Equipment Outfitters

Retrieving your boat from the water essentially reverses the steps you took to launch it. At the end of a long boating day, it’s a great temptation to rush through the procedure. Take the time to make sure that your boat is properly seated on the trailer, both for correct support and for balanced trailering. Also, pull the drain plugs at this time to drain any water from the bilge.

At the Pier

With an outboard, disconnect the fuel line and let the engine idle until it runs out of fuel. This prevents the formation of deposits in the engine. Read the rest of this entry »

The living area of the motorhome tends to be built around the front end of the vehicle — the engine needs to be accessible from various angles for servicing, and one of these may be from inside the cab. Access to the cab is made easier by the fact that there is already a side entrance, and in these cases access to the driver’s seat will be via the living area. Some cabs do not depart much from their industrial origins and access here is gained via an ordinary door on each side. Depending on the country of origin, many imported motorhomes have the steering wheel and door on the ‘wrong’ side for South African roads. While this is not illegal, it does mean that the driver will have to make allowances for restricted vision. If you don’t like the idea, rather buy a locally made vehicle. Read the rest of this entry »

The luxury motorhome must surely represent the ultimate touring vehicle. As a combination of large vehicle and caravan it offers the benefits of both, and allows the traveller the sort of freedoms one would usually find only on a yacht! Passengers, for example, are able to sleep comfortably stretched out while the kilometres speed by.

Modern motorhomes are made for comfort, lightness and aerodynamic efficiency — they’re certainly more evolved than their older relatives. The interior layouts are more sophisticated and well thought out and the specification levels are higher. Although a common complaint is that the smaller versions are underpowered, fuel consumption is an important aspect of touring; while bigger engines have more power and are more exciting to drive, they are very much thirstier. Read the rest of this entry »

With or without its own toilet, a caravan is quite like a house in that it stays warm for a while after the sun has gone down. Caravanners therefore tend to remain up, talking and reading after dark for much longer than their friends who are camping in tents. When choosing a van, you should check whether it has a lighting system and power supply that will enable you to do this. Read the rest of this entry »

Pointing your skis downhill as fast as you can is something that millions of us do every year when taking in any one of several ski resorts or cross country touring centers around the globe. Each skier has sought out a bump or jump from time to time, and all can appreciate the rush that even a small launch into the air can provide. That thrill has driven skiers to seek jumps for as tong as there have been skis. Read the rest of this entry »

In the old days, me and my brother really struggled to put the tent up properly. Especially in the windy night, we can’t sleep, because the wind rapes our roof. Today we have the instant air flow up tent. We just sit and watch.

Pitching the tent for the first time is something that should ideally be done at home before the start of your holiday. Read the rest of this entry »

Free-falling from an aircraft is one of the extreme sports that millions around the world take part in every year. The excitement of plummeting to earth with the time to think and enjoy the view is what attracts so many to jump from what most would consider a perfectly good airplane. Over the years, sky diving has evolved from what was once a necessary skill of self preservation to the source of inspiration for other sports like sky surfing and B.A.S.E. jumping. Read the rest of this entry »

Dome Tents

The most popular tent shape is the dome. It is the result of extensive research, and dome tent designers make the best of many modern materials such as carbon fibre and Ventex to produce ranges in all sizes. These materials make use of advanced technology to provide shelters of unparalleled resilience — in many cases they have a strengthto-weight ratio that can only be described as phenomenal. The dome shape is intentionally aerodynamic, and the stiffeners provide a good degree of flex; such tents can survive strong winds, even if these are accompanied by snow, hail and sleet. Many come with a built-in wind-deflector as part of the fly sheet, which, if correctly positioned, provides additional shelter and helps keep gusts away from the main opening. 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 »

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 »

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 »

Rivers are rated on a scale of 1-6. The higher the number, the greater the degree of difficulty. It is important to acknowledge that river sections can vary dramatically in difficulty, and it is not uncommon for a river to change from class 1 to class 6 within a matter of meters. Again, it is vital to get local information on the river before going downstream. The following outlines the classification system:

• CLASS I – easy, occasionally small rapids with few obstacles

• CLASS II – moderate, small rapids and waves which are easily navigated
• CLASS III – difficult, rapids, hazards, and irregular waves which should be scouted from shore ahead of time; complex maneuvers will be required CLASS IV—very difficult, tong, large rapids and falls with dangerous hazards which must be scouted; precise moves will be required, including rolls; rescues will be difficult 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 »

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 »

Food storage

If food looks or smells doff’, don’t eat it. Keeping times vary according to the food, the situation, and the weather, but hot or humid weather conditions are bad for storage. Eat your fresh food first, cooking extra portions to eat cold later.

Where wild animals, foxes, raccoon or bears are possible visitors, hang the food out on a thin branch well up in a tree. Bears have been known to come into tents after food, and injure the occupants in trying to obtain it. Read the rest of this entry »

Pre-trip cooking

A large number of dishes, sandwiches, pasties, salads, cold meats, sausages and so on can be cooked at home and taken into the field to be eaten either cold or re-heated.

Many foods can be enjoyed equally well cold, accompanied perhaps by a mug of hot soup or a brew.

Replenishment

Here again, as is so often the case out-of-doors, the value of pre-trip information is apparent. Since the amount you can carry is limited on a long trip, it is usually necessary to find somewhere to stock up every three or four days and these stops are usually at country stores where special outdoor foods, in light, dehydrated form, are rarely available. You must check that the shops will be open, or even that they actually still exist, for quite a number of villages survive with only a church and a pub. 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 »