Paddling tips, tricks, news and gear reviews from an Unsponsored point of view

Month: July 2012 (Page 1 of 3)

MYOG – Pertex Hammock Underquilt (UQ)

No matter what time of year I use a hammock I have always found that I lose a lot of heat from the underside of the hammock. Any insulation that lies between your body and hammock gets compressed and therefore becomes compromised.

Normal camping convention is to use a barrier between you and the floor to prevent heat being conducted away. This usually entails using a pad such as a Thermarest or a foam roll mat. Neither of these are a great option for in a hammock. I have always found that during the night the pad moves and you end up with a cold back.

The solution is to suspend your insulation under the hammock so it does not get compressed. Such systems are given the term under quilt.

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Grinding

Grinding is essentially a sideways surf on a green wave. The whole idea has come about with the development of flat planning hulls. Without one you will not be able to pull the move off.

Grinding a wave is an awesome feeling but your wave selection must also be right. Ideally the wave should be fast with a green face. The initiation of the grind is similar to that of a flat spin. Start with a reverse sweep (pry) until the boat has turned 90 degrees. When 90 degress is reached turn the reverse sweep into a forward stroke to steady the boat. At the same time drop your upstream edge so the hull is as flat on the wave a possible without power flipping. Keep your centre of gravity over the middle of the kayak and keep the grind going with subtle paddle strokes on your downstream side.

Dagger Jitsu

Unsponsored 2012 Q&A series

A number of the worlds best boaters are already lined up to take part in the Unsponsored 2012 Q&A series.

I’m in the process of tweaking the questions from the 2011 series. What would you want to ask?

MYOG – Silnylon Tarp

This is the biggest tarp I have made to date, and was proof of concept. The material used was 30d grey silnylon from the US of A. The tarp was rigged up using a couple of Werner Bandit canoe paddles.

Just over 3m x 2.4m

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GoPro with a Muvi Mount

I tried out the Muvi clip on my GoPro today and it fits. You must use the GoPro bolt as the Muvi one catches on the GoPro housing. This may open up a few possibilities for mount options.

Retentive

A very short video shot with my iPhone and edited with iMovie.

Retentive from Unsponsored on Vimeo.

Old School Series – Pyranha M3

The Micro series of boats, first released in 1994, have been popular creek boats ever since. However, creeking has evolved along with creekboat design. Loads of manufacturers have released more modern designs like the c.f.s, Java and the Huck. Now Pyranha have decided to retire the trusty micro in favour of a new machine – the M3. Here’s what I reckon… Continue reading

iPhone and Kayaking

After work this AM I called in at the Tees Barrage as I knew that a number of the River Militia boys would be on the water. Unfortunately the battery in my Lumix GX1
was dead, so I turned to my iPhone. The still image and video quality from the 4s turned out to be pretty good.

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2012 Little White Salmon Race Video

Tying Down Your Boat

Flying boats! I have seen it happen and it has happened to my kayak on one occasion. The sinking feeling you get as you see your boat fly off the top of the car isn’t very nice.

In the case of my kayak there was a flapping sound, followed by the clunk of the buckle hitting the car roof followed by a whoosh as two kayaks flew off down the road! Fortunately on both occasions no one was hurt and the damage to the boats minor. If it had been later in the day it could have been a different story.

Tying your boat onto the roof rack correctly is critical. It could save both your kayak and car from serious damage and keep other unsuspecting motorists that little bit safer. Using good quality straps or rope is a must and if the strap/rope is worn then they must be retired.

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