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

Tag: rescue (Page 12 of 13)

Grab Handles And Safety Bars

They are one the bits of kit on a kayak that I have in the past paid little attention to. But I have found that if the design is right they are great for carrying and rescue duties.

Most manufacturers use either a metal bar or some sort of climbing tape arrangement. In all cases you should periodically check your boats outfitting to ensure that they do not have any sign of damage or excess wear. All manufacturers can supply replacement parts if required.

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Grab Handles And Safety Bars

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Pin Kit – Rescue PFD

Your Personal Flotation Device (PFD) is probably along with your helmet your prime piece of protection whilst on the water. Your PFD not only helps to keep you afloat it also offers vital padded protection for your body.

The Rescue PFD is something as yet I have not covered as part of the Pin Kit series. So here it is.

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Pin Kit – Carabiners/Karabiners

Walk into any climbing shop and you’ll be presented with a wide array of carabiners, loads of sizes, loads of shapes, loads of colours and a range of prices.

What ever carabiner you choose to buy please make sure that it is a type that is rated for climbing/caving and that it is suitable for job you will be asking it to do. A carabiner suitable for climbing will have its strength rating forged, stamped or etched on it. It should also conform to the 0120CE standard, this again should be present on the carabiner.

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There are some really super light carabiners available out there that are great for climbing but could be too easily damaged/compromised whilst on the river. In instances where hauling, belaying or security are required locking carabiners are best. I carry four locking carabiners as part of my kit, but also have a couple of non-locking carabiners in my boat for clipping gear into that can be called into service if required.

The number you should carry is subjective – Mountainbuzz, Pin Kit. Continue reading

Fox 40 Whistle

Whistles are small, lightweight, and can be a lifesaver in an emergency. I probably own half a dozen or so Fox 40 whistles. I’ve used a number of Fox 40s for years, for both work and on the river and they can be found on my PFD, rucksacks and keys. In fact it is one of the few things that I am prepared to have hanging on my PFD.

In an emergency situation on a river it may not be possible to hear people shout clearly as the sound of the water can drown out the quality of the sound. However a good whistle can punch through that. The Fox whistle is highly regarded and is probably one of the loudest and compact whistles on the market. My orignal one must be well over 20 years old and has taken a beating (it’s the whistle in the image) but is still absolutely as loud and functional as the day I bought it.

There are no moving parts and nothing that could actually fail. The Fox 40 delivers optimum performance and sound power (115db) in a surprisingly small, compact and functional package. Given how good it is you’d expect the Fox 40 to be quite expensive. In reality you can pick them up for around £7 or less.

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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On Your Person

It’s always interesting to see what other paddlers carry with them. What do you carry with you?

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Astral athlete Gareth Tate sends in a photo showing what he carries in his Greenjacket and says…

“I could not be more stoked on the convenience and capacity of the new clamshell pocket on the Greenjacket, check out what I am able to carry with room to spare.”

-1-2 prussiks
-2 locking carabiners
-1 small pulley
-15-20ft of webbing (half inch)
-Rescue whistle
-Rescue knife
-Snack bar
-SPOT device

What do you carry in your Greenjacket?

Cow Tails

During the late 80’s and early 90’s the Cow Tail seemed a pretty common accessory to have attached to your rescue PFD. Over the years they seem to have fallen out of favour.

May be this is a genuine change in focus of use or may be it’s because they are now an extra that needs to be paid for?

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Cow Tails
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Swim From Hell On Clear Creek Narrows

Swimming in white water is never easy. This video gives a really good perspective on what it can be like.

Leatherman Wave

The Leatherman Wave is solid piece of kit. As a river knife this bit of kit isn’t upto the job, but as a tool to carry in the boat, car or PFD for getting out of a fix then this is the daddy.

This made in the USA tool is 100% stainless steel (also available in titanium) and comes with a load of features including: needlenose pliers; five screwdrivers, including Phillips head; two knives, one serrated; a wire cutter/splicer; a saw; file; can/bottle opener; and scissors. Newer versions also come supplied with a bit driver.

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R3 Rescue for River Runners

This is such an awesome resource. Well filmed and well implemented. To date 9 videos are available on Vimeo and Youtube.

R3 Rescue for River Runners: Episode 1 – Getting Started from Five2Nine on Vimeo.

R3 Rescue for River Runners: Episode 2 – Group Dynamics from Five2Nine on Vimeo.

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Rescue for River Runners

Jim Coffey posted a link to this video in a comment on my Pin Kit post. The video series is superb and is well worth watching.

R3 Rescue for River Runners: Episode 1 – Getting Started from Five2Nine on Vimeo.

http://www.rescueforriverrunners.com/videos/2012/5/10/episode-1-getting-started.html

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

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