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English is not my first language. I didn't fully grok this National Geographic article published November 24 2021 by Sarah Gibbens. But it discusses just the eastern U.S.A., NOT Canada. How ever wh...
My octogenarian grandma needs walking aids. She's physically unable to hike or rove. But she still pines to leaf peep — known in Japanese as momijigari (紅葉狩) — while seated in the car. Thus we are ...
In really cold temperatures, it's often recommended to use a separate overbag made from a synthetic material over your main down sleeping bag. Supposedly this helps moisture (from your body) escape...
I have a child who is still young and learning movement skills. How do I encourage balance building activities? I set up a 10cm beam just off the ground to walk across. Are there other things I sh...
How long do electric hand warmers last in comparison to other types, such those iron oxidizing pouches? Manufacturers' claims tend to be useless because they only advertise the max lifetime with m...
I would imagine you might not have compeed, if you don't have moleskin with you, but I just thought I'd mention it as a nice measure to prevent/treat blisters. I would also recommend carrying less ...
The key is reducing friction. Duct tape can be a good preventative as long as you get it on before a blister forms. After the blister is there, it's harder to recommend as once you're ready to remo...
If you look at the current time, and imagine yourself in the center a big analog watch, just place your shadow on the location of the hour's hand. Then imagine the location of the 12 o'clock hand, ...
I don't think there are any standards, but I would shoot for at least 10 feet high, and at least 4 feet away from the trunk of a tree. Make sure the bag is suspended on a branch too small to suppor...
When you're asking for the safest way to purify water, you're asking for the method that removes the most harmful stuff from the water, like bacteria, viruses and larger impurities like mud or sand...
Bears tend to jump and swipe to get your bear bag. You want above the reach of the tallest bear in the area, I'd recommend 8-10 feet at a minimum. You also want the bag at least a bear leg's leng...
The key to keeping your back happy is to drive as much pack weight to your hips as possible. A side note on weight is that the lighter your pack overall, the happier your back. A lot of the packi...
Pack weight - A heavy pack is also some extra Kg on your back. Even though a good pack will put them to good use in distributing the content's weight over your back. Pack frame - Many ultra-light ...
If it's early morning, you'll note that the sun rises in the east. It additionally sets in the West. Normally, more plant-life can be found on the east side of a ridge (I don't have a source for th...
Well, this can somewhat depend on the type of backpack you have and the length of the trip you're planning to take (so how much you will be carrying), but there are a few general principles that ap...
Are you going to be hiking that high, or in a car for a small bit? Going to 15,000 feet without ever having broken 10,000 feet sounds a bit haphazard, especially if you're unsure of the dangers/how...
If you have a synthetic sleeping bag, you can put your hiking clothes down the bag, near your feet, when you go to sleep. Your body warmth will help them get drier. Note, however, that they will no...
Eat something with high energy content. If it's warm, even better, but as Freedom of the Hills explains, the warmth is merely a psychological factor, what really warms you up is the energy in the ...
The distribution of sun east / west should be pretty close to the same. In the northern hemisphere, the south side of areas gets more sun due to the sun being more to the south (perpendicular to th...
Regular sunglasses should give you protection from snow blindness, so long as they protect against UV radiation. How well they protect you is dependent on how well the lenses cover your eyes, and h...
Regular polarized sunglasses are usually meant for drivers of cars, as these glasses, in addition to darkening the sky, also suppress glare/reflections. If you travel in snow, light will come fro...
Boiling- 185°F (85°C) water will become sterile in minutes. Bringing the water up to boiling point will typically sterilize it. At high altitude you may need to boil for a minute. Chemical- Iodi...
When washing rain coats and fleeces I use Nikwax tech wash and reproofer (millets link), on the bottle these say reconmended for Goretex so I assume it's the same. In general with waterproof cloth...
Prevention. It's a good idea to carry extra clothing. Fleece is light and compressible, and it doesn't soak up water. An extra fleece top and bottom can be a life saver. And, there are lot of time...
