Equipment Outfitters

Clothing

In a caravan there’s usually plenty of storage place — the problem is deciding what to leave behind. But don’t leave behind your plastic laundry basket, especially if you are going to do a lot of hiking or have a small family and need to launder clothing every day. The basket can always be used to keep things from falling about while you’re travelling.

Plastic hangers are a good choice, as they can be left permanently in the caravan and won’t attract mildew. They are light and can be bought in packs of 10 or 20. Read the rest of this entry »

Hardcore bungee jumpers soon began “sandbagging” to increase the intensity and height of rebound they received from the cords. Jumpers sandbag by holding onto added weight until they reach the bottommost point of the fall, where they release the weight. This method allows a 150 lb (68kg) jumper to be propelled upward with the stored energy of a 200 lb (91kg) jumper by releasing 50 lbs (23kg) at the bottom of the fall. 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 »

Pre-trip checks

The first step is to take pen and paper and make a list of each and every item you intend to take, including food and water. Put in quantities and weights.

When I buy any new item I enquire about the weight. When I get home I weigh it again, both as a check, and to get a filled weight for such items as petrol stoves and water bottles. The new item and its weight are added to a list I keep pinned behind the equipment cupboard door. This list has proved extremely useful over the years and I suggest you prepare one.

Having compiled the list for the trip, criticize it. Is there anything you can leave out? Add up the weights. It concentrates the mind wonderfully to realize you may be planning to do 20 miles a day over mountains carrying 5o lb. of gear. Should you reduce the load, shorten the stages, change the route, or abandon the trip? Take only what you need, for it soon becomes clear that something must be changed. Having reduced your load to a reasonable, but not dangerous level, check every item carefully. Read the rest of this entry »