Ripcord Adventure Gear Guide #1

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Letter from the Editor I’m writing the introduction for the first RAJ Gear Guide lying on my back in the jungle on an uninhabited island in the middle of Lake Malawi, the slosh-sloshing of waves hitting the beach in the background, and an occasional bulbul squawking in the trees above my tent. If you’re green-eyed with envy, it’s quite understandable, but somebody has to do it. How else will you know which mosquito nets best keep the bugs at bay, which solar lanterns can also charge smartphones, and which rucksacks on the market are genuinely monkey-proof? When we first conceived the RAJ Gear Guide way back in spring 2015, we wanted to create a reference guide for adventurers. The kit and clothing you choose when you’re exploring, frequently makes the difference between success and failure in the challenge you have set yourself, and certainly dictates whether or not you will be comfortable and safe as you do it. There is a wealth of information online about what to wear, pack and carry for every imaginable scenario, but it is poorly curated (if at all), disorganised, and often biased or limited in its detail. For something so vital, that’s just not good enough. In the RAJ Gear Guide, you’ll find articles by explorers and adventurers who have been there, seen it and done it. They write from personal experience, and are brutally honest. If something isn’t up to scratch, however pretty it looks, they say so. We’re not going to pull any punches. There is no point ‘testing’ something in an office or the local park: it has to be done in real world conditions by people who know what they’re talking about. Rather than let Max Lovell-Hoare review his cold weather gear at home in his admittedly drafty English farmhouse, we exiled him to Siberia in winter. Bryn Kewley spent two years on the road motor biking from London to Singapore before putting his findings in print, and ultra-athlete Carlton Rowlands ran, cycled, swam and skied on three different continents before providing us with his interview and Nuala Moore, openwater swimmer, bravely plunged into the Bering Strait to give us feedback on Mullion’s Aquafloat Superior Jacket and Trousers. Do you start to get the picture?
The RAJ Gear Guide is divided into three sections. In the first part of the guide you’ll find our big feature stories, incredible adventures and feats of endurance with inspirational photo spreads. This is the place to get ideas, to learn about innovative materials and approaches, and to delve in detail into what’s required to succeed in different activities and thrive in diverse environments. We’ll be inviting some of the most famous names in exploration and adventure sports to contribute their expertise, establishing an encyclopaedia of knowledge which spans from pole to pole. Part two is our individual product reviews. Every item received by the RAJ is field tested by a World Explorer, and we don’t charge companies for featuring their products. You can’t buy a good RAJ Gear Guide review: it has to be earned. Reviewers rate what they’re testing in each of five categories - Aesthetics; Comfort; Durability; Functionality; and Value for Money - and products scoring 4.5 or above overall are awarded with a RAJ Gold Star so you can see at a glance what stands out from the crowd. The final section of our Guide is our Gear Guide Listings which includes details of where to buy, our ratings of all items reviewed (c. 100 so far) and the RRP. The Listings section is to be found only on our Website, will be continually updated and is perfect as an online reference. Sophie Ibbotson RAJ Gear Guide Editor, November 3rd, 2016 Above: Sophie Ibbotson and Cover image: Ben Maxwell © Maximum Exposure Productions
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Sophie Ibbotson & Max Lovell Hoare
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In Full: Mullion Aquafloat Superior
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88 Jack Wolfskin Passion Trail Seam
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Best of...Base Layers Ben Maxfield
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92 Best of...Base Layers Ben Maxfie
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94 Best of...Insulated Jackets Ben
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106 One world, one life, one great
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Ripcord Adventure Gear Guide #1

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