Of all the logistics and planning that go into an expedition, no matter its length, a groups’ emergency kits can sometimes be the difference between a complete or incomplete expedition. On the river, in addition to first-aid kits, repair kits, Personal Locators and so forth, every expedition should bring a pin-kit that is in good working order. The actual details of the expedition will ultimately decide how big your pin-kit needs to be but these kits are basically comprised of three components: Anchor Material, Hardware, and Rope. For large multi-boat expeditions it’s usually a good idea to separate the pin-kit into two or three mini-kits. This is so that if any gear is lost due to a flip, the expedition still has equipment. The more boats that have equipment, the quicker the response can be to an emergency.
The contents of a pin-kit should be custom tailored to the expedition; but as stated above, the basic contents always stay the same. The basic kit will set you up with what you need to create a Z-drag pulley system, just remember that the bigger the boat the bigger the forces will be on the system. In general if you can’t pull your boat off with 3 guys you need more mechanical advantage. You should plan on having 2-3 equalized anchors per rope. A line across bag is most commonly used for a pin-kit because of the thicker rope diameter and the length, but a throw bag could work depending on the scenario, again it may depend on the circumstances of the expedition. Your anchors could be made of one inch webbing, or sewn slings. One inch webbing is much more versatile, but sewn slings can be handy if you need to make an anchor quickly. The amount of hardware needed is dependent on what size of vessel you take down the river. Light canoes and kayaks may only need a 3:1 mechanical advantage to un-broach whereas a fully loaded canoe or raft may need a 5:1 or even 7:1 mechanical advantage. Make sure to bring enough carabineers and pulleys so that you can build a system bigger enough to un-pin whatever your rockin’ down the river. It’s also a good idea to put some spare carabineers and pulleys in your lifejacket so they are handy. The Canoe Guys will be bringing a pin-kit very similar to the list below.
This equipment, however, is not applicable if you don’t know how to use it. Whenever an expedition is going to be undertaken, everyone involved should have at least a basic understanding of how to use the safety and rescue equipment available. Otherwise, during an emergency response they are not particularly useful. Everyone should be briefed on the contents of the emergency kits and properly shown how to use all equipment prior to the trip. Better yet, anyone who frequently recreates in a river environment should take a ‘swiftwater’ rescue course, and read up on applications, boundaries and limitations of rescue equipment and techniques. This way you can deal with your own “whoopsy daisy”, impress your friends with your rope work and you won’t have to leave your canoe in the middle of the river like last year.
- Three 1” tape slings, 5 metres
- One single length sewn sling
- One double length sewn sling
- One 5 metre, 7 mm accessory cord
- Two Prussik loops, tied at 1 metre
- Two Prussik loops, tied at 75 cm
- 4 D-shaped locking carabiners
- 2 Pear shaped locking carabiners
- One prussik minding pulley
- Two rescue pulleys
- 300’ of floating rope (line across bag)
- Water-proof bag for everything
James is a Swiftwater Rescue Specialist and has been guiding canoes and rafts since 2002. He is also a contributing editor and a voyageur for the Canoe Guys.
