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Camping / Equipment & Accessories, Climbing, Climbing / Caving, Critical items you ‘Need’ to Survive an Adventure, Essential Rope Knots, How To's, Mountaineering, My Blog
Locking Screwgate Carabiners: The Ultimate Safety Gear for Secure Climbing
Locking Screwgate Carabiners / Karabiners serve as essential tools for climbers and mountaineers, facilitating the secure connection of various equipment pieces, thereby ensuring their safety during ascents. Typically crafted from durable metal, these versatile devices come in a variety of shapes and sizes, though commonly feature an oval design with a spring-loaded clip mechanism, ensuring firm closure unless intentionally opened. They have a wide range of uses across various activities and industries, including: Climbing and Mountaineering: Carabiners are crucial for connecting ropes to harnesses, securing climbers to anchors, creating belay systems, and linking different pieces of climbing equipment such as cams, nuts, and quickdraws. Rigging and Rope Work: They are…
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Choose the Best Outdoor Cooking Set for Your Next Adventure
Your Compact Companion for Wild Camping, Backpacking and Travelers who need to pack urgently, this all-in-one cooking set ensures you have everything you need to get some grub cooking! The complete cooking set is simple to use and packs down compactly, elevating your outdoor experience. Meticulously crafted for adventurers, nature enthusiasts, and anyone captivated by the allure of the great outdoors, this set is designed to complement the spirit of exploration. Whether you’re trekking through rugged terrain or unwinding at a picturesque campsite, this versatile kit is your steadfast companion. Boiling water or conjuring a satisfying meal becomes a swift affair with the all-inclusive tools and gear provided. Ready to…
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Essential Guide to Due Diligence: What You Need to Know Pre-Adventurers
Prioritizing health and safety is essential in any endeavor, particularly in adventurous activities where risks abound. Comprehensive risk assessments are mandatory for all such undertakings, particularly in challenging environments like mountainous terrain or during intense activities such as an Atlantic row. Ignoring safety protocols in these scenarios may result in dire consequences. Drawing from personal reflections, poignant events such as the unfortunate loss of a fellow oarsman during the Atlantic row in 2016 and the notable dropout rate in Rugby on Everest 2019 have profoundly shaped my outlook. The tragic incident underscores the importance of ensuring comprehensive safety measures are in place. The Skipper and owner of the vessel faced…
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Rock Scrambling: Practical Tips and Best Techniques for Success
Rock scrambling, a popular outdoor pursuit, involves navigating rocky terrain with a mix of climbing and hiking techniques. It’s crucial to conduct thorough risk assessments before engaging in rock scrambling to ensure participant safety. Ignoring safety protocols in this activity could lead to accidents or injuries. Basic Guide to Scrambling How to Navigate Scree Loose Scree / friable rock is hair-raising, it makes the scramble tougher mentally Carefully maneuver your boots into the scree, especially effective when it’s just a few inches deep. Engage the front of your boot, securing a stable foothold, and meticulously shift your weight before replicating the process with the other foot. Keep your center of…
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River / Stream Crossings: Best Practical Tips for Hikers and Trekkers
River and stream crossings offer a mix of excitement and challenge. There are various factors range from navigating shallow streams to traversing deep rivers. Whether one opts for fording, using a bridge, or sailing across in a boat, the primary focus remains on assessing the environment and choosing the safest approach. Essential considerations: Scout for safer crossings by thoroughly exploring upstream and downstream to find the most suitable and secure location. Depth of the water , current intensity, and the nature of the terrain; emphasizing the paramount importance of prioritizing safety above all else. Look downstream; consequences are crucial if you get swept away by the current A straight stretch…
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Survival Knife : Best Tips for Maintenance and Mastery
“Your knife is your life”: You’re only as sharp as your knife and your survival knife is the one that you have on you at the time. Stephen Nowacki. Taking care of your knives and using them correctly is essential for their longevity and your safety. Knives are versatile tools, but they have their limits. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll provide valuable advice on knife care and usage to help you make the most of your tools while ensuring their durability. Section 1: Proper Knife Usage Section 2: Knife Maintenance Section 3: General Care Section 4: Maintenance and Sharpening Proper knife care and usage are vital for your safety and…
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Mobile Phone: Useful Tips and Best Practices for Maximum Protection
In today’s interconnected world, effective ‘communication’ takes center stage. My colleagues and I have taken our mobile phones to diverse environments and engaged in a wide array of activities. From the icy reaches of the North Pole to the scorching sands of the Sahara Desert, we’ve braved it all. Our phones have accompanied us on water-based adventures such as kayaking and swimming, and they’ve even faced the arduous ascents of Mount Everest and Mount Kilimanjaro. Our mobile phones require robust protection against a range of elements, encompassing water, sand, snow, and shocks, while still maintaining seamless functionality for speaking, listening, and dialing. Kevlar mobile phone cases offer several advantages, one…
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Epic London 2 Paris Rowing Challenge : A Journey to Remember
The London 2 Paris Rowing Challenge in 2010 required extreme physical endurance and considerable mental strength. It’s the perfect example of open water rowing’s most demanding aspects; a journey of self-discovery and empowerment. I looked forward to an interesting and equally punishing journey from Big Ben, down along the River Thames, across the English Channel to La Havre and up the Seine to the finish at the Eiffel tower, a distance of 440 nautical miles. We rowed an old-fashioned traditional Thames Waterman Cutter; 34ft long, with a beam of 4ft 6”, in timber (clinker-built). We started from Big Ben, London, rowing our Thames Cutter towards the sea. Rotating six rowers…
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Critical items you ‘Need’ to Survive an Adventure, Hiking / Trekking, Hiking / Trekking, Overlooked Survival Items
Ultimate Head Protection : Buffs, Snoods & Shemagh Scarf in All Weathers
Call it a buff, a snood or a magic scarf; the ‘Wuffler‘ is the ultimate multifunctional headwear for the Adventurous….. Buff ; a ‘fabric tube’ and they have many different intended ways to keep your neck, face and head warm, dry and protected from the sun. Snood / neck gaiter/cowl; is a lightweight hybrid of ‘scarf & hood’; protecting your face, head and neck against the sun and wind. Bandana; is an efficient way to protect you from the sun & wind, often worn as a skull cap or usually as a headband. It will keep you warm during the cold winter days and breathable; protecting you from the sun and in the heat quick…
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Stay Hydrated on the Go : Best Water Bladder Systems
A backpack/rucksack with a Hydration Bladder System is a fantastic choice for outdoor activities such as when hiking, camping, or even on long walks. The hydration bladder, usually positioned inside the backpack, allows you to sip water through a tube without having to stop and open a water bottle; convenient and efficient giving you constant access to enjoy a drink hands free. Ideal choice while you are trekking in the mountains, scrambling over dunes and for runners. Plus, it’s a lifesaver in hot weather—enabling you to enjoy a steady flow of refreshing sips, shielding your water from the sun, and outperforming traditional water bottles with its generous capacity. Stay hydrated…