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The basic principle behind a 2 to 1 mechanical advantage system is the use of pulleys to change the direction of the force being applied. In this article we are looking at how a 2:1 mechanical advantage system works for rafters.
Overall, whether or not you choose to carry a watch on an outdoor adventure is more than a personal decision, it is an important tool in any an outdoor activity. Knowing when sunrise and sunset is particularly important for any outdoor adventure since that will determine how much buffer time you need to budget for issues in the outdoors.
In this video our team is sharing the story of a a young boater named Hank who, after his battle with Leukemia, decided he wanted to follow in his parent’s footsteps and wished become a rafter. Our friends at Sotar reached out to us for help on behalf of Make-A-Wish in making this wish come true and with the help of some amazing sponsors the team stepped up and made Hank’s wish come true in time for the 2022 Feather River Festival.
Layering is a great way to stay warm and comfortable while enjoying the outdoors. It’s especially useful if you plan on spending time outside in colder temperatures. You want to make sure you layer correctly so you don’t get too hot or too cold. Here are some tips to help you do just that.
A lot of people ask us what is the river shoe with the best traction on the market and the answer is no one really tests that...until now. We devised our first in a series of tests to help measure shoe traction. It turned out the answer was more complex than we first thought. In this video we teamed up with our friend Kristin from the River Store to learn what is the shoe with the most traction. We started this testing journey by utilizing a simple lever arm slip test on a sample piece.
In this article Trevor is breaking down the Virginia Tech helmet study. This landmark helmet study provides the first recent scientific look at whitewater helmets to give us an understanding of how concussive force is transferred through whitewater helmets. The methodology used leaves a lot of questions, however it also gives us some serious insight abut what a good helmet should do.
In episode 4 of Crash and Learn we thought we would turn the camera on some of our own carnage from the Pit River. Kailee suffered a serious injury running Pit Falls with a spiral fracture to her right humerus. We're taking a look at how this happened and some lessons from the experience.
Our team got the opportunity to meet up with Michael from La Sportiva to for a first look at their new Canyon Shoe the La Sportiva TX-Canyon (TX-C). This shoe is designed with some really innovative features in mind to help you navigate water environments. This is La Sportiva's dedicated canyoneering shoe and we finally got our hands on the shoe for our 2022 France trip where the team used these for boating, canyoneering, and via ferrata.
In this interview, Kailee is joined by Ash, Brittany, and Traci from Mountain Hardwear as well as Cheyenne for a rafting trip and had a chat about the next steps for women in the outdoors. Each member of the Mountain Hardwear team brought some very different experiences on how they arrived in the outdoors and why they chose to pursue a carrier in a field that was a different world away from their youth
We also want to understand why you may need to lace in or re-lace your raft floor. Some of the scenarios may be: Your floor is damaged and needs to be repaired or replaced. You are travelling and you need to break the boat up into multiple checked bags. The floor lacing is damaged, moldy, or has lost tension.
In episode 3 of our Material Talk Series, Trevor will be discussing Polyester fabric. Polyester is the most common material used in fabric production throughout the world, so we want to understand what Polyester is used for in the outdoors, Polyester's water absorption properties, heat retention of Polyester fabric, and environmental concerns associated with this product.
We wanted to do a little familiarization video for first time rafters. A lot of people ask us: What should I expect my first time whitewater rafting? If you are looking for a basic introduction to whitewater rafting this video is for you. Trevor and Kailee are going to cover a few different things you should know about your first whitewater rafting experience and help familiarize you with a few whitewater rafting concepts.
Whitewater rafting companies near me. Learn about the best trips and destinations for whitewater rafting. White rafting trips in nearly every state are safe and fun adventures for the whole family. Check out our destination guides to find white water rafting trips near me.
In this interview, Kailee is joined by our friend Erin Calfee who grew up in the outdoors as a skier, kayaker, hiker, and all generally a joy to be around. Erin is sharing her experiences with mentors in outdoor sports and the lessons learned from her many years spent outside.
In episode 2 of our Material Talk Series, Trevor will be discussing nylon fabric. We'll be talking about what Nylon is, what is Nylon used for in the outdoors, Nylon's water absorption properties, heat retention of nylon fabric, and environmental concerns associated with this product.
In episode 3 of Crash and Learn, Trevor and Kailee are looking at an accident video from the Kern River in California. This episode focuses on rescuing a boy from a tree strainer in the middle of the river. We are going to be focusing specifically on concepts related to strainer rescues, layered safety, emotional state vs. risk management, rescue techniques, and experience vs. training.
Trevor is reviewing the Palm Gradient Boot as an option for your next pair of river shoes. So far, the comfort and stickiness has been impressive while most importantly they have done a good job of sealing out debris, which is my chief complaint with many other river shoes I wear. There is a generous toe box which fits a dry suit sock super well and the Gradient Boot is generally pleasant to hike in. There are some particular points of note which I will cover later, but for a general-purpose river shoe I feel good about this shoe.
In this interview, Kailee is joined by our friend Cheyenne Arrington a cliff diver, Ninja Warrior competitor, documentarian, and all around lover of water. Cheyenne brought some awesome discussion to the table about what female outdoor athletes experience and how women feature in outdoor media.
Recreational river users from time to time both come into contact and conflict with the professional rescue community. In this Interview Trevor set out to understand the mindset of the professional rescue community. Recreational river users like private boaters and commercial guides have a very different mission on the water to that of the fire service. To help understand this Trevor got exclusive access to several training opportunities with the professional rescue community to see how their mission and culture impacts the work they do in the outdoors.
In this episode, Trevor is discussing expanded polytetrafluoroethylene or Gore-Tex. We'll be taking a deep dive into what this amazing material is and how it works in the boating world. We will also be looking at how it is produced, integrated into garments, and a few other topics like environmental concerns.
