Kiteboarding Hawaii: How to Deal With Shark (and Grizzly) Encounters

By Mark Cosslett; photograph courtesy Nate Volk

I’ve spent a fair bit of time exploring the great outdoors within close proximity of wildlife, and probably far more time in the proximity of sharks then I realize or care to consider. If you will “bear with me” here, I’d like to talk about the precautions I’ve taken in the Canadian Rockies against grizzly bears before I get into what I think can be done about sharks in the Hawaiian ocean channels.

When in Canada, I carry my “bear kit” on longer back country hikes and mountain bike rides, just as much to save a bear as my own ass. While nothing I carry is capable of killing a grizzly bear, it might just save ones life one day (they “destroy” bears that have dangerous encounters with humans). It contains, in order of use:

Bear Bangers - These can be used at a nice, safe distance and when fired off sound like a kick-ass gun shot, which should send just about anything running for the hills.

Bear Spray - Once close enough to use, the bear is already checking you out and your chances aren't as good. It also, doesn't work so well if the bear is upwind of you.

Last Resort - A USMC KA-BAR combat knife. I've had to play dead before, face down and curled up with this unsheathed and clutched in my hands while a grizzly still approached and “investigated” and it's amazing just how small it looks under those circumstances. While I have no illusions of fighting off a grizzly with any kind of knife, a good jab in a sensitive area might just send one running, hopefully allowing us both to survive.

So what does all this have to do about sharks? Let me explain. I've been in the water self-rescuing on Maui for an hour or two many times, but there are far more sharks and far fewer things that might interest them in the open sea.  The open ocean channels are the territory of the notorious oceanic, white-tip shark, an opportunistic predator that has killed more humans than all other species of shark combined.

While there is no equivalent to “Bear Bangers” or “Bear Spray” for sharks, I will carry my “Last Resort” deterrent in the form of an ice pick. Sharks, and oceanic white tips in particular, usually do investigative nudges before attacking and a well aimed jab to a shark’s nose or eye might buy me an hour or two until more come, attracted by the blood in the water. If I injure the first shark sufficiently it will not only leave me alone but the other sharks will likely attack it rather than me since their opportunistic nature attracts them to the weakest and therefore easiest target. Sharks aren’t much fun to contemplate but its nearly impossible not to when you’re stranded and exposed in the middle of an open ocean channel... part of the deal.  If my kite is still intact, I would crawl into it (it also provides flotation) and hope for the best - 10 to 14 square meters of colorful fabric is a very large and unusual object for a shark to think it will make a meal of an probably the safest place to await rescue.

Gear Review: Summer's Coolest Tech? The Sand-Free Ground Cloth

By Contributing Editor Steve Casimiro, editor of Adventure Journal. See more of Casimiro's gear recommendations in our Ultimate Hiking and Camping Gear Guide >>

The coolest technology I’ve tested this summer isn’t an electronic device, a bike, or something built of carbon fiber—it’s a ground cloth that works better than anything I’ve ever used.

Ground cloth? Yeah, I know, not the kind of product that sets the heart aflutter. But CGear’s Sand Free MultiRug ($44-$74) is amazing. It uses a two-layer sandwich of fabric to create a one-way channel for dirt. Sand, dirt, dust, and grit can slip through the top layer and past the bottom, but they can’t come through the bottom to the top. Much as waterproof-breathable fabrics allow water vapor to escape, but block liquid water from entering, the CGear mat funnels the bad stuff away and won’t let it back in. One trip to the beach will tell you why that’s a big deal. (Note: Rug is a slight misnomer. It’s softer than CGear’s Mat and is thus designated, but really is mat.)

The system was developed to reduce dust clouds during military helicopter landings and takeoffs. Rotor wash creates “brownouts” that are especially troublesome in places like Afghanistan and Iraq, where roughly 75 percent of chopper crashes are due to the severely impaired visibility of brownouts. CGear’s Tactical Helimats come in huge sheets and are remarkably effective—assuming crews can lay them down without getting shot, of course.

They’re built with a simple concept: The top layer has a slightly looser weave than the bottom, allowing particles to pass in one direction. Surprisingly, they never get lodged in the space between, but simply move through like hurried commuters in Grand Central, disappearing out the exit.

Dirt, of course, is a part of the outdoor experience, and none of us would be out there if we were all that finicky. But keeping a little cleaner goes a long way. So far, I’ve used the CGear as a ground cloth for my tent and sleeping bag, as a changing mat for the wet and sandy post-surf wetsuit exit, as the support under a towel for chilling at the beach, and as a welcome mat outside my camper van. After months of use, it still looks new and there’s no dirt clinging to it. You simply shake it out or, worst case, hose it down. And in each case, the mat kept feet, body, and van far cleaner than using a tarp, towel, or nothing.

I don’t even have a major complaint about the CGear, which is unusual. Well, it’s 50 percent PVC and that’s a bit of a problem on the sustainability scorecard. Otherwise, it’s pretty darn flawless: a product that’s unique, works as advertised, and makes a difference in your outdoor life.

Outdoor Skills + Advice: Six Steps to Steer Clear of Lightning Strikes

By Contributing Writer Aparna Rajagopal-Durbin, faculty member and Diversity & Inclusion Manager at the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) and NOLS Research Intern Kate Herden

Aaah, summer! The sweet smell of wildflowers, rain-soaked earth, and . . . ozone? Yes, the stormy months have arrived and in this year of apocalyptic flooding, best prepare yourself for an epic light show in the backcountry, complete with the smell of burnt air (that’s the ozone) that accompanies it. You can never eliminate the risk of a lightning strike, but you can reduce it by following these simple guidelines:

1. Time your travel.
Find out when summer storms typically strike where you are travelling (here in the Wind River Range, they’re usually in the early afternoon), and make sure you’ve completed your travel for the day—including peak ascents—and are back on safe terrain by the time you hear that first crack of thunder.

2. “Flash, 30-Seconds, Boom” means head for safety.
Count how many seconds pass between lightning and the thunder. Every second is equivalent to approximately a five-mile distance. If your count gets down to 30 seconds (that’s six miles), go to step 3.

3. Find safe terrain.
Lightning is more likely to strike at high points (peaks, ridges, and lone trees), caves (yes, a cave will not provide shelter), and on water. Lightning can also travel through metal fencing, wet ropes, and other long conductors. Wet ground isn’t any more dangerous and actually dissipates current. So seek a uniform stand of trees on rolling terrain, at least 50 yards from high-risk spot.

4. Get in lightning position.
One of the most common misconceptions is that lying down flat will minimize the likelihood of a lightning strike. Not so! Once you find safe terrain, minimize the contact between yourself and the ground (50 percent of lightning strikes happen from ground current, not from direct hits). Place some padding (clothing, sleeping pad, or backpack) under you, place your feet together (not apart, which can cause a change in voltage between your feet and . . . zap!), and squat or sit hugging your knees until the storm is a safe distance away. If you are in a group, position yourselves about 50 feet apart so you can still communicate with each other.

5. Avoid contact with metal objects.
If you can safely do it, remove metal backpack stays and crampons while you are in lightning position, and place metal umbrellas and hiking poles far away from you. Understand the consequences of doing so. Will getting rid of your umbrella expose you to the risk of hypothermia? Will getting rid of your crampons jeopardize your descent? Balance the risks before you act.

6. Plan your campsite.
Itching for that panoramic view of the sky and peaks below you when you unzip your tent in the morning? You’re asking for trouble. Pick campsites that are in safe terrain. If a storm hits at night, don’t run helter-skelter in the pitch dark and further risk your safety. Stay in your tent, and get in lightning position.

For more on lightning, read NOLS Curriculum Director John Gookin’s 2010 Wilderness Risk Management Conference article Backcountry Lightning Risk Management.

Video: Paragliding Mozambique Where No One Has Before

The Dune Discovery- paragliding where no one has before from Offshore Odysseys on Vimeo.

"Flying a site like this is like having an out-of-body experience," says Gavin McClurg of paragliding above the shape-shifting sand dunes on 20-mile-long Bazaruto Island. "You are looking out at the Indian Ocean's turquoise waters churning endlessly from one huge lagoon at high tide to massive sand islands and rivers at low." And they had the added rush of being the first to paraglide there. Seasoned adventurer McClurg and photographer Jody MacDonald found this spot while sailing the world to kiteboard, surf, and paraglide where no one has done so before on an expedition they call "The Best Odyssey." "There was no sign of people—just serene beauty in every direction," says McClurg. "And you're flying above soft sand, so no helmet or shoes were even necessary! Rarely is paragliding so stress-free and just pure fun."

See more in our Extreme Photo of the Week gallery >>

Gear Review: New DeLorme inReach GPS Can Send AND Recieve Text Messages

By Contributing Editor Steve Casimiro, editor of Adventure Journal. See more of Casimiro's gear recommendations in our Ultimate Hiking and Camping Gear Guide >>

Technology is about to take another step toward ubiquity in the backcountry. This October, you’ll be able to buy DeLorme's inReach ($250) satellite texting device, a product that trumps the SPOT Satellite Messenger because you’ll be able to send AND receive texts instead of just texting.

This has obviously huge benefits for emergency situations, where rescuers can stay in communication with someone who’s lost or injured and can learn more about the extent of a victim’s condition. Two-way satellite communication has the potential to revolutionize search and rescue by providing critical information that SAR folks can use when allocating resources, which are almost always limited.

And of course, two-way satellite texting opens the door to much more mundane applications, like tweeting what you had for breakfast deep in the Kalahari Desert.

The handheld inReach is quite adaptable: It pairs with DeLorme’s PN-60w GPS (the unit that works with SPOT for one-way texting) or with Android phones and also can be used on its own to send prewritten text messages. And, unlike the SPOT device, it has a signal indicator that tells you if your SOS message has been received by search and rescue, so you don’t have to keep signaling for help.

Pricing is $10 a month for the minimalist texting plan, which DeLorme calls the “safety plan.” There are two plans above that, with larger bundles of texts included, but per-text cost has not been announced.

Kiteboarding Hawaii: Anatomy of a Hawaiian Kiteboarding Crossing

By Mark Cosslett. Photograph courtesy Mark Cosslett

I’ve had many friends ask what they should do to prepare to join me on a Hawaiian inter-island kiteboarding crossing, all of them expert kiters. Here's what it takes.

Get Fit
My first suggestion is to bike, run, swim, or whatever for fitness training. The kite skills are pretty basic, but without proper endurance even the best kiter will become shark bait in short order.

Learn How to Be Safe
Get all the safety gear and learn how to use it. Would you go out into the backcountry with a ski partner and only one avalanche transceiver between you? No. How about a shovel and probe? They’re not much good unless everyone has them. Well, the same is true with ocean safety gear. They call the satellite emergency response device a PERSONAL Locater Beacon (PLB) for a reason, it means every person should have one. Early on, I joined a group on a failed attempt to kiteboard from Molokai to Oahu where everyone thought a chase boat was the “catch-all” safety plan. We got lucky, all six of us. I’ve never “rolled the dice” that way again.

Use Technology, But Have a Backup Plan
Equip yourself with all that modern technology has to offer: satellite phone, PLB, waterproof cell phone, GPS, marine radio ... even an iPod in a waterproof case, if so inclined. Then, assume ALL those devices will catastrophically and simultaneous fail just when you need them the most. That means you must also follow all the traditional safety protocols: register a “flight plan,” start early and have a cut-off time that allows enough daylight for a rescue, and report your position as frequently as feasible. It also means you must carry all the traditional safety gear: marine flares, a signal mirror, dye markers, a life preserver, and provisions to survive at least 24 hours out at sea by way of food, water, and a wet suit thick enough to stave off hypothermia. And, hope the sharks don’t start to circle....

Become an Great Kiteboarder
Then practice, practice, practice. Just because someone can zig-zag back and forth, boost big air, and do tricks within a quarter mile of the safety of the beach doesn’t mean he or she has what it takes to maintain an awkward point-of-sail in overhead ocean swells to make another island upwards of 40 miles distant. There’s no landfall on other points of sail for the Hawaiian inter-island kite boarder, except perhaps Tahiti, Australia, or Japan.

As for those pesky sharks.... More on that in the next blog.

Outdoor Skills + Advice: What’s in Your Hiking Day Pack?

By Aparna Rajagopal-Durbin, Faculty member and Diversity + Inclusion Manager at the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) and NOLS Research Intern Kate Herden

“Preparedness” is relative. As I head out on a day hike to Popo Agie Falls with my toddler, his backpack is sure to contain “necessities,” such as Matchbox cars, toy dump trucks, and a couple of stuffed animals. But mine will look different. Here are ten things that will prepare you for that short day hike that could turn into an overnighter.

1. Water
Forget the soda. Bring at least a liter of water. To replenish your reservoir, stick close to potable water sources or carry a water purification system.

2. Rain Shell
Wherever you are, you'll be happier if you stay dry. Even on a clear day, pack a rain shell for protection from wind and water.

3. Map
How many times have you rounded a corner hoping to see your car, only to see more hills? You may think you know where you're going, but in case you find yourself in untrodden territory, bring a topographical map.

4. Headlamp
It might only be a day hike, but you could get be-nighted. Lighter than a lantern and more convenient than a flaming torch, a headlamp will lend a helping hand if you find yourself out later than expected.

5. Warm Layers
Whether a synthetic or down jacket, fleece, or a woolly pullover, a warm layer will keep you snug if the temperatures drop.

6. Lighter
Don’t be stuck trying to rub two sticks together or trying to use your Jedi mind powers to create fire. Grab a lighter and give your forearms (and telekinetic brain) some rest.

7. First Aid Kit
A must-have, pack a first aid kit. ‘Nuff said.

8. Sunscreen
Pack some broad band SPF 30 to 50 water resistant sunscreen.

9. Snacks
Hiking makes you hungry! Bring some nosh—bananas, granola, chocolate, peanut butter crackers. And remember to pack-out wrappers.

10. Peace of Mind
This means leaving something behind—a message to a loved one letting him or her know where you are going and what time you plan on returning.

Packing for more than a day hike? Check out the equipment list for a 30-day NOLS Wind River Wilderness Course.

Photograph courtesy of NOLS

World's Best Hikes: Grindelwald, Switzerland

By Peter Potterfield

Today's Featured Hike: First to Lake Bachal to Faulhorn Hut

Round-Trip: 10 miles if you ride up and walk down, 2 to 3 days

When to Go: High summer is the season here, but hikable weather often extends into September, when the Europeans are back at work. The Faulhorn closes in October. Perhaps the biggest payoff for effort applied in the Alps, this ridiculously beautiful walk takes in the scenic highlights of the Bernese Oberland—including the notorious Eiger and its more impressive sister peak, the fearsome Shreckhorn—looming across Grindelwald’s fairy tale valley.

All this, and a night or two at the comfortable Faulhorn hut or berghotel, impossibly perched at 8,800 feet on its namesake peak, for just a day’s worth of hiking. And you can shave some time off that by taking a cable car up to First. Walk the whole way from Grindelwald and you’ll earn that beer you’re drinking on the terrace as the setting sun paints the Eiger’s north wall a blood red.

Insider Tip: Even if you ride the lift on the way up, be sure to walk down, and have lunch at Waldspitz, a classic Swiss mountain chalet where you’ll enjoy a tasty rösti watching snow plumes blow off the summit of the Shreckhorn so close it’s scary.

See all our featured World's Best Hikes>>

Photograph by Patitucci Photo

World's Best Hikes: Petra Through the Back Door, Jordan

 

By Peter Potterfield

Today's Featured Hike: Dana Reserve to Petra

Round-Trip: 50 miles, 7 days

When to Go: October through April, when desert temperatures relent—a little. Go with Adventure Jordan, the local company that discovered this 50-mile route through the deserts, mountains, and peaks of Jordan.

At the top of an ancient stairway carved into the red rock, the narrow defile leads around a sharp bend, and suddenly you are stopped cold. There stands the exquisite carved façade of Al Deir, better known as the Monastery, perhaps Petra’s grandest monument. And you have it to yourself. To enter the Nabataean city of Petra in a small party at the conclusion of almost a week in the rugged wilds of the Kingdom of Jordan is a far more satisfying arrival than pulling into the parking lot with its idling tour buses ten miles away. That’s what makes the weeklong trek unique.

From the ancient city of Dana, the route leads down to the Feynan Eco-Lodge before crossing the vast arid expanse of Wadi Araba before climbing into the Sharah Mountains past iconic oasis and Bedouin camps toward Petra itself. The off-trail travel through the deserts and mountains can be grueling, exacerbated by the heat, but the hike sets you up to enter Petra in a receptive frame of mind, ready to absorb the mystical qualities of the Rose Red City.

Insider Tip: Do your research before you arrive. Time in the canyon system of Petra is precious, so it’s best to know what you want to see before you arrive. Besides the iconic sites of the Siq, the Treasury and the Monastery are mystical venues, as are the Place of High Sacrifice and the Great Temple.

See all our featured World's Best Hikes>>

Photograph by Heeb, laif/Redux

World's Best Hikes: Fitz Roy Trek, Patagonia, Argentina

By Peter Potterfield

Today's Featured Hike: El Chaltén to Laguna Torre to Poincenot Camp to Laguna Eléctrico

Round-Trip: 36 miles, 4 to 7 days

When to Go: February to March to avoid the crowds of midsummer and enjoy stable fall weather when the infamous Patagonian winds abate

Hike among Argentina’s fabled Fitz Roy Massif, the iconic ridge where the peaks of Poincenot, St. Exupery, and 11,073-foot Fitz Roy itself rise out of the steppes of Patagonia like a vision. This grand tour gives you three views of Fitz at sunrise, with Cerro Torre and Marconi Pass thrown in for good measure. This ramble through Delaware-size Los Glaciares National Park takes you from gnarled, spooky beech forests and open plains to glaciers, roaring waterfalls, and granite monoliths afire with orange dawn light.

Insider Tip: From Camp Poincenot, hike up in the predawn hours to Laguna de los Tres by headlamp for the full impact of sunrise on the Fitz Roy Massif.

See all our featured World's Best Hikes>>

Photograph by Reiner Harscher, laif/Redux