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The point of a vapor barrier is that it doesn't allow any moisture to escape. A middle ground role would mean that it's not good at doing either job: cotton would soak through, and the moisture wo...
If you carry the right layers and adjust them well, you can often get away with cotton with no discomfort let alone danger in benign conditions. But we shouldn't plan for only benign conditions a...
Back when I learned to build my own bows a guy in the club I belonged to used just a ledge and a baggie of lead weights (tire balancing stuff). I suppose you could reproduce it "in the wild" hangin...
There are two main things that can go wrong with gps accuracy. The first is the quality of the signal, which can be less than for a dedicated gps unit (less space for an antenna and other design...
I live on the edge of Dartmoor and have some hands-on experience of letterboxing. What is letterboxing? It was reportedly started by James Perrott, a Dartmoor guide who placed a bottle for visito...
I guess the answer really is It depends As a general purpose solution I normally bring sturdy trekking/hiking sandals on my trips. Something like the models from Teva for example (many pictures o...
This knot is actually what our trip guides use to set up our high ropes course, each loop goes to a carabiner on their full body harness (which is a great way for both loops to be equalized) and th...
For a long time, there was a trend towards heavier shoes with more support. The logic was that it provided protection for your joints, and your anecdotal evidence suggests that it works. Bear wit...
I would truly give the "meta-answer" to find out for yourself, by doing regular 1-day trips at the start. You will very quickly find out what works for you and what does not. Take whatever equipme...
I continue to use Gortex lined boots because I hate wet feet. I use a light boot with serious socks for comfort and dryness. Last hike on the AT in the Smokies, all the serious through-hikers wer...
No, there's no chance to distinguish the print of a large dog from one of a wolf. However, you can still differentiate between them, if you have a whole track. Dogs walk remarkable different than t...
To a large extent, it depends on the climate, terrain, and trail conditions of the part of the US that you are hiking in; your observations are limited to one section of the US. Also, prior answe...
I've had this issue too - my feet are small but wide and I often have too much length in order to get the width. The main downside I've found is that I initially tend to trip or stub my toes on di...
I think it can be a matter of personal taste, however: Some people craft their own knifes, and using a paracord wrap as handle is easy to do, and easy to redo. There are some more and some less go...
How can I tell a “trail shoe” from a regular sport shoe? Subjective things like fit and comfort aside, I would look at the sole first and foremost. Does it slip on rock, gravel, wood, leaves? ...
This sounds like exercise induced Vasculitis. This is tiny blood vessels which break due to heat & restriction due to socks & friction. Also known as a golfers rash. It tends to happen m...
Twenty years ago I hiked the Bandiagara Falaise in a pair of trail running shoes. A couple in our party actually wore Tevas. The choice wasn't made out of fashion or ignorance (6 year 82nd Airborne...
That snow clearly isn't fresh and has been slowly melting and refreezing for a few days. The thing is, prints get larger as the snow melts. I own retrievers that weight about 34 kg (75 lb) and I've...
There is a big difference between a 'non-profit' organisation and just doing something on a casual basis without asking for payment. Obviously if you are advertising your services in any way then...
It is a common expectation that, like in your daily routine, you can expect to keep your feet nice and dry for an entire multi-day hike. Gear manufacturers contribute to this perception by promotin...
Your question is essentially Is stream water fit for cleaning hands, dishes, waste bins/buckets? and then it becomes really an issue of volume as you have a party of people who you need to ...
These aren't exactly the style of backpack you asked for, but I knew I'd seen something visually similar. There are some outdoors camera cases that are basically mini-backpacks with carabiners. T...
The first option that comes to mind is a 20 ounce plastic soda bottle or something similar. Lightweight and well sealed, if you fill it only half full it's relatively easy to pour without spilling ...
Working in a very tick infested woods for a summer, I accumulated many tick-bites (before learning the wonders of vinegar solutions for repelling ticks). Most of the tick removals were done at the ...
I've had the most success with the 12 to 16 range. A white or gold bead head chironomid with a red/gold body is my go to for the lake trout in the Pacific Northwest. It's also picked up some smal...
