Posts by Chris Johns
Static rope may not be that much more expensive than equivalent tape and is certainly a lot more versatile. In particular rope gives you a lot more options for reliable knots which are also be fami...
Automotive gasoline has a very strong smell which is almost impossible to eliminate entirely, even it it doesn't actually leak as the persistent smell comes from heavier hydrocarbons and other addi...
Any system which relies on preventing kids form exploring while outdoors seems to be both self-defeating and unlikely to work. My advice is to talk to them about what they should do if they do ge...
There is a fair argument that the general experience of hiking is part of the religious experience of a pilgrimage , for example, solitude, relaxtion , physical exercise and exploring the natural w...
Depending on how much you need you can get a variety of food grade plastic bottles for carrying liquids. To avoid drips probably the best option is a squeeze type bottle with both a nozzle and a ...
For the UK in spring where you expect river crossings there is an argument for just using boots which dry fast eg unlined fabric and leather construction as these also have the advantage of being ...
In practice what is permitted will depend very much on the attitude of local law enforcement and your perceived intention. Clearly camping without permission is not the crime of the century but i...
That just looks like forge scale. Those axes are hand forged and during the process oxides build up on the surface of the metal and if flakes of scale get picked up on the head of the hammer (proba...
A hut like this should at least be dry and reasonably sheltered so you might get draughts but not direct driving winds. This means that you can afford to focus on warmth rather than more general sh...
For serious organised search and rescue there is an argument that you want as much light over as wide an area as you can possibly get as this maximises your field of vision and reduces the area of ...
The amount of water you require can vary a lot depending on the conditions and your level of exertion and conditioning. Dehydration can affect your physical and mental performance quite quickly so ...
The most important thing for a firesteel striker is that it is hard and has a 'crisp', although not necessarily sharp edge. Stainless steel knives tend not to work quite so well as plain carbon ste...
The first thing is to think very hard about whether you really need to cross it, in most circumstances the answer will be NO so there needs to be a strong reason to do so. DO NOT cross a river ju...
As well as checking the weather forecast you should research the general weather conditions for the area you will be visiting, often conditions in hilly or mountainous areas can change quickly and ...
In general every individual has a natural walking cadence (steps per minute) and they vary their actual speed by increasing or decreasing stride length. Even amongst a very fit group the most comfo...
If you have to carry all your water with you then you might as well use 'wet' food rather than dehydrated as it works out at the same weight in the end anyway. Pouch type meals are becoming increas...
I agree that good quality para cord (look for 550 cord from a reputable supplier) is the best general purpose solution. It is strong enough that you could just about abseil off it with nothing el...
You could always improvise a simple sled from branches to protect the side which is sliding over the rocks. It might also be worth repacking it so that any external pockets are empty and can be tap...
A Pragmatic way to approach this is to suggest a 'warm up' where you both have a couple of goes at deliberately dropping off the wall just above the ground and then go to a few metres. This will ...
There are a few different ways to pitch a tarp. In all cases the challenge, compared to a tent which is full self supporting, is that you need to find enough anchor points to be able to pitch it wi...
To put the upper limits into context 25kg comes up a lot in a military context and is often quoted as a standard combat load. For example 25kg is the load for the hill phase of British special forc...
Dehydration will very quickly reduce your ability to undertake the activities required to survive and so finding and conserving water should be a very high priority in any survival situation. Cle...
There isn't really a safe way to do this. The problem is that you have no way to tell how deep the water/mud ahead of you is and there is always the risk of getting entangled in submerged holes, br...
All are perfectly valid, which works best depends on the circumstances. In my experience a log cabin stack is good when you have short square sticks, for example what you would get from splittin...
An excellent thing to use to protect a knife blade for storage is microcrystalline wax ( a common brand name is Renaissance Wax). This is a refined petroleum wax which is less prone to oxidation t...
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