Posts by nhinkle
If you choose to go backpacking in the Sierra Nevada in April, prepare yourself as if you were going in winter, because there will still be significant snow, and you could be hit by a blizzard at a...
With a large enough canoe, you can simply put the bike in the canoe, albeit somewhat precariously. What's more common though is for people to bike their canoe to an input, lock up the bike on shore...
Suppose one is in distress in the wilderness, and is being searched for by planes or helicopters because they thoughtfully told their friends where they were going and when they'd be back. Alternat...
IMO the best solution right now is not to go. I live in the PNW, and I'm simply avoiding strenuous exercise until air quality improves. I wouldn't enjoy hiking with a mask on, and it's unhealthy to...
I would say any time you're in an undeveloped area, it is OK and perhaps the most ethical thing to do, to dismantle fire rings. They encourage over-use of a particular spot, collect trash, etc. W...
According to the features list for The North Face Men's Borealis Pack, that is called a: Front elastic bungee for external storage
Many people travel for days or weeks in bear country. Several existing questions on this site address bear and camp/food related issues. If you've never traveled in areas with bears before, you sho...
Self-assessment is difficult because your level of consciousness (LOC) may be impaired. Unfortunately, one's own state of mind is also very difficult to self-assess. I'll list here a brief overview...
I've had a couple of opportunities to go standup paddle boarding (SUP'ing) which is pretty fun. Every time I've used one so far, I've rented it form a place where somebody pointed and said, "OK...
I like using a soap and sponge, but it's not the only solution. It is possible to cut the weight of a soap and sponge setup pretty significantly. Using a small scrubby like the one shown below work...
I think you already answered your own question. Most dedicated GPS devices are more rugged, have better battery life, and don't require a data connection to work well. A phone has a lot of power ov...
I see 0 benefit to a tarp over a tent with regards to travel in bear country. this would allow the bear to see you (and leaving accordingly) Bears are going to smell you and your camp long b...
Black Bears simply don't like the smell of warm man-flesh; in fact, if one notices you, it's likely to take off. I've had bears sniffing around my camp before. Assuming all your food is safely stor...
Yes. There's nothing wrong with melting snow and then purifying it with a standard water filter. Most of the water in mountain streams was snow at some point anyways. That being said, this is gen...
Fossils are very prevalent in certain geographic areas, and practically non-existent in others. A lot of that depends on the geography of the area – both the present geology and the geologic histor...
No, it will not. A bear will smell your food regardless of what container you put it in. A dry bag may reduce the distance from which a bear can smell your food, but will not make it impossible to ...
This information is available under the Specs on Jetboil's website. 100g canister: 100g fuel; gross weight 194g; empty weight 94g (51.5% fuel by weight) 230g canister: 230g fuel; gross weight 356...
This is a very personal, subjective thing, and I don't think anybody can tell you exactly what type or even style of ski to get when you're first starting out. The perfect ski depends on how much y...
This answer will focus on food storage, since that's what I know the most about and it hasn't been addressed in other answers yet. There are two common means of food storage in bear country: Hang...
When I'm cross-country skiing, I usually wear glacier glasses to protect from the intense glare off the snow. When I'm moving, they usually stay clear . Whenever I stop though, my glasses seem to ...
Other answers have addressed the "why", but let's talk about the "what's real" regarding lumens. Before we get into calculation the actual output of this light (which is definitely nowhere near 2...
There are many methods of preserving food for days, weeks, or even years. Traditional methods include canning, pickling, smoking/jerky, and dehydration. There are modern counterparts to all of thes...
Those types of glasses do not provide adequate protection from sunlight, especially in areas with lots of reflective surfaces (desert, snow) and at high elevations where there's more UV radiation d...
Anybody who has severe allergies which could lead to anaphylaxic shock should carry appropriate medication with them. Typically, that would consist of: An antihistamine (e.g. benadryll) An epinep...
From a related post: Lumens is the SI unit for luminous flux, which is essentially the total amount of light in the visible spectrum emitted by a source in all directions. Lumens does not depe...
