What are your thoughts on adding gear onto the outside of your PFD?
Do you keep it clean?
Tag: whistle
Although this buyers guide is directed at students in reality it will apply to anyone thinking about taking up the sport. Over the next few weeks many students will be starting Uni and will be looking at joining a club.
In most cases the Kayak/Canoe club in a university will be the best club to join. That can pretty much be guaranteed.
A change of car has forced me to seek out a new set of roofbars. I wanted the best set of roof bars for my car without going silly on the cost. This time I have went for the Thule Wing bars (aka Aeroblades in the USA). I love cars that can have a set of roof bars bolted to them, either to fittings hidden within the roof or roof rails.
The new Unsponsored HQ paddle wagon/family transporter is a very sensible two litre 184bhp Skoda Octavia VRS estate. It has replaced the BMW 320d Touring shown in these images.
So am I still using these bars with the new car?
A change of car has forced me to seek out a new set of roofbars. I wanted the best set of roof bars for my car without going silly on the cost. This time I have went for the Thule Wing bars. These are known as the Thule Aeroblades in some parts of the word. I love cars that can have a set of roof bars bolted to them, either to fittings hidden within the roof or roof rails. The new Unsponsored HQ paddle wagon/family transporter is a very sensible two litre 184bhp BMW 320d Sport.
This post has been rattling round my head for the last few months as I have debated on whether to put it out. A conversation with a couple of fellow paddlers has prompted me to make the post.
First things first the risk of being snagged or caught up in a strainer or similar is something that all paddlers need to think about and although the risk is minimal the risk still exists. Any kit that you wear has the potential of being snagged and all steps should be made to keep loops of tape, laces etc tucked away and out of danger. However I sometimes find that it is necessary or advantageous to have some pieces of kit on the outside of my PFD rather than in a pocket.
Continue readingIn 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.
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.
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