North 40 Fly Shop eMagazine September 2018 | Page 31

13) Towel: Keep a larger beach towel in the
boat. You can dry off items like wet boat seats or
use as an emergency blanket if need be.
14) Tie Down Straps: There are many kinds of
these out there. It is a good idea to have a few
of these in the boat and the truck in different
lengths.
15) Grease Gun: You’ll want to keep one in the
truck as a reminder to grease your bearings on
the trailer about every 200 miles.
16) Extra Stinger Hitch and Ball: These get
stolen often. It is a good idea to keep a large
wrench that you can use to take a ball off a hitch
with. And, it’s helpful to have a different size ball,
just in case. This came up just recently on a
Missouri river trip and the WD40 came in handy
too.
17) Spare Breakdown Oar: This is a must and
some states require it.
18) Extra Water: I leave a few gallon jugs in the
boat just for good measure.
19) Whistle/Air Horn: Some states require these.
A good idea is to attach a plastic whistle to each
life jacket that you have.
20) Bail Bucket: These will come in handy when
you forget to put your drain plugs in, and trust
me, you will forget at some point. An old milk
jug works great too. You’ll want to use a knife or
scissors to cut a scoop out of the front and leave
the handle attached, cheap and easy.
21) Shovel/ Tow Strap: These are not necessary
to have in the boat but they are prudent to have
in the truck. Some of the boat launches get a
bit rough at times. I have put these items to use
many times over the years.
22) Spare Trailer Light Bulb/ Fuses: These
are the nemesis of all drift boat owners. Trailer
lights are always going out and a spare or two is
a good thing to have on hand. Know what fuses
do what and have the appropriate ones on hand
too.
23) Spare Set of Ke