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Snow jackets come in a lot of different variations. Insulation - from shell to full down insulation Water Resistance - From light to full Breath-ability - From light to full Note that waterpro...
Most (if not all) the big rock climbing brands do manufacture their gear in China - carabiners, cams, slings, whatever. Now, I stumbled on this: http://www.aliexpress.com/store/group/Climbings/14...
I've used both kinds of packs. External frame packs are generally cheaper, can carry more gear, and allow much better ventilation to your back. In addition to the main compartment and side pocket...
You're making a big safety mistake by putting your gun in your pack when you climb into a tree stand. In reality, it is safer to haul up all of your gear, including your pack, and your gun unloade...
Ask the newcomer if they can ask around their friends to see if they have anything like a tent or sleeping bag they can borrow - I tend to find quite a few people have things like that lying around...
I noticed that there is a lot of (quite expensive) Fjällräven outdoors gear for sale here in Germany and am curious whether this is a brand worth looking into, or whether their products are more tr...
Have an emergency kit, and a first aid kit. Keep both of these on your person at all times, but at a minimum, keep the emergency kit on you. People have died less than a mile from camp because t...
I've recently started making my alpine (or "trad") draws by girth hitching one end of a sling to the gear side carabiner and then clipping and passing the rope side through as usual. The girth hitc...
I think what you are looking for is Century Camping gear. It is mostly made in USA and they have all the accessories that you are looking for. If something they sell is made elsewhere, they note th...
If car camping, you should go for the two-burner stove: It will be far more stable than the backpacking stove. This is IMO the most important feature. It will probably have a larger burner (thus ...
In the Top Gear Winter Olympics special Richard Hammond (and the car he is inside) are subjected to extreme winter conditions (-40°) at the MIRA test labs. Hilarity ensues. Top Gear segment: http...
My experience comes mostly from backpacking in remote areas without already made tent sites. I have found that a hammock is better for me and my style of camping. If you are mostly a car-camper an...
In general it sounds you're not doing anything obviously stupid and you just need more practice. I generally rack some 'draws on both sides - sometimes it can be handy to avoid reaching across. An...
If you're in the right area, there will always be hunters selling old gear on Craigslist so they can buy new gear. In my case, I was able to find an Ebrlestock Slingshot for $50 on Craigslist. Ther...
Interesting question! Here is an article describing the techniques used by arborists. The article describes a number of different techniques and different pieces of gear. I'll describe one specific...
I've been on a few beach vacations in the last few years and have discovered that I really enjoy snorkeling. I have at least three trips in the next year where I will probably go snorkeling (a few ...
The first step is to make doubly sure there isn't already a bridge, or a common place people already cross at. No sense in getting wet or risking anything if there is an easier, or proper crossing,...
Forget the DEET. That's for mosquitoes, and it's not a repellent, but rather it interferes with their sense of smell so since they can't smell you (food) they don't bother you. It's also toxic. Ci...
The big difference between canoeing and kayaking is the cargo capacity. Kayaks might have small hatches to store gear in, otherwise you're stuck with what you can lash onto the top of the kayak (or...
Slippery versions of knots/hitches are very useful in many applications, but have limited use in climbing. But there is one application for which I often use a slippery overhand knot. In Sport cli...
You should define whether you are asking about white gas stoves or isobutain (canister) stoves. For most backpackers, your main decision will be between the 2 broad stove categories: canister ...
I've done plenty of camping in my life, especially since it's part of my job, but one area where I've been particularly challenged is camping where sand is involved. It just gets everywhere and int...
You can find smaller backpacks called daypacks but regarding the actual activity they are mostly around 25-35 litre. Smaller packs are often used for biking, trailrunning and as climbing backpack. ...
I think a climbing checklist is very important, but it's a fairly personal process. Of course in climbing you are part of a partnership and the person on the other end of the rope needs to be safe...
Belaying Multi-pitch It's often recommended to belay off the harness (an "indirect" belay) when belaying the leader, and off the anchor (a "direct" belay) when belaying the follower. Use of an i...
