Paddling tips, tricks, news and gear reviews from an Unsponsored point of view
The FX PFD from Palm Equipment has been around in one form or another for years and has been one of Palm’s top sellers throughout its lifetime. In 2013 Palm took the FX and totally overhauled its fit and the material used.
The new FX has been such a success that it seemed to make sense to move things up a gear and develop a rescue vest using the same platform. Palm have done exactly this and have released the FXr in early 2014.
Palm Equipment hooked me up with one of their new FXr PFDs for test the other week and subsequent review on Unsponsored.
A great video from our friends at NRS.
Knowing how to quickly coiling your throw rope for a second toss is an essential swiftwater rescue skill. Here’s a trick to help you make a fast, tangle-free second throw.
I currently have one of Palm’s FXr rescue PFDs in for review. The FXr is based upon the platform of the FX PFD. Here are my thoughts on this piece of kit:
The FX PFD from Palm Equipment has been around in one form or another for years and has been one of Palm’s top sellers throughout its lifetime. The new 2013 FX has really ramped up the design in terms of its looks, but how does it perform? Read on…
Grab handles and security bars 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. If not they can be a nightmare.
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.
Shane at Liquid Logic has filmed one of his Safety/Security bars being put under extreme conditions. Well worth watching.
Security Bar Testing from Shaneslogic on Vimeo.
We recently did another Security Bar test. It’s always fun so I filmed it again. The head of the screw popped at just about the same time as the insert that the bar is attached to pulled out of the plastic.
Different Setups:
Palm Equipment have recently launched the new Snake Sling.
The Palm Snake Sling is a 4m length of tape with sewn ends allowing the sling to be used in various different ways when you add a karabiner into the mix. What I really like is the fact that the sewn loops have been down in such a way that it is super easy to get a karabiner in/out of without high risk of snagging. I have a number of pieces of climbing kit with this setup and know that it works really well.
This a Spyderco Tasman Salt. The blade is a rust resistant H1 steel. This knife has now found a new home in my PFD. A review will follow shortly.
Pimiento Section of the Rio Filobobos (Veracruz, MX) from Nate Merrill on Vimeo.
The Pimiento Section is one of three sections that comprise a 30k wilderness run on the Rio Filobobos in Veracruz, Mexico. The shuttle is four hours one way and traverses some amazing landscape. The river itself is cut off from the world on either side by a vertical canyon that stretches up 600 feet in some places. The first 1/3 of the run is boat scouting class IV with the occasional hairy sieve. We got on the water around 10am and reached our takeout close to 5pm in the afternoon. 12 boaters deep and perpetual game of broken telephone made for some interesting lines, but this section is certainly worth checking out if you want a day off from the nearby Rio Alseseca.
From time to time this will happen and is far more common than even the great boaters like to admit. Capsizing and swimming is what helps us all get better, it’s part of the learning curve no matter what level of the sport you are currently at.
There are two main goals if you find yourself in the water. The first is to stay safe whilst in the water and second is to get out of the water. Continue reading
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.
I have been asked a few times about whether or not the Palm Rescue Waist Belt and Zambezi Utility Belt will accept throw lines/bags from other manufacturers.
© 2026 Unsponsored
Theme by Anders Norén — Up ↑
Recent Comments