Paddling tips, tricks, news and gear reviews from an Unsponsored point of view
Your PFD is one of the most important pieces of safety gear that a paddler owns. It’s got work right first time, every time. Time, UV and general paddler abuse can cause damage to your PFD that may or may not be visible.
This PFD related video from Palm Equipment gives a great run through on how you should carry out a PFD health check.
The guys over at Palm Equipment have just released this new video showing how to test the buoyancy of your PFD.
Hot for 2016 is the new Palm Atom Drysuit. We saw one of these at Paddle Expo back in September 2015 so are very pleased to get hold of one for review on Unsponsored.
It’s been a few years since we last tried a Palm suit here at Unsponsored HQ which gives us the opportunity to take a fresh look at what Palm Equipment have been doing to develop their suits.
We have a pair of 2016 Palm Zenith Pants here at Unsponsored HQ for review.The Zenith pants are designed to be combined with any dry or semi dry top to create a flexible system for year round use.
Although a two piece combination will find it hard to be beat a drysuit I have used a number of two piece systems in the past that have been super dry. The big advantage is that you can mix and match tops and bottoms to create a system that is best matched for the conditions you are going out in.
I will be matching these pants with the Palm Fuse jacket which we have been using here at HQ for almost a year.
We are big fans of rand decks at Unsponsored HQ. We have, in the past, gone to extreme measures to ensure that really good rand decks live on to fight another day.
It was therefore superb that we heard that Palm Equipment were going to bring out a brand new rand based deck. The Palm Orbit is a new take on a favourite and we are looking forward to trying this out over the next few months. Lets take a tour in the Palm Orbit – First Look.
Last week I got a preview of the new Inside Out video from Palm Equipment. The video takes a close look at the process of designing and then making paddling gear.
Have you ever wondered how your paddling gear is made, how it’s designed, or what a laser cutter looks like? This short film from Palm Equipment takes you inside the factory, to explain the how, the where and the why of design and manufacturing.
The new Glide PFD from Palm Equipment is designed for those watersport users who don’t want to wear a conventional PFD on calmer waters.
I am a big fan of the colour coded straps from Palm Equipment. Palm have upgraded the system for 2016 by incorporating a rubber cover onto the metal buckle.
The three colour codes still remain:
Red = 3.5m
Blue = 4.5m
Yellow = 5.5m
Palm have significantly updated their line of drysuits for 2016. Fabric is tougher and the velcro flaps used to cover zips have been completely removed.
The cut has been improved with less panels and as a result less seams.
On a safety PSA note if you are carrying a throw bag or rescue tape then you should always have the means to cut it if something were to go wrong.
We’ve had the Palm Folding Knife at Unsponsored HQ for quite a few months so I feel it’s time to do a full review.
Another new Palm Equipment product in for review at Unsponsored HQ. This is the new Palm folding knife.
The image below shows the Palm Folding knife with a Spyderco UK Penknife (Orange FRN), and Spyderco Ladybug.
When we first shared the video showing the new Palm Equipment Lightning throwbag in one of the first comments back was that Palm have made the HF Weasel.
Now as a long term HF Weasel user I can see there are clearly comparisons to made.
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