Activity for ShemSegerâ€
| Type | On... | Excerpt | Status | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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A: How to choose length for backcountry touring skis? The answer to this question depends a lot on your skill level. You say you want a ski that does a little bit of everything, so I'd recommend a ski with both camber and rocker, but you're going to have to balance length and width based on how you ski. The shorter ski you get, the more control you're ... (more) |
— | over 8 years ago |
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What's this knot called? I came up with this variation of the flat overhand knot (also known as the Euro Death Knot) for pulling ropes on a rappel. I've never been comfortable using the Euro Death Knot (EDK), but it's hard to deny the virtues of the EDK for retrieving ropes. I set out to try and come up with a knot that had ... (more) |
— | over 8 years ago |
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What is the difference between accessory cord and prusik cord? Aside from Prusik cord being a different weave, what's the big difference? When would I choose one type of cord over the other? Is there anything I shouldn't I use the different types of cord for? What's the significant difference? Yellow = Prusik cord | Orange = Accessory Cord (more) |
— | over 8 years ago |
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At what point is a rattlesnake mature enough to control its venom? Young rattlesnakes are more deadly than large rattlesnakes, the reason being because when they are young they are more likely to strike, but more importantly because they can't yet control their venom. As a result, when they bite, they inject all their venom instead of just a controlled amount. At ... (more) |
— | over 8 years ago |
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Bolting Canyons, can your bolt be under water? So I've been thinking about developing some canyons around here for canyoneering, but while scrambling up Red Rocks Canyon in Waterton and looking at all the large logs jammed rather high up in the canyon, it occurred to me that depending on where you would want to place your bolt, it could end up un... (more) |
— | over 8 years ago |
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A: Where can I find additional resources about Wildlands Provincial parks in Alberta? AlbertaParks.ca is the resource about all parks in Alberta. I find the maps perfectly easy to read myself. If you want to see where all the parks are, just use google maps, it highlights all provincial, National, and even some regional parks in green, and shows you all roads. (more) |
— | over 8 years ago |
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Surviving a forest fire while backpacking A friend of mine recently was forced to cancel a backpacking trip because Waterton Lakes National Park (Canada side of Glacier National Park in Montana) canceled his backcountry permit due to a forest fire flare up on the USA side of the border. I was in the park that day, the fire ignited and spread... (more) |
— | over 8 years ago |
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A: Considerations for older campers? The single most important consideration for your parents is going to be their comfort. For starters they must have something comfortable to sleep on or they're going to spend every day achy and tired, wishing they were sleeping in their own beds. The older you get, the more precious sleep is. If th... (more) |
— | over 8 years ago |
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When will a rattlesnake strike? There are a few questions about how to avoid rattlers, and what to do if you're bit, but at what point does a rattler actually strike? I had my first rattler encounter ever yesterday, just out in the coulees down by the river, right on the walking path. I was pushing my little girl on her bike and ... (more) |
— | over 8 years ago |
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A: Leaving a fire unattended for a few hours, then returning Fires must be attended at all times! There is no such thing as, "the best way to leave a fire unattended for a short time," your fire is either being attended, or your fire is thoroughly extinguished and your pit is left cold, no argument. There are no conditions where an open pit fire can be left a... (more) |
— | over 8 years ago |
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A: Any reasons not to use 30-year-old ice axe? From a safety perspective, there's no reason why you couldn't use that axe. But if it was mine, I'd probably have it hung up on the wall as an heirloom, or in a display case with photos of my Dad carrying it. Stuff like that carries huge sentimental value. The only other reason I can think of why you... (more) |
— | over 8 years ago |
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A: What are some alternatives to drilling holes in a toothbrush? I'd cut my brush shorter long before I'd take the time to try drilling it. But If I was serious about going ultra light, I wouldn't pack a normal/modified toothbrush at all, I'd take a finger brush, either a reusable one: Or some disposable ones: I used to keep a couple brush-ups in my bag, t... (more) |
— | over 8 years ago |
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A: Backpack is moving from side to side when I walk - is that the way it's supposed to be? No, your bag is not supposed to do that, your bag is supposed to be secure on your back, it's not supposed to move from side to side. There are a number of things which could be going wrong. First of all I'd check to make sure your bag is properly adjusted and your stabilized straps are snug. If yo... (more) |
— | over 8 years ago |
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A: Rappelling from tree Was it safe? Yes, you were not in any danger here (unless your tree was a Charlie Brown Christmas tree). Was it the best thing to do? No, for a couple of reasons, the most important being that it does not comply with leave not trace ethics, and can badly scar the tree. It's also no good for your rop... (more) |
— | over 8 years ago |
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A: Can rock climbers easily transition to canyoning? The disciplines are very similar, and it is very easy for a climber to make the transition because they already have experience with ropes, but there are a lot of canyoneering specific skills and gadgets that are different from climbing. If I were to campare the two by their differences, I'd say that... (more) |
— | over 8 years ago |
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A: Encountering a bear in water? I'll share what thoughts I had in the moment, and after, while reflecting on the matter: My first thought I've already mentioned in the question, being that the bear was slow and we were fast in our 17.5ft Kevlar Clipper Tripper, so we could have speedily paddled away no problem. But what if we wer... (more) |
— | over 8 years ago |
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Encountering a bear in water? I found myself in a situation the other day that I've never been in before. I was paddling along in my canoe with my wife and kids, when suddenly a young black bear came scrambling down the slope, jumped in the water, and started swimming towards the other side of the lake off our bow. We weren't ... (more) |
— | over 8 years ago |
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A: What's the easiest to release, though solid, knot "on a bight"? I would recommend using a double figure eight I always use this knot when tying off the end of the rope, it's stronger, safer, and it's easier to untie. If that doesn't work for you, then try a double-nine (double figure nine on a bight), it looks messy, but it comes loose real easy. (more) |
— | over 8 years ago |
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A: What are offwidth cracks and what makes them so hard to climb? Off width cracks are cracks that are too big to finger jam or fist jam, but too small for you to fit inside and chimney climb, so you have to come up with really awkward and very physically excerting moves to get up them, like climbing upside down (literally). Basically they are cracks that are jus... (more) |
— | over 8 years ago |
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A: What is this fish hook type called? Spade Hook That is very simply called an eyeless hook or a spade hook. Spade hooks are old school, but there are enough people that still say they're preferable to eyed hooks, in fly fishing at least, you tie both eyed and spade hooks basically the same. Some people pass the line almost arbitraril... (more) |
— | over 8 years ago |
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A: What to look for in an Umbrella for Backpacking? So trekking umbrellas are apparently a thing. And no one can really argue the claim that they are the most "breathable" form of raingear. There are a couple varieties, some are designed ultra compact to be lightweight and packable, and others are designed to be rigged to your backpack for handsfree t... (more) |
— | over 8 years ago |
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A: How do I get cam slings replaced? They are user replaceable, in fact some manufacturers recommend replacing slings every 2-5 years if they're very frequently used, but they're only user replaceable if you know how to sew structural climbing gear and have the equipment to bartack a loop of SuperTape or 10mm Dynex. The simplest thin... (more) |
— | over 8 years ago |
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A: How do I keep my shoes from rolling around my feet while trail running? The solution is to invest in an actual pair of trail running shoes, they are stiffer, and snugger, and compensate for all of the issue that you're having with your road runners there. I have a pair of asics trail runners: asics gel fuji trabuco 3 They have a surprisingly stiff shank in the sole... (more) |
— | over 8 years ago |
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A: Genuine leather or synthetic leather boots Synthetic leather is literally "knock-off" leather, never is synthetic preferred to the real thing unless you are cost oriented, or vegan. Synthetic boots also tend to be made out of lots of pieces of synthetic leather, stitched together with other types of materials in the uppers in fancy patterns, ... (more) |
— | over 8 years ago |
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A: Hiking: How to start? Two ways to get started on a hike: with either your right foot, or your left foot :P First and foremost you need comfortable footwear. Doesn't matter what it is to get started, I've led people over mountain ranges and all they wore were cross trainers. When you get more serious into it, then you sho... (more) |
— | over 8 years ago |
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A: US vs central European bear advice After taking a look into it, it appears that the grizzly bears in North America are actually a sub species (ssp.) of European brown bear. Brown Bear = Ursus arctos Grizzly Bear = Ursus arctos ssp. U. a. californicus (Recently extinct California Grizzly) U. a. gyas (Peninsular Grizzly) U. a. h... (more) |
— | almost 9 years ago |
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A: What is an equalette anchor? The equalette is the evolution and combination of the cordalette and sliding-x. It makes up for the short comings of each system, while incorporating their strengths to produce a more SRENE anchor. One of the criticisms of the cordalette is after you've tied the master knot, you have potentially poo... (more) |
— | almost 9 years ago |
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A: What are wildlife hazards/precautions near the treeline at 8200ft on Hearst Lake in Montana? Animals are the least of your concerns at that altitude. I spend a lot of time at that elevation just on the other side of the border from Montana in Canada. Your elevation is less of a factor for animal encounters than what the weather is. Go hiking in the heat of the day and you will not see anoth... (more) |
— | almost 9 years ago |
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A: Backpacking Through Rain Don't get wet! No I'm not being facetious, I hike through the rain forests of BC all the time, I've spent days in a row in solid rain while backpacking and setting up camp. Getting wet up here can mean death overnight even in the middle of summer, doesn't matter how hot it gets during the day, tempe... (more) |
— | almost 9 years ago |
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A: What is the difference between back-stepping versus a layback in rock climbing? The difference is in the footwork, you back-step (what I always refer to as dropping your knee) while face climbing, but you can do it while you are laying back. A classic layback is like when you're climbing a crack while smearing your feet against the wall: Back-stepping is when you turn your h... (more) |
— | almost 9 years ago |
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What do you hang on 1/4" bolts while rock climbing? So 1/4" bolts, although not suitable for free climbing protection, are apparently still used for aid climbing to hold body weight, and for alpine rappels. What I want to know is, what do you use for hangers on them? From what I can tell no one makes 1/4" hangers for aid bolts, do you just string th... (more) |
— | almost 9 years ago |
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A: Protecting Food Supplies from wild animals While Backpacking There are animals out there capable of figuring out how to get into your cache, Wolverines (a cousin of the racoon) are notorious for cracking into even the most cleverly hung food caches, but you don't really have to worry about them if you're only hanging your food for one night. Animals are more a... (more) |
— | almost 9 years ago |
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A: Should you occasionally use locking biners on pieces of protection when using alpine draws? First of all, there's no such thing being too safe, do whatever you feel makes you more secure as long as you can do it safely. As long as you place all of your pro properly, then you're unlikely to need to use lockers as intermediate protection between belays, but, all single gate, non-locking cara... (more) |
— | almost 9 years ago |
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A: What do you call the criss-crossed elastic strap on this Northface backpack? That's simply elastic cord threaded through tie out loops on your bag. It's used to lash everything that can't fit inside your bag (extra layers/jacket), things that you don't want inside your bag (wet/muddy clothes or sharp pokey crampons), or things that you want quick access to onto the outside of... (more) |
— | almost 9 years ago |
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A: When can a glacier be crossed without special gear (axes, crampons, rope, etc.)? Although always recommended, crampons and axes are only necessary for hiking on steep or slippery ice where there is fall potential or danger of sliding to the bottom of a slope and seriously injuring or killing yourself. If you're traveling along an easy, flat, or concave slope of a glacier, and you... (more) |
— | almost 9 years ago |
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A: What is this small, bright yellow, mushroom found in the woods in Massachusetts? Bolbitius titubans Also known as Bolbitius vitellinus, that there looks to be a young Yellow Field Cap. They're quite small when they're yellow, but they quickly mature into taller, flatter, brownish mushroom. (more) |
— | almost 9 years ago |
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A: Rope between legs while leading on rock, ice I think that rope management at your harness (in both rock and ice climbing) is an extension of managing your rope while you're clipping into your pro. You carry different lengths of draws and slings so you can keep your rope as straight as possible to reduce drag and avoid popping out all your pro w... (more) |
— | almost 9 years ago |
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A: What is the most efficient way to position a reflector? First of all, modern technology has eliminated the necessity of using campfires to stay warm at night with light weight tents and effective sleeping systems. There was a time when fires were almost a necessity in order to sleep comfortably in the cold, but nowadays they are only required in survival ... (more) |
— | almost 9 years ago |
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A: How safe is it with Grizzly bears when hiking in the Rockies near Calgary, Alberta? As safe as you make it. Don't fool yourself, bears are there, and they will attack you if they feel they are being threatened. The Canadian Rockies are wild and full of large predators, it's not not a zoo or game preserve, the danger is real. You must understand that you are in their territory, the ... (more) |
— | almost 9 years ago |
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A: What are the best practices to ensure survival of catch and release fish? In certain BC rivers, fishing is catch and release only, it's illegal to fish with anything but a single barbless hook. I have a whole tackle box full of spoons that have been hacked to death by a pair of side cutters in order to make them legal for catch and release. When you hook a fish, reel the... (more) |
— | almost 9 years ago |
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A: How can I know if a rope is certified? I found a hidden tag It is never advisable to use any safety gear that you do not know the history of. Doesn't matter if it is legit, what matters is the history of the rope. If it's a club rope for climbing then there should be a record of usage and falls. If no record exists, then it is unknown whether the rope has ta... (more) |
— | almost 9 years ago |
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A: What are the basic considerations for hammock camping? There are really only two main considerations for hammock camping: the first is hanging the hammock (trees); the second is whether or not it will be warm enough to sleep in a hammock (temperature). Hammocks are great at keeping you cool, so they are best suited for sleeping in hot humid environment... (more) |
— | almost 9 years ago |
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A: Does hiking with a dog in bear country increase or decrease your risk of a bear encounter? It depends on the dog. Dogs have far superior senses to humans, which is why dogs became man's best friend, it was mutually beneficial for us to coexist. Early man gave docile wolves their scraps from their kills, and in return, the domesticated wolves provided man with an early warning system again... (more) |
— | almost 9 years ago |
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A: Why do seagulls circle around at high altitudes? For the same reason carrion birds circle over fresh kills: They're waiting for an opportunity to swoop in and get some food. All the gulls see is a large gathering of humans, which typically means dropped chips, bits of hotdog buns, discarded scraps, leftovers on tables, people throwing bits for the ... (more) |
— | almost 9 years ago |
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When should you remove old pitons? We were up above the treeline below the final climb to a scarcely visited cave and discovered an old rusty piton with a length of weathered webbing tied to it. It was obviously there as a safety for a belay, but it easily came out of the rock when I tested it. At what point should you remove old pit... (more) |
— | almost 9 years ago |
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A: Running in bear country It's when you're moving quickly and quietly along the trail that you're most likely to encounter a bear in the Rockies, and that's because they're easier to sneak up on that way. I run into more bears when I'm on my mountain bike than when I'm hiking. Large predators use trails as often as people ... (more) |
— | almost 9 years ago |
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A: How many clothes should I bring to Philmont, or any long backpacking trip? At least one of everything, an extra pair of undies, and as many socks as you want. You're going out into the backcountry, not staying at a Hilton. If you're going to be out on a long trip, bring a bag and some soap to wash your clothes if they get too soiled. The last thing you want on a long trip ... (more) |
— | almost 9 years ago |
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Can you wash ticks out with shampoo? I was out caving yesterday and apparently picked up a passenger on the trail either on the way up or back down the mountain. I discovered it in my hair on the back of my head while showering. It was a tick, but it wasn't stuck to my scalp and it appeared to be dead. I put it on the counter while... (more) |
— | almost 9 years ago |
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A: How to hike without constantly looking down The trick to be able memorize the immediate trail ahead of you and pick your footfalls several steps before you get to them. It's the same as offroad driving. You can't see over your hood, and hanging out your window only lets you see one side of your vehicle. You have to memorize the features on th... (more) |
— | almost 9 years ago |
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A: Back country solution to itchy insect bites First of all don't scratch. blood sucking insects inject anti-coagulant under your skin to prevent your blood from clotting and forming a scab so they don't get their mouthes stuck inside you while sucking. If you scratch, you only manage to spread the anti-coagulant around under your skin, which int... (more) |
— | almost 9 years ago |