Posts by StrongBad
There are two types of bear bags. The first is similar to a bear canister but made out of strong cloth (often kevlar) and wire mesh with a metal insert to prevent crushing. The brand I am most fami...
Sleeping bags come in a variety of sizes (e.g., https://www.outdoors.org/articles/amc-outdoors/how-to-fit-a-sleeping-bag). The most common being regular and long (sometimes there is a short and som...
Freezer bag cooking refers to cooking by boiling water in a pot, add the boiling water to a zip-lock type freezer bag filled with the meal, placing the filled bag in an insulating cozy, and letting...
I don't think of myself as being a paranoid individual, but I am cautious about people I meet when hiking. For example, if I am eating lunch at a site less than a mile from an infrequently used tra...
They sell small electric coolers (e.g., this one by Coleman) that run off of battery power (you can swap out your car battery with a marine battery or get a second battery/solar setup). As you are ...
I like this article on vapor barriers. Your trash bag will act as a very good vapor barrier on the parts of your body that it covers. You are going to need a really large garbage bag, or a hole cut...
While I am not brave enough to call John Dunne fat, Climbing Magazine did. So there is at least one objectively fat climber that could send 5.14. That man can float up some seriously hard stuff: h...
In terms of sleeping, a sleeping pad performs two purposes. The first is to provide warmth and down is a good insulator. The Exped XP 9 LW has an R value of 8.00, a weight of 41.3 oz, a length of 7...
It sounds like this would fall under the category of high angle rescue. This is not something that you want to get into. It sounds like you would be at most 2.5 miles from the an easy extraction po...
One issue with a long traverse is that if the second falls, they may be unable to easily get back on the route. This means that there is an increased likelihood that you will need to escape the bel...
I would argue that this is not as stupid as it sounds, although you will want to get someone with good experience to help you. In your situation, I would avoid the railing completely as you just do...
The Skytop area at the Gunks has a number of stellar climbs including Foops (5.11) and Super Crack (5.12+). From what I can piece together, climbing there requires a guide and buying a meal/pass at...
Finding quality 1/4" hangers has been problematic for a long time. There was a thread on the topic on Super Topo back in 2009. The best solution back then were the Moses hangers (Moses actually pos...
The general question is not really answerable, but the specific question in regards to Mt Tapulao is answerable. The link you provided says that guides have been required since 2013. While I am not...
Despite not being a knot, I think a bale sling meets your requirements. There is little resistance on the hitch meaning it will cinch tight pretty easily and it is difficult to release while loaded...
Assuming a vertical, as opposed to traversing, route that is not overhanging, you unclip the rope from the piece and then pull yourself up just like the leader did. Once you are high enough above t...
My family, including my 7 yo, are thinking about taking a week trip down the Alabama Scenic River Trail next year. What type of kayaking experience is needed for a trip like this? How can we benchm...
Most campground in Maryland State parks are not dispersed. The exception is Green Ridge State Forest Primitive camping has become a rare opportunity as most Public and Private campgrounds have ...
I am a little confused by this answer about whether or not cotton "kills". Cotton is clearly a poor choice for an insulating layer in wet environments since its insulating properties are heavily d...
The best strategy is to probably hike an alternate hike. Instead of the traditional NOBO GAME route with a start date at the end of March, you could go SOBO, or do a flip flop, or start early or la...
In a lot of ways you pitch a tarp similarly to a tent. Running ground water is an issue for both types of shelters. Many tarp users use bathtub type ground cloths which are essentially the same as...
There seems to be conflicting information on the web about how to use a Munter hitch for belaying and rappelling while rock climbing. The way I learned decades ago is consistent with Nols Wildernes...
NSTs do not have a uniform set of rules. That said for the major trails, there are good websites that can answer many of your questions. The ATC website says that dogs are NOT allowed in 3 areas: ...
A pretty common trick when winter camping is to dry anything that gets damp/wet (e.g., base layers and socks) in your sleeping bag (cf. How do you dry wet socks when camping/backpacking if it's rai...
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 mor...
