Posts by StrongBad
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...
While trying to answer Why static rope rather than webbing for toprope anchors? I immediately thought about splices in long pieces of webbing. For example, REI says that spools of Blue Water webbin...
From what I can piece together, according to the The Gunks Guide by Swain the protection rating system was proposed in Rocky Heights, A Guide to Boulder Free Climbs by Erickson. According to Swain ...
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...
The animal may startle causing harm to itself or others. For example Nature Workshops says: Wild animals that have been approached too closely, have: Been startled and run into traffi...
My philosophy when bailing from routes is to first try and escape to an easier route. If that fails try and down climb/down lead. If all else fails, rappel off a single bomber piece. Ideally the si...
One complaint about using the Munter hitch for belaying is that it twists and kinks the rope. After doing a full rope length rappel with a Munter hitch down a slightly overhanging face to the base ...
When free climbing with a partner the first time, I explain that he/she owes me a beer for every nut that I need the nut tool for. This drastically improves efficiency since it makes the leader rea...
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...
In terms of clothing insulation there is the concept of the CLO. The key equation is T = (31 − 0.155·P·R)°C where P is 48 W/m² while sleeping, R is the number of CLOs, and T is the temperature in...
There can be a slight weight savings for a double bag over two single bags. This is difficult to fully calculate, especially if one person sleeps warmer than the other or if there is a height diffe...
I am considering hiking 100 Mile Wilderness in Maine with my son. He would be 7 at the time. My biggest concern as we are thinking about this are the river fords since some of them can come up to t...
Rock climbing cams often have integrated slings. Like all webbing, these slings can be degraded by UV and wear out much sooner than the cam themselves. There are numerous companies that will "profe...
To set an equalized 3 point anchor, at a minimum you need 3 single length sling (2 ft) lops (6 feet total), a 1-foot, 3-strand, clip in loop (3 feet total), and a couple feet for the knot. With suc...
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: ...
While not supported by any hard evidence, in How to Rock Climb by John Long he says Because it is rate that a pocket will accommodate all of your fingers, the first choice is the strong middle ...
While rock climbing, when crimping a hold, I always use my index finger (and whatever other fingers fit) since I can stack my thumb on top. For two finger pockets is it better to use your index and...
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...
The obvious disadvantages for these types of tents are that they occupy valuable roof space making mounting racks (e.g., bike, kayak, or gear) more difficult and that you must pack up your tent eve...
I have heard a number of people say that a pound on your foot equals 5 pounds on your back. Is there any hard evidence to support this claim and how does the terrain affect it?
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...
