Russell Steen‭

Using some sort of leather conditioner, work the boots with your hands. Flex the toe bend and ankle areas. Using your thumbs apply very firm pressure to the toebox in circles. Flex it back and f...

posted 13y ago by Russell Steen‭

DEET is an effective mosquito deterrent, but there are many reasons it cannot be used. Per the CDC, cuts, eczema, and being a kid are all problems if you want to use DEET. What proven alternative...

8 answers  ·  posted 13y ago by Russell Steen‭  ·  last activity 6y ago by System‭

Assuming I am not allergic, or showing signs of allergic reaction, what's the best way to treat multiple yellow jacket (a type of wasp) stings in the outdoors while hiking/backpacking? My key conc...

2 answers  ·  posted 13y ago by Russell Steen‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

When trimming weight there are a lot of options. Lighter gear, less gear, etc. One of those options is to take an existing pack and trim off "unnecessary" extras. For instance, I have (no kiddin...

1 answer  ·  posted 13y ago by Russell Steen‭  ·  last activity 7y ago by System‭

Note on boiling and stove weights, obviously there are dozens of stoves out there for every fuel. I'm just estimating based on commonly used stoves. Petroleum, Gas, White Gas, other liquid petrol...

posted 13y ago by Russell Steen‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

When I bought my pack, we were told to always pack the tent and sleeping bag in the pack. Since then I have seen a lot of articles and hikers doing the outside. What are the benefits on packing t...

5 answers  ·  posted 13y ago by Russell Steen‭  ·  last activity 7y ago by System‭

I've been reading a lot of product reviews, and filter/pump solutions seem to be very high maintenance, very heavy, or both. Are there any lightweight filters which can be relied on for many liter...

4 answers  ·  posted 12y ago by Russell Steen‭  ·  last activity 11y ago by System‭

It's much easier to know what's not protected than to try to know what is protected. In most of the United States there are only a handful of birds you can legally hunt, and only during "season". ...

posted 12y ago by Russell Steen‭  ·  last activity 12y ago by System‭

Paracord Better strength*/diameter ratio. 550lb paracord is 5/32" (4mm) in diameter generally. Twisted poly of a comparable strength is around 3/16" (4.75mm). So the paracord will pack smaller...

posted 12y ago by Russell Steen‭  ·  last activity 12y ago by System‭

I went camping last trip and my nice inflated pad... deflated. I always carry a patch kit but I discovered another issue: I couldn't find the leak. The leak was small. It took quite a while of me l...

2 answers  ·  posted 12y ago by Russell Steen‭  ·  edited 10mo ago by Iizuki‭

In addition to "longest walk possible" are there any good guidelines for finding trails/areas in the southeast that are typically less crowded on holidays such as the 4th of July? State parks here...

2 answers  ·  posted 11y ago by Russell Steen‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

When you find large trash items left by others in less accessible places, what should be done? The exact scenario: We were hiking a ten mile trail on US Forestry Service land with river crossings ...

8 answers  ·  posted 8y ago by Russell Steen‭  ·  last activity 6y ago by System‭

For practical purposes, rarity is beyond difficult to answer. Sure there may be a biological survey buried somewhere in some journal, but specific topics like that don't get much traction outside ...

posted 8y ago by Russell Steen‭  ·  last activity 8y ago by System‭

Upsides It "looks cool" (to some) Cordage (but arguably useless as you have noted) Downsides Poor grip (compared to leather and manufactured alternatives) More likely to cause blisters Less ...

posted 8y ago by Russell Steen‭  ·  last activity 8y ago by System‭

Most likely a Caddisfly. They make homes of twigs and stones. CADDISFLY: The caddisfly lives only a short time as an adult but may spend several years as a larva. Many larvae can do someth...

posted 8y ago by Russell Steen‭  ·  last activity 8y ago by System‭