Retractable Outdoor Products
Monday, June 10, 2013 at 19:58 Sonny Lawrence This is a short discussion about some retractable products I have used for recreation and search and rescue. I do a lot of canyoneering which often involves swimming through hydraulics or jumping off rocks up to 13 meters above the water. I have lost many knives and a couple carabiners to this turbulence. For search and rescue I hike a lot as well as hang out on the side of rocks or in caves. Over the years gear has disappeared in these environments as well. I have been using a small retractable gear tether for a few years made by Key-Bak (www.keybak.com). I use it to attach my whistle to my helmet. It has functioned well through many swims.
Over the past year I have housed my point and shoot waterproof camera in a T-Reign ProCase. (www.t-reignoutdoor.com/collections/procase) It has been great. There is a retractable cord that attaches to the camera. With one hand I can pull the camera out, activate it, take pictures and return it to the case. It is easy to detach the camera and hand it to someone else to use. The case is quite durable. A few years ago 4 members of the Cave Team tested some prototypes. They got a bit carried away, even backing a car over a case! The cases survived the assault. I can attach the case to my back pack shoulder strap or improvise a strap to wear over my shoulder. It can also be worn on a belt. The case handles the abuse of search and rescue, climbing, mountaineering and swimming.
Recently I obtained the ProHolster. This is very similar to the ProCase but without a lid. Instead it has a strap. The small case fits my submersible WX370S radio perfectly. It is my primary SAR radio. It too has an easily detachable retractable strap. It has the same attachment system as the ProCase. Hence I can wear my radio in a variety of ways: pack strap, over my shoulder, on my belt. Over the years I have witnessed many SAR radios lost. This case should solve that problem. The video presents the product well. www.t-reignoutdoor.com/collections/proholster The attached picture shows my radio and the holster.
