Equipment Outfitters

The idea of experiencing a free fall only to be snatched from the jaws of death by a cord attached to the ankles is not new. Modern bungee jumpers can trace the roots of their sport back to an ancient legend told by the native tribe of Pentecost Island in the South Pacific.

Various versions of the legend exist, but the basic plot surrounds a woman who was fleeing an abusive husband. The woman climbed a tall tree and tied a vine to her ankles. Her husband followed her up and when he lunged to grab her she jumped out of the tree. Read the rest of this entry »

Thick, strong sticking plaster with powerful adhesive qualities should accompany you everywhere, but make sure you have some form of gauze to stop it sticking to the wound itself. Always carry a pair of sharp scissors or knife to cut it with, as it is almost impossible to tear. The stickiest plaster does not usually allow much air to penetrate, so you may also wish to carry a different variety that does. Read the rest of this entry »

If you’re even thinking of going camping, you must like the idea of living in a tent. The good news is that there is an enormous range of tents, and the number continues to grow; every year seems to bring some new innovation.

The right tent will provide adequate shelter from the elements, allow reasonable freedom of movement inside and still have enough space left over to store sleeping bags, clothing and supplies. It will be easy to pitch and not take up too much space in the car or trailer. Read the rest of this entry »

The ground broken by skateboarders over the past three decades has been invaded by a new group of urban athletes. Aggressive inline skaters have co- opted much of the style and culture of skateboarding into their sport. Aggressive skaters have taken what were initially just fitness and training devices and transformed them into urban assault vehicles that have been embraced by pop culture.

Inline skates can trace their roots back to the Chicago Skate Company, and perhaps further, as evidence of wheeled boots dates back to the early days of bicycling. But it wasn’t until brothers Scott and Brennan Olsen created the first Rollerblades in their Minneapolis basement that the sport took off. The brothers stumbled on a pair of Chicago Skate

Company’s inline skates in the bargain bin of a used equipmentstore while looking for a way to trainfor hockey in the off season. Theskates offered minimal support and awful wheels. The Olsens added greater support and urethane wheels, and the rest is history. Read the rest of this entry »

I doubt many people would argue that triathlons are not grueling tests of an athlete’s physical conditioning and mental toughness. For the unfamiliar, triathlons are events where competitors face off in a combination of swimming, biking, and a running race. Triathlons vary considerably from venue to venue. The original triathlon and the triathlon most deserving of the word extreme is the Ironman, an event that draws the world’s top triathletes from 75 countries to Hawaii each year in October.

What makes the ironman the most extreme triathlon is not its distance—many world class triathlons have similar distances—it is the weather. Temperatures, with highs averaging 88°F (31°C) and humidity Levels between 40-85 per cent, are sometimes accompanied by 60 mph (97 kph) winds. Athletes can expect to endure conditions that make this one event more torturous than most. Read the rest of this entry »

Walking, scrambling on all fours, and crawling on your belly into the moist darkness of a cave is not everyone’s idea of a good time, but it is certainly extreme. The labyrinth-like tunnels that can lead to huge sheer drop offs or expansive chasms are not for the faint of heart. Those prone to nightmares from watching too many reruns of Dracula also may not appreciate the propensity of caves to attract legions of bats.

Appropriately, those who do cave (serious cavers do not refer to their sport as spelunking or potholing) always travel to the inner depths of the earth in groups of two or more. Not surprisingly, cavers are subject to many dangers that one would expect could occur in a cave, such as death by starvation, falling, asphyxiation, drowning, and hypothermia from exposure. 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 »

Snowboarding was reviled for years by skiers and the ski industry. Early on, most mountains would not allow snowboards on their lift systems or their slopes.

These confrontations were when snowboarders, who justly felt they had a right to be on the hill, responded strongly and aggressively in their own defense. More than a few verbal and physical brawls resulted, enhancing skiers‘ perception that all snowboarders were bad news.

These cultural boundaries are now breaking down as skiers begin to appreciate three things; snowboarding is here to stay, snowboarders ride to have fun, just like they do, and snowboarders have attained a level of skill performance that is equal to or higher than skiing in many ways. Read the rest of this entry »

For years skiing has symbolized the carefree pursuit of sport in paradise‑like winter settings around the world. Since the first skier rode downhill somewhere in Scandinavia, skiing has drawn free-spirited athletes to the mountains. But enjoyment of the sport became for much only a lifestyle statement and the thrill of challenging terrain and conditions seemed to dwindle. Now a new generation of extreme athletes is redefining the meaning of downhill skiing.

Ski Resorts have tamed skiing. Snowcats, towed terrain-grooming equipment, gentle pistes, vista spots, posh resort restaurants— not long ago skiing was a very different pursuit of sport and challenge, and the relaxation came from winning a personal test of ability. 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 »

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 »

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 »

In the wilderness hazards are mercifully few and far between. Even where they exist they are merely potential hazards, quite safe if you, the traveller, take the correct action or observe a few simple precautions. The main danger lies in failing to recognize the existence of this potential danger. Unfamiliarity with the terrain is a prime cause of hazard, and any city-dweller venturing into the wild is automatically at risk for this reason. The same would be true of a shepherd who leaves his flocks and wanders among traffic.

Two good examples of terrain which will always be unfamiliar to the majority of outdoor people are deserts and the jungle. Unfamiliar as they are, they can still be entered in safety, provided certain basic situations are understood and allowed for. 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 »

Rescue services

Most mountain and wilderness areas have established rescue services and they may be broadly divided into three sections:

1 Amateur but skilled teams: These are often the members of climbing clubs, hill walking organizations, or the local Civil Defence teams, who are trained in rescue techniques and stand by at weekends or in bad weather in order to answer emergency calls. These are almost always part-time volunteers, without whom the wild places would be a good deal more risky than they are.

2 The police: In remote areas the police have assumed the liaison role in mountain rescue. Many members of the police service are trained in rescue techniques, and thanks to their radio communications network and mobility, are in the ideal position to liaise between people in trouble and the rescue services. Read the rest of this entry »

Priorities

To state priorities for a set of stock solutions is not possible, for the range of problems is infinite. However, certain steps must be established, and the following are fairly typical and should serve as guidelines. In a survival situation you should:

1 Treat any serious injuries, if they exist, or send for medical help

2 Seek shelter

3 Get warm

4 Eat

5 Try not to worry and don’t panic. Read the rest of this entry »

Will and perseverance

If, in spite of your precautions, you get into trouble, you must adopt an air of hope. Even if you feel the situation is desperate, don’t give in to panic. There is a way out of most situations, so keep calm and try to think of it. Panic can spread alarmingly among tired people, but only makes a bad situation worse. You must, as an individual, exercise control, consider the facts, arrange your priorities, and then act. If you are theleader of the party then you must, in addition, set an example of steady nerves to the other members.

Precautions

When problems start to occur on the hill you may also fall prey to the ‘if only’ factor. This is the train of thought which begins ‘If only I had told Mum; if only I had left a route card; if only I had asked Bill; or brought a tent‘ — and so on. To save yourself from any such bitter reflections, check that you have these requirements before you start: Read the rest of this entry »