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Adventurous Rock Climbing Sejati 27
Climbing is an extremely trendy sport that attracts fans from around the globe. Rock climbing is an amazing experience that develops the capacity of the brain and body to function in harmony. It is an adventure for a lot of men and women who take pleasure in the challenge of such an intense out-of-doors and indoor sport. If true, rock climbing is one of the adventure sports with the fastest growth rate in the nation.
What kind of rock climbing equipment do you need?
Being outfitted with the appropriate type of gear is vital for climbing. The essential rock climbing equipment includes ropes, cords, webbing, carabiners, harnesses, belay devices, security, spring-loaded camming devices, sewn runners, helmets, headlamps, harnesses, and pulleys for example.
Will purchasing rock climbing equipment break the bank?
Climbing Equipment is the major outlay for a climber. But as a junior there is no necessity to get broke and fall for all those exquisite bits of gear you can get in the sports stores. If you're in the market for rock climbing equipment, you might want to try Rock Climbing Equipment for Sale for some fantastic deals on the stuff you need.
Learning the ropes
Definitely the foremost detail individuals think of when considering climbing equipment are climbing ropes. Ropes and other gear are usually used for protection alone. A climbing rope is commonly colorful and made of twisted fibers covered with a shielding mantle. A Rope can be dynamic or static, which refers to the degree of flexibility. Climbing ropes are contrary from other types of rope, mutually for their strength and capability to stretch when a climber falls.
Play it safe!
Two carbines that are held together by a loop of webbing are known as QuickDraw. They are used to attach the climbing rope to anchors. The rope is attached to the climber through a harness worn by the climber. A harness can be as simple as a piece of a rope loop or as complex as full body versions. A properly fitted seat harness will help to ensure that the climber is not seriously injured, although he or she is turned upside down in a fall.
Belaying refers to the effect of 'feed' the rope to a fellow climber. This allows the belayer controlling the rope so that a climber cannot fall very far, even when he slips completely off the face of the mountain. A belay device is a simple piece of metal that causes friction and helps control or stop the release of the rope.
Conclusion
Even though rock climbing is a fun recreation, at all times remember that it is a risky hobby. Rock climbing is not an inherently safe sport but appropriate safety precautions and expertise of gear can make it a rewarding and pleasurable action.
The Potemkin Village Obama Economy
The December estimates put into the GDP are about as solid as a Jello mold.
Worse, according to economist John Williams, 3.44 percentage points of the annualized growth in the fourth quarter -- more than the total 3.2 percent reported -- came from a sudden, inexplicable decline in imports.
Without the reduction in imports GDP would have been down in the fourth quarter and we'd be hearing talk right now -- again -- about a possible double-dip recession!
The Commerce Dept. also attributed a lot of the gain in fourth quarter GDP to retail spending.
But we already know -- from a column I did during the holiday shopping season -- that much of the sales increase in December wasn't coming from a sudden burst in consumerism, but instead from rising prices on things like energy.
That isn't growth; it is inflation. And inflation is bad.
The Moral Foreign Policy Confusion of the Left Exposed
TWS looks at the twists and turns of the Left's thinking, such as it is, in particular Code Pink, some of whom luckily were ferried out of Egypt by the eeeevil Shell Oil.
This video highlights the illogic on foreign policy.
Hey, Lefties, how bout growing up and being pro-human rights not reflexively anti-American.
We are still the beacon of liberty, ever since we beat the Brits.
P.S.rooseveltroom Roosevelt Room
Wehner: President Bush’s Prescience #TCOT http://bit.ly/h1baTa
Will it be freedom Friday?
In Egypt?
The temp is in the teens here but on my early morning drivearound I heard Willie Nelson sing On the Street Where You Live.
So here's to a hopeful day. More.
In the Chicago mayoral debate last night, Rahm gets slammed for having grown up in clean-living Wilmette. Call it playing the boring card: 
Clearly he has learned a few things since leaving the pristine North Shore. And a few more:
Chico said he was “scared for my children” as they traveled back and fourth to pubic schools, but, he said, “Growing up in our city in the Back of the Yards and living with the threat of violence even in my own neighborhood stays with you. There are people like Mr. Emanuel, who grew up in the wealthy North Shore and probably never experienced that.”Um, Sun Times, proofread your story, please. Statement from Rahmbo here.
Chico expanded his criticism of Emanuel after the debate: “He went to the wealthiest high school in the state of Illinois [New Trier]. I do not see how you can relate to the people of the city of Chicago when you have not walked these streets and lived here. If you come from Wilmette, Winnetka, Lake Forest, that’s what you think like. I didn’t go to some elite high school. I went to Kelly high school.”
Emanuel, comfortably ahead in the polls, never responded to any of the criticism and after the debate, left the site...
Clearly he has learned a few things since leaving the pristine North Shore. And a few more: TomBevanRCP Tom BevanBTW, I love Rahm's response to earning $18.5 million in 2 yrs: “I was in relationship banking." Others would call it "crony capitalism."
Latest polling shows him closing on an outright win.
Peace museum grows moldy but the bankrupt state of Illinois is fighting to get their assets. I suggest auctioning off John Lennon's guitar to pay the bills.
So here's to a hopeful day. More.
WSJ Wall Street JournalEgyptain President Mubarak has left Cairo for the Red Sea resort of Sharm-el-Sheikh. Here's the latest: http://on.wsj.com/gPUPsP
Fetal Surgery Front Page NY Times
No, we're not talking the murderous abortion butchery of Dr. Gosnell's clinic in Philly.But this coverage by the NY Times is about as rare.Success of Spina Bifida Study Opens Fetal Surgery Door:
Now, for the first time, a rigorous clinical trial shows that fetal surgery can help babies with a condition that is not usually life-threatening. Babies with a form of spina bifida, a debilitating spinal abnormality, were more likely to walk and experience fewer neurological problems if operated on before being born rather than afterward.
The $22.5 million study, long awaited by experts and published online Wednesday in The New England Journal of Medicine, is likely to galvanize interest in trying to address problems before birth, including operating on serious heart defects and bladder blockages, and potentially using fetal bone marrow or stem cell transplants for sickle cell anemia and immune disorders.
The story mentions the initial surgery at Vanderbilt, which yielded this now familiar photo. The article did not include the photo.
The study should not propel surgeons to “run around and start doing this” for other conditions, said Dr. Terry Buchmiller, a fetal medicine expert at Children’s Hospital Boston who was not involved in the research. “I can go in utero right now and fix a cleft lip, but I don’t think anybody is saying we ought to do that, because of the risk.”
But she called the study “a wonderful, almost several-decade journey of trying to improve the outcomes of a debilitating condition,” adding, “This looks to be potentially life-changing.”
Potentially life-changing indeed.
More. Aging feminists, Rep. Jan Schakowsky and other Dems, may try to make the case that it's morally admirable to allow them to kill their babies in the womb, and that we should pay for it, averting our eyes from butchery, but when we can see in the womb, save lives in the womb, and hear a heartbeat, fetal life is undeniable. And abortion is not health care.
More. Bread Upon the Waters: Planned Parenthood & Child Sex Trafficking - Now from the Big Apple
...In Chicago, Resurrection Medical Center, Tribune:Hospital offers help for women who want to halt abortions
Mild-mannered accountant who cuts wife's head off convicted
In an hour. Yes, this Islamist bridge building hapless victim who missed out on the stimulus program has been served with American justice.
...I would add the welcome news of British Prime Minister David Cameron's speech on the failure of multiculturalism, joining Germany's Angela Merkel in that conclusion. I would disagree to the extent that I believe the core of Islam is NOT moderate and needs fundamental reform, but this is an excellent point:
More. NRO: Auf Wiedersehen, Adieu Multiculturalism has had its day.
Multiculti victimhood's goose is cooked.
...I would add the welcome news of British Prime Minister David Cameron's speech on the failure of multiculturalism, joining Germany's Angela Merkel in that conclusion. I would disagree to the extent that I believe the core of Islam is NOT moderate and needs fundamental reform, but this is an excellent point:
But this raises the question: if it's the lack of democracy that is the problem, why are there so many extremists in free and open societies?Cameron notes, as I and others have, that many of these terrorists were quite well-off and educated. The Christmas bomber, the Times Square bombers, the DC bomber, and the Cubs bomber in Chicago. Oh, and the Gold Coast guy. Yet most of the press keeps pooh-poohing all of this, even when it's in their face. And even Bill Kristol downplays the connection between the Left and terrorists.
More. NRO: Auf Wiedersehen, Adieu Multiculturalism has had its day.
Multiculti victimhood's goose is cooked.
Rock Climbing In Baby
Rock Climbing In Baby
Don't think of elephants?
What are you thinking about? Elephants, right?
Frequently I hear clients who repeatedly state "I can't sleep". They don't realize that our brains tend to do what they hear and by saying this, we actually invite the body to stay awake. There are a number of factors which can initially interfere with good sleep patterns but, once a pattern has begun it is frequently deepened and made rigid by our thought patterns.
According to a recent study based on the 2002 Canadian Community Healthy Survey (CCHS), an estimated 3.3 million Canadians aged 15 and older experience difficulties going to sleep and staying asleep. The study found strong associations between insomnia and a number of factors:
Chronic pain: More than one-fifth of people with arthritis, asthma, back problems or diabetes reported symptoms of insomnia. Chronic stress: 23% of individuals who said their days were "extremely" stressful reported insomnia. Shift work: Individuals with shift work reported higher rates of insomnia.
Obesity: Respondents whose body mass index (BMI) was greater than 35 and could be categorized as obese, experienced higher rates of insomnia. If you are having sleep problems there are a number of things you can do to make positive changes:
1. Quit saying "I can't sleep" and start telling yourself (affirming) that you are a good sleeper so that your brain can adjust.
2. Reserve your bedroom for sleep and sex only. Remove televisions, computers, gym equipment and define the room's purpose as being a sanctuary for rest.
3. Ensure that the bed and bedding are comfortable and the room is completely darkened.
4. Move the bed to a new location in the room and consider painting or redecorating so that you know this is a new beginning in your sleep pattern.
5. Adjust the room temperature so that you are not too hot or too cold. Choose sleepwear that is comfortable and allows the appropriate body temperature.
6. Protect yourself from sleep disturbances. Turn the telephone ringer off, close doors so that pets do not enter the room and if necessary, wear earplugs.
7. Develop a routine that you honour each evening. Most activities in life such as work, sports and community events have start and end times. You need a schedule for your sleep also.
8. Limit eating foods before bedtime and reduce caffeine in your diet.
9. Prepare yourself to sleep. A warm bath and/or a few minutes of reading should replace stimulating activities such as action-packed movies, emotion-charged conversations, or financial planning before bed.
10. When you climb into bed try imagining the feeling you have in the morning where you don't want to get up. Tell yourself that it is time to shut down your thinking and give yourself permission to relax.
If you have tried all of the above and are still having problems, consult with your physician.
Have a great sleep!
What are you thinking about? Elephants, right?
Frequently I hear clients who repeatedly state "I can't sleep". They don't realize that our brains tend to do what they hear and by saying this, we actually invite the body to stay awake. There are a number of factors which can initially interfere with good sleep patterns but, once a pattern has begun it is frequently deepened and made rigid by our thought patterns.
According to a recent study based on the 2002 Canadian Community Healthy Survey (CCHS), an estimated 3.3 million Canadians aged 15 and older experience difficulties going to sleep and staying asleep. The study found strong associations between insomnia and a number of factors:
Chronic pain: More than one-fifth of people with arthritis, asthma, back problems or diabetes reported symptoms of insomnia. Chronic stress: 23% of individuals who said their days were "extremely" stressful reported insomnia. Shift work: Individuals with shift work reported higher rates of insomnia.
Obesity: Respondents whose body mass index (BMI) was greater than 35 and could be categorized as obese, experienced higher rates of insomnia. If you are having sleep problems there are a number of things you can do to make positive changes:
1. Quit saying "I can't sleep" and start telling yourself (affirming) that you are a good sleeper so that your brain can adjust.
2. Reserve your bedroom for sleep and sex only. Remove televisions, computers, gym equipment and define the room's purpose as being a sanctuary for rest.
3. Ensure that the bed and bedding are comfortable and the room is completely darkened.
4. Move the bed to a new location in the room and consider painting or redecorating so that you know this is a new beginning in your sleep pattern.
5. Adjust the room temperature so that you are not too hot or too cold. Choose sleepwear that is comfortable and allows the appropriate body temperature.
6. Protect yourself from sleep disturbances. Turn the telephone ringer off, close doors so that pets do not enter the room and if necessary, wear earplugs.
7. Develop a routine that you honour each evening. Most activities in life such as work, sports and community events have start and end times. You need a schedule for your sleep also.
8. Limit eating foods before bedtime and reduce caffeine in your diet.
9. Prepare yourself to sleep. A warm bath and/or a few minutes of reading should replace stimulating activities such as action-packed movies, emotion-charged conversations, or financial planning before bed.
10. When you climb into bed try imagining the feeling you have in the morning where you don't want to get up. Tell yourself that it is time to shut down your thinking and give yourself permission to relax.
If you have tried all of the above and are still having problems, consult with your physician.
Have a great sleep!
The Rock Climbing: Overall Body Fitness
In those days, tree houses were sacred; getting the top bunk was considered a privilege; and hanging at the peak of the Ferris wheel was a-once-in-a-lifetime thrill. From those heights we gained new perspectives. As adults, feelings like these are hard to come by. Between balancing the checkbook, going to work and picking the kids up from practice, there is little time to contemplate — or to revive that deeply embedded sense of child-like wonderment and adventure.
Thankfully, even as adults, there is a way to unleash that spirit, and it includes the thrill of climbing.
Rock climbing is one of the fastest growing outdoor sports in the United States. It may seem a little more daunting than a jungle gym, but with the proper equipment, training and attitude, everyone can experience its benefits — and maybe reclaim a bit of the playground thrills.
In “How to Rock Climb,” author John Long (an experienced free climber) explains that man has always been a climber. Before the introduction of supermarkets and zoos, climbing was necessary to escape predators and to scavenge for food. But as time progressed, the necessity to climb evolved into the desire to climb.
You don’t have to be extremely athletic or even good at keeping your balance to make a go at rock climbing. Getting started may seem unrealistic, so start by buying the essential equipment. That includes suitable clothing, chalk and chalk bag, a harness, rubber-soled climbing shoes, a rope, carabiners and a helmet.
Marianne Parker, a native of Camdenton, MO, got her start climbing on a 35-foot rock wall at a summer camp in Naples, ME.
“When I applied for the counselor job, the ropes course sounded the most appealing,” she said. “I had liked the idea of rock climbing before that, but didn’t really expect that I would learn to enjoy it so much. I think the situation I was in, which consisted of a pretty large number of first-time climbers coupled with extremely knowledgeable and vivacious instructors, really started me off with a positive attitude toward climbing.”
Missouri’s topography of brittle limestone cliffs makes top-rope climbing the most popular, easiest and safest form of climbing. Unlike free climbing or mountaineering, climbers walk or drive to the pinnacle of the summit and anchor the equipment first.
Wikipedia’s definition is helpful when trying to understand the concept:
Top-rope climbing (or top-roping) uses a rope for the climber’s safety. It runs from a belayer at the foot of a route through one or more carabiners connected to an anchor system at the top of the route, then back down to the climber, usually attaching to the climber by means of a harness.
Locations along the Osage River and other Missouri water systems offer a beautiful array of water-carved overhangs and rock formations for this form of climbing. Within two hours, one can find himself in Capen Park or Rock Bridge State Park in Columbia, MO; the Hermann Bluffs along the Katy Trail near Hermann, MO; The Forgotten Wall in Henley, MO; Painted Rock Conservation Area near Westphalia, MO; or the cliffs that nestle against the Niangua River waterways in central Missouri.
But if the fear of being above the rock is too great, there are also indoor gyms designed to teach newbies how to climb before they journey outdoors. When it comes to indoor gyms, Jim Jackson, Jr., engineer and graduate of the University of Missouri-Columbia, highly recommends the climbing wall at Upper Limits in St. Louis. With the passage of the Amusement Ride Safety Act in 1997, which requires all amusement rides to be inspected annually, Jackson has had the opportunity to ensure the safety of the Upper Limits’ ropes, carabiners, harnesses, belay devices, and structural condition of the wall.
“I like living on the edge,” he said. “It takes great mental and physical strength to climb.” Parker, 25, now living in Tennessee, took up climbing four years ago. She says the benefits of rock climbing are endless. “In the best moment, it makes me feel fearless, coordinated, exhilarated, exhausted,” she said. “In the worst moment, it just makes me feel exhausted and frustrated. I know to take a rest and eat some raisins then come back and make the move. I can count the times that has happened to me on one hand. Climbing is hard!”
he professionals at Upper Limits say that rock climbing is an incredible way to strengthen the core and increase stamina. Although it will benefit an individual who is in shape already, one does not have to be so because rock climbing is a complete body workout. According to Parker, climbing “is always a good combination of cardio/strength training workout. If done regularly, virtually every muscle from shoulder to finger tip is developed, as well as glutes, quads and calves. My abs have even been sore after I have climbed. Some drawbacks of climbing, only intermittently, are an almost assured total-body soreness the day after, and raw fingertips.”
In the mid-1700s, the sport of climbing emerged in the European Alps where village dwellers sought to conquer the nearby summits as the ultimate goal. Lower cliffs and crags were used to develop the craft in a safer environment, and this is where ropes and rudimentary belaying techniques were introduced.
The sport advanced throughout Europe and finally reached the United States in the 1920s in the Rocky Mountains. Because fundamental tools of the sport — like pitons and carabiners — were expensive and rare, few people climbed in America. Technical developments introduced during WWII made nylon ropes, carabiners and pitons easier to buy, and interest in the U.S. gradually progressed to rival that of Europe. Mountaineering turned into sport climbing, which eventually evolved into free climbing and the development of many other forms such as bouldering, top-rope climbing and scrambling.
Rock climbing offers more than dirt under the fingernails. The sport not only benefits a person physically, but it also offers adventure, mental challenges and invites the soul to step outside itself to view the world from new heights.
Hey Wilmette. How bout let that CVS go in
As last proposed by the developer.
...Enrollment dropping, retail and housing overbuilt all around, taxes are headed up for sure, but we're set for nirvana in Wilmette:Yes, the village is envisioning seniors riding their bikes around town 24/7. Vibrantly.
Village trustees voted down one, for a medical office building with a CVS drugstore, in July of that year The board rejected a second plan, for a CVS store with a drive-up pharmacy window, in January 2010.
Are you NUTS--
You're actually thinking of putting the taxpayers on the hook for $3.675 million?
When you're in a hole you're supposed to stop digging.
VOTE NO tonight on this deal. And approve the CVS.
Do you guys think money grows on trees?
At least you didn't cut a bunch down like the Mallinckrodt debacle.
...Enrollment dropping, retail and housing overbuilt all around, taxes are headed up for sure, but we're set for nirvana in Wilmette:Yes, the village is envisioning seniors riding their bikes around town 24/7. Vibrantly.
Code Pinkos Rescued by Big Oil in Egypt
This Ain't Hell. (Previous posts here and pick up your pink burka here)
In other news, Shell forced to cancel drilling here. Where are the jobs, Mr. President?
EPA and Bizarroworld in California.
Illinois loses more: Kmart, 6 others warn of Illinois layoffs
It's Code Pinko running the country.
Blue Dogs Turn Red
The midterms were no fluke. Meet Ashley Bell.
And even a plurality of Democrats oppose raising the debt ceiling. The Hill.
More shaky blues: Blue Dogs have 'no communication' with Pelosi, Dem leadership, says Shuler:
Rep. Heath Shuler also said the centrists have more in common ideologically with former President Ronald Reagan than Nancy Pelosi.…We the people are the ones we've been waiting for:)
P.S. Dan Riehl: DLC folds
P.P.S.
...Is our president Barack Obama out of touch?
P.P.S.
mikememoli Mike MemoliPalin on FBN tonight: "It’s not good ... to hear our President obstinately denying the need to move to the center."
Illinois Libertarians Speak Out for Home Schooling
Another Dem power grab that needs pushback bigtime. From the Libertarian Party of Illinois:
Update: This would force private school parents to register as well. Illinois Family Institute:
Pressure from all sides of the political spectrum.
One of the few positive things those believers of individual freedom can point to in Illinois, the right to home educate ones children, is under attack, not surprisingly, from the Illinois State legislature. State Senator Ed Maloney, Democrat of Chicago, is introducing a bill that would require all home-schooling parents in the state to register with the local school boards where they live. “Leave it to the politicians in Springfield to take away one of the few relative freedoms left in our state,” exclaims Lupe Diaz, Chair of the Libertarian Party of Illinois.Conservatives weigh in here.
History has repeatedly shown that registration is only the beginning of what would eventually become licensing, control of curriculum, certification of parent teachers, discipline and physical plant that would quickly erode the very reasons that parents choose to home school.
Diaz adds, “The facts speak for themselves. Home schoolers consistently score higher on achievement tests and college entrance exams. Their grade point averages are higher in college than their public student counterparts, they stay in school at a greater rate and finish college at a higher rate than those students from government schools. Also, social problems commonly associated with the government schools such as gangs, use of illegal drugs, teenage suicide and teen pregnancy are rare among home schoolers.”
So why the control, why the regulation? Sen. Maloney says it is for accountability purposes. But why should parents be accountable to local school boards? Certainly, the government schools have a poor track record for excellence.
Update: This would force private school parents to register as well. Illinois Family Institute:
Existing school code permits the voluntary registration of non-public school students with the state. If SB 136 were to pass, it would compel all parents or legal guardians of home or privately schooled students to register with the state. Registration that is now voluntary would become compulsory. The arguments used to justify such compulsory registration are specious and reveal underlying flawed assumptions.More. I imagine this would add insult to injury to some parents of Evanston High School students. As usual, government stands sense on its head--schools need to be accountable to parents, not the reverse.
Pressure from all sides of the political spectrum.
There was an error in our press release of this morning. It stated that the proposed registration bill would require home educators to register with local school boards. That is in error. The bill would require that they register with the state Board of Education.We regret the error. The argument still stands.
Palin Nation out West
Her speech honoring Reagan's 100th at Rancho del Cielo. Video.
Looking at home on the range on a horse.
A Western governor, open to debate.
Thin People Throughout Black History
Will that be the theme this year, promoted by First Lady O?
Eat your veggies to a better world? If you get to enter it at all. What are the lessons of recent black history.
Daniels Calls Sebelius' Bluff
Put ObamaCare on waivers:) 21 states just say no so far. WSJ: Washington's attempt to set up eligibility and exchange bureaucracies in all these places would invite a first-rate operational catastrophe
...The people, the House and the courts punch back. 27 states and rising.
...The people, the House and the courts punch back. 27 states and rising.
P.S. A modest $500 billion proposal to cut spending. Sen. Rand Paul:
Is any particular program, whatever its merits, worth borrowing billions of dollars from foreign nations to finance programs that could be administered better at the state and local level, or even taken over by the private sector?Is any program worth mortgaging our children's future?
Bring government back home so we can cut it down to size.
He was one of us
Richard Epstein on Reagan.
More. Tampico today.
A week of orienteering.....soggy sarnies and too much running
The week progressed very well, with my evening lectures seeming to make a difference to the group, the teachers seemed impressed, and the group were doing better than any previous year, so I was feeling pretty chuffed! I managed to get hold of a copy of the map for Thursday, and calibrated it using a product called OziExplorer (useful piece of software for calibrating .jpg files into geo referenced maps). This was very effective during the thursday, especially for getting the control points in exactly the right place! All in all I was very happy with the orienteering, once again (as usual) my Osprey Talon 33, proved the most comfortable bag I have ever owned, even running up and down hills all day it didn't chafe or hurt at all. Once again highly recommended!
My ME Fitzroy also kept me toasty warm whilst waiting around in the wind and cold for the group to come and collect various orienteering points around the place! Enclosed is a small JPG of the orienteering map of Buxton Country park, well worth a visit! Excellent park with decent toilets etc, worth a walk over to solomons temple as well, with a good view across the quarries.
Summer rock climbing rack
10 x wild country oxygen quickdraws (various lengths)
3 x sling draws (60cm slings)
4 x D shaped screw gates (Zero G neutrons)
2 x DMM/Mammut Boa
1 x Metolius nutkey (saved me £24 to date!)
1 x Petzl Reverso3 belay plate + DMM Fatboy
1 x Petzl Reverso + HMS
7 x DMM 4CU cam's sizes 0.5-4
Black Diamond wired hexes
DMM Wallnuts 1-11
Zero G Spectrum wires 5-13
Zero G Spectrum wires 1-4
DMM Offset wires
1 x 60cm sling + karabiner
4 x 120cm slings + karabiner each
2 x 240cm slings + karabiner each
1 x 400cm sling +karabiner
2 x prussik loops
+ Harness, helmet, rockboots and chalkbag
All the above won't come on every route, but this is what I have, however I customise what I actually carry depending on the venue and route.
Why old style pierce top stoves are bad!
As the title suggests really, I witnessed an incident a Peak District campsite a few months back that highlighted to me the reason these stoves should not continue to be used for expeditions with young people. Whilst waiting for my DofE group to arrive I was sat in my tent observing another group cooking (no idea where they were from). As I watched, one of the young people busted out an old style pierce top stove. These were replaced a number of years ago with the safer, more reliable, resealable stoves. Curiously I watched the events that unfolded next, where the young person mounted the gas canister, and lit the stove. Before I had chance to shout to them, the whole stove had gone up in flames, I ran in and grabbed the stove hurling it away from the tents into the empty camping field, I quickly extinguished the stove, and turned the gas off.
I promptly headed over and gave the leader of the group an earful. It should be noted that in these cases I do not blame the young people, I blame the leader who allowed them to use the stove in the first place. Pierce top stoves are too dangerous, and too easy to use wrongly. So this is a plea to any scout groups, cadets, dofe groups, schools or anyone else who still Show Allhas these stoves squirreled away somewhere......Bin them now! Afterwards I collected the stove and took some pictures for instructional purposes, so that others can see the results of using these stoves incorrectly. The main issue is if they ignite, it is very difficult to deal with as the stove becomes a fireball, something that for a young person on an expedition will be very scared of.
The issue occurs when the arms securing the canister are not placed correctly, when the canister is is punctured a leak occurs, and when the stove valve is turned on and lit, the pressurised gas sprays out of the canister and lights instantly, and continues to flow. The best case scenario is that the canister remains attached to the stove, the worst case scenario (something that I have seen before), is if the canister becomes detached from the stove, the pressurised canister then blasts off like a rocket with a trail of fire behind it. Obviously this represents a huge hazard, not least of which hitting another young person, or a tent, or vehicle. The question we have to ask ourselves is "is it worth the risk", when resealable stoves are available from £9.99?....Food for thought.
