Equipment Outfitters

Hang gliding gliding is unquestionably the closest a human being can get to flying like a bird. Hang gliding is the essence of non-motorized, unassisted flight many of us have all dreamed of from time to time.

The sport of gliding continues to progress today, as new technology allows the use of lighter and stronger materials. Extreme hang gliding is found only at the top expert level, where pilots can do virtually every trick imaginable, from full barrel rolls to inverted maneuvers. Stunt flying is a rapidly growing, and dangerous facet of hang gliding. Read the rest of this entry »

Mountainboarding is a newcomer to the world of extreme sports, although I can track its lineage to a few other more “established” extreme sports like snowboarding and mountain biking.

Essentially, the mountain board creators developed a hybrid skateboard/snowboard that allows aspects of each sport to be used on terrain where neither can be practiced. Which isn’t to say that skateboarders have not tried using fat tires on their skateboards so that they can ride on loose sand and gravel—they have. Read the rest of this entry »

Charging down a hill at warp speed on a bike is a rush that most of us have enjoyed at some time. As bikes developed they headed down the path of tradition, and for a while, all a bike buyer could find was a road-racing-style bike or a cruiser. Road bikes were fine for speed and offered a broad range of gears. But road bikes offered little comfort and didn’t take very well to rough surfaces. Cruisers were very comfortable, but heavy and not geared very well. All that changed in the early Eighties when a Japanese bike company by the name of Specialized purchased a unique bike made in Marin County, California, and took it home for a closer look.

The mountain bike can trace its roots back to when a small and unknown group of riders in Marin County, California first began riding stripped down and beefed up Schwinns on mountain roads just prior to WWII. One can only assume that the natural propensity of extreme oriented riders continued to pursue downhill riding until a few notable pioneers of the modern mountain bike began simultaneously experimenting and redefining the equipment they were riding. According to one of those pioneers, Gary Fischer, the early Schwinn “Ballooner” Cruiser bikes everyone was riding were so heavy that they were pushed, not ridden, uphill. Fischer is reported to have been the first to equip a Ballooner with multiple gears, an act that made it easier to pedal uphill, but also added 25 lbs (11.35 kg) to their weight. Read the rest of this entry »

A complete knowledge of lifesaving and first- aid skills are also much needed assets in each team member. With the extreme altitude of these climbs, abrupt weather changes can strand an injured climber on the mountain for days before rescue is possible. Without sufficient first aid, a climber can die before outside assistance is made available. Because temperatures can quickly drop off the scale, advanced life-saving protective gear is also required, and must be available during the entire ascent and descent.

Most climbing is not, however, done in remote areas on massive peaks. It takes place within hours of major urban areas and towns around the globe. The fact that many climbing areas are accessible does not make them any less extreme. A simple categorization system has been created in every country to classify the difficulty of a climb. In France the system uses a series of numbers and letters; in England ascents are graded on difficulty and danger; in the U.S. climbers use what is termed the “Yosemite scale” to help explain the various levels of difficulty climbers can attempt. The Yosemite grading system uses the following structure for each climb: Read the rest of this entry »

Mountain climbing is as old as mankind. It has not always been a “sport,” perhaps it was better classified as a survival skill. Now that we no longer require mountaineering skills to traverse the globe, those that still enjoy getting out into the mountains are clearly enthusiasts of the sport of mountain climbing.

Furthermore, while mountain climbing is the act of ascending a mountain under your own power, extreme mountain climbing is hardly a leisure activity.

Climbing mountains covers two basic categories, technical and nontechnical. The latter requires little more than sheer energy and knowledge of one’s own limitations. No special equipment, just a good rugged and supportive pair of hiking shoes. Technical climbing requires the use of ropes and other specialized equipment to ascend the terrain to be climbed. The equipment is used so that, in the event of a fall, the climber is both protected from injury and securely fastened to the rock or ice. Read the rest of this entry »

Swimming into the deepest reaches of the ocean is a feat that many divers have experienced to a degree. Some may go below 200 feet (60m), others deeper. All would be lost without the air they bring with them. There is a special breed of diver who can go deeper than most, without air tanks. These freedivers have pushed the limits of unassisted breathing dives to below 400 feet.

Tofreedive to depths of even 50 feet (15m) is an unsettling prospect for all but the strongest swimmers. To dive much deeper requires holding a breath for minutes. In fact, the world’s best freedivers hold their breath for periods that rival many marine mammals. Read the rest of this entry »

Swimming long distances for sport is a challenge that only the most fit and determined extreme athletes pursue. Its roots can be traced back to1875 when Captain Matthew Webb became the first swimmer to cross the English Channel. Since then, crossing the channel has been one of the more defining feats of long distance, or open water, swimming. Open water is the appropriate term, since races and crossings are never held in a pool that would be too easy and lacking danger.

Open Water Swimming races are held globally, and were included in many of the early Olympic Games. Course lengths are usually 5, 10, 15, or 25 kilometers (3-15.5 miles) and require several hours to complete. The courses are set between two points on any large body of water. Some races require athletes to do several laps to complete a given distance, while others may consist of one very long lap. Read the rest of this entry »

Speed has been a quest of sailing pioneers for as long as there have been sailing vessels. In early times, speed meant sailors could travel farther to catch bigger and better quantities of fish. Speed allowed explorers to gain access to new frontiers before supplies dwindled and starvation ensued. As warriors sought control of the seas, speed offered aggressors the opportunity of a swift attack, and gave those seeking escape the chance to elude their demise. Today, the quest for speed is all about establishing new levels of performance and securing a spot in the record books. Read the rest of this entry »

Cuts

Cuts are not uncommon out-of-doors and are usually the result of incorrect handling of knives and tools. Sharp tools, incidentally, are less likely to slip and cause injury than blunt ones, so keep your sharp tools sharp, but covered.

Wash a cut well and, if it is very deep, press the edges together, and bind firmly. If a vein or artery is cut it may need to be tamped with the fingers until, as the clotting starts, the bleeding slows. Bad cuts may require stitching and puncture wounds, or cuts from rusty wire or farm implements, may need an anti-tetanus injection. Bad cuts and all puncture wounds should be seen by a doctor. Grazes should be washed to remove any ingrained dirt before covering. A light application of an antiseptic cream like Savlon may be soothing. Read the rest of this entry »

Shock

Shock is present, even if not apparent, in all major and most minor accident situations.

Apart from any injury, the victim has suffered a blow to the nervous system, which can lead to a temporary functional failure of some parts. Shock, together with the injuries, can lead to death. Shock is very serious and is usually present, so always treat for shock, even if the victim seems, or declares himself to be quite all right.

The victim may be pale, grey and sweating, or shivering with an irregular pulse, perhaps hysterical. Make him lie down and rest. Treat the injuries as best you can, cleaning up any blood, acting confidently. Your confidence will do a great deal to help reassure the casualty, and reassurance is what he needs to fight the shock. Clear away all spectators unless they can help. If you can cheer the casualty a little and reassure him by your words and actions that all will soon be well, you have helped him considerably. Here again, a knowledge of first aid will give you the confidence he badly needs. Read the rest of this entry »

Repairs

There are few opportunities for any major repairs in the field, but a temporary patch can prevent down spilling out from a ripped sleeping bag or a snagged jacket. More and more garments, bags and flysheets are in rip-stop material, in which the fabric is seamed with reinforcing strands of nylon, but tears are still a possibility. Rip-stop repair tape and a needle and thread are useful accessories carried in a 35-mm film container, inside your pack.

Car care

In winter especially, the countryside is muddy. It is frequently not much better in high summer and mud can cause trouble in a number of ways. Nothing is more discouraging than to return to your car on a cold wet winter’s night and find when you try to move that the wheels sink swiftly into the sodden ground. Read the rest of this entry »

Settling in

Organization, having a place for everything and everything in that place, is the secret of a comfortable night under canvas. To save endless rummaging in the rucksack I unpack it completely and the settling-in routine usually goes as follows:

1 Find a site and pitch the tent.

2 Unpack stove, fuel and water and put on a brew.

3 Lay out pad and, after a good shake, lay out the sleeping bag to `left’.

4 Unpack rucksack completely, except for small lose- able items, which stay in top flap pocket. Read the rest of this entry »

Where are you?

Always know where you are. That is a fundamental rule. Consulting the map every few minutes is irritating, and

will slow you down considerably, so wear your compass around your neck and get into the habit of taking a quick bearing on a couple of features every few hundred yards. Any new landmarks should be identified on the map as they appear, and in difficult country you should have the map in your hand and be ‘thumbing’ the route. This means that the map, in its plastic bag, is held with your thumb firmly at the point of your present position. The area of your thumb on the map covers an area of a square mile or so, but you will have the general location. Read the rest of this entry »

Cooking stores

There is a world of difference between living to eat and eating to live. Depending on his or her expertise, the outdoor person hovers somewhere between the two extremes and how far you lean one way or another will depend on the competence of your cooking and the degree to which a few useful and tasty spices and herbs are introduced into the cooking.

A small nylon bag containing a selection from the following items can turn the most mundane meal into something appetizing and add that little extra touch which rounds off the day. The quantities need not be large, but the benefits can be terrific! Read the rest of this entry »

Heat and cold exhaustion

These arc not ailments in the true sense, in that they are a result of accident or illness. They are an inherent risk caused by the weather and as a result exhaustion is a hazard. It is all too easy to over-estimate your physical strength and once you have over-taxed your capabilities, further effort will result in exhaustion and possible collapse. Heat exhaustion and heat stroke are summer hazards, far more prevalent than cold exhaustion, perhaps because they are more unexpected, and fewer measures are taken to prevent them.

Heat exhaustion can be caused by a humid atmosphere, excessive perspiration, loss of body fluids, and simple tiredness. It can lead to collapse and even death in very severe cases. Read the rest of this entry »

Avalanche precaution

The best precaution is to use your common sense, observe avalanche warnings, and never travel on closed routes. They have been closed to keep you out of danger, and even if you take the risk and get away with it, your tracks may tempt others into danger and they may not be so lucky.

Most avalanches occur at known spots, and when avalanche conditions exist, a warning is issued, ski pistes are closed and the emergency services stand by. Providing the skier does what he is told, and stays out of danger, little harm can come to him. Read the rest of this entry »

Frostbite

When you get really cold, the body transfers warmth from the skin surfaces to the body centre in order to maintain core heat. This causes shivering as the skin tries to generate heat and can lead to frostbite. Frostbite is a term which means an actual freezing of the flesh, until ice actually forms in the tissues. A less serious, but still painful form is frostnip, where the skin becomes burnt and blistered by the effects of exposure to winds and low temperatures, but swift action in covering the affected parts and re-warming the flesh can quickly prevent this, or reduce the effects.

Slight frostbite is usually indicated by a whiteness of the skin and a loss of sensation. The ears, toes, fingers, nose, cheeks and chin, are particularly vulnerable. If such signs are noticed and the areas concerned covered and re-warmed at once, then no further damage need result. Read the rest of this entry »

Dehydration

Because of the effect of chill on the body and the need to work hard in order to stay warm, dehydration becomes a possibility at below-zero temperatures. It is important to drink lots of liquids in winter and up to a litre a day may be needed just to keep the body fluids in balance. Tea and hot chocolate may be found to be more refreshing than coffee, but neither tea nor coffee by itself, without the addition of milk and/or sugar, offers any calorific support at all.

Frostbite and wind chill

Both are possible in the winter and must therefore be guarded against.

Movement in winter Read the rest of this entry »

Tent pegs, ‘dead men’, and guys

Getting a peg to hold in snow or soft ground can be a real problem, especially in high winds. Hammering a peg into frozen ground can be very difficult. In winter carry some thin steel pegs to cope with the latter difficulty and take a selection of long wooden, serrated plastic, or aluminium pegs for better holding insoft ground.

If they still fail to provide sufficient grip, you can use a `deadman’. These are flat metal plates which you can bury in the soft ground or snow, and their shape offers good holding properties. You can, however, use your initiative and construct your `deadman’ from your normal pegs, or whatever aids come to hand. Read the rest of this entry »

Many outdoor enthusiasts avoid the winter entirely, put away all their gear, and go into hibernation until well into the spring. This is quite unnecessary and rather a shame because in spite of generally inclement weather, winter has a great deal to offer. It is a challenge to your skills and the crowds have either departed or are much reduced. When the snow and cold weather set in, a whole new range of knowledge and technique is necessary to ensure your comfort and survival.

As a personal choice, I prefer the winter season, and would urge all outdoor people to extend their season beyond the autumn and see what the cold-weather camping has to offer.

The challenge

If you live in temperate latitudes with few extremes in the weather, then the winter is less of a problem, except where, as in the U.K., the weather is always unpredictable. Where winter sets in with a vengeance, in such northern latitudes as the Eastern U.S.A. or Canada, or in the high mountains, then your complete range of equipment, clothing and technique must be extended. All must be capable of coping with whatever weather can hurl at you. Read the rest of this entry »