How to Restuff a Rescue Throw Bag

Knowing how to properly re-stuff your throw bag is important for ensuring you’re ready to make a rescue when needed on the river. Let the NRS experts show you how to quickly re-stuff your throw bag to make certain the rope can run out smoothly and without tangles when you toss it to a swimmer. We also demonstrate how to hand coil the throw rope for a quick second toss to a swimmer.

You not only need to have a throw bag, you need to know how to use it. This video, and other resources linked here on the page, cover the basics. We also recommend taking a swiftwater rescue class; the skills learned there can help save you, or your boating companions, in an emergency situation.

The rescue throw bag should be part of every whitewater boater’s gear. We carry a wide variety of throw bags to meet the various needs of kayakers, rafters and swiftwater rescue professionals.

Periodically check the material, rope and knots of your bag to be sure it’s in good shape. To properly stow the rope in your throw bag, hold the bag open with your lower fingers, rope over your shoulder, and feed the rope into the bag with your thumbs and index fingers. It looks awkward, but with some practice the stuffing goes pretty quickly This technique puts the coils one on top of the other, ensuring a smooth, tangle-free release. Leave the end loop of the rope outside the bag, cinch up the drawcord with the barrel lock and secure the top strap through the rope loop.

When you’re actively involved in a rescue, and you need to make a second toss, you need a quicker method to bunch the rope up for another throw. Here we demonstrate laying up smooth coils in the rope. In the linked video, How to Quickly Coil a Throw Rope, we cover two other coiling techniques: The Thompson Rivers University (TRU) method, and the butterfly coil.