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Sean Clarke from the International Rafting Federation (IRF) joins Trevor for a discussion on the importance of training standards. Sean also shares his thoughts with us on why we need to have standards, accidents, the IRF Guide Training and Education (GTE) Standards, and well as the IRF's vision for the future of professional raft guiding.
In this episode of the Trail Less Traveled Mandela sits down with Adventure guide and Stunt Man Carl Rice to discuss his life and philosophy. Carl was the stunt man for Harrison Ford in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Carl also reflects on spiritual growth through reading and running some of the worlds biggest and most technical whitewater from California to the Zambezi in Southern Africa.
In this article Trevor will be reviewing the WRSI Trident Helmet to see how it stands up to some heavy abuse. The Trident features a carbon fiber shell with no vents and a small visor. We’re taking a look a the fit, feel and construction to see if the WRSI Trident Helmet is worth the cost.
For many boaters the best run is in your back yard. Our California crew largely hails from the Central Sierras growing up in and around the legendary stretches of California whitewater. To them Slab Creek on the South Fork American River is that run.
One of the biggest and most daunting sticking points for rafting is availability of knowledge. Many boaters have expressed to our team that it is so difficult to find good training. While it is true that good guide schools are hard to come there are a few key things you can do to acquire the skills you need to safely run rivers and have a ton of fun on the water. The most important part about seeking out useful knowledge in boating is to identify your skill gaps.
Trevor is taking an in depth review of the Sawyer Freefall XD Paddle. The Freefall is Sawyer’s top of the line hard charging paddle. If you are looking for the toughest rafting paddle Sawyer built in as many features as possible to fit that bill, but how does it really hold up under some serious stress?
One of the biggest questions looming during the viral crisis is how will Coronavirus affect tourism? Financially speaking a pandemic is one of the worst possible events for the tourist industry due to fear as well as logistical issues like travel bans. These bans cost hospitality companies a ton of money in foreign business by scaring folks away from foreign destinations. What effect does this have on demand though?
I feel like NRS did a decent job with this PFD. The overall design is good, mobility is good, the fit feels nice on the water, and they tried to pack a lot into the PFD. All that being said I feel like there are definitely ways the design can be improved, but for an entry level rescue PFD it definitely checks all the boxes for what you will need.
Kayaking has taken an interesting trend over the years by classifying boats. Given the crossover of many paddlers between these sports it is surprising that rafting hasn’t picked up the stratification of boat classes into broad categories. As we get more experienced with a topic we require greater degrees of specificity to describe similar yet functionally different concepts. So, we thought we would take a crack at some boat classification for rafts.
Team Paddler Trevor is giving his Immersion Research 7 Figure Dry Suit review This polyester suit was designed as IR’s best dry suit to meet the demands of both kayakers and rafters. Learn more about the 7 figure drysuit and it’s comfort and durability.
Experienced recreational rafters often invite their less-experienced friends and family on trips. During these trips, guests will often rely on the experienced rafter for safety equipment (wetsuits, PFDs, etc.) and to safely guide them down the river. Although no money is exchanged, the relationship has a power dynamic similar to commercial trips. So what are the legal risks associated with rafting?
Check out our review of the Astral Green Jacket. This PFD has been a popular choice for boaters and river guides all over the world. Astral Designs packed a lot of features into this PFD. Learn more about what makes the Green Jacket so popular as well as our thoughts on the PFD’s features.
Some of the most popular sections of river in the US are governed by some pretty strict permitting requirements and they can be a bit tricky to navigate. Our friend Anna sent us this fantastic round up of some of the requirements for the most sought after river permits in the US including Desolation Canyon, Middle Salmon Idaho, Rogue River, Hell’s Canyon, Selway, Owyhee, Yampa, and Green Rivers.
After a week long road trip with my brother through some National Parks we decided to get in some whitewater before he left. We just left Grand Teton National Park and were passing through Alpine, Wyoming on our way. The small town of Alpine Wyoming is close to Jackson Hole and also close to several whitewater rivers. The Grey River is a classic creeky class IV run but not often run due to low water levels. The Snake River is very well known big water section and has several whitewater rafting companies running commercial trips. For our run we took on the Alpine Canyon section of the Snake.
In this review Trevor is breaking down the Pro Guardian throw bag from NRS. Learn more about how this bag performs as well as common issues and some of the nice design elements that NRS built into the Pro Guardian Wedge Throw Bag.
Seventeenth episode of Soul Rafter's 19 rivers in 2019 campaign where Rafting Magazine Ambassador Nick Prete attempts to paddle 19 new rivers in 2019. The Yellowstone river outside of Bozeman flows through some of the most beautiful country in the United States and has stretches of whitewater for all levels of rafters and boaters. Because we had a beginner rafter in our midst we decided to start on the more mellow side and hit up the Yankee Jim section on our way to Yellowstone National Park.
What does it look like when an entire industry experiences a generational shift? The 2019 America Outdoors Conference was a fantastic example of how this generational shift looks. 10 years ago and largely the industry was filled with well worn mavericks in their mid-50s to mid-60s who founded the entire industry. Fast forward 10 years to Salt Lake City, where we see a starkly different picture of the industry today. The average picture of outfitters in 2019 is a young vibrant community of people in their mid-30s and 40s.
Listen as John joins the Trail Less Traveled to tell his story of adventure and exploration, he also share some of his insights on what it means to be an adventurer and outdoor athlete. In the summer of 2011, Jon Turk and Erik Boomer circumnavigated Ellesmere Island: 1,485 miles in 104 days. Jon is 67 years old, and still blessed with fantastic health. Jon's body and he have an agreement.
Sixteenth episode of Soul Rafter's 19 rivers in 2019 campaign where Rafting Magazine Ambassador Nick Prete attempts to paddle 19 new rivers in 2019. Team Boater Nick Prete takes the on Oreletta to the Columbia river sections of the White Salmon running the famous BZ and Husum Falls.
Lisa has been working as an international adventure guide for the past two decades in the field of whitewater, mountain biking, sea kayaking, ice climbing & skiing. Lisa now calls Queenstown, NZ home & balances her time between Aeoterora and Alaska. Lisa also represented the US womens rafting team. Lisa has the most amazing survival story, which she shares during the show of an incident when she was in her early twenties & how she fought for her life & lost all her toes from frostbite.
