Posts by Tullochgorum
Typical volume requirements Pack requirements vary hugely depending on your hiking style, the weather, and on the length and purpose of your trip. But to get you oriented, here are some typical vo...
As a supplement to @ShemSeger's answer, NZ rucksack makers Aarn offer clip-on front pockets that help counterbalance the weight of a kid on your back if you're using a carrier with a waist-belt and...
Developing a flexible system for racking your gear I guess that racking using a particular pack would work in certain specific circumstances, but to me it looks inflexible: Everything is in a fi...
Late to the party, but the current answers don't really highlight a vital safety point for solo hikers. The risks of solo hiking have been transformed by the advent of PLBs (Personal Location Beac...
There is a clear answer here: just don't do it! Glacier rescue is challenging - you need to know the techniques and practice them seriously. And I can tell you from experience that a glacier rescu...
TL/DR: There's really no argument - just carry a PLB for any non-trivial trip! This is a question I've discussed with the leaders of SAR teams. They are unanimous that responsible use of a PLB mak...
Foot health and blister prevention is a large subject - you can literally write a book about it. My understanding was greatly increased by John Vonhof's Fixing Your Feet, which is regarded as the c...
BACKPACKING AND LONG-DISTANCE WALKING Based Chris Townsend's decades of experience as a walker and equipment reviewer, this is the most comprehensive guide to walking trails. Although the author...
I have a bee in my bonnet about this one. Conventional trekking poles evolved out of ski-poles, but they have a different function and simply don't work very well for walking. The warning sign is...
Iridium Sims Iridium currently offer a very basic entry-level Emergency Plan for $25 a month, which suggests that you will not get any emergency facilities without an active plan. You don't say w...
Great question! In the UK, in many ways the cradle of mountaineering as a sport, it was common to wear traditional shepherds footwear known variously as shepherds boots, fell boots or hill boots d...
There are a number of factors you should be considering when sizing your hiking shoes. LONG DISTANCE HIKING For long thru-hikes, it is very common to go up a size, because after a few days of bat...
In addition to the other excellent answers, you should be aware of the dangers of the infamous Scottish midge. Before I destroy the Scottish tourist industry, in most places and seasons midges ar...
With a shelter like this, it's mainly the ridge pole that tensions the fly. You don't give details, but usually the length of the ridge pole will be adjustable. If the fly is sagging, try using a ...
Your friend isn't thinking clearly. Imagine they had asked the question: On a cold night, is sleeping naked and unprotected better than sleeping in a sleeping bag? Everyone intuitively knows th...
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