Written by Vapur Pro Team member, Laura Bylund. Cottage Rehabilitation Hospital, UCSB Department of Recreation and Vapur, July 22-26, 2013

Every summer, about 45 children and teens with disabling diseases, disorders and spinal cord injuries come from far and wide to the UCSB Recreation Center for a week of intense sporting organized by Santa Barbara Cottage Rehabilitation Hospital. They play basketball and volleyball, racquetball and rugby. They go swimming and handcycling, and have tennis lessons with three-time Paralympian, Anthony Lara. They also engage in adventure activities such as kayaking, ropes course, SCUBA and, of course, what kind of sports camp would be complete without rock climbing?

Real interest in adaptive climbing has been sparked among many wheelchair users across the globe. Perhaps it is the sport of rock climbing becoming more mainstream, or maybe inspiration from famous disabled athletes such as blind mountaineer, Erik Weihenmayer, incomplete tetraplegic competition climber, Fran Brown and the more recent scaling of El Capitan by Stephen Wampler, who has cerebral palsy. Either way, despite the growing interest, working with people with disabilities is still a very complex and out of the ordinary thing for most vertical sports professionals and high angle rope workers.

The Junior Wheelchair Sports Camp has both excited and panicked me for nearly a decade. Beyond the usual concerns that come with any children’s program, including the naturally worrisome parents and doting caretakers, each year purports a completely new test for me and my staff. The kids come to us both excited and terrified themselves, and we are responsible for the quality of their experience.

As vertical world risk managers, harnessing and handling these courageous 6 to 19 year-olds is some of the most challenging work we do. Helping them get to the top isn’t the hard part; we have strong arms and mechanical advantage to thank for that. It is more the meticulous setup and unconventional hard and soft skills that go with it.

We rely on camp staff and volunteers to ask the right questions and transfer the person when necessary for outfitting. Even in my 9th year, I still feel uncomfortable asking whether a camper can support him/herself while we slip the harness on. And while those aforementioned inspirational climbers have painstakingly whittled their systems down to a science, we are given but minutes to determine a specialized setup for each child.

“You’re pretty buff, right?” I ask a camper named Alex from one of the younger groups. This is my standard question for those with high functioning upper bodies. “Yesss!” he replied in a deep voice, flexing his biceps, fists clenched overhead with a bodybuilder grunt.

Alongside the lighthearted joking nature, this is actually useful information when determining how to connect campers into the system; the stronger their arm and trunk strength, the less intensive the harnessing. Able-bodied rock climbers take their basic abilities for granted, using core strength to stay upright during a fall.

Paraplegics and quadriplegics have decreased muscular tone in their lower extremities, contributing to a top heaviness that makes them very likely to flip over when they let go of the wall or are simply lifted from their wheelchair. A typical seat harness alone is not enough, warranting the integration of a chest or full body harness and even a head sling in extreme cases.

With safety as the overall goal, comfort and functionality is closely considered. One of the most difficult things to do is put yourself in their climbing shoes. We take precautions to keep body parts such as knees and elbows from dragging against the abrasive wall.

We also need to think about the less noticeable discomforts. It’s hard to imagine not being able to wiggle around in your harness or stand up on something when your feet start to tingle. Some of these campers wouldn’t even be able to feel the sensation of decreased blood flow to their limbs, which can be very dangerous! Prolonged suspension with limited mobility can lead to harness induced pathology, or orthostatic syndrome, which is a major concern.

Even with my (hopefully) silent and somewhat farfetched paranoia, I eagerly look forward to this camp every single year. It just so happens to be the most rewarding work we do. I usually finish the week with a sense of accomplishment, feeling like I did something important to better the lives of these children. For some, it is their first time ever doing anything like this.

“It’s really inspiring to see them do what they never thought they’d be able to,” said UCSB Climbing Center Supervisor, Danielle Broder. “A lot of the kids were really hesitant, so to see their faces light up when they did end up climbing and conquer their fears was really special.”

The smiles and lit up faces came early this year, as each camper was given their very own bright and shiny Vapur Anti-Bottle on the first day of camp. I was pleased to see the bottles clipped to the back of their wheelchairs and put at ease knowing they were staying hydrated, helping to prevent that dreaded harness pathology.

“Working the wheelchair sports camp was an incredible opportunity,” said Hayden Lord, a Climbing Center employee. “Seldom have I met more appreciative kids, or seen more genuine smiles.”

I couldn’t have said it better myself.

News & Events April 5, 2013

Wilderness First Responder Course
March 23-31, Wilderness Medical Associates, UC Santa Barbara

Written by Vapur Pro Team member, Laura Bylund.

There are three critical systems in the human body that support life: the circulatory, the respiratory and the nervous systems.  Since each is dependent on the other, they are often analogized to a three-legged stool where all need to be functioning properly in order to stay upright.  The respiratory system brings crucial oxygen into the body, the circulatory system distributes it throughout to vitalize tissue and organs and the nervous system controls… well, basically everything.

Each critical system has major threats that could lead to failure and if that happens to of any one of them, the three-legged stool falleth over. With the respiratory system, we worry about obstructions and broncospasms that lead to respiratory distress.  With the nervous system, we fear increased intracranial pressure and other threats to brain function, as well as spinal cord injuries.

The circulatory system’s nemesis is volume and vascular shock.  This is where blood volume decreases in relation to the size of veins and arteries; the ultimate worry is that blood pressure will drop so low that it is unable to adequately perfuse the body’s organs with that crucial oxygen.  While volume shock is certainly caused by severe bleeding, the most common danger to the circulatory system is actually dehydration.

Take your critical systems into the wilderness setting and your sensitivities to this danger are heightened for several reasons.  One factor is the multiple effects of whatever environment you find yourself in.  This could be the altitude, the air temperature, the physical exertion or simply the lack of available water.

Another reason for the heightened sensitivity is the fact that if anything starts to go wrong in the back-country or out on the open ocean, you are a very long way from help.  This is why adventurers should be poised at the very least to maintain proper hydration when in the outdoors.

Vapur approached me at a time I’d been feeling I wasn’t drinking enough water.  While as a climbing guide you should first and foremost be thinking about your own safety, it sometimes means you’re too busy to eat or even drink.  The packability and sheer convenience of these Anti-Bottles have helped me be a healthier guide and better equipped to keep students and clients safe.

As outdoor professionals, we are compelled to maintain a certain level of continuing education on wilderness medical protocols.  Wilderness First Responder is the best combination of most advanced, applicable and conducive to our adventures.  Wilderness Medical Associates is a leading company dedicated to training professionals and recreationalists on the topic.  As it happened I was due for a re-certification this year and was fortunate to be able to provide the entire class hosted by UCSB Adventure Programs with Vapur Anti-Bottles.

“I’d seen these around before,” said course participant, Nicole Jacoby.  ”Once I got my own, I was instantly hooked.  I will never go back to traditional water bottles.”

Wilderness environments are inherently dangerous settings that will suck the life out of you if you let them.  Undergoing volume shock secondary to dehydration can be avoided with some decent training, a couple good guides and a few Vapur Anti-Bottles.  Isn’t it time you stocked up on yours?

Follow me on Twitter at @LauraBylund, Direct Message me & tell me about your adventures for a chance to win a FREE Vapur Anti-Bottle! Ends 5/31/13. Every first aid kit should be accompanied by a Vapur Anti-Bottle.

Written by Vapur Pro Team member, Laura Bylund.

Vapur has changed my life. There I said it. It has fundamentally altered and facilitated daily hydration in the outdoors in a way I would never think such a simplistic product would or even could.

I remember when I got my first bladder-like product and thought how incredibly it had revolutionized the sport of alpine climbing. The idea that you could hydrate through a gigantic hose-shaped straw whilst on the move and not spill all over yourself was relieving. The notion that there was no longer a need to expel time and energy taking off your heavy backpack or twisting and contorting your body to reach a bottle in the side pocket was almost titillating.

Reality struck when bladders started to puncture, pop or leak at the hose inlet, wasting precious water supply, soaking my belongings and now rendering an important piece of gear useless and dead weight.  Even if I was lucky enough to have one that lasted, the horrendously involved cleaning process made me simply want to throw it away and buy another one. After a while, I decided that my time was worth more money than the product.

 It was back to rigid, clunky, wide-mouth, spill-all-over-yourself-if-you-were-anything-but-still water bottles… That is, until a little gem by the name of Vapur came along.  The lightweight, slim, collapsible body and built-in clip makes it perfectly attachable to any harness or pack and therefore accessible. The well-designed SuperCap is easy to open and drink out of even while moving. Throw in the fact that you can hand-wash the cap with ease and simply put the rest in the dishwasher, and there comes that good ole giddy feeling again.

This month, to further titillate the outdoor enthusiast, Vapur will unveil a product of astronomical proportions. Behold the Vapur Eclipse; a bold new look, feel and function for the Anti-Bottle. The Eclipse series comes in two natural colors, Olive and Night Blue, with a matte finish that provides a softer feel, yet is made out of the same durable materials as the Element and other lines. Hardcore adventurers will further enjoy an improved SuperCap for 2013 with increased strength and durability, as well as a lower profile and tighter closure.

I can’t help but wonder what’s next for Vapur. What astronomical feat will they come up with? Perhaps an anti-GRAVITY-bottle. Every rock climbers dream… gear they don’t have to worry about dropping.  :-)

News & Events

Vapur was the exclusive water bottle of the Reel Rock Film Tour screening in Santa Barbara on Wednesday, November 14th.  Organized by award-winning, even Emmy-nominated filmmakers, this climbing film tour has joined the ranks of the best adventure film tours in the world, now even outperforming most of them in its 7th year.

This leg of the tour is hosted by the official outdoor program at the University of California Santa Barbara and has been held in Isla Vista Theater, one of the largest venues of its hundreds of stops worldwide, since the tour’s inception.

“We had a record-breaking year for pre sale tickets,” said UCSB Adventure Programs Marketing Coordinator, Rachel Glago, “and would like to think it had something to do with the promise of free Vapur Anti-Bottles to the first 45 people through the door.”

“Everyone was really excited when they got the water bottles at the beginning of Reel Rock,” said Spencer Owen, who showed up early with his roommates. “We were excited about the portability and possibilities, how they are going to be much better than carrying around heavy, solid bottles.”

Twenty more outdoor Element Vapur Anti-Bottles were given away to a very enthusiastic crowd over the course of the night with one lucky winner received the Vapur “trifecta,” a half liter Reflex, a coveted one liter-sized Element Anti-Bottle and made complete with a “Designed to Perform” Vapur T-shirt.  Needless to say, that guy was STOKED.

Event coordinator, Meagan Gibson commented on how amazingly smooth and well the night went. “It was so great to have Vapur as a sponsor because so many people walked away with a prize!”

“I saw a lot of people hooking the carabiner to their jeans and commenting on how cool and innovative they were,” said UCSB student and Climbing Center employee, Kelsey Hargrove. “I’ll definitely be using it to carry around to classes and work.”

An Element for the Elements ~ October 6-7, 2012

Written by Vapur Pro Team member, Laura Bylund

On October 6 and 7, with a little help from the Vapur Element Anti-Bottle, a team of adventurers from the University of California, Santa Barbara braved a few good canyons in the San Gabriel Mountains of the Angeles National Forest.

Canyoneering is a sport particularly sensitive to hydration and energy management. Dehydration is cause for many ailments in the human body and we are especially at risk when in the harsh elements of the great outdoors.  A typical canyon route imposes a series of slippery down climbs and steep rappels off waterfalls in a cold, wet environment.  The coordination, physical fitness and knowledge required of executing such tasks assumes that even a completely healthy canyoneer could have trouble getting out safely.

“Hydration is incredibly crucial to physical performance,” says Rod Tucknott, Director of UCSB Adventure Programs and a Wilderness Medical Associates instructor.  ”In fact many medical problems that aren’t so obvious, such as hyperthermia and hypothermia, are often exacerbated if not caused by dehydration.”

Prevention of accidents and injuries is key because if anyone on a canyon team goes down, there is usually only one way out.  With steep cliffs on either side making simple egress virtually impossible, the originally intended route must be carried out in sickness or in health.  Neglecting sufficient fluid intake can lead to light-headedness, fatigue and mental impairment, which are exceptionally dangerous conditions to be in.  If left untreated, dehydration can also lead to heat exhaustion and even volume shock.

“The Vapur Anti-Bottles are awesome because they’re translucent,” said trip leader Ben Greiner, “so you can see exactly how much the participants have been drinking throughout the day.  It’s easier to monitor their water intake and prevent any illnesses in the canyon.”

Taking full advantage of the low-profile and light weight nature of the Anti-Bottle, the canyoneers hung them from their harnesses and backpacks, making them incredibly accessible.  With no excuses to not hydrate, this was a successful, healthy and amazingly FUN trip!