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Use an ammunition box - commonly found at Army/Navy surplus stores or on eBay/Craiglist for ~$10 USD, depending on the caliber size of the box. .50 caliber boxes are larger than, say, 30 caliber. ...
This is one of the reasons I always hike with at least one extra pair of socks and tend to wear shoes that shed water quickly as opposed to being water proof. If you're in a consistently wet enviro...
After dealing with a lot of wet feet issues I have learned some tricks. Keeping feet dry While hiking, use gaitors that come above your socks and divert water away from the wicking material. Kee...
Laws vary greatly by region, and are subject to being changed at any time. That being said, there are a few sites I used when looking up the knife laws in California. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...
A tent may give you slightly more protection than sleeping out in the open, but not much. If a bear wants at you, the fabric of the tent is no match for his sharp claws. Bears, both black and g...
Carry extra socks and a couple of kitchen-sized trash bags. When you soak a shoe or boot, squeeze out the wet sock and let it start drying on the back of the pack. Put on a dry sock. Then put the t...
A gallon size water jug like this works well, too, although I did have a bear tear apart one in a geocache because it apparently associated that kind of plastic with food.
I prefer multiple gas lighters. They're light, they don't leak (and even if they do they don't make a mess), and they're cheap. If you buy one for a safety back up and leave it in the cellophane, y...
I prefer the rubbermaid containers of various sizes that lock with tabs on all four sizes. You can get small ones right up to very large containers for any size of cache you need.
A tent can provide a psychological barrier for the bear - which won't do much to deter it if it smells something it wants inside (food), but can prevent haphazard encounters. For example, if a be...
I have not seen information regarding trails specifically from a running perspective, but there are a number of sites with information on hiking trails. Most trails suitable for hiking can also be ...
Following Leave No Trace principles, which the previous party obviously didn't do, it would be better to camp in the new spot, and upon leaving, removing traces that you were there. We've persona...
There are a few methods of rolling a kayak upright. You can find the most popular on Youtube -- they're a little odd to explain in words. Rolling a kayak is more common with whitewater kayaks, whe...
Here is nice site with animation: http://www.apparent-wind.com/knots/bowline/
Assuming you're talking about a situation where you're out in the elements (It's the great outdoors after all!), the best method would be to simply store those items close to your body. A pocket i...
Use a cell phone. Use a Spot satellite tracker. Use a sat phone if you have one. Use the methods that Roflcoptr outlined above.
It is of course possible, but definitely not something I would recommend. The most common method for repelling without gear is the Dülfersitz method (invented by climbing pioneer Hans Dülfer). It i...
It's a trick! Don't use it! Rappelling/Abseiling is the answer though. Some people use it for belaying twin or double ropes too.
The cold can cause the electrochemical processes in the battery to slow down, eventually giving you less than it's usual voltage. (Why don't batteries work as well in cold environments?) If I need...
A stopper knot is not a specific knot, but a technique fo preventing a rope from sliding through a loop or hole. Common knots used for a stopper knot are: Overhand knot Double overhand knot Figu...
I actually had a site bookmarked for this very reason that provided some good, sound advice. I've always heard that a cougar (mountain lion) generally doesn't let you see it unless its considering ...
The knot(s) I would use are: Bowline knot to one side of the rack Throw line over object, under rack, then back over object. Use truckers hitch, backed up with 2-3 reversing half hitches. If th...
Aerobic conditioning will help a little with the altitude. You can practice walking / running on a treadmill at 15% incline. You can practice walking with a loaded backpack. Bonus points for doing...
You need to use a figure-eight knot, because if it is weighted you can still untie it. There are lots of knots to use, but figure-eights are the most common for this reason. Figure-eight - animate...
Goose-down bags are lighter and more durable as the insulation holds up MUCH better to compression than synthetic. If you are going on long treks and really need to watch the weight, then a goose ...
