Posts tagged gear
My wrist watch has a barometer, measures atmospheric pressure in mb (millibar). What role does information about atmospheric pressure play from an outdoor perspective? Lets stick to caving, hikin...
I was reading all of the answers to Are there any situations while backpacking that would require a watch? and surprised at the number of answers that said you need a watch so you would know how lo...
One of my favorite things about backpacking is the absence of time constraints, you eat when hungry, sleep when tired and sort of track how much time is left until dark. Would there be any situati...
I have heard and hence used the term 'Mittens' for those that I use while rappelling. But, the ones that I use for bike-riding are referred as 'Gloves'. Is there a difference between Gloves and ...
Carabiners like this, are marked with the force rating. The one in this picture is rated, 20kn the long way 8kn the short way 5kn with the gate open Why are carabiners so much weaker when ...
I was just looking at a product my friend was bragging about, a headlamp with 2000 lumen intensity. When and why would I be needing such a powerful headlamp? I usually trek in jungles and forests ...
There are several manufacturers selling folding/collapsible poles, usually for hiking or splitboarding. Are they also suitable for cross-country skiing?
While Dyneema is in use for cordelettes for quite some time manufacturers started bringing long ropes made of dyneema on the market. The benefits are obvious: Less weight, less volume and no water ...
Every year or so I'll end up with plantar fasciitis after periods of time where I've walked a lot. In general my walking shoes are fine and have arch support but occasionally I'll need to use sturd...
Watching this youtube-video I asked myself if Ueli Steck is using some kind of regeneration creme. Most likely nobody will know for sure from the footage but I would be really interested what tric...
I'm looking to get a new pair of trekking poles for my next trek as I find them an invaluable tool on longer hikes with higher pack load. It seems others and science agree to some degree at least, ...
I've done a bit of cross-country skiing on trails at local mountains, but I'm more interested in getting off the trails and out into the woods. The terrain around here is pretty steep in general w...
I have some damaged-beyond-repair self inflating sleeping pads. On one the hard gel housing the valve has completely disintegrated so it cannot be inflated at all. Two others have dozens of tiny ...
I just looked at our sleeping bags, which we bought in 1972. They are in pretty good condition, with only a few small patches. Is it unusual for a down sleeping bag to give service for 45 years a...
A snow saw is useful for building snow shelters and for avalanche danger testing. Some models are said to be easily attached to ski/trek poles in order to increase the handle length. Under what cir...
There's many different kinds of "down" filling: "100% down" must legally be only down, while "down" can be any mixture containing down. Then there's "fill power" ranging from about 400 to 1200, wh...
This was actually something new I came across recently. A Czech bed roll. I've never seen a set up like this before. I was also intrigued by the name. Has anyone used one of these? Advantages/dis...
It accompanies me for quite a while. I see a lot of outdoor-people wearing braces ("suspenders" in USA/Canada) instead of belts. Also, a lot of outdoor brands have braces in their range, such as th...
Is it possible (read, can I spend a restful night sleeping?) By using a quilt, bivi bag and ground sheet? Quilt I'm looking at is here, the idea being that I can take an ultralight bivi bag and gr...
I have a relatively new pair of NNN cross-country ski boots and noticed the plastic sole is much more slippery than previous boots I've owned (older SNS and SNS Profil). A quick look at the selecti...
Do folding (or telescoping) cross-country skis exist and if so are they useable? Update: Or are there small cross-country skis that are short enough for easy transport, yet still capable of provid...
So 1/4" bolts, although not suitable for free climbing protection, are apparently still used for aid climbing to hold body weight, and for alpine rappels. What I want to know is, what do you use ...
Avalanche shovels come equipped with holes in the blades for use as rescue sleds and making anchors. I've got plenty of my own ideas, but I'm looking for any documentation provided by manufacturers...
I've recently retired a rope (dynamic) and a harness. They're both in very good shape, but just over 8 years old. Common sense dictates I throw them away, but I wonder if there are other uses I can...
I'm looking to buy a flashlight/torch (or build my own even if that works out cheaper), and am looking to take the following into consideration: Good battery life (LEDs would probably suit best i...
I would like to get into hiking, and would like some ideas on gear.training to start. I have always enjoyed nature walks and even did some hiking when I was a kid in boy scouts, but that was years ...
I'm going to start mountaineering. Is there a recommended size per height/weight for ice axes for general mountaineering?
How would you store via ferrata equipment between season? Temperature, humidity? Is there any additional maintenance required?
I just started climbing and I am wondering if it's safe to use my body harness and the 2 carabiners from via ferrata kit - they are 25|10|8KN resistant - for climbing too.
What is a "top cap" on a climber's haul bag and how does it work? In Mountaineering: The Freedom of the Hills (and also at neilhopkins.us/mountaineering-guide-2/aid-climbing-equipment) is A to...
My arm is currently in a sling with a separated shoulder from a mountain bike accident, so I'm trying to learn how to do everyday tasks one handed. Shoelaces are proving annoyingly difficult. What'...
In this question with good answers, we can read that while being significantly effective for some cases, ankle support from boots/higher shoes does not have an important effect when hiking. I was ...
I consider buying a jacket made from wool. The fabric is some kind of felt. I hade one when I was younger, but since these jackets are really expensive I would like to know how they perform compare...
Or may be it is an ascending device... There are two movable part, both on one axis. I tried searching about various descending devices, but I find mostly descriptions of Petzl things. This ma...
I have a pocket transit and on the back are a bunch of numbers. They can be seen in these images here, here, and here. What are these numbers used for?
The last weekend when I was coming back home from a trek on Sunday noon, I got a news about this accident that took place. The place was on the way, so instead of choosing to rest at home, I chose ...
Usually I don't have any hiking poles with me when walking. From time to time I think it would be great to wander one or two kilometers with some support while on the track. I then often end up wit...
Usually I don't have any hiking poles with me when walking. From time to time I think it would be great to wander one or two kilometers with some support while on the track. I then often end up wit...
My fiance and I are planning our first backpacking trip together. I am an experienced backpacker, so I can handle most questions he has and I already have most of the gear that we'll need. However,...
I buy my rock climbing hardware in America and it all comes labeled with UIAA ratings. These ratings make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. My gear has met mythological engineering standards. T...
I'm considering starting to use a bivvy bag/tarp combination for solo backpacking in the UK (read: no trees where I'll be walking!) Most people seem to use trekking pole(s) for rigging these up wh...
To tune arrows, one should shoot bare shafts (so called "bare shaft test") onto a target. If it's left or right of your "aiming-point", you should adjust the dynamic spine accordingly. I'm afraid...
To tune arrows, one should shoot bare shafts (so called "bare shaft test") onto a target. If it's left or right of your "aiming-point", you should adjust the dynamic spine accordingly. I'm afraid...
I warm up very quick and sweat a lot, that's why I am usually looking for the most breathable equipment. My chose is regular fleece plus a breathable wind breaker on top if there is wind. (Please r...
I picked up a couple fingerboards from the pro shop, and hung them on the rafters in our basement. However, I have no idea what the ropes are for, unless someone might tie the boards to a tree. Wha...
I have done some miner kayaking and can barely roll but want to get into kayaking. I would mainly use it at the lake but I want a kayak I can also take down a river. I knew I didn't want a sit on t...
Obviously cross/back-country skis can be damaged by skiing over things like rocks, stones, gravel and asphalt. What about other, softer objects exposed when the snow starts to melt, like sticks, ro...
I've recently noticed that some archers wear two gloves and some only one. Latter always have them on the hand which pulls the string. Two gloves: One glove: What's the difference? Is it up t...
Late I've been shooting with a friend and he had a sack filled with sheep wool a target. This was quite impressive! I've never seen such a cheap and yet qualitative target! As I don't have any sh...