How to transport a belly boat.
A fully inflated belly boat is a five-foot-wide, awkward, wind-catching lump. The trick to a good transport is knowing which of four modes fits your car, your water, and the walk-in. We have run all four over 51 sessions across Green Mountain trailheads, Kootenay pull-outs, and one long backpack-in to a nameless Wyoming pond.
Fished for 51 sessions on Green Mountain, Kootenay, Wyoming pack-insFive transport protocols
- Roof-rack fully inflated. Two cam straps across the tube, one at each pontoon. Belly-down on the rack. Drive under 55 mph. Works for a 20-minute drive to Green Mountain; a bad idea for a 200-mile interstate run because UV cooks the PVC.
- Back seat fully inflated (SUV or wagon). Drop the rear seats, slide the tube in belly-down, fins and pump on the floor mat. Fastest launch: you drive up, pull it out, and fish in six minutes.
- Trunk deflated with pump ready. Roll the tube from the far side to the valves, squeeze the last air out, stow it in a duffel. Ten minutes at the ramp to reinflate with a 12V pump.
- Backpack pack-in. Use a rolled-and-folded tube, waders in a dry bag, fins clipped to the pack. Fifteen pound base, plus rod, plus water. Works for hikes under three miles; past that, the chair frame bruises your kidneys.
- Truck bed on a foam sheet. A 4×8 sheet of 1-inch foam protects the tube fabric from the bed corrugation. Two ratchet straps. Best for pickup owners doing longer highway runs.
The pack-in checklist
- Boat, fully rolled, in a duffel with the pump.
- Waders in a separate dry bag; wet waders soak the boat if they share a bag.
- Fins clipped to the outside of the pack with carabiners.
- PFD worn on the walk-in, not stowed. If you fall into the parking lot, wear it.
- Repair kit: three ripstop patches, PVC glue, a spare Boston valve, one silicone valve cap.