Posts by Russell Steen
For a lean-to: Sleeping bag - And other sleeping items for warmth. Ground pad - The floor of the lean-to will chill you almost as quickly as the ground. Also it protects your sleeping bag from d...
Lightweight gaiters are your best option. They do a very good job of keeping things out of your shoes. If those are also too hot for you then you will have to reconsider the effort it takes to ch...
I kept a spare in my trunk for two years in the southeastern US and I never had a problem (YMMV). This, like most things in life, is not perfectly safe. So you should decide if you really need to...
From your pictures, those look like discarded cicada husks. They're not "alive". You can just knock them off with whatever tool you prefer for such things (broom, paint scraper, etc.) There is...
Rodents are tenacious beasts. We've seen river rats in our area dig through concrete footings to get into storage areas. As long as it's just mice they can't usually get through concrete or stone...
Okay, it is a bit hard to tell the model, so here is the process you'll need. Stake the tent out. Any old stakes will do. With a semi-rigid pole (see below) push this pole through the loops/guid...
Things we have enjoyed in the past as a family. These are not all "games", but I think they will help address the larger part of boredom. Teach the kiddos all the things are you doing and let th...
Possibly crayfish burrows or "chimneys". Identifying by burrow holes can be tricky though. Are they near any water? That would increase the likelyhood that they are crayfish burrows. Similar ...
For cold and high altitude, you will want to use white gas. White gas is superior to other liquid fuel options (kerosene, etc) and will be easier to get started in the cold. Your lightest option ...
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...
Suppose you are out hiking, many hours from the trail head and someone has a severe allergic reaction (ie, anaphylactic shock or Anaphylaxis). In this case, what is the best course of treatment to...
The simple answer is - no. Safely igniting a fire relies on controlled combustion. Improvising ignition out of a device like this is not going to create the sort of controlled combustion I asso...
Every year on the AT (Appalachian trail) Norovirus sweeps through like wildfire and the problem only increases as trail density increases. What are the best methods for minimizing risk of contract...
I just carry hand sanitizer for three reasons Weight Doesn't require water Environmental contamination (the soap goes somewhere, even if just onto the ground) It's going to come down to persona...
Simply - it's not. Rather it is not universal. I have hiked for years with my wife who has much shorter legs and a much shorter pace. I have never experienced greater exhaustion due to hiking he...
I'm assuming that you are not hunting as that would require behaving in different ways. I'm also not discussing camping/camp which is covered very well by this question: What precautions should I...
I'm going to chime in on a more practical answer. The question is not "What is the scientific case for Giardia". The question is "Why are people so scared of it?" "Or why is everyone so scared of...
The simple answer is yes. Dive your deepest dive first is a safety mechanism that pairs with other safety mechanisms (like a dive table). Using a computer (or any technology) does not obviate the...
I'll caveat this with -- I've never vomited in my gear, nor do I know anyone who has. But I did sit and figure out how I'd try to solve this if it happened to me. Dry the liquid. This will de...
I recently had this problem with a pack and have experimented by sewing on a layer of velour. It's much softer and padded. However it is also VERY warm, which may defeat the purpose of going shir...
Get them lost. Basically you want to get them out to where they lose their bearings, and then as a group, get them to find their way home. Good acting helps. If you can pretend you are also lost...
Going to make some assumptions here. Communal cooking People bringing own ingredients, contributions Given the two above Reasonably large pot (two liter) Reasonably large pan (more than 8") G...
So I've made myself a handy dandy tent footprint out of Tyvek. It's durable, packs easy, cheap to replace.... and NOISY. My entire camping group has complained that it wakes them up when I roll o...
This appears relatively safe. Even accident statistics produced by groups pushing for regulation are pretty mild. Industry regulation is a pretty politicized process, creating plenty of pressures...
We've all been on hikes that pass close by a good lookout. A rock or ledge sticking out with a good view. Sometimes these are heavily maintained by park rangers, but often not. If I'm on a tra...
