Posts tagged gear
I would like to try winter camping. What are some common mistakes first-timers make when trying to camp in the cold? I would be camping in temperatures between 0 and 32 Fahrenheit (-17 to 0 degree...
I've had a couple of opportunities to go standup paddle boarding (SUP'ing) which is pretty fun. Every time I've used one so far, I've rented it form a place where somebody pointed and said, "OK...
Where to I insert the slackline in this picture? Does the slackline wrap around a cylinder of the ratchet or just hang? I can't get the line to be locked in place. It'd be helpful if someone woul...
I'm new to slacklining and planning to buy a slack line kit from Amazon With the rope and ratchet and tree protector which will be used on trees. Is this enough to be able to tie the rope between ...
I know a training line + slackline would cost more than a slack-line itself, but I'm wondering if I didn't buy a slackline+training line I'd have to step on and fall off before I'm able to balance ...
I'm planning for a long cruise in my small yacht. The water tank in the yacht has enough clean water to drink, but not quite enough for showers, cleaning the dishes etc.. Desalinating ocean water...
I recently visited a local outfitter upon whose walls hang various pieces of vintage outdoor equipment. I was unable to identify these, or even guess which outdoor activity they might have been rel...
We (wife, 5 year old and me) are planning to go camping next summer (UK). It will be car camping - i.e. drive, set up tent and, knowing the UK, sit in the tent as it rains. I'm looking at equipmen...
There exist a plethora of different camping fuels, each with their own advantages and disadvantages. Depending on your cooking equipment (mainly the used stove/burner) and the environmental conditi...
Are there any features to regular trekking poles that adjustable cross-country ski poles do not have? I know that many people use trekking poles for snowshoeing but are there any reason adjustable ...
What are the chances of falling and turning upside down, with your head down. Is the gear special from preventing such falls?
I'm looking at buying regulators for scuba-diving this weekend and we came across the options to have a DIN or a yoke valve for our first stage. What are the pros and cons of both a DIN and a yoke ...
When fishing in catch and release areas, one needs to be able to unhook the fish and return them to the water unharmed. What tool(s) would be useful for this?
For winter camping it is recommended to use a sleeping pad with an R value greater than 5. Can you alternatively use two closed cell 2.5R pads one on top of each other? If using an inflatable ...
Having only used pure chalk without added substances so far, I wondered how the other types perform. Most of the information I could find online is either somebody ranting against a certain type, o...
Anyone had any experience getting climbing chalk though customs? I'm off to Guernsey and I don't think I'll be able to buy chalk there so I'm putting it in my hold luggage. Are customs likely to ...
In this question a couple years ago: What do life jacket ratings mean (Type I, Type II, etc)?, we see the traditional types many of us learned about in Boating Safety courses, or in Scout/ Youth ca...
I have a pair of quite old Black Diamond Alpine Carbon Cork Flicklock trekking poles. After much use and abuse the tip on one of them has finally gotten bashed in (the carbide tip has either broke...
I was born on ski's and switched to snowboarding and now on the return to skiing. However I intend to do both downhill and skijoring in the next season (skiing with my dogs) I am having trouble de...
I've picked up a surplus used aircrew Beaufort Mk 10 Immersion Suit (for aviation use, but I think there's more likely knowledge among watersports enthusiasts). It needs latex socks adding to the b...
I bought Aku Slope boots with Gore-tex at a good price and as it turned out they have punctures in one place, which are probably minimal when I check them inside the shoe. I do not want to use the ...
Oscillating temperature readings result in inaccurate altitude data. I currently have no solution or explanation. Can anybody help? In this case the route is completely flat. As soon as the temper...
I have a set of titanium cookware that I use for backpacking. It's a small set for one to two people and consists of two little pots and one cover/frying pan. Mostly, this set gets used for boili...
I need clothing for kayaking in the summer. I already have the "heavyweight" equipment - thick neoprene longjohn and a whitewater cag. But for places where I need less protection from cold and inju...
I've heard that pouring boiling water into a Nalgene-style bottle is either completely fine or definitely going to kill you. Which is it? Are there any scientific studies demonstrating exactly wha...
For some time, I have been following both European and American long distance hikers and a few things stood out to me, gear wise, and I was curious if someone could shed some light on it. For examp...
In this excellent answer to Ideal and Minimal Rope Diameter for Lead Climbing it is shown how the falling weight affects the drops a rope is expected to survive. This led me to the following ques...
I have a few items: FireSteel, Hatchet, etc. that have a small paracord size hole at the base. I was looking to add a length of paracord so I can easily loop it over branches, tentpoles, etc. Do an...
I regularly use a machete to clear brush. I must be using the wrong technique for the tool ... or the wrong tool given my technique. In order to maximize the speed of the blade, I rotate my wrist...
I just saw a documentary where they investigated lakes inside of glaciers. They rapelled in big crevasses and even dived in those sometimes huge water reservoirs. The scientist had a regular looki...
What's the minimum arrow weight in grains per pound (GPP) of a Bear Archery Grizzly? It's a 2015 model with 35# if that matters.
I'm tall but rather small-boned, and my XL drysuit has always been marginal on the wrist and neck seals, which are neoprene with a smooth lining, rather than the more common latex. This is much mo...
Inspired by a space blanket being included in emergency winter kits, I wonder if there's any rigorous study about whether these things actually work and in what ways to best use them. In my own ex...
I feel like hats are quite popular among hunters and other outdoor-people which are mainly active in the woods. Also, a lot of outdoor brands have hats in their range. Which rational characteristi...
I am trying to find some binoculars for hunting. I generally zero my rifle to fire at 100 yards. I really can't imagine shooting animals much further than this distance, although for scouting and g...
I bought these cross country ski poles from Salomon. The straps are insanely short. I have very small hands for a guy, and with a (very) thin glove, the velcro hook/loop barely makes a connection....
Keeping the cooler out of the sun and the lid closed as much as possible are some obvious ways to keep a cooler cold longer. There seems to be some truth that adding salt to your cooler can help i...
I have a cut in the ankle of my boot (see pic). I'm concerned that any glueing/patching will not hold due to movement and flexing while walking. What is the proper method of gluing and patching t...
When comparing dynamic ropes (single ropes) for climbing, which properties do really matter? I'm thinking about weight per meter and price, maybe diameter for very special belay devices. I'm goi...
After a rather unpleasant experience with my current bivy sack, I am looking to replace it. I know that I want one that will hold up in rain, but what else should I look for?
Recently we were climbing up a glacier with the ice at an angle of around 80°. We were placing the ice screws angling slightly upwards with respect to the slope of the ice wall. However, one from...
Ice screws need to be sharp to be placed into the ice, and just like anything with an edge they will get dull over time. How would one know when to sharpen an ice screw, and once they do need to b...
We went climbing on a glacier recently. There was one issue which I couldn't find a solution to. While belaying from below (on the first pitch), it was pretty much impossible to protect self from r...
Last fall I bought a sunfish, best I can tell is built in about 1974 (43 years ago) and has all original sails, sail rings (hold the sail to the spars), tiller, etc. Everything but the lines seem ...
I need to run a hose from a tap to my campsite. I have a drinking water rated hose, but I'd like to know whether brass splitters and hose fittings (sold as gardening items) are safe -- I believe br...
A common improvised dust mask is taking a bandana and tying it over your nose and mouth. I'm asking this question because I'm wondering what else one could add to this set up if anything. First, I'...
My research thus far has acquainted me with a kind of trade-off: one can try to minimize the amount of contamination (from bacteria/parasites) or one can try to minimize the amount of particulates ...
After tying on a new fly when fly fishing, you need to trim the excess string. As this needs to happen every time, what tool(s) would make the job easier?
