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I bought a pair of Quechua Forclaz 500 boots from Decathlon 2 weeks ago, but just today I realized that each boot is manufatured 6 months apart (February and August 2012). Is there a problem with ...
I intend to go to Tibet in August. I play badminton,tabletennis or volleyball every week and my fitness is decent. But I have not been exposed to high altitudes like in Tibet (16000 ft; 4900 m). Ho...
I'm doing the popular tourist trek from Lukla to Everest base camp in late April / early May. I know the minimum temperature is on average -1 Celsius (30.2 Fahrenheit) in the Khumbu region at this...
We went out this weekend to try and catch a frozen waterfall such as the one. We had a great trip but it was clearly a misguided venture at our current tempuratures. At what temperature would we ...
I'm debating what equipment to buy to prepare for a cold weather in mountain terrain and felt it might be useful to test what different temperatures feel like while wearing chosen equipment. My com...
Over the next 6 months I will be training for my first marathon. This means I will be running 4 times a week, with at least one long (10-20 mile) run each weekend. I have run several half-marathon...
Reading around forums and in products, I see descriptions and weights for a "fast pack" setup for tents. What does this mean and what is it used for?
I am taking up hiking again on weekends, and also trying to do more walking to get out of the house of an evening. I regularly see people doing Nordic Walking in my neighbourhood, and I also see t...
I'd like a pair of binoculars for hiking. I don't have a specific use other than for looking off of overlooks, at animals, etc. What are the important things to look for in a good set of binocula...
I'm an absolute beginner about boats, but let's say I want to buy a boat to use in the canals of my city (Amsterdam), but also for "long" trips, to other cities, coasts. Trips that require days to ...
This answer recommends topographic maps as downloadable from the USGS. A comment holds that those are definitely the best thing for the US. An except for the San Joaquin river near Mammoth Lakes ...
What's the difference between a sleeping bag liner and a travel sheet? Shape (are travel sheets only available in one shape)? Fabric? Resistance?
I spent some time in a wigwam today, and due to the wind conditions, it was very difficult to keep the smoke out. Are there some tricks one can use in a situation like that to make the wigwam more...
Planning a camping trip for next weekend. It is looking like it may be the end of winter. We have about a foot of snow right now. What problems am I going to run into if the weather is above zer...
It is a rare day that I head out into the winter wilds without a flask of sumpt'n-sumpt'n in my pocket. A nip helps one to relax, can mildly embolden timid skiers in my group, and gives one that fi...
These days, almost every sleeping bag sold is given a thermal insulation numeric "rating", either the USA version or the more accurate European version. But vintage bags did not have this industry...
I've recently retired a rope (dynamic) and a harness. They're both in very good shape, but just over 8 years old. Common sense dictates I throw them away, but I wonder if there are other uses I can...
I have a friend who climbs with another group. She recently had her first couple of experiences as lead climber (sport climbing). I'm concerned that she doesn't have the required theory for lead c...
Water resistant down has interesting properties which make it appealing for outdoor applications. However, it is not widely available and seems to be only offered in certain fill powers. How is th...
I've read that in the United States, national forests, ranger offices, etc. often have some safety-related equipment for rent, such as bear canisters. Do they rent out Personal Locator Beacons, sa...
I use a combination of an 18"x18" inflatable pillow and a Thermarest compressible one, the largest size (commonly seen at REI and similar stores). However, the inflatable often slips out and I just...
We ran into a hiker on the AT last year using a kevlar back to keep out bears and rodents. He said the product was an Ursack and seemed very happy with it. However he'd never had a bear try to ge...
What are the advantages of hand sanitizer over soap on a backpacking trip? Do they fulfill the same purpose? What would you recommend for hand sanitization?
When rappelling and using an autoblock consisting of a french prusik knot it seems there may be some options on how and where to attach the autoblock to my harness. Is there a correct placement ...
When rappeling I understand the need for a backup--whether an autoblock below the belay device, or a second person providing a fireman belay. My understanding is that using an autoblock incorrectl...
