Solo Dredging - Carrying Your Equipment

[Millz90]

Hey guys and girls.....I do a lot of dredging by myself and have noticed one thing about it.....carrying the equipment to the creek!!!

Not fun or an easy task by yourself so I was wondering how everyone else carried their equipment to the creek. Pictures would be nice if you have them. I need some ideas.

Right now I'm thinking either a external frame backpack, converting a luggage cart or a high piece of styrofoam that I could reinforce and make cut outs of some of the hoses, etc then strap them to the foam and put some backpack straps on it and I'm off.

Wagon that floats, with large sand/off road wheels?!?

There has to be some ideas or way to get ALL ur equipment to the creek in one trip.....

 

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[okbasspro]

All in one trip of coarse I can drive to water

 

[Jason in Enid]

It all depends on the dredge! If you have a little puddle-jumper you can probably back-pack it. If you have a 4 inch and can't back up to the edge of the water over a gravel bar like okbasspro, then you have to make a lot of trips! It takes me half a day to unload, move, assemble and position my dredge in Colorado. In OK I just back up to the water and slide it down ramps and I'm done.

 

[rodoconnor]

An age old conundrum . The olden days there used to be a helicopter service out of Yuba City that would do the heavy lifting for you. Not a bad price as I recall.

 

[Millz90]

So either u back up to a spot and let it float out into the water or hire a pilot to pick everything up with a helicopter lol I like it

No really though I just have a small 2" dredge which has a small pump but still. Wears me out!

I did try to strap everything to my backpack that I can like the hoses and buckets as well as the header box but still I have to carry the sluice box, pump, gas can and shovel. That's all I can think of right now but I'm sure there s more.

Doesn't seem like a lot but dang.

I though someone would have figure something out by now.

I think a wagon with beach like sand wheels that floats. Maybe a piece of styrofoam on the bottom of the wagon?!?

Then you could pull it to the spot and then right into the creek and it would float? Maybe make the foam stick out the sides and front a little extra for stability.

 

[okbasspro]

We have done everything from using wheelbarrows to appliance dollies. I like the metal wagon carts with the fold down sides. As Jason mentioned the bigger the dredge the harder it is. Lucky for me my claims I can access with my UTV.

 

[Clay Diggins]

A homemade one wheel cart. Made from a mountain bike axle and some square tubing.



Heavy Pans

 

[delnorter]

Good post Barry. I've been thinking of making a one wheeled cart to move my highbanker around. It would also come on handy to get a buck out the hills in some situations.

For hunting in the back county I currently pack a plastic roll-up sled from Cabelas. The last time we used one of these sleds (in Colorado), we pulled it behind an old Honda Trail 90 for a long ways. Actually wore a few holes in it but it worked great.

Mike

 

[panningjack]

Once my kid gets big enough I'll be converting my jogging stroller to carry gear. 16" rims, 3 wheels and it has a brake

 

[okbasspro]

A homemade one wheel cart. Made from a mountain bike axle and some square tubing. <img src="http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=1216037"/> Heavy Pans

I like that time to get out welder and steal the boys bike tire

 

[MikeMike]

Hope these pics help.

 

[okbasspro]

Hope these pics help.

Oh I know that spot

 

[Bnugget]

 

[Hoser John]

Hit the search function on this topic and dozens and dozens of pics of all kinds of neat carriers on this subject in the past-John

 

[kor_miner]

View attachment 1224759

Wow, good!! Your dredge is 2.5" right?

Where is sluice box?

 

[russau]

between the floats.

 

[Bnugget]

It's all there, broke some of it down so that it was a little more compact. This was the 2" by the way. This weighed about 75lbs all together including pack. Still had to include food fuel and other tools, have to do multiple trips or have other pack mules with you.

 

[fowledup]

A homemade one wheel cart. Made from a mountain bike axle and some square tubing.

View attachment 1216037

Heavy Pans

I made one of those for hunting, except I used two wheels for better side to side balance. amazing the weight they can carry. I'm 225-230lbs and my ten year old grandaughter can haul me around the yard on it and pull me over small logs. It will go anywhere. If the trail permits I also have a fold up three wheeled frame I made for the large cabelas sled to fit into. It will carry about 500, no problem, nice part about that one is it floats so I can leave my gear in it when I want to cross a creek or small river.

Sorry about the sideways view

 

[Bnugget]

Those are sweet! Not so handy on a steep incline but if you got the trails those would work great! Nice job!

 

[Hoser John]

#1 rule for haulers is BRAKES are mandatory as soooo ez to lose your toys down a hill, creekside or rollover. Bicycle style ez to do from parts from Salvation army, goodwill, swaps-John