Wingsuit flying video: Skydiving without a parachute

Mark Pawlak    skydiveworldwide     free fall parachuteing, freefall, parachute, wingsuit

Gary Connery likes skydiving. He’s also a fan of wingsuit jumps. Nothing new. But in this wingsuit flying video he’s just jumped from 2,400ft and landed without deploying his parachute!

Unlike Gary, this jumper will pull his chute...Pic: Flickr/pictcorrect

And how did he do it? Well, in true stuntman style – and with a little bit of humour – he lined up 18,000 cardboard boxes in a field in the UK and crashed straight into them.

There’s already lots of video flying around the internet; we’ve picked the best two we can find and dropped them into this post. Have a look. But please don’t try this at home, on skydiving holidays – or anywhere for that matter. There’s a reason why this has never been done before…

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Adventure Sports Gear: Penknife or Multitool?

Mark Pawlak    ash, Travel Gear     adventure sports gear, adventure travel gear, travel gear, Trekking equipment, trekking gear

Of all the adventure sports gear on the market, you can guarantee either a penknife or multitool will top a traveller’s packing list every time. And considering the range of blades, saws, punches and drives now included in the top models, you can see why.

While not ideal for carving out the hull of a canoe or cutting your way through the jungles of Sarawak, a good model is as much a survival tool as it is an executive nail file.

Here’s what to look for when buying and some help in deciding whether you need a penknife or multitool.

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The Rise of Gastro Adventuring

Mark Pawlak    ash, New Adventure Travel Ideas     adventure holidays, Beer tours, culinary holidays, Cycling Holidays, Hiking, multisport, Spain, trekking, Wine tours

We are always going to love trips and experiences that satisfy the palate as well as our taste for adventure sports. So trekking and cycling into Spain’s Basque country – wine tasting as you go – has got to be a great choice!

New adventures and fantastic food! Image: Zephyr Adventures

As is climbing high above Chilean vineyards and valleys before hair-raising descents into Argentina. And it needn’t be all about wine: there’s beer tours in the US that mix days spent deep in the Rocky Mountains, with tours of local breweries – and all fuelled by top quality food!

By combining wine and beer tasting with multi-sport tours, Zephyr Adventures is able to satisfy a new demand for culinary and adventure holidays – and serve up unforgettable thrills along the way!

And by using hotels in central locations and eating local, these trips can often prove much better value than booking with larger operators.

Here’s what they are up to:

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Basic compass skills 1: Finding your way

Mark Pawlak    'How To' Guides, Trekking Gear, trekkingholidays     compass skills, handheld GPS, navigation, Silva, trekking, trekking gear, trekking holidays

For many people even basic compass skills and using a map is a little daunting. Ok, moving from a handheld GPS to the more traditional – and reliable – method might seem awkward, but it’s a vital skill to crack.

Using a compass is easy, honest. Pic: Flickr/ Michael R Perry

Off trekking you really need to know the basic compass skills – and they are actually very easy to master. And don’t think you can rely on that iPhone app…we checked out the top 10 travel apps and there’s not one that actually replaces a compass.

So unplug for a minute and have a look at this really easy to navigate guide to finding your way to somewhere you can see on the map.

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MTB Challenge: Land’s End to John o’Groats

Mark Pawlak    mountainbikingholidays     charity, cycling, mountainbiking, MTB, MTB Challenge

Land’s End to John o’Groats is popular for road cyclists. But it’s an MTB challenge to far for most riders…At more than 1,000 miles (1,600 km) it will test your endurance and dogged determination to face the changeable British weather. Now try it off-road….

The Explore! Bipolar Team

As part of the Explore! Bipolar ‘Highs & Lows’ ride, Ashley Toft will be leading a bunch of riders through a 3-week challenge starting on 31 May 2012 – and it’s all to raise awareness of bipolar disorder.

Starting in Cornwall’s Land’s End, the route mirrors the condition’s highs and lows with riders cycling as much of the route off-road as possible.

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Carrera Virago Reviewed: Tech Specs

Mark Pawlak    Cycling     buying a road bike, Carrera Virago, carrera virago reviewed, Evolving Cyclist Project, road bikes, Road cycling blog

Getting the Carrera Virago reviewed over 7 months is building up a lot of information. Instead of just talking facts and figures, we’re looking into what it’s like to live with – not just ride on Sundays.

But, we’ve not yet gone into the details that all bike buyers crave: the tech specs.

As carbon bikes go, the Carrera Virago is unique as it’s pretty much the only fully carbon bike under £1000 with such a high spec. Key to this is the Shimano 105 components, which are not usually found till you’ve forked out £200 more.

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James Cracknell’s adventures on Discovery Channel

Mark Pawlak    ash     Adventure, adventure Adventure Holidays, adventure holidays, explorer, travel gear, trekking

Discovery Channel is about to start a series of shows which take celebrities up close and personal, right into the heart of adventure. If you’re between expeditions, having a break from training or just an armchair explorer, these shows are for you.

Doing away with all modern creature and adventure comforts, James Cracknell’s going back to basics in ‘The World’s Toughest Expeditions’. Starts 24th May 2012 on Discovery Channel. Starts 22nd April 2012.

Discovery Channel recently ran the ‘Alone in the Wild’ and has again recruited Freddie Flintoff for more adventure travelling. We’ve a show preview for you.

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