The tester MH staff writer Jody Hendricks
The challenge We took the BJ22 Ultra X Balistic Jersey (R1957 from EVS, www.evsgear.co.za) to a place where it could get a proper thrashing. The P&P indoor cricket arena offered a machine that can shoot slash balls at 90km/h. It’s like putting it through a motorbike accident every two seconds. The result Jody bravely took repeated hits to the body (ducking a few to the head). The impact areas on the vest (like the chest, shoulders, back, spine and elbows) definitely passed the test.
The lesson The jersey will protect the indented parts of your body - the impact on the mouldings could hardly be felt. If you try it at home, just be sure the bowler has good aim.

The tester MH section editor Arthur Jones
The challenge We attach the Ocean and Earth Ultimate Board Leash (approx. R165, most surf shops) to our gym roof and to Arthur’s wrist, and suspend all of him over the pool.
The results The two-metre leash is made of high-quality urethane with double swivels attached to each end. It’s built to withstand heavy-duty waves, ensuring you will never lose your board. Could it hold Arthur’s weight without snapping? The answer is yes, even though it stretched three times its normal length during our experiment, it never snapped. Arthur got wet, but the leash did return to its original size.
The lesson You won’t lose your board in heavy surf. Our office roof sure ain’t 100 foot Pipeline, but we’re happy to paddle into a few home-grown bombs this summer. It also showed that urethane will stretch considerably before it gets close to snapping. Just don’t use it to bungee.

The testers MH section editor Arthur Jones and staff writer Jody Hendricks
The challenge A cam is what’s going to hold you to a rock face. We tested the Black Diamond Camelot .75 (R699 at Drifters, www.bdel.com). You wouldn’t believe it could hold anything heavier than a small climber with scant body fat, so to test one we whacked the cam into a crack at a climbing spot in Platteklip Gorge. We put both Jody and Arthur into harnesses (with a combined weight of 150kg) and let them hang.
The results We placed our bodies on the line, literally, and the cam held the weight easily. We even added a third guy’s weight to the mix, and it still held fast. A cool little device, with great staying power. Just don’t use it to bungee.