point taken.
It costs nothing to try, and it will be pretty obvious whether it is
secure or not. If they can be secured, they will certainly provide a
robust/heavy duty solution.

"MB" wrote in message
ups.com...
point taken.
It costs nothing to try, and it will be pretty obvious whether it is
secure or not. If they can be secured, they will certainly provide a
robust/heavy duty solution.


I don't mean to sound dismissive. I'm involved with Scouts and as long as
I've been involved I've come across adults who think that we can get away
with second-hand wolly jumpers, welly boots, tin cans and string and my
experience says that kids won't go with shoddy ideas any more. So when we
kitted out we went for the best we could get money for. That included poly
airbags all round. However, we are gradually changing to heavy duty bags as
the poly ones get punctured.

I've got nothing against folks who try "Heath Robinson" solutions, just that
I'm not keen on them myself.

Ewan Scott

"kids won't go with shoddy ideas any more"

True, and a bit sad also. You need stuff which is fit for purpose
(which milk cartons may not be...different debate !!!), but I think
it's sad that the only worthy option is "buy it fom the shop". Making
your own solutions can be good fun, and just as effective (and testing
the effectivness is important... but that's the same for bought goods,
as highlighted by so many regarding the thin poly airbags).
I'm also involved in scouting, and always impressed at how skilled some
of these kids can get, and yet how little creativity many of them have.
There _was_ life before GPS, Gore-Tex and cell phones, and it was just
as (if not more) fun.
My opinion anyway !
MB

MB wrote:

True, and a bit sad also. You need stuff which is fit for purpose
(which milk cartons may not be...different debate !!!), but I think
it's sad that the only worthy option is "buy it fom the shop". Making
your own solutions can be good fun, and just as effective (and testing
the effectivness is important... but that's the same for bought goods,
as highlighted by so many regarding the thin poly airbags).

A pal of mine who has /lots/ of Stars (up to 5 depending on
discipline, and several disciplines) for both coaching and
attainment, has been known to use Lilos from Lidls as effective
canoe aitbags. And tested them thoroughly, before full on action
and subsequently in anger.

It's usually not that difficult to come up with quite acceptable
home made options for all sorts of things. Including the boats
themselves. Where home production generally fails to compete is
turning out lots of identical things to a predicted standard, but
that'snot generally necessary if it's just for your own use.

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer
Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK
net http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/