Search
While a shot of liquor or an applications of camphor may make you feel warmer, neither is actually providing heat. They are chemically stimulating nerve endings and "tricking" your body into dilati...
To toughen up the skin on your hands you want to be climbing or generally doing things that scuff up the skin (i.e. exercises already suggested above). There really isn't any short cuts to this. Ju...
I use this strap for biking: It's a crossbody strap with a stabilizer that keeps the camera securely on your back while biking. It's perfect for mirrorless or compact cameras, but could hold a ...
[I] would love to begin climbing some more challenging mountains, i.e. mountains that require actual climbing It comes down to this: your long term goals! Gaining experience on actual rock ...
You want to go after they have dropped their antlers and before the grass has really started growing again in the Spring since that will hide the sheds. When they shed can vary depending on the ar...
An alpine start is when one starts a climb really early in the morning (well before sunrise). Usually the goal is to make it to the top and back down before the conditions deteriorate. Getting to...
Its very hard to distinguish from that sound clip but my guess as to what you are hearing is probably cicadas depending on your location. They can sound like a buzzing or hissing noise and generall...
Bears have definitely been migrating from the Berkshires in western MA eastward over the last couple of decades or so. Everyplace roughly outside Route 128 (about 15 mile ring road around Boston) ...
As you probably know, there is an industry standard for measuring the thermal effectiveness of sleeping pads known as the R-Value. It's not the most realistic of tests, but it's better than nothing...
No, because whether a rope floats or sinks is dependent on its specific gravity (which in turn is dependent on the materials used). [...] Those with SG [special gravity] greater than 1 are dens...
Punch a hole in each corner of the sign. Run a length of 1/8" elastic around the tree and the top 2 holes, and again around the tree and the bottom 2 holes. Tie a rolling hitch behind the tree fo...
From this article which is pulling statistics from *"Dead Men Walking: Search and Rescue in U.S. National Parks", Wilderness & Environmental Medicine (Volume 20, Number 3), 2009. Estim...
One downside I've recently found out is that some hammock use can violate Leave No Trace policies. If you aren't careful about the rig you use to hang the hammock, you could injure the trees. The...
An extension of the same things in same pockets approach is kits for specific purposes: a cook kit might include cutlery, lighter, stove tools, washing up necessities, penknife; a valuables or dail...
This is an unsourced quote, I'm afraid, but perhaps relevant. Reflective foil is very effective, reducing radiated heat loss by 97%. That's almost all of the 5% we lose by radiation. In othe...
Roof-top tent. I'm over 60 and there are lots of places I've never gone like national parks. It's easy to get up and into, and easy to get out. Unpacking and setting up the tent is simply popping i...
Recently, I started backpacking again after a 20 year break. I still had my old equipment in the storage room. I tested my Coleman Apex unleaded gas stove and it worked fine. Then the first trip ou...
I try to always check all the zippers on my pack before putting it on and then turn around and scan the area before walking off.
If you are overdue, and the search party know you have a PLB, the fact that they have not received an alert from it suggests either you are merely delayed, and will turn up soon, or you are so in...
I think it isn't fair to simu-abseiling to pull out horrific accident reports and use them to say it isn't safe, because there are just as horrific accidents with "traditional" abseiling. The only ...
A very important point here is rappelling/abseiling is the most dangerous part of a climb. You're very exposed, typically relying on your rope alone and whatever you're anchored to and nothing else...
I'm a cyclist on the side of people being allowed to ride on trails in National Parks. The arguments for are simple: allow bikes so cyclists can enjoy nature while doing a healthy activity they als...
In addition to the good answer from @whatsisname, don't forget about the possibility of gear and/or placement failure. If you're leading, you have precisely one piece of gear catching your fall. ...
I agree with everything said above but nonetheless one should not underestimate the false sense of security when belaying someone climbing on top rope. Because top roping is "safer", there is a gre...
As others pointed out, as a rule yes. Here are a few cases where lead belay is actually easier: on a well-drilled route with crux (like a roof) close to the bottom and bolt above but within easy...
