Posts by Russell Steen
It depends on what the game does and starts when you take your shot. If the game drops: Do NOT move. Sit and watch it. Wait at least 15 minutes. Often game will drop and freeze, even when inju...
It depends on what you are cooking Make sure you know your wood. Some woods produce toxic fumes. Others will produce a very unpleasant taste. What woods to use is a topic of its own. If you ...
Once you open it up to toxins, the answer is clearly no, boiling is not enough. There are many examples: Alkali Salt Heavy Metals Blue-green algal toxins, which appear to be present in your phot...
Long sleeve, breathable, wicking fabric. Failing that, long sleeve, ultralight and blousy (loose to allow lots of airflow).
I camp in the Appalachians (pretty darned wet). We have had the same Kelty tent for over four years with anywhere from six to twelve trips per year. We've never waterproofed it. It still repels ...
Have an emergency kit, and a first aid kit. Keep both of these on your person at all times, but at a minimum, keep the emergency kit on you. People have died less than a mile from camp because t...
The one problem I see is that it actually doesn't keep things cold enough. The listed rate is 6°C (42°F). For refridgeration you want no more than 4.4°C (40°F) and ideally want closer to 1°C (34°...
Your body just doesn't have a reaction on skin contact right now. However most people will develop a reaction after enough repeated exposure. While poison ivy doesn't bother me either, I do take ...
My old boots are dying. Sadly it took me quite some time to find them, and the particular brand is not made anymore. I have wide feet, like 4E wide, but some 2E boots will fit fine. Unfortunatel...
When camping in more remote areas with young kids, how can you make sure they don't take a stroll and get lost in the middle of the night? We won't be near lights, established "bathrooms", etc. T...
In ultralight or lightweight hiking, "pack weight" is a very common number to discuss. What does pack weight exclude? Is it limited to just what's in your pack, or does it also include clothes, s...
Hanging things on your pack Hanging things on that little loop at the top of your tent (like a nightlight) We use ours to lift and hang our packs As a simple pulley to change direction of a pull (...
The proverbial "Rule of 3" says you can live three weeks without food. Are there any documented cases of people actually living three weeks with no food in the wilderness and surviving? For tho...
My friend wants to do an overnight on the grand canyon this summer. We are experienced hikers in pretty good shape. However we've NEVER hiked out west, much less the Grand Canyon. What are the k...
EDIT: The more I consider this, the ambient air temperature around the cooler is the largest factor. Replacing water with 95F (35C) degree air will have a much larger impact than replacing water ...
Okay just broke out my kit. Here's what we carry. This may seem like a long list, but it's small. It fits in a ziploc bag (almost). Also, please note that you should pack for your skill set and...
Via WebMD Large amounts or long-term use of iodine are possibly unsafe. Adults should avoid prolonged use of doses higher than 1100 mcg per day (the upper tolerable limit, UL) without proper me...
For hanging packs, you can use vines. Find a vine you than can bend almost double (the shape of those ribbon campaign ribbons) without it breaking. You can use those as is, until they dry out. I...
There seems to be a fixation with North in navigation. Step back to the basic purpose, why do we navigate? We navigate to get to somewhere or to find our way back. Knowing north is just one meth...
Get your material (tarp, plastic, whatever you choose) out and set your tent up on top of it, with poles. Draw about 3" around the outside of your tent. Trace circles around where the poles touch...
The traditional standard is the USMC Ka-Bar knife. Generally I look for Fixed Blade Five to Seven inch blade Durable (full-tang) Assuming you're going survival, whatever you choose needs to...
How do you modify Cam slings with a straw as described here for easier removal?
What important features should I pay attention to when buying paracord for hiking (such as different types, load limit, etc)? I just use it for bear bags, tarp lines, etc.
Is there any way to get wild meat inspected and graded in the same (or similar) way as domestic meats for parasites, contaminants, etc.? If so what are good starting resources or methods for findi...
Similar to this question, but mildew tends to be very resistant to removal. I sadly failed to keep my tent dry enough, and now it has a couple of mildew spots. They're not bad, but I would rather...
