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If you have no choice but to cross a snow/ice bridge then normal practice is to be roped in with two other people and to use a snow probe. If a 3m probe passes through without resistance then it's...
The way I see it, you have two options: Buy some astronaut ice cream. Bring/find some ice and make ice cream in a plastic sandwich bag. I bet you could easily replace the ice in the standard 'i...
I was caught by a hailstorm the weekend before last. I was high above the tree line, the nearest trees were perhaps 20 km away, and several hours hiking from shelter. The hailstones were not huge...
Instead of carrying bear spray, noise flares, and/or a rifle, how about carrying bear spray (primary) and a large caliber pistol (backup at close range)?
I really hate to mention Walmart but I saw a collapsible rod for gear fishing there that collapses down to about 16" and extends to around 5'. It was really light and I think it cost about $20. I...
I take my wisdom from these articles: "kampieren" is the thing that in most German Länder is not allowed in the forest (with some exceptions: Brandenburg, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Schleswig-Holste...
There is at least one option from Ferrino, but I am sure there are more from "mountain" brands. Maybe you should stop looking for "4 season" and start looking for extreme/mountaineering/alpinism so...
As far as I know there are no general authorities for the placement of fixed gear and bolts may have been placed well or poorly. There are however organizations that provide safety guidelines for ...
I do believe cold-shock is a real threat, but the reaction is a combination of physical and psychological reactions. As being dropped in near freezing water is a horrendous experience, even for the...
http://www.mosquito.org/faq How fast can mosquitoes fly? Depending upon the species, mosquitoes can fly at about 1 to 1.5 miles per hour. I got that source from this recent article abou...
I have never taken an axe or hatchet camping with me, and I canoe-camp and car camp where space and weight are far less an issue than they are for hikers. In addition to weight and space there is t...
I first bought a MSR Fuel Bottle (325 ml, aluminum) for packing denatured alcohol for my Trangia stove. Hiked with it for over a year with no leaks (safety-lock cap) or issues. Just bought a Trangi...
I'd like to point out something not addressed in AlanL and DavidR's answers. There doesn't seem to be any allowance made in STW's friend's procedure for a safety backup for the rappel, e.g., in cas...
Trekking poles are a great helper if you have problems with your knees after a long march. A pain 'in knees' is usually a pain in the muscles around the knees, that are responsible for maintaining ...
My hard shell and puffy down shell both have hoods, but they are the only layers of mine that do. I rarely wear the down shell while in motion, unless it's extremely cold (below -15C), which basic...
We are all different and this problem is nothing rare. What you are describing is called overpronation, which means that you roll more on the inside of your foot when you walk. This is something t...
I use the wood pieces method. For charcoal pieces medium twig-sized sticks (say 1 cm diameter) are OK. For pressed charcoal, I go for sticks of 3 - 4 cm diameter. For real coal (on the grill 8...
According to this article, Avijit Datta and Michael Tipton: Respiratory responses to cold water immersion: neural pathways, interactions, and clinical consequences awake and asleep, A fall in s...
When your hands are cold then your nerves will adapt to the cold, so lukewarm water will often feel boiling hot if your hands are freezing (the old hand in hot water, hand in cold water then both h...
The issue isn't really variable vs. fixed power - it's whether the scope in question ("Weaver 3-9x40" is probably at least a dozen different scopes) is suitable for a high-power rifle or not. Mo...
Another issue to think about is whether you will have a backpack or not (and how high it rides up). Anyone who's tried backpacking with a sombrero knows what I mean - the hat is constantly whackin...
I have been wearing my FiveFingers for 2 years now. Since I have put a pair of xc on, I've never put on another shoe except for church. I work, swim and play in them. I really enjoy hiking. I use x...
In my personal experience, a headlamp is much better. It doesn't have the directional capabilities of a traditional flashlight, but it leaves your hands free for other tools. During an emergency hi...
If you are going to use bear spray, sleeping under a tarp, hammock or otherwise, will give you a better line of sight/fire, and reduce the suffering you will likely experience from the indirect spr...
I hiked about 1000 miles this year in VFF KSO's, most of which was on the PCT. My pack weight varied from 20-35 lbs. The only serious issue I had was the occasional badly stubbed toe. I used dirty ...
