Posts by Russell Steen
Avoid bee hives Avoid bee hives See 1 & 2 Once you've pissed the bees off there is little to nothing you can do. Getting out of the area is the obvious answer, but that is difficult mid-cli...
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...
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...
I was climbing with someone recently and they complained that there was too much slack any time the line wasn't completely taut. By the same token when they were belaying me it was almost hard to ...
You should never plan to not purify. Levels of contamination will depend on the location. A stream running by a pasture 50 miles upstream will possibly contain more contaminants than ocean, even ...
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...
We ran into a hiker on the AT last year using a kevlar back to keep out bears and rodents. He said the product was an Ursack and seemed very happy with it. However he'd never had a bear try to ge...
Gear manufacturers generally purchase the down (waterproofed or not) from suppliers. There are several water resistant down products, but they all work withing a small range of results with the sa...
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...
There are several concerns Rodents. Unlike the eastern US, rodents in the West are much more likely to carry Hanta virus and Bubonic plague. These are not common, but unlike the Eastern US, the...
Once a leech is attached, what is the proper way to remove it? (I'm assuming that the method would generic for all leeches, but if there are special kinds, please note that).
Use the removable sticky stuff that teachers use to hang stuff on walls.
Growing up we were always taught to never step straight over a rock or log because it is a good way to step on or startle a snake that you cannot see. However, on a lot of hiking forums I see it a...
In my ongoing effort to cut tent weight we have replaced stakes, changed ground pads, and we're looking at replacing the guylines (no really, it's amazing how much cordage weighs!). At what diamet...
If carrying a three person tent when backpacking, what's the recommended way to split it up so that the weight is balanced out among all three people going?
Talked to my doc today during a visit for something else. It's Iliotibial Band Syndrome. The band of connective tissue that runs along the outside of the knee becomes irritated and inflamed. It'...
I can hike uphill practically all day. However as very soon after I start a descent, pain builds on the outside of my knee. What is causing this and can I do anything to prevent/mitigate it (othe...
I researched this and there are a few factors Aperture - This is the diameter of the objective (or front) lens and affects the amount of light taken in. Aperture is very important for low light s...
I'd like a pair of binoculars for hiking. I don't have a specific use other than for looking off of overlooks, at animals, etc. What are the important things to look for in a good set of binocula...
Reading around forums and in products, I see descriptions and weights for a "fast pack" setup for tents. What does this mean and what is it used for?
My hiking shoes starting having problems with the insoles, so I got replacements. However the replacements I have are "Trim to fit." How do I get the proper shape so that I don't end up with any ...
Actually they can probably be fixed. For the cap there are two options with JB Weld that I have used. The first is described here, but basically consists of coating the original cap with JB We...
We went out this weekend to try and catch a frozen waterfall such as the one. We had a great trip but it was clearly a misguided venture at our current tempuratures. At what temperature would we ...
Let's say you are camping with a large group, and someone starts a camp fire. You're away for a bit and come back to find everyone panicking and the fire to be much larger than actually planned (i...
I have a bag liner that claims to add 15 degrees to the "range" of a sleeping bag. Is it reasonable to assume that it would work the same for all bags? For instance, would it extend a 40 degree b...
