube