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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...
Benadryl cream works about as good as anything for me.
I can offer my favorite hiking food routine, but I usually just had it for 4-5 days max, between resupplies. Quaker Oatmeal for breakfast (usually two packets with the powdered milk, add cold wat...
I've not camped in subzero weather before but I have spent several hours working on glaciers. The things I've found really helpful have been lots of layers. Typically I would wear the following. ...
It depends on the area. Some places (Yosemite, Glacier Bay) there are pretty much no safe bear bags and you need a bear-proof container. The bear bag should be high enough that a bear can't reach i...
Depending on how much moisture you're talking about, it can also help to wrap some clothes together with a microfiber towel and wring them out together. The towel will draw some of the moisture out...
If you're on an extended trip away from civilization, I wouldn't recommend it anywhere except directly from a spring coming out of rock. If there are animals in the area, you can be sure they some ...
Some people prefer to have one long enough to use as a short walking stick. Others prefer to save weight and go as short as possible. In any case, it should be long enough so that you can use it pr...
At a water faucet? I would filter any untreated water in the Alps, and filter or boil melted snow.
More insulation. Stay dry inside. Make sure you wear something that lets sweat escape. Keep your head covered with a hat and, if possible, a mask or balaclava. Eat plenty of food. When you stop, y...
In the core alps (Liechtenstein, Switzerland, and Austria), you can drink water almost everywhere directly without filtering. There are only two exceptions: If there is a thing or something like th...
The most important knots you'll ever need to know are the taut-line hitch and the bowline. For instance, on your bear bag, you would tie a bowline through a handle or other loop the bag, and then ...
I have used both and it isn't really a difference to me. I would even prefer the ski poles, because they have baskets at the bottom, so that they can't sink deep into the snow. Trekking poles usual...
Trekking poles can telescope down and pack away. If you happen to have a shelter that uses trekking poles to hold it up, sometimes you need to be able to set your poles to a different height. ...
Trekking poles are lighter and sometimes easier to break than ski poles. Some have the advantage of folding up into a short package. If you use trekking poles, you may want some with changeable ba...
Tying knots is actually a bit of an art. Depending on what you need it for, there are knots that slide, create loops, tighten under load, and do tons of other things. Here are some backcountry esse...
I've never taken an unpowered, hand-built raft out onto a commercial river, but I do have experience under sail and under power on the Columbia River in the United States. What I know about maritim...
The legalities depend on where you are - the only sure fire way to know is to look it up depending on where you're going. The best method I find is generally in some ways the simplest - soak it an...
About the legal aspect. It varies wildly depending on where in the world are you and what is the regulation there. There are protected wildlife territories in which a fireplace shouldn't be made. ...
Like many questions, this will depend somewhat on your location. For example, some soils will keep coals dry while allowing them enough oxygen to smolder. Some woods produce longer-lasting coals or...
