Posts by ShemSeger
Simplest thing I think would be to buy a climbing aider/etrier: It's light, it packs up small in your bag, and they're pretty easy to come by, you can just order one from a climbing shop. All ...
I just went outside (11:30pm) and could hear seagulls screaming/cawing overhead. I looked in the direction of where the sound was coming from and could see a couple hundred of them being illuminate...
The mountain you're planning to hike is similar in size to the mountains I climb in the Canadian Rockies. I grew up climbing mountains, but I've never been one for training, especially running. If ...
Depends on the size of the bear. Black bears vary in size, small female bears can weigh in under 100 lbs, which makes them about the same size as a large dog. But big black bears can weigh in at ...
I went ice climbing the other day at an exposed climb in gale force winds. This place is notorious for wind, and the gusts we were getting that day felt like they were up to the 80-90km gusts range...
Down climbing is always harder than climbing up, and more dangerous as well. Most serious injuries on mountains occur during the descent. The technique to down climbing a boulder problem is to ch...
The best way to land after bailing off a boulder is controlled, on your feet, and in the middle of the pad. Apart from that your landing isn't any different than it would be in any other activity w...
Rocky Mountain Canadian here, The easiest way to identify good boots for ice is to simply feel the rubber on the soles. The softer and the stickier the rubber on the soles of the boots, the better...
You have to chip it. Primitive hand axes were very slowly and carefully shaped using another stone to chip away at the tool bit by bit until the desired shape was achieved. They were then sharpened...
I think there's simply more to climb on El Cap. A quick look at the list of established climbs in Yosemite (http://www.yosemitebigwall.com/routes-by-difficulty) reveals that there are way more rout...
Dynamic climbing is never recommended when mountaineering. The most dynamic you'll get is jumping over a gap. The first rule of trad climbing and ice climbing or any other form of high exposure cli...
Mountains 101 The first thing you need to learn about Mountaineering is what mountains are, how they got there, and how they behave. You need to understand the terrain, so that you can better asse...
Slip knot will work fine, but if you want a more secure knot then I would probably recommend the Poachers knot. It's essentially a slip knot tied with a double overhand instead of a single.
What are your chances of getting struck by lightning in a canoe? I've done a lot of canoeing on stormy lakes before, but when the thunder comes what is the real risk of getting struck by lighting? ...
Even in an overcast jungle, the sun still cast's a shadow, they'll just be more diffuse and not as ray traced, but if there is light, it is possible to determine which direction it is coming from. ...
When I'm winter camping I always leave my water in my pot over night, so all I have to do in the morning is turn the stove on and let the ice melt. If I want water for later, I'll typically boil it...
Simply throwing them in the wash should suffice, but if you want to be extra sure the fungus dies, you could soak your socks in a 1 part bleach to 10 parts water mixture for ten minutes. Keep in mi...
The best way to melt snow is to put it in a bottle inside your jacket under your mid layers while you're on the move and let your body heat melt it. Do not place it against the skin, leave a layer ...
Prevention is easy, wear your pack on your hips where it's supposed to be, and never let anything rub. Friction is bad, all hot spots need to be taken care of long before they are allowed to develo...
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...
The trick to preventing chronic athletes foot in toe shoes is the same as with regular shoes, and that is to wear socks. Injinji toe socks are by far the most popular socks to wear with fivefing...
Yes, it does get left behind. Descending rings are meant to be used to facilitate the recovery of ropes, they save your rope from getting horribly dirty, damaged, or stuck, and leave much less of ...
I climb barefoot and in vibram five-fingers (KSO's), climbed in them for the first time in 2008 and loved them, where they excel is in roofs and overhanging problems because you can hook holds a lo...
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...
The pioneers of the old west used to trek across the prairies with jars of pickled hard boiled eggs. So pickling your eggs is one option of preserving them. How long they'll last plain depends a ...
