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

Day: 30 January 2014

When It All Goes Wrong!

As well as making sure I have all the necessary safety kit (PFD, helmet, throw line, whistle, pin kit) I like to have a range of kit with me that can be used in emergency situations. If a trip were to turn into an epic it is possible that someone may have been injured and/or we could be stuck out in the middle of nowhere.

Therefore my kit centres around three key elements/purposes:

I like to carry a range of kit that will help keep me and/or my paddling buddies warm and offer a little shelter.

If someone gets injured I’d like to go someway to help patch him or her up.

I’d like to ensure that morale stays high.

I have to weigh all of these needs against what is practically possible and the weight I can actually carry in my boat. Regardless this kit needs to be carried in my boat or on my person and needs to be kept dry. I am currently using an Exped Cloudburst dry sack for the bulk of the emergency kit that I carry. It is based around a traditional roll top dry bag but it has straps so that it can be used as a rucksack. It has a volume of 15 litres which means it is big enough to hold the essentials but will still fit in the back of my Liquid Logic Stomper.

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Call Out 104

Call Out 104 from Becky Kukla on Vimeo.

‘Call-out 104’ explores the second busiest UK team of dedicated Mountain Rescuers based in North Wales, Ogwen Valley Mountain Rescue Organisation. A team who make an increased number of rescues without government funding every single year. Continue reading

River Erme Kayak Pin Rescue

Sam Crooks kindly edited his River Erme video for use on Unsponsored. Thanks Sam. It is well worth the watch and highlights the importance of undertaking whitewater rescue training.

River Erme Kayak Pin Rescue. from samcrooks on Vimeo.

Short video of a kayak becoming pinned on River Erme in Dartmoor UK. The video highlights the rescue of paddler and multiple technique attempts to extract boat. This video has been edited to remove faff time however I feel the essence of the rescue is outlined and other paddlers can learn from the techniques we used.

Salzachöfen & Lammeröfen 2014

Salzachöfen & Lammeröfen 2014 from Philipp Brunner on Vimeo.

Ever and anon this beautiful paddling-days in the alps *_*. Continue reading

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