Posts tagged gear
This a question about the outdoor survival show Alone. The teams are allowed to choose 10 items from a list of 40. Currently season 5 has aired as of this writing, I have never seen the show, but...
Fingernail clippers are super helpful in outdoor situations. This is my number one always in my pocket survival tool. But they have a tendency to come apart, there are even videos showing how to p...
I found a pair of waterproof pants abandoned on the trail, they were fine except for several large rips that the previous owner had tried to fix with ductape. How can I patch these rips?
I have an old six-reed inflatable camping mattress -- one of the ones with six long parallel chambers that you inflate with lung power. It looks similar to this one. The chambers are sealed with...
We (a uni student club, mostly hiking) own a rope that is practically unknown. We know that it's a year since it was bought (presumably new) and that it has hardly ever been used (no dead hangs, et...
There are three main types of canoe paddle materials, Wooden paddles. Plastic paddles with aluminum handles. Newer composite materials (fiberglass, carbon) What would be the pros and cons of ea...
So, next week I will be leaving on a hiking trip, which was supposed to be in the middle of summer whilst it's at its hottest, but instead it will be raining all week. Luckily there are public use ...
I would like to setup a solar charged/battery storage system for an RV/small camper environment. Initially with one solar panel, one matched battery pair; but also allow the battery(ies) to be cha...
I have seen a survival kit that has been spoken well of by many reviewers: the SERE Air Force Survival Kit. SERE stands for: survival, evasion, resistance, escape. It is a rather small kit fitting...
Out of all my dive gear, the item that is the hardest to dry is the BCD. If the weather is nice then it is not an issue, just put it outside. The issue is drying my BCD when the weather is rather i...
When I buy used windsurfing equipment, what should I check it for? Obviously, visible damage would be bad, but what else? I have read that one shouldn´t buy old boards from the 80's since they are...
I have been looking at new rods and several people have suggested a baitcaster. I currently have a spinning reel that I am comfortable with but I would like to try a new rod/reel type. What am I g...
My medical kit already has some MRE style clean water bags, purification tablets, as well as OTC anti-diarrheal pills at the ready. However, now, I am researching what options there are for hydrati...
I have the specs of a pretty interesting carabiner. It's made from titanium, it's lightweight and strong. These seem to be great attributes, but there are two caveats. It is pretty expensive ($5...
Currently, I use this cooking setup and it is pretty convenient when the travel space is tight: However, its BTU potential is understandably modest and I would sometimes like to cook a soup or b...
A friend was asking about grappling hooks the other day, apparently they'd seen a mountaineering program where the guy carried a grappling hook. We couldn't quite figure out why, I've never seen an...
I have been walking/running/hiking in my huaraches for about half a year now and have worn through 3 pairs of laces. I have been using accessory cord used in climbing as lacing material, since it h...
I'm going to buy a one-man packraft, capable going some wilder stuff. For the beginning I would like to try it with a used one. What should I look for when buying a second hand packraft?
After rappelling near waterfalls, or during the rain, the harness often becomes wet and hard to remove -- particularly for inexperienced people. How can I instruct someone in how to remove the har...
It's pretty common to use 1 oz Nalgene bottles to hold the spices in a spice kit for backpacking as they are waterproof and the right size. Image Source The problem comes when trying to label t...
I was going through the REI website for some of the products and I stumbled upon this one here. It's called Y & Y VERTICAL Classic Belay Glasses The product punchline says: Stop wrenching...
I noticed a few archers who have a different kind of quiver (different from a back-, bow- or side-quiver). It's kind of a pocket where the arrows are literally "plugged in". Just like in a bow-quiv...
What kind of mittens is Les Stroud wearing? Is there a name for them? I'm interested to find out about them and what it costs for a pair.
Reading through are other packrafting questions it looks like it would be a neat activity, especially since there are quite a few beautiful alpine lakes that would be neat to float across and they ...
Inflatable life vests and PFDs that I have seen so far are meant to be inflated in emergency (either by mouth or CO2 cartridge). I didn't use them myself but they don't look like they could be defl...
I would like to use the wind to propel my packraft on passages over lakes. Are there any lightweight and/or improvised sail systems? Especially: how do I erect a mast on the packraft without it be...
I love hiking and I'm starting to love longer cycling trips too. I've done combined cycling/hiking trips (cycling to the trailhead of a hike). Last summer I met someone who carried an inflatable ra...
Sometimes people will keep notes or things they see in the outdoors or keep a journal and paper getting wet and then wrecked is a big problem. The other obvious use is printing maps off from the...
When climbing single pitch routes, it makes sense to carry as little as possible while actually on the route, as almost every eventuality can be easily dealt with by simply lowering back to the gro...
We have long carried a backpacker's solar water heater on our trips. The bliss of warm -- nearly hot -- water in quantity for washing one's filthy self is worth the small extra weight -- especiall...
I have been reading some "make your own gear" forums, and making waxed canvas bags seems to be a popular craft. I recently did a little research into ripstop nylon (for another SE, here), and it s...
I would like to hike part of the Alps that go from France to Slovenia, but I'm not sure what type of equipment I'll need. I'm wondering if I need to bring crampons; I have Icetrekkers (Diamond Grip...
When I'm cross-country skiing, I usually wear glacier glasses to protect from the intense glare off the snow. When I'm moving, they usually stay clear . Whenever I stop though, my glasses seem to ...
Are there any gender-specific climbing (or other) harnesses? For example a chest harness?
When buying stuff I have never cared whether a specific thing is a female or a male model. All I care about is the fit. Since I am tall, a lot of female oriented equipment, e.g. skis, wouldn't even...
It looks like I may be able to spend couple months from March in Newfoundland. During my last trip I noticed a great number of hauntingly beautiful bogs, right by the road - thus one could effortle...
Does anyone know the strength of an ATC when used in a multi-pitch set up? It occurred to me that the entire weight of a climber is resting on the strength of the ATC clip and not on any carabiner....
There is a local shop that sells small brand name gear for pretty good prices. I am looking at their harnesses and quickdraws and would like to know: 1) Whether the equipment is safe - say compar...
This is my assortment of lures/bait: (The can is Gulp! Earthworms) I went fishing and caught my first fish today with the golden spoon in the red box to the 2nd far right (below the daredev...
So I am going on a 6 days wildness hike. I have a down sleep bag that can comfortably cover up to 3 degrees if I have thermos on. I am considering getting a sleeping bag liner. Main concerns are: ...
I'm actually shopping for a new sleeping bag and am a bit in doubt about a question that I do not find treated anywhere: By investing an arbitrarily huge amount of money I can buy a sleeping bag to...
The laces on my hiking boots broke years ago, and instead of going out of my way to buy a replacement pair, I replaced them with some lengths of paracord I had kicking around, albeit with the inten...
I'm an intermediate level kayaker but have only paddled plastic boats. I'm looking for a kayak to do multi-day trips in on the ocean. What are the differences between plastic and fiberglass?
I have been told that electronics can possibly interfere with avalanche beacons (cell phones, radios, etc., but even flashlights). Is there any truth to this? A source would be helpful, ideally fro...
On flat shoes, like the Merrell Proterra's, is it possible to use gaiters (for snow)?
I've seen various images / comments online of how people decide to store their kayaks. Some people wall mount them, some have a rack, some stack them with padding, some hang them (horizontally / v...
I have two pairs of collapsible poles made by Black Diamond (Traverse and Expedition 3). I tried using them for cross-country skiing on groomed trails, but the baskets I was using (the trekking and...
I intend to go camping in Scotland (mainly the Isle of Mull, that is Western, central Scotland) next week, i.e. last week of May. I have read quite a lot about the weather and know I should prepare...
I usually do sport-climbing so I've never owned a static rope. However, most rope-related Q&As in TGO.SE don't bother specifying dynamic vs static ropes. I've been told that for rappelling (o...
I'm interested in how Viking era1) hikers carried their gear and provisions while out and about on foot. My focus here would be longer walks in civilian life, e.g. to get from farm A to farm B. I.e...
