Gear Review: Shockles
"Make everything as simple as possible, but not simpler." -Albert Einstein Traditional bungee cords and shock cords are about as simple as it gets. Given Einstein's words above, in some ways they're too simple for use on a boat. Whether I use the thick type that is made from cheap rubber or those that have braided elastic rubber sheathed with a thin layer of synthetic fiber, they always seem to suffer from UV rot fairly quickly. Both of these types are also not up to jobs requiring more strength and stretching power, such as snubbing an anchor line. But fear not, the same innovative company that makes a boat-specific solar light has taken on the challenge of making a shock absorbing product that can withstand the rigors of the marine environment on a cruising boat. Shockles come in a variety of lengths and sizes, some of which have a tested breaking strength of over 2,500 pounds. They also feature very high quality stainless steel captive carabiner clips o