Almost all rafts are made of a very flexible, but durable polyurethane or Hypalon material that protect the raft against abrasion. With rafts, you’re given a lot more flexibility when it comes to what conditions you can load and unload your boat into/ out from.

The real differentiation of the two isn’t the act of loading and unloading, but more WHERE you can load and unload it. Both require a bit of assistance when it comes to the initial steps taken, but for the most part, simple machines do most of the work for us. With trailer rollers and winches, the actual act of loading and unloading a boat, regardless of what kind it is, comes with relative ease. When it comes to loading and unloading your drift boat or raft, you’ll notice that certain vessels come with their own set of advantages and disadvantages. Learn more about the best trailer hitch in the game HERE. However, it’s worth noting that when taking sharp turns, and in regard to gas milage, towing a drift boat may require slightly more attention as opposed to a raft – simply due to its weight. The real differentiation will come from your trailer, and your hitch. When it comes to the actual towing of your boat, a drift boat and a raft will perform relatively similarly. While our team has spent a considerable time on either of the two, to solidify our findings, we loaded up our trailers, met up with local Roaring Fork guide, Brandon Soucie, and hit the water to talk shop and bump boats. This is why we teamed up with B&W Trailer Hitches to investigate just exactly what value drift boats and rafts offer when choosing between the two. Whether you’re a guide or just someone who’s looking to increase their river navigability – a boat is a valuable weapon to add to one’s angling arsenal.

Drifting lands unique weapons