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There is one thing to bear in mind about making safety equipment mandatory and that is the effect of risk compensation. Basically it means whenever you make something safer, a certain group of peop...
Put a few drops of oil into the mug where it meets the canister. If the oil can seep past there, into the mug, add as much oil as possible. See whether you can twist the canister out. If not: Chil...
Final question would be why not just a re-threaded figure 8 as you would use at the end of a rope? Lets start with this. This would be a nightmare to tie as you would have to pull a lot of rop...
Paper maps do not run out of power. In an emergency situation you may only have that as an option
To me, and I'm no climber, this is about outdoor activities in general. You could equally ask why people kayak in the wilds rather than going to the artificial whitewater centre that's always relia...
You can take a satellite phone if you want. But you can also decide to take the risk to go without one. Satellite phones cannot prevent all kinds of accidents, just like any technical equipment can...
Jonathan. I think the other answers miss the fundamental point. The GPS course just tells about GPS devices and how to use them, plus an hour outdoors. It doesn't go in depth on what all those i...
The reason is that it is irrelevant if the map is on an electronic device or on paper - if you misinterpret the information, it won't help you in any way, you will only be lost/stuck more accuratel...
Ultimately a map is a map is a map. Regardless of the media it's presented on, whether that be digital or paper. You still need to be able to orient yourself on it, understand the symbology, and ...
Aren't there now amazingly reliable devices that have capabilities far exceeding anything you can do with a paper map? Nope. Amazing, yes. Reliable - well, that depends on batteries and impa...
I'll answer both as a geomatician who makes maps (both paper and digital) and deals with GIS data for a living. I'm also a mountaineer, trail runner, backcountry skiier, and outdoorsman with extens...
In general: No. While some devices use mechanisms that can be different from the Grigri (in some cases radically different, such as the Wild Country Revo), all current sports climbing devices req...
The Map is not the Terrain Doubtless you've heard this aphorism, and perhaps it seems out of place for your question but I think it's actually the key point. The aim of the navigation course is to...
Coming a little late to the party, but I'm surprised nobody has mentioned Afton State Park or William O'Brien State Park. Afton should be much closer to you than William O'Brien, and has a longer t...
First of all, you shouldn't consider wearing a down jacket under a mostly non-breathable shell. Down loses most of its insulating properties when damp or wet and, assuming strenuous hiking, having ...
Knots and Ropes for Climbers by Duane Raleigh is a fantastic illustrated resource tailored specifically to climbers. The ABoK is great, but a but beyond the pale of what the average rock climber ne...
There are multiple types of winter hiking that you may refer to. First there is the winter hiking trails. These are often found in or near ski resorts. They are often groomed and can therefore be u...
For temperatures down to -40°C you need solid insulated mountaineering boots; buy them together with crampons so they fit well. All modern snowshoes will be compatible. There are many such boots o...
I recommend two Canadian brand: Kamik (very low price) and Baffin(low price). Their boots target everyday outdoor worker/farmer/hunter so they know what they are doing. They make solid snow boots....
This is a well-known problem, escpecially on sport routes that have been bolted on rappel and have a bolt placed every like 2m in a straight line. The only real solution is to ask someone involved ...
It is from the Mugumo tree. I took this pic in Nairobi Kenya.
An additional suspect besides the tick family is another member of the Acari - mites. There are a number of mite species that affect humans, the most common and well known of which is the Scabies...
Here are some articles that claim that pedal beats paddle, for speed/endurance on a SoT kayak: paddlecraft.com.au: What-Everybody-should-know-about-Pedal-Powered-Kayaks yakgear.com/the-pros-a...
Another difficulty (or at least downside) of a combined system is that while combining pedalling and paddling uses more muscles, they're still only supplied by one heart and pair of lungs. Either m...
I would be reluctant to use a live basket, stringer, or a keep net from a kayak or canoe in any southern water that may harbor an alligator. Securing that basket to a thwart and tempting an animal...
