Activity for StrongBad
| Type | On... | Excerpt | Status | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Edit | Post #41276 | Initial revision | — | over 4 years ago |
| Edit | Post #41225 | Initial revision | — | over 4 years ago |
| Edit | Post #40890 | Initial revision | — | over 4 years ago |
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A: Are square or rectangular tarp shapes more versatile? When it comes to flat tarp shape, there is no right or wrong answer. Both shapes can be used to make simple roof, lean-to-type or a fully enclosed tent-like structures. There is a ton of information about different pitches at: http://equipped.com/tarp-shelters.htm There is also this question about t... (more) |
— | almost 5 years ago |
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A: How to split 3-5 people into rope teams for glacier travel? You are not going to like the answer, but a 5 member team should recruit a 6th person. I think 3 people per rope is ideal. 4 people always seems like too many and 2 people makes stopping a fall really hard. A one person rope team is not a rope team. The way I would break things down: 1 person - Fin... (more) |
— | almost 5 years ago |
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A: Carrying a gun openly while hiking in western North Carolina Basically, if I'm hiking around Ashville area and carrying openly, will I be getting undue attention on myself or it's cool like in some western states? Ashville is a pretty liberal town, and not just by NC standards. Further, while it is rural and in the mountains and hunting is common, open c... (more) |
— | almost 5 years ago |
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A: What knot was used by my mountain guide to tie me in to the middle of a rope? Final question would be why not just a re-threaded figure 8 as you would use at the end of a rope? Lets start with this. This would be a nightmare to tie as you would have to pull a lot of rope through the knot to tie it. this extra work would have limited advantages. As for the photo, the knot ... (more) |
— | about 5 years ago |
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Winter boots for -40°C that are snowshoe and crampon compatible? One should never let middle age men sit around drinking and reliving the glory days of their youth on a holiday weekend. I think I may have agreed to a mid January Presidential traverse in the White Mountains of NH. Expected weather will range from 0°C and raining down to -40°C at night. Th... (more) |
— | about 5 years ago |
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A: How warm should a down jacket be in a layering system? The warmth of clothing is often defined in units of CLO. A 1 CLO ensemble of clothing is suitable for sitting in an office (or more specifically having a metabolic rate of 60 W/m2) at 22C or slow walking (or more specifically having a metabolic rate of 60 W/m2) at 12C for an average adult male. To be... (more) |
— | about 5 years ago |
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A: Synthetic insulated belay jacket vs thicker mid layers or down If I stop to take a break in cold dry windy weather, I am perfectly happy tossing a big puffy belay jacket on top of my shell if I can get out of the wind. If I cannot get out of the wind, I will usually take the shell off and put it on top of the puffy. Often the puffy is warm enough that it doesn't... (more) |
— | about 5 years ago |
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A: Hiking with a mule or two? This is called horse packing. It is a totally different outdoor activity to hiking. There are places you cannot go with horses/mules and caring for an animal is a lot of work. Some people love it and horse pack even though they could hike on their own. Other people hate it. Getting into horse packing... (more) |
— | over 5 years ago |
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A: How hard is the East Buttress route on El Capitan First, the difficulty of a V1 is not consistent everywhere, especially for climbers with limited experience. A V1 crack is a very different animal from a V1 slab. Yosemite climbs and boulder problems, especially in the V1 and 5.10 range are typically very stiff for the rating. These do not compare to... (more) |
— | over 5 years ago |
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Is belaying with a hip belay unsafe? It has been suggested to me in a comment, about an answer of mine that suggests using a hip belay, that: There's a reason ATCs, plates, GriGris, etc got popular: they're safer. I know I stopped using hip belays when I got a proper harness and realized how much more comfortable belaying with a M... (more) |
— | over 5 years ago |
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A: How to belay top-rope climbers who are ascending quickly? I am going to reiterate and expand on a previous deleted answer from a different user. A hip belay can be incredibly fast and is a common technique in situations where falls are unlikely. Many/most gyms do not allow you to hip belay, but many of those gyms also do not allow you to speed climb. Outdo... (more) |
— | over 5 years ago |
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A: How is an attempt defined in sport climbing? If you start a route, fall, lower down a bit, and then climb to the top, most people would not say that you have sent the route. See What is the term for completing a climbing route uncleanly?. Most people think of sending a route as climbing it cleanly. If you start a route, fall, lower to the grou... (more) |
— | over 5 years ago |
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A: Sleeping solo in a double sleeping bag If the bag is laid flat like it would be for two people, it will not be nearly as warm. Basically you are doubling the effective surface area in which to lose heat relative to a single person sleeping bag. If you fold the bag on top of you, you will be keeping the surface area about the same as a sin... (more) |
— | over 5 years ago |
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A: Why don't climbing professional use all their fingers on small holds? I think it is easiest to understand if you think about a small pocket where you can fit a single finger in deeply and securely or jam two fingers in poorly. While it is always nice to distribute the weight between two fingers instead of one finger, sometimes the grip you get on a hold is much better ... (more) |
— | over 5 years ago |
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A: Transition to "Starvation Mode" in Survival Situations While it looks like it has changed, Outward Bound used to routinely include a 3 day solo without food. If I recall correctly, a poncho tarp shelter was provided and you were located near clean water. You were expected not to make a fire or hike out. After the 3 days, you had to hike a few miles to th... (more) |
— | over 5 years ago |
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A: What is the term for completing a climbing route uncleanly? I think the general progression I use is climbed, led, freed, flashed, and on sighted. I might break freed into red point and pink point if the route or area makes if ambiguous. I generally break led into a lot of terms like groveled, hang dogged, whimpered, depending on how ugly I was. Terms like pr... (more) |
— | over 5 years ago |
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A: Hot coffee brewing solutions for deep woods camping As long as you are okay with grinding your beans at home, why not just make cowboy coffee. Basically you Put your tin cup on the fire/stove and bring the water to a boil Remove the cup from the heat and let the water cool a bit so you don't burn the grounds Stir in the grounds and bring the water ... (more) |
— | over 5 years ago |
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A: Use of a personal anchor system to rappel (abseil) off a cliff with anchors by the edge and at foot level As you are looking to rappel for fun, you should find a place better suited for it. As you mentioned, the anchors are not well situated for an easy rappel. If you want to rappel off that cliff, just set the anchor off the trees and and use a static line running over the edge so you can use do a strai... (more) |
— | over 5 years ago |
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A: What is the use case for non-breathable waterproof pants? As you are aware waterproof breathable fabrics can "wet out" reducing them to simply waterproof fabrics. That does not make wetted out waterproof breathable the same as waterproof non-breathable fabric. Non-breathable fabrics tend to be cheaper, stronger, lighter, and in some cases more water resista... (more) |
— | over 5 years ago |
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A: How should regular Appalachian Trail hikers interpret this weekend's attack? You should probably interpret the incident as a rare fluke and try and forget about it. Murders and crime have happened on the AT before: Frequency of crime/assault on the Appalachian Trail I have been accused of being overly paranoid Is it poor etiquette to ask fellow backpackers where they have be... (more) |
— | over 5 years ago |
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A: Alpinism without short roping? Short roping is dangerous, but a critical part of guiding. See my answer here: Is "Short roping" "Death Roping"? That said, the premise of your question is wrong. Being somewhat of a hyper aware chap, the idea of having my fate dependent on the concentration/shore-footedness o... (more) |
— | over 5 years ago |
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A: What is wrong with this belay setup? There is a lot going on there and I am not really sure what the system is, but at a minimum The figure eight on the pink rope is not properly dressed. The locking carabiners are not opposite and opposed If I understand the anchor system, it is a 3 piece anchor and you made a. An adjustable loop ... (more) |
— | almost 6 years ago |
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A: What are the four climbing knots used by Jim Bridwell? I doubt he only knew 4 knots. Looking at online photos, is difficult, but in this photo I think I can see a double fisherman's on the cord on the back of his harness, a figure eight on a bight on the blue haul line, a girth hitch on the last pin and possibly a water knot. I have also found picture... (more) |
— | almost 6 years ago |
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A: Is there really no way to rescue a climber from the death zone? The problem with rescuing someone in the death zone is, well, that it is the death zone. Supplemental oxygen helps, but the decreased pressure is also problematic. If you are injured or sick, you are not going to get better no matter what type of supplies could be hauled up to you. The only way to re... (more) |
— | almost 6 years ago |
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A: What is a good R value for a four-season sleeping pad? There are a lot of factors that determine what R value you will need. While the low temperature might be 10°F (-12°C), the ground could be substantially warmer (or potentially colder). The temperature of the surface you are sleeping on is much more important than the air temperature. It als... (more) |
— | almost 6 years ago |
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A: Hot water system as a heater for car camping? gas heaters are obviously unwise inside a sleeping space (due to exhaust) There are a lot of different types of gas heaters, many of which would be unsafe to use inside a sleeping space. An indoor rated catalytic propane heater, however, is one of the types that can be used safely indoors. As th... (more) |
— | almost 6 years ago |
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A: Best field remedy for small cockroach in the ear I would follow the advice of the Mayo Clinic. Remove the object if possible. If the object is clearly visible, pliable and can be grasped easily with tweezers, gently remove it. This is somewhat contentious advice since the general guidance for ears is to insert nothing smaller than your elbow.... (more) |
— | almost 6 years ago |
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A: Under optimal conditions, how far could an emergency whistle be heard? The simplest, as opposed to the optimal, approximation is to assume the inverse square law holds such that there is a 6 dB drop in the pressure for every doubling of distance. If we assume that the whistle needs to be 35 dB to be heard outside in this "optimal" scenario, the pressure needs to drop by... (more) |
— | almost 6 years ago |
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A: What to do when one point in a climbing anchor breaks? I disagree with the other answer. If you are anchored to 2 "solid" pieces and one fails, you are now in a non-redundant state and your goal should be to resolve that situation as quickly and safely as possible. If you are belaying a single climber that you can easily communicate with, try and convinc... (more) |
— | almost 6 years ago |
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A: Are there any outdoorsy hikes accessible from the T in the Boston area, preferably (but not necessarily) actually in Boston or Cambridge At closest, your options are probably Hammond Pond in Newton (right off the green line) or Arnold Arboretum in Forest Hills (right off the orange line). Hammond pond is more of a walk a little down the trial, turn off and find a secluded spot and sit and relax. As the area is really small and surroun... (more) |
— | almost 6 years ago |
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A: Should I travel through freezing areas with hot or cold water in my RV tank? Ideally the hot water tank should be plumbed in a manner in which it can be drained without affecting the rest of the system. Typically this means either nothing comes out of the hot water taps when it is bypassed or cold water does. Your best bet would be to flush the system at home, then drain the ... (more) |
— | about 6 years ago |
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How do breathable fabrics like Gore-tex and DWR (Durable Water Repellent) work? Gore-tex, and other waterproof breathable fabrics are often coated with a durable water repellent (DWR) finish that helps prevent the fabric from wetting out. It is not uncommon to hear people complain that their rain jacket has wet out and is now leaking. While obviously if the fabric is so worn it ... (more) |
— | about 6 years ago |
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A: Do I need to worry about snow covering up my tent? Assuming you are a somewhat healthy individual and not camping in an avalanche zone, you probably do not need to worry about suffocation. With enough accumulation, your tent will collapse, at which point you will wake up and most likely think you are being abducted by aliens; it will be completely da... (more) |
— | about 6 years ago |
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A: Can I theoritcally climb The Mount Erciyes in the summer? From what I have read, I would say the part of your plan to Climb to the summit of The Erciyes Alone (3917 MASL) is a no go with your experience and gear. Assuming this route description is accurate the climb/hike starts at 2750m after a drive and a couple of chair lifts. Your gear should b... (more) |
— | about 6 years ago |
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A: Will I be warmer in my sleeping bag inside or outside of my tent, when winter camping? Assuming you have a men's bag, the -40F rating is probably the limit rating, but it might be the extreme rating. If it is the extreme rating then sleeping in -28F, it does not surprise me that you were cold. Even if it is the limit rating, you could still be cold if you did not have the proper pad on... (more) |
— | about 6 years ago |
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A: is it safe to use a 4mm cord for French Prusik auto-block friction hitch when rappelling off parallel 10mm dynamic rope? There is a significant difference between using an autoblock for rappelling/lowering and a Prusik for ascending. In the ascending case, the Prusik typically goes around a single strand of the rope while when rappelling, the Prusik goes around both strands. This means you could theoretically, get away... (more) |
— | about 6 years ago |
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A: What NRR (Noise Reduction Rating) should one look for in hearing muffs/earplugs for indoor shooting? Despite what the extremely smart and dedicate (and if I say so myself good looking) individuals in the US military say is the maximum safe exposure, more noise reduction is always better to the extent that it does not hamper situational awareness or impact operational readiness. As a recreational sho... (more) |
— | about 6 years ago |
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A: Winter wear in New York You will see NYU and Columbia students wearing nothing but shorts, a t-shirt, and sandals on all but the coldest days. Assuming you are talking about NYC, a typical commute probably involves no more than 10 minutes outside on pavement that is generally clear of snow and ice. Frostbite any hypothermia... (more) |
— | about 6 years ago |
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A: When did wearing a helmet become the norm for climbing? The BMC history of helmets puts it at 1996 with the introduction of the Petzl Meteor helmet which was a combination of a hard shell and foam helmet. This matches my recollection of when things became popular. There is also a little evidence in this Climbing article (more) |
— | over 6 years ago |
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A: How to keep your fingernail clippers together? There are lots of alternative nail clipper designs. Some of these look better for carrying, and probably prevent the problem, but they may not work as well in a survival situation. For a typical pair of clippers, I suggest taping them so the lever cannot swivel and the cutting edge is covered. That... (more) |
— | over 6 years ago |
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A: Dealing with twists in a rope while belaying This is part of rope management. Your situation sounds like a common one where you are belaying a leader from the ground with a rope out of a rope bag that b has not been flaked prior to the climb. Lots of climbers do this all the time. I suggest two things. The first is to monitor how many kinks you... (more) |
— | over 6 years ago |
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A: How can I know if a rope is certified? I found a hidden tag Is this sufficient reason to conclude that the rope is indeed legitimate for aid/rescue use? Can it carry more than 2000 kg as specified by the NFPA 1983? No, but almost. If your statement was Is this sufficient reason to conclude that the rope WAS indeed legitimate for aid/rescue use? COULD... (more) |
— | over 6 years ago |
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Hiking trails between Mt Moosilauke and Rumney NH I would like to hike from Mt Moosilauke to Rumney NH. From the all trials map it looks like I can take the Carriage Road Trail almost all the way to some sort of extension to the Three Ponds Trail, but it does not look like there is an easy way to connect the last half mile from Breezy Point Rd to wh... (more) |
— | over 6 years ago |
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A: how high does a fence need to be to prevent European brown bear to climb it? While caging animals is slightly different than keeping animals out, it probably provides the best evidence for specifications. Animal enclosures need to be secure, because animals frequently attempt to escape enclosed spaces. I have never heard of a large animal attempting to break into an enclosed ... (more) |
— | over 6 years ago |
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A: Placing protection efficiently when leading trad? I think a big part of speeding up is scouting the route from the ground (or knowing the area) and modifying your gear to the area in question. If you are climbing at Indian Creek, you need a lot of one size cam, with a biner on the end. You place, clip, and go. There are probably so many you are goi... (more) |
— | over 6 years ago |
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A: What is a good tarp setup for very high winds above the tree line? This blog post has two crazy complex tarp pitches, for a 3x3 meter tarp, that are fully enclosed. I have never tried either, but they look promising. The Summit Wedge The Laavu The Low Tetra also seems like it might work (more) |
— | over 6 years ago |
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A: When did indoor climbing gyms start to become popular? I would argue it was June 12th 1988, even though there were only a few indoor gyms in existence at that point. On that day, Patrick Edlinger floated up the outdoor artificial climbing wall built on the side of the Cliff Lodge in Snowbird Utah at the first international sport climbing competition held... (more) |
— | over 6 years ago |