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

Batman Had One

Surely everyone should have a utility belt, Batman had one.

UK based Palm Equipment have come to rescue your wanna be super hero dreams by creating the Zambezi Utility Belt.

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From Palm Equipment:

A technical waist belt to mount any Palm throwline. With a throwline release and belt release buckles, a pocket for storage and a comfortable vent mesh belt that floats.

Features include:

Embossed foam waist belt with Fixlock® QR buckle
Throwline deployment system with Fixlock® QR buckle
Cordura® top-opening towline pouch with removable 3m HT polypropylene floating line in yellow
Shock absorber on rope
Comes in storage bag with printed usage instructions
Fabrics: Embossed foam belt, Cordura® 550D bag with 6mm floating Polypropylene line

Mine didn’t arrive in a storage bag but fixed to a large cardboard sheet via a few zip ties. The cardboard and attached tags contain some pretty comprehensive instructions which are clear, concise and easy to read.

The red Cordura® pouch holds the towline rope. The pouch is held closed through the use of a strip of velcro. The rope incorporates a shock absorber system in the form of a short length of elasticated tape. This is very similar to the tape used on a cowtail. Unfortunately the system doesn’t include a carabiner but does need one to be functional.

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The belt is obvously worn around the waist and can be released quickly using the red toggle fastened to the QR buckle.

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A yellow toggled QR buckle is the quick release for the throw bag attachment strap.

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The stap used to hold the throw bag on the belt is re-enforced with what feels like a strip of plastic. The plastic runs inside of the tape and helps to keep the throw bag tight against the belt. Clear instructions for use are printed on the outside of the tape.

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The use of the red fabric in my opinion is an improvement over the blue used on the 2012 Zambezi Utility belt. The build quality is good and the materials seem robust.

3 Comments

  1. Peter Carol

    I still don’t know why Palm persist in including a towline on what is obviously a white water oriented belt.

    Such a towline on moving water is potentially lethal as it can’t reliably be found to release. Take the towline off and it makes a good kit leash for your canoe, and you have room for a couple of HMS screwgates and a prussik or pig rig.

    • admin

      I completely agree. The towline attachment is coming off today.

  2. Lizzie

    It is a great bit if kit. Whilst the tow line is useful for coaches at centres etc, if you remove it for WW use you then have somewhere to keep crabs, pulleys, prussiks etc. I wouldn’t wear it on me whilst paddling ww. However it really comes in handy when you have to get out to protect a rapid. It means you are hands free!

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