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I thought I would sahre a few of the small things that I loved from my years in a tube. Probably my favorite little find was a valve remover. I needed to be able to deflate my tube after each trip due to lack of storage. It was a pain to sit there holding the pin in while all that air escaped. But they make a little remover that unscrews the stem inside and allows the air to rush out without your help. Then you replace the valve and the remover screws on to the stem and becomes the cap. No big revelation, but I wish someone had told me about it long before I discovered its usefulness. Velcro straps can be rigged in a million different ways to allow a guy to use a fish finder. If you deflate the rear back support bag, you can fit a small battery in the bag behind you where it is out of the way, when you reinflate the back, you wont even know its there.
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I have yet to even put my hands on a tube let alone see the valve stem. I was hoping that was the case. that helps a lot. the knowing that there is a valve stem.
Have you ever had to deal with the sun or did you just choose clowdy days to venture out on?
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[cool] Welcome to the board, Predator. That valve core remover is handy. I worked in a service station as a young kid, so I already knew all about those valve caps with a core remover on them. When I started float tube fishing, I permanently affixed one to a discarded valve stem, to provide a larger handle. Always had a small box of extra valve cores and caps...and two or three of those valve core tools in different pockets of my tube or vest.
Being able to quickly deflate the tube is helpful when loading up for the trip home after a day on the water...especially if it is a hot day. You shouldn't leave your tube fully inflated in a hot car or garage. It won't necessarily damage the rubber of the tube, but it can split a seam in your cover, or ruin a zipper.
Appreciate the contribution, and keep up the good work as moderator over on that Utah board.
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