Water Crossings - What Works For You?

“Yeah, send me some. I'll put them the test”

“All,

The feedback you are giving me is what I was looking for; overall it seems positive and I know the need is there. The product can be used over and over, and it takes less than 30 seconds to put them on. I d not think you would want to walk any distance over land with them on; the primary design is for water crossing. I would be willing to invest 30 seconds on either side of a stream to stay dry, but that is just me. It sounds like there is some big mystery because I have been working on it for 3 years, but if any of you have ever tried to develop a product and get it to market in an area where you have no expertise you might imagine the roadblocks. First I am no textile scientist so it has taken quite awhile to obtain and test different fabrics. Second the method used to sew/seal the "leg stocking" had to be researched as well as we did not want it to leak. The biggest factor is money; if I was independently wealthy the time frame would have been shortened, but that is not the case. As far as the price, the current research I am doing on developing a die to aid in production will lower the overall cost. I appreciate any and all comments so thank you.”

“Dear Nowslimmer,

Just to set the record straight another impediment to development was the fact that 3 out of the last 4 years I had to live away from home working on projects to be able to support my family. Just for the record.”

“I don't think anything would keep my sorry clumbsy ass dry in a river crossing lol”

“One of the most dangerous activities a backpacker deals with is fording a river. Hikers are swept away on river crossings every season. Former Outward Bound instructor and mountaineering guide John E Hiker demonstrates basic technique for safely fording a river in deep water with a heavy load. While there are many ways that can be employed for a ford this video shows the most common and accepted technique as described in the book Freedom of the Hills published by The Mountaineers.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-XbRRD6zewk


During a recent several-year period more hikers were killed in the North Cascades by drowning—swept away while fording or after slipping from footlogs—than by falls from cliffs, falling rock, avalanches, hypothermia, and all other wildland hazards combined . . .
—Harvey Manning, Backpacking One Step at a Time”