April Fool’s Day Innovations
I love April Fool's Day! It's the most innovative day of the year. Outdoor gear makers conjure up all sorts of fanciful new products. Of course, they are meant to…
Squeeze Box
Here's the squeeze box I built. It packs down to fit inside itself for easy storage and transport. We tested it at a grotto meeting and there are several things…
Shrimplify
Shrink + Simplify = Shrimplify One of the innovation and design goals for Swaygo is to create products that are smaller and simpler—we shrimplify. Smaller packs are easier to maneuver and…
Light Feet
"A pound on the foot equals five on the back." Here's a great post from the Chris Townsend Outdoors blog about how the weight of your boots affect your walking.…
Variable Friction
How to use the greatest feature of a rappel rack. Scott McCrea NSS#40839RL Out-of-control rappels, feeding rope, frustration, and exhaustion are possible results of improper rappel rack use. The friction…
Biner vs. Rack Lever
Recently, on the Vertical Cavers Facebook page, there was a post about breaking a crossloaded biner with a rack eye. There are documented incidents and fatalities. I even tried it a few years…
Caving Goal
"Strive to be invited back."Permission to visit a cave is always granted by someone—landowner, trip leader, Mother Nature, yourself. Respect them so that you may go again.
Cup-A-Cake
If you're like me, you've longed for cupcakes during caving trips. Cupcakes are the world's worst/greatest cave food. They are quite delicate. Smeer the icing and it's all over. Yet,…
Truck Tent
Cavers seem to love set up camp in the back of their trucks. Well, here's a nice set up.