Carry this handy handle in your pocket so at the put-in you will always have a handle to use. We have made the new handle is shorter! The distance from the hook to the handle is only four inches. That means you don't have to lift as high to get the raft off the ground and over rocks. The solid pipe shaped handle on this unit makes it the most usable style available. The handle is also handy around camp for lifting heavy objects that do not have their own handle.