Surfing the web it becomes apparent that outdoor gear is indeed, a very important part of what outdoor enthusiasts look for; it also becomes apparent that outdoor apparel has become fashionable. That's okay, as long as the main point of getting gear and equipment is not missed: You don't guy gear to look cool, but to be more comfortable and safe.

Of course, we are free to purchase whatever we want, and if you are not a pilot you are still entitled to get a flight jacket if that's what you like; what would be bad is to believe that you are actually a pilot just because you bought that jacket, and while this example might sound a little bit outlandish or extreme, such things do happen, for example, when someone interested in mountain climbing but with relatively low experience buys climbing gear and attempts to use it in ways that go well-beyond his or her skill level believing that using such stuff depends just on buying it.

In the case of some outdoor or extreme activities people know where the limit are; for example, regular pilots generally know and assume that they should not get into the cockpit of a plane designed for aerobatics without proper training. That is so because the whole learning system in aviation is constructed on the basis of getting licenses to use increasingly complex aeronautical equipment. You can buy a plane all right, but you will not be able to use it if you don't get first the proper license. Something similar happens in the case of nautical activities and a few others, but there are many fields in which, while it may be discouraged to act without proper training, it is actually very easy to do so: If you have a brand-new plane sitting on the tarmac at your local airport, it would be hard to attempt to fly it without a license because airports are generally filled with people - even small ones - and someone in a position of authority will probably stop you, but who will take a look at what climbers or hikers or kayaking enthusiasts do?

Don't forget that the single, most important piece of equipment that you have is your own intelligence; if you are getting started in something like mountain biking, kayaking, climbing, etc. it is fundamental that you don't try to do more than you are capable of. Getting new gear is great, but sometimes it could lead to a false sensation of security when experience is somewhat lacking.

Source: Pablo Edronkin, Andinia.com

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After a lot of rain or snow falls, your outdoor gear will almost certainly get soaked with water; learn how you can do that without damaging your expensive stuff; just watch this vide to learn.

Source: Andinia.com

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WASHINGTON, DC - The National Transportation Safety Board has issued this month so far, 19 recommendations regarding Helicopter Emergency Medical Services (HEMS). These recommendations address various safety issues including pilot training; safety management systems to minimize risk; collection and analysis of flight, weather, and safety data; flight data monitoring; development of a low altitude airspace infrastructure; and the use of dual pilots, autopilots, and night vision imaging systems (NVIS).

HEMS operations include an estimated 750 helicopters, 20 operators, and 60 hospital-based programs. They transport seriously ill patients and donor organs 24 hours a day in a variety of environmental conditions. "The pressure on HEMS operators to conduct their flights quickly in all sorts of environments makes these types of operations inherently more risky than other types of commercial flight operations," said NTSB Chairman Deborah A. P. Hersman. "Operators need to every available safety tool to conduct these flights and to determine when the risk of flying is just too great."

For the HEMS industry, 2008 was the deadliest year on record with 12 accidents and 29 fatalities. In response to this increase in fatal accidents, the NTSB placed the issue of HEMS operations on its Most Wanted List of Transportation Safety Improvements.

Last February, the NTSB conducted a 4-day public hearing to critically examine the safety issues concerning this industry. The hearing, which included testimony by expert witnesses representing HEMS operators, associations, manufactures, and hospitals, explored the increasingly competitive environment of the HEMS industry and provided a more complete understanding of why this industry has grown rapidly in recent years. As a result of recent accident investigations and testimony presented at the hearing, the NTSB made recommendations to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) at the Department of Health and Human Services, Federal Interagency Committee on Emergency medical Systems (FICEMS) and 40 government-operated or public HEMS operators.

The 19 recommendations issued recently include 10 recommendations to the FAA to address the issues of improved pilot training; collection and analysis of flight, weather, and safety data; flight data monitoring; development of low altitude airspace in infrastructure; and the use of dual pilots, autopilots, and NVIS.

The two safety recommendations to the CMS are to evaluate the current HEMS reimbursement rate structure and its relationship to patient transport safety. Two recommendations are to FICEMS to address coordination and integration of helicopter emergency medical transport into local and regional emergency medical systems and selection of the most appropriate emergency transportation mode for victims of trauma.

Finally, five recommendations are to public operators to improve pilot training, flight data monitoring; and the use of dual pilots, autopilots and NVIS. In addition to the recommendations issued today, the Board also asked its staff to draft additional recommendations to CMS regarding safety audit standards.

An abstract of the Board's actions can be found at http://ntsb.gov/Publictn/2009/AB09-HEMS.htm.

Source: NTSB

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