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It depends. Maybe colder, maybe not. (Yeah, right.) Anyway, two major rules for hammock happiness: (1) Sleeping pads don't work. (2) You must arrange your rain fly to block air flow. Sleeping p...
Intro: You can get wet from sweat or wet from rain, or a combination. The waterproof breathables depend on the outside surface being not wet. So the outside layer has to shed water. This genera...
My wife and I have been very fortunate in our long distance hikes - we've never been rained on except for our last day on the way out. So, while we have rain jackets that we pack, we've never packe...
The rains are doing all sorts of things to the landscape in Waterton-Glacier National Park this summer. All of the trails in the park appear to serve as water ways for rain runoff, and the rain app...
The key for cold weather clothing is layers ...some tips (some from experience, some from reading/hearing from others): Use layers, especially on your top body Wear something on your head (you lo...
I have been writing my initials onto the dogbones (webbing connecting biners) of my quickdraws with a sharpie (permanent marker) so I can tell them apart from everyone else's. Recently, one of my c...
For years I've seen high-tech cuben fiber gear and drooled over how incredibly lightweight it is, and longed to buy or make some of my own equipment with it. (Then upon seeing the price tag, well, ...
Outside more room left inside for other stuff. More likely to rip a hole in your gear when you toss your pack down. More options for weight placement (which can lead to off-blanced pack.) More...
The main (and classical) advantage of telemark skiing is not when you're going downhill, but when you want to travel on skis. Telemark skiing goes back to the days before chairlifts, when the ski w...
It takes me about 40 minutes to pack for an overnight or longer trip, and this includes making and packing sandwiches for breakfast and lunch. The biggest advantage is that I know exactly what I n...
I doubt a definitive list exists. But here is an algorithm to create your own list: What altitude-based things make climbing a peak require gear? At what altitude do problems in step 1 start occ...
I'm in the slow process of acquiring all of the gear I think I will need to do a week-long backpacking trip somewhere in the Midwest. Many of the more experienced backpackers I've spoken with or re...
Well... a 4 season tent is a 4 season tent... You can use it during the whole year without any problems while a 2 season tent might not be as pleasant during the winter. I receive questions like t...
Your equipment should all come with a Kn rating. this is the force that that piece of gear will hold (often in what direction). So looking at a standard carabiner: This will hold 25Kn when loa...
My story I like to hike and pack light. Lately I have been experimenting with various setups for making a 2-3 day trek along the Appalachian Trail. I have tried a few different methods of carrying...
A dynamic rope that sustains a fall factor that high should definitely be retired, even if it doesn't show any immediate signs of damage. A dynamic rope is designed to elongate (dynamic elongation...
For outdoor single-pitch climbing, a pretty bare minimum is: shoes, harness, belay device, locking carabiner, helmet, nut tool This assumes that you're climbing with someone who owns a rope. Ha...
All mountaineering gear comes with proper storage instructions. Most gear is best stored in a dry, cool, dark place. Humidity will rust your screws, crampons and axes. That box will effectively tur...
If you're not a climber, then don't buy a climbing rope for doing roof repairs. If you're going to buy a rope for a very specific job, then you should get the right equipment for the job. For abo...
I was reflecting on how different disciplines of climbing help you become a stronger climber in other disciplines. Like how bouldering makes you a better sport climber, because it teaches you beta ...
While Patrick's answer here clears many of the points, I would like to make up a few points about warm-up routines and acclimatization. A few points may sound very specific to you and not really g...
It is possible to get the gear relatively cheap. Search on ebay or the kind. Search on internet forums where outdoor enthusiasts hang around and offer their used gear on a market place. I know such...
The general rule of thumb is to carry no more than a third of your body weight. That should be your max, so the answer is to carry less than that. Make your bag as light as you can. Aside from tha...
I'll answer anecdotally. I started lowering the weight of my pack by - weighting stuff I put in, - considering whether I need each item or if it could be replaced, - considering that some cottage ...
I don't grab the biner first, I grab the cam first, pretty much as I would if I were placing it, I then unclip the biner from my gear loop with the cam in hand. There's no fumbling with it during o...
