2 Barrel Camel Raft

UPDATE: download this as a SketchUp model here.

This might be the simplest possible oil drum raft. It is based on a barrel binding technique called 'Camel' after the Camel Trophy adventure race- one of the scouters in the district took part in national selections and used this barrel binding to make a raft in record time.

The basic idea is to take the two barrels and tie them to each other using reef knots- 1 rope at the one end of the barrels, and one at the other end. Then, two poles are placed above and beloq the barrels- as you can see in the image the next step is to lash these two poles to each other, clamping the barrels in between them.

This scout is punting using a 3m pole and has decided to go out in shallow water without a life jacket- this raft is pretty stable and well behaved- it will support about 180-200 kilograms- so easily enough for 3 scouts- but remember to use the buddy system and follow all safety procedures, and be careful using this raft in unfamiliar waters. THIS RAFT IS ONLY RECOMMENDED FOR SHALLOW, STILL WATER