Activity for Tullochgorum‭

Type	On...	Excerpt	Status	Date
Answer	—	A: What are some good tips and techniques for packing a backpack? OK, so here's a completely different take on this. I'm an enthusiastic customer of Aarn Packs - a specialist New Zealand company. They are one of the few manufacturers to explore load carrying from the ground up, in conjunction with a university department of ergonomics. The radical answer to impro... (more)	—	about 8 years ago
Answer	—	A: Why are people so worried about Giardia? Some excellent research-based answers here, so I'll focus on the practical implications. First, and most importantly: Most intestinal infections in the backcountry aren't caused by bad water - the main danger is poor personal hygiene in a setting where many allow standards to slip. So ... (more)	—	about 8 years ago
Answer	—	A: What are the main disadvantages to a kiteboat in terms of long distance bluewater sailing? The examples on the site only show inshore sports sailing with a hydrofoil. This does look like fun, and downwind performance can be exceptional. Though I doubt that inshore fleet racing would be possible as the kites would surely get tangled. As for bluewater sailing, it seems that no-one is argui... (more)	—	about 8 years ago
Answer	—	A: How much should your backpack weigh? First, what are your priorities? At one end of the scale you have fastpackers who aim to cover as much ground as possible and damn the discomfort. At the other end, you have people who want to hike a few miles and sit around a fire in their camp chairs cracking open ice-cold beers. These two groups ... (more)	—	about 8 years ago
Answer	—	A: When is it appropriate to make a cairn? What are the issues? There are two issues here: the siting of official navigation cairns by whoever is responsible for maintaining the trail, and the building of unofficial cairns by visitors. Official cairns For official cairns, attitudes to waymarking vary widely in different countries based on ... (more)	—	about 8 years ago
Answer	—	A: What materials are suitable for constructing a sleeping mat? Personally the sleeping mat is one of the last things I would leave out of my pack. Inflatable mats with internal baffles like the top-of-the-range Thermarests and Expeds are much less bulky than closed-cell foam mats, and much warmer and more comfortable too. Perhaps I'm getting soft in my old age, ... (more)	—	about 8 years ago
Answer	—	A: How can I signal for help in the wilderness? WHAT ARE YOUR OPTIONS? You have three main choices: A dedicated PLB (Personal Locator Beacon) A satellite messenger with added rescue facilities (DeLorme or Spot) Conventional measures such as a whistle, strobe light, mirror or flare. For any non-trivial situation, I believe the PLB is unambiguo... (more)	—	about 8 years ago
Answer	—	A: How do you best treat a turned ankle in the back country? I was once the rather unhappy participant in a study on ankle injury treatment at the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary. I came in with a serious injury and was told that with conventional treatment I would have been immobilised for weeks. What they did was plunge my ankle in ice for as long as it was be... (more)	—	over 8 years ago
Answer	—	A: How to plan a day hike Some good answers here, but so far no-one has mentioned perhaps the single most important safety-factor: Understand the reality of the hazards you are facing, and be sure you have the skills to cope with them Depending on the area and the season, the risk factors you should be considering might... (more)	—	over 8 years ago
Answer	—	A: Does a pound on your foot equal 5 pounds on your back? Yes - it's true. The source is a 1984 study by the U.S. Army Research Institute, which found that it takes up to 6.4 times as much energy to move at a given pace when weight is carried in the footwear as against the torso. When I was a kid we all walked in monsters like this, at almost 4 lbs a pai... (more)	—	over 8 years ago
Answer	—	A: Stoveless/fireless hiking food suggestions I think that Klara pretty much nailed it. I've been stoveless for a bit now, and I haven't found any hidden gems that people aren't aware of. What I do find is that on longer treks where the food becomes monotonous it pays to buy the best artisan products available, as they are usually a lot tastier... (more)	—	over 8 years ago
Answer	—	A: Most efficient training before alpine hiking/climbing? A personal anecdote. Two fairly unfit blokes go to the Alps and spend a week on long but easy training climbs. Then they are joined by two athlete friends who are in hard marathon training. The two fairly unfit blokes who have trained in the Alps proceed to walk the runners into the ground for the ne... (more)	—	about 9 years ago
Answer	—	A: Using a synthetic sleeping bag on/under it's limit In my experience the two most important things you can do to improve the range of a bag are: Improve your ground insulation. Warm your extremities. Ground insulation is far more important than most people appreciate. If budget is no object you can invest in the NeoAir Xtherm, which is a breakthro... (more)	—	about 9 years ago
Answer	—	A: Hiking boot fit: how snug should height of instep feel Good luck in your quest to find a well-fitting boot - I never managed it. So I'm going to suggest an alternative approach. Outside of technical snow and ice, more and more walkers are abandoning boots altogether in favour of trail shoes and sandals. And for good reason. I used boots for decades and ... (more)	—	about 9 years ago
Answer	—	A: Driving tent pegs into rocky ground If the ground is firm or frozen rather than rocky I strongly recommend a quality Y shaped peg such as the Groundhog. When made with good materials this shape is so strong it can easily withstand repeated pounding with heavy stones, and I've never found ground so hard that I can't set up a secure ... (more)	—	about 9 years ago
Answer	—	A: How to straighten a bent tent pole You say that the tent is held up by a single straight pole. That pole looks pretty minimal for the job, so if you make a straight replacement you'll likely face the same issue again. If you walk with trekking poles, you may have the option of using one as a tent pole if you use a little ingenuity. ... (more)	—	about 9 years ago

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