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It's not animals you really need to worry about, it's bugs. I pack a tent to keep out of the bugs more than I do to keep the critters out. The only time I can ever remember having issues with anima...
Salt, sand and moisture are a bad combo for anything and everything. The salty sea air will wreak havoc on all your gear over time. You won't have to worry about it too much just for occasional u...
As Freedom of the Hills also states: "Mechanical ascenders are stronger, safer, faster, and less tiring." – Freedom of the Hills The key advantage in there being, "less tiring", yes you...
These are just my personal rules of thumb for WB gear care. It goes in the drier after every trip. If there is dirt on it, it gets rinsed first, but not washed. If it looks dirty after it comes...
It's simply for organization sake. Aid climbing on big-walls involves lots of gear, and you'll very quickly realize how much of a mess your perfectly racked gear will become. With two belay loops...
Learning how to place gear is a lot different than actually using it. Trad climbers place their pro, but hope they never have to fall on it. They give it a few tugs, maybe weight it to make sure it...
Reason a) Golf is synonymous with a form of fashion, to play Golf you must be wearing the 'correct' (i.e. insanely expensive) clothing. Some Golf courses have a high required standard of dress and ...
I have climbed indoors and outdoors for several years, both top rope and sport, and I somewhat recently took an outdoor trad climbing class. In the class, we placed protection while on top rope and...
For any sport, my answer is you have to do it. Get out there and try! I kayak, hike, road bike, have windsurfed, etc. Get the minimal gear-for hiking you probably have comfortable soft soled shoe...
I use a loop of 6 mm cord 5.5 m (18 ft) in circumference. Buy some larger amount of 6 mm cord, because the price for the pre-cut cord is a rip-off, and you'll end up going through this stuff for Pr...
I have been practicing trad climbing and I've run into some difficulty managing and handling the gear. Specifically, I'm awkwardly taking cams off my gear loops, fiddling with them, and finally pla...
There are many homegrown solutions to this, such as latex glue or even duct tape. If you want to be extra cautious though, approach it like you were patching it. Find the recommended patch kit for ...
If you're going to lower your backpack that way I think you will have to expect it to get some bruises. However there is gear especially designed for situations like yours: In bigwall climbing (th...
Recently I saw an arborist climbing up a single rope with an unbelievable speed, as if it was just a ladder. Of course he was using all kinds of specialized gear including foot/chest ascenders and ...
As already stated several times: If you know what you need to do on a glacier, you know what material to take. The other way round does not work: Just having the necessary gear will not insure prop...
I usually sharp my crampons when I am expecting icy conditions, that means glare ice. Especially when you go steep and need front point technique, you need to rely on those points - all your bodys ...
I wont cover what is aid climbing here. Original Aid Rating System: A0: Occasional aid moves often done without aiders (etriers) or climbed on fixed gear; sometimes called “French free”. ...
The answer to "is it too much" is extremely subjective. Is this strictly too much? No. Are there some things you can trim back if you want? Yes. I like to hike light, but not ultralight and th...
If you're using snap link instead of a figure 8 or other such device and can rig a Bachmann/carabiner, just detach and climb as if you were just free climbing the rope with the foot scissor/stand t...
It's not specifically answering your question (I don't use either rope or webbing in my anchors, yet) but I really wanted to say that I'm a huge fan of having a chunk of static rope near my anchors...
I have read some posts here regarding the expiration dates of climbing material, especially trad gear. Friends and nuts (as all climbing equipment) have a lifespan of 10 years according to all manu...
Yes. As stated by @Charlie, the ratings on the gear is more than adequate for safety while climbing. The reasons to buy a climbing harness are weight, comfort and convenience rather than anything t...
Putting together a lot of ideas already covered and adding some tips I've gotten over time. I don't have much natural insulation and get cold easily, so these tips have all been important for me. ...
The key ingredients in bear sprays are capsaicins (reference), which are also the key ingredients of classic pepper spray. Cleaning bear spray off of you or your gear is similar to cleaning pepper ...
I'm concerned about ticks and want to treat some of my outdoor gear with Permethrin, a spray-on very persistent treatment against ticks and mosquitoes, to reduce the chances that I'll bring home ti...
