Creative Ideas for Crossing Rivers/Streams

[ndbwhunter]

I'm looking for some creative ideas for crossing a 30-40ft wide river. Obviously I could use waders or a canoe, but I'd rather have something to walk across. If it were just me crossing I would use waders, but I'd like the others in our hunting party to be able to cross as well.

This is on private property and will only be used by my family and some close friends. The water in the narrowest areas is usually shallow (knee to hip deep) and fast moving so I'm trying to avoid using anything that floats. The river floods each spring so it can't be a permanent bridge must be relatively easy to move. My initial thoughts were to use two 20'+ extension ladders connected together, but I haven't tried it yet.

Lets hear some of your ideas....

 

[GunsAreFun]

Is this on private land?

 

[ndbwhunter]

Is this on private land?

Yes

 

[Bärenjäger]

This could work.

Sent from my Pixel 4 using Tapatalk

 

[Zeke6951]

I have seen some stream crossings where 2 cables are stretched tightly from a tree or tower on either side of the stream. 1 cable is 5 to 6 feet higher than the other. To cross you hold to the higher cable for balance and walk on the lower. It works well. The lower cable can be at any height above the water as long as you can step up on it.

 

[Nickofthewoods]

Cable, Pulleys, and harness?

 

[mtnrunner260]

Catapult?
Two zip lines so can get back and forth.
Tall cable with bucket and hand crank to move back and forth.
Can you erect sturdy towers on each bank?

 

[ndbwhunter]

Cable, Pulleys, and harness?

There are trees to attach cables, but something that would require pulleys might be too heavy to move.

 

[ndbwhunter]

Catapult?
Two zip lines so can get back and forth.
Tall cable with bucket and hand crank to move back and forth.
Can you erect sturdy towers on each bank?

There are trees on each side, so I wouldn't need to build anything. I considered the zip lines but don't really want the liability, and the height difference between sides would limit the movement back and forth.

 

[Nickofthewoods]

There are trees to attach cables, but something that would require pulleys might be too heavy to move.

What I was suggesting is called a Tyrolean Traverse. Search how to make one, if you have good anchor trees it should be fairly simple.

 

[Rich M]

Why not use a 12 or 14 ft John boat?

Run 2 ropes, one from each side. Tight on bow and boat will swing to the side the rope is one. Use other rope to get back.

Yes, ropes need to be longer so you can keep em attached to the boat and go back and forth.

Cheap, easy, removable for flood time.

 

[bdg848]

I like the john boat with rope idea. ^^ but it also seems like a low, slow, shallow incline zip line wouldn't be any more liability that two extension ladders jerry-rigged together across a river lol.

 

[ndbwhunter]

The john boat idea would probably work well, and would have the extra space for gear and to bring an animal back if needed. Another thought that I had was to use 4 55 gallon barrels strapped to a sheet of plywood with eye bolts on each end. Run the rope through the eye bolts and attach it to a tree on each side of the river.

 

[JBrew]

The john boat idea would probably work well, and would have the extra space for gear and to bring an animal back if needed. Another thought that I had was to use 4 55 gallon barrels strapped to a sheet of plywood with eye bolts on each end. Run the rope through the eye bolts and attach it to a tree on each side of the river.

Buy 4 dock floats instead and build a deck on top. Barrels will roll if you don't have enough weight and support on top. They're also a b*tch to change out.

 

[Fridaythe13th]

Friends of the family had 1 a corn elevator laying around. Not sure it's long enough

 

[Rich M]

The flowing water aspect has me wondering about the drag on a ferry kind of setup which is why the boat came to mind.

If the current is slow and sluggish, a ferry kind of thing would work.

 

[M22]

I'm looking for some creative ideas for crossing a 30-40ft wide river. Obviously I could use waders or a canoe, but I'd rather have something to walk across. If it were just me crossing I would use waders, but I'd like the others in our hunting party to be able to cross as well.

This is on private property and will only be used by my family and some close friends. The water in the narrowest areas is usually shallow (knee to hip deep) and fast moving so I'm trying to avoid using anything that floats. The river floods each spring so it can't be a permanent bridge must be relatively easy to move. My initial thoughts were to use two 20'+ extension ladders connected together, but I haven't tried it yet.

Lets hear some of your ideas....

What's the average depth, and what's the flow like? I have done something like this before for work using ladders, chairs, and a cable, but my method depends on it being somewhat shallow (3-4ft max).

 

[rahby1us]

Can you run 2 cables across. One for your feet, one about 3 feet higher for your hands?

 

[P Carter]

Fierljeppen!

 

[ndbwhunter]

What's the average depth, and what's the flow like? I have done something like this before for work using ladders, chairs, and a cable, but my method depends on it being somewhat shallow (3-4ft max).

The flow in the shallow areas (2-4ft) could be compared to rapids, and the bottom is really rocky.