Primus Firehole 300 Stove Review

Gear

Photo: www.backcountry.com — Primus Firehole 300 Camp Stove

If car camping and cooking for a group is on your agenda, you can’t do better than Primus’ Firehole 300. Fueled on one pound propane canisters, the Firehole’s two burners can easily manage cooking for groups of up to 10. This high-powered stove will set your water to bubbly within three minutes. Weighing in at 14 pounds, the Firehole is approximately the size of a briefcase and will earn an honored place on your base camp’s picnic table. Its windscreens double as a prep area and it comes with a magnetic cutlery container.

$295 | www.primuscamping.com

This article originally appeared in Canoeroots & Family Camping, Summer/Fall 2013. Download our free iPad/iPhone/iPod Touch App or Android App or read it here.

Sweet Protection Rocker Half Cut Helmet Review

Photo: Sierra Stinson — Sweet Protection Rocker Half Cut Helmet

Sweet Protection’s Rocker shell combines the elasticity of injection molds with the strength of carbon fiber. Tested and tuned on the steeps of Norway, this high-tech shell has stiffer sides and a more elastic crown area, which means superior protection for your bean. A full covering, anti-allergenic liner wicks moisture and ensures comfort. The neckhugging tensioning system keeps everything solidly in place and won’t roll when you’re putting the helmet on. A removable and adjustable shatter-proof visor and ear pads are included.

High Sign: Super comfortable.

Low Sign: Bank breaker.

~ $217, depending on retailer | www.sweetprotection.com

This article originally appeared in Rapid magazine, Summer/Fall 2013. Download our free iPad/iPhone/iPod Touch App or Android App or read it here.

Shred Ready Full Cut Helmet Review

Photo: www.shredready.com — Shred Ready Full Cut Helmet

Taking the same great fit and style from the popular half-cut model, Shred Ready’s Standard Full Cut helmet adds protection for your ears. Its ABS injectionmolded shell and multi-impact molded liner are comfortable and light. Cushy, color-coded, closedcell foam fit pads stick to the liner and allow for a one-size-fits-all model that will work for most adults. The Standard’s unique Hog 2.0 lock system sits at the nape of the neck and tensions to create a secure and custom fit.

High Sign: Slick graphics.

Low Sign: Long, loose hair can get tangled in the lock system.

$69.95 | www.shredready.com

This article originally appeared in Rapid magazine, Summer/Fall 2013. Download our free iPad/iPhone/iPod Touch App or Android App or read it here.

Predator Lee Helmet Review

Photo: www.predatorhelmets.com — The Lee helmet from Predator Designs

Predator Designs’ Lee is light, stylish and keeps a low profile. The shell is manufactured with high-impact Ralvek thermoplastic for increased stiffness and protection. The Croc-Loc rear adjustor is easy to use onehanded and allows for a secure fit. Top quality webbing means a fray resistant chinstrap and rubberized trim further protects from the hazards of both the river and your trunk. The Lee’s two and- a-half-inch visor gives ample eye and sun protection.

High Sign: We love the shark-shaped fit pads.

Low Sign: Not everyone digs a brim.

$139 | www.predatorhelmets.com

This article originally appeared in Rapid magazine, Summer/Fall 2013. Download our free iPad/iPhone/iPod Touch App or Android App or read it here.

Trapper Corvus Canoe Review

Photo: Dan Caldwell — A review of the Trapper Corvus canoe

Unique and eco-friendly, Trapper’s Corvus will ensure you’re the talk of the canoe club. The smallest of Trapper’s expedition series, the sturdy Corvus was designed with both daytrips and weeklong paddles in mind and is ideal for paddling on slow-moving rivers and lakes.

If you’re not familiar with Trapper, don’t worry—this is their first year in the North American market. We paddled one of the first Corvus canoes in the country. Manufactured in Estonia, Trapper’s Ecolite construction sets its boats apart.

“Canoeing is a very green sport and we tried to provide product for it,” says Marek Pohla, co-owner of Tahe Marine, parent company of Trapper.

The Corvus’ laminate consists of woven biotex fabrics, cork, aramid and fiberglass. While Polha is resistant to claiming the title of most eco-friendly canoe line in the world, he does admit that he doesn’t know any other manufacturers going the same distance to create such ecologically sound boats.

Polha explains that 99 percent of the attractive cork that lines the hull is recycled, a byproduct of winemaking.

“When they make the cork for the wine bottle the rest is left, it’s recycled in sheet material and used in the base of the canoe,” he says.

Linen and hemp fabrics are used in the construction as well, which are over 90 percent natural products…

This article originally appeared in Canoeroots & Family Camping, Summer/Fall 2013. To read the rest of this review, download our free iPad/iPhone/iPod Touch App or Android App or read it here.

Bluewater Prospector 17 Review

Photo: Kaydi Pyette — A review of Bluewater's Prospector 17 canoe

It’s rare that a paddler enjoys the portage as much as the paddle, but that’s just what Bluewater Canoe’s lightest weight Prospector promises. Weighing a carefree 41 pounds, this 17-foot lakewater tripping canoe is an easy walk in the woods.

“It wasn’t that long ago when a light boat couldn’t be very strong, now you can have your cake and eat it too,” says Brent Wood, operations manager at Mid-Canada Fiberglass, parent company to Bluewater.

Manufactured in an ultralight Golden Brawn lay-up, this canoe consists of three layers of Kevlar and e-glass, a mixture of Kevlar and glass. “The blend creates strength, impact and abrasion resistance, as well as rigidity,” says Wood.

The Prospector has long been heralded as the first choice of wilderness canoeists but each manufacturer has its own unique version of the traditional design. “We designed our 17-foot Prospector to be a hybrid. It was designed on the success of Bluewater’s popular Saugeen series, and we incorporated some of the Scott Prospector’s ease of use.” Wood adds that this design is narrow in the paddler stations for efficiency and boasts increased depth. “It’s a very efficient, stable family canoe.”

It’s the shallow-arch hull that provides ample stability for newcomers, yet also a feel that experienced canoeists enjoy. With just an inch and a quarter of rocker, Bluewater’s design has less rocker than traditional, river-ready Prospector designs, creating enhanced tracking. Thanks to its symmetrical shape, it can be paddled solo as well…

This article originally appeared in Canoeroots & Family Camping, Summer/Fall 2013. To read the rest of this review, download our free iPad/iPhone/iPod Touch App or Android App or read it here.

Profile: Father of Chilean Whitewater

Photo: David Hughes — Kurt Casey and his post paddling companion

It’s a sunny December day with Whitewater Grand Prix (WWGP) kayakers rolling into the Pucon Kayak Hostel from the Upper Trancura takeout in Chile. In the parking lot, whitewater pioneer Kurt Casey, 47, is surrounded by paddlers asking the usual questions about river levels, directions and dangers. he gets it all the time.

In these parts, Casey is the source for river data. He wrote the online guidebook for whitewater in Chile and Peru, and last year alone notched 15 first descents. Though he’s been making first descents since 1987, in January 2012 he banked a remarkable six first descents in four days—a record even for him. He humbly attributes it to good planning and luck.

“We went in mid-January for a four-day road trip. Five of the rivers had been scoped out. We’d just left the take-out of one river we got a first D on and were trying to find our way to the main road when we crossed the Rio Blanco de Cohuieco,” says Casey, as more paddlers drift closer to hear his story. “It’s a trib to the Cohuieco and had plenty of water in it. Man, that was a hike up that logging road from the take-out,” he laughs.

Prior to moving to Chile full-time, Casey traveled to South America 29 times for kayaking trips. He now lives on a farm outside…

This article appeared in Rapid, Spring 2013. Download our free iPad/iPhone/iPod Touch App or Android App or read the rest here.

Lucare Outex Review

Gear

Mud, dirt, sand and  water don’t stand a  chance against this  tough SLR protection system. Com patible with dozens of cameras, the Outex uses professional grade optics, a cover that maintains tactile feel and an excellent viewfinder to completely envelop your camera with a submersible, watertight seal. It eliminates the need for bulky hard cases or flimsy bags so your camera’s ready when the moment strikes. A variety of accessories let you build a setup that gets you close to the action while protecting your investment.

outex.com | $200-400

This article originally appeared in Rapid magazine, Early Summer, 2011. Download our free iPad/iPhone/iPod Touch App or Android App or read it here.

Annual Whitewater Symposium Dates Annouced

Photo: Courtesy Whitewater Symposium — Whitewater Symposium

The ACA is excited to announce it is partnering with the Steering Committee of the Whitewater Symposium to co-host this exciting annual event. An industry leader, this event will be held in Bend, Oregon at the Mt. Bachelor Village Resort and Tumalo Creek Outfitters from September 27 to 29, 2013.

The Whitewater Symposium seeks to advance the spirit of whitewater paddling by bringing leaders of the sport together. Its focus is on generating new ideas to support the future of whitewater among those who are genuinely passionate about it. Collectively, paddlers have the greatest potential to influence the future of whitewater. The Whitewater Symposium program seeks to involve all those who actively love whitewater sport. This includes intermediate paddlers who want a deeper appreciation for paddlesport. The Symposium also supports the grassroots feeder programs that encourage new and continued participation, empowering more people to take on productive roles in stewarding whitewater paddling development.

Online registration opens on Monday, August 12th. For more information on the 2013 Whitewater Symposium, please visit: www.americancanoe.org/wwsymposium or www.wwsymposium.com

Rapid Media Founder and Publisher Scott MacGregor and Rapid magazine will be attending—come say hello!

River Alchemy: Human Factors

Stories

Photo: Francois Brassard — Paddler looks down at river through a gorge; weighing the risks

Neuroscience research on decision-making is pretty conclusive: we are bad at it. Creativity and ingenuity? We humans are good at this. patterns? We’re exceptional at recognizing these. Implementing rules? Check. Assembling vague cues and assessing relative options (i.e. decision-making)? Not so good. Funny that whitewater paddling should be a decision-making game.

Whitewater decisions are highly complex, whether formally scouting or boogie boating and making calls on the fly. Paddling decisions are about predicting dynamism—how moving water, stationary hazards and a paddler’s ability will interact. As we become better paddlers we not only increase our skill but also improve our ability to predict. This decision-making capacity is really what sets the expert apart from the novice. What’s more, this is a highly trainable skill and one that improves in proportion to experience level. Realistically, this is the focus of any instructional program once the basic mechanics of the sport are taken care of. But it’s not that easy of course. there is one major random variable and confounding factor: the decision maker.

Human Factors is the name of a field of study that tries to understand how trained and capable people fail to make reliable decisions. Airline pilots, military units and surgical teams have all come under study, as have professional sports teams and backcountry skiers. It turns out to be pretty simple: peer pressure and ego get in the way when we likely already know better. These human factors become subjective hazards in complex environments, as it turns out, and follow predictable patterns regardless of workplace…

This article appeared in Rapid, Spring 2013. Download our free iPad/iPhone/iPod Touch App or Android App or read the rest here.