Activity for Eric‭

Type	On...	Excerpt	Status	Date
Edit	Post #41835	Initial revision	—	about 4 years ago
Edit	Post #41777	Initial revision	—	about 4 years ago
Answer	—	A: Are snow shoes useful in mountaineering? Depending on the route, you'll likely need a way to not sink into snow and give you more grip than boots alone. With ice or hardpack snow boots and crampons are great. Most folks with the experience would prefer at skis, Telemark skis, or a splitboard: they're substantially more efficient for longer... (more)	—	over 4 years ago
Answer	—	A: Techniques for handling pumped arms? There is a climbing training technique that's been written about extensively called ARC (Aerobic Respiration and Capillarity). From the article: Aerobic Restoration and Capillarity, or ARCing, is a training approach to develop aerobic endurance by encouraging vascular development. In the worl... (more)	—	about 5 years ago
Answer	—	A: First skills to learn for mountaineering I would put avalanche safety and a wilderness first responder course as my top priorities. They teach you how to not get into trouble and how to help others if you do. Just being able to spot an avalanche field is critical, and knowing the signs of a traumatic brain injury (just as an example) can ea... (more)	—	over 7 years ago
Question	—	What is this wet/oily residue all over the rocks in my yard? I live in the Sierra Nevadas, a little over 8,000 feet up. There's an area in my yard that has rocks with a bright shiny sheen to them. I've seen some kind of coating on nearby plants (which doesn't seem to harm them), which I'm guessing is maybe the same thing. Some facts: It's a 30 square foot a... (more)	—	over 7 years ago
Answer	—	A: Snowboarding / Skiing - snow gathers on our goggles - what do you do to deal with this problem? I ride a lot and have never seen any gadgets for fixing this. It depends on the snow as well, since the bigger wetter stuff (so cal / washington mountains) tends to be much more of a problem than the bone dry stuff (co / slc mountains). Worse is that in conditions with lots of snow coming down you m... (more)	—	about 8 years ago
Answer	—	A: Any swim goggles that may be beneficial for a surfer? You might want to try a baseball cap that you're not really that fond of. I've safety pinned mine onto my wetsuit leash and it was okay-ish. A lot depends on where you are, and the differences between the tropics and higher latitudes can be really extreme. It also depends on how long you're going t... (more)	—	over 8 years ago
Answer	—	A: How to deal with a tooth infection? From the WMA emergency medical protocol (WFR's and WEMT's): Urgent evacuation to higher level care is required if fever, swelling, or severe pain is present. Although the pain of dental infection can be extreme, the more critical issues are related to the spread of infection. Patients with more seri... (more)	—	over 8 years ago
Answer	—	A: How to introduce individuals to the concept of Leave No Trace As others have commented, I would focus on practicality and then start bringing up the LNT doctrine. I have two little kids I go backpacking with. The last time out I explained that if we walked 50 steps from the trail to take a whizz that it created a much bigger area of potential whizz sites than ... (more)	—	over 8 years ago
Answer	—	A: Toothpaste in the back-country and the principle of leave no trace Baking soda (sodium bicarbonate). It's naturally occurring, and to get a level of toxicity to animals you would need to get to 450mg per liter. Unless you're operating a mine or using literally tons of the stuff, it's quite safe and you'll never get near that. From a 2008 USGS study: Chronic toxi... (more)	—	over 8 years ago
Answer	—	A: Transporting Large Amounts of Fish You can still buy those coolers at area grocery stores. If you're headed out of San Diego (where I'm at), I could give you the names of specific locations. There are also processors that will be waiting for you at the dock (in every major sport fishing location I've seen) that will chop and paper y... (more)	—	over 8 years ago
Answer	—	A: Protein-intake on extended minimal-weight treks I do a lot of strength training when not backpacking, and try to keep my protein up around 140 grams per day, on average. I asked a related question over on the fitness.stackexchange.com site, and at this point make all my own meals (usually with my dehydrator) because I find pre-made-hiker-food to b... (more)	—	over 8 years ago
Answer	—	A: When is it unethical to dismantle a fire-ring? Different land managers have different takes on this so I don't think you're going to get a solid answer that applies across all areas. I generally use the term "trail camp" to describe what you're talking about. An area with up turned rocks for sitting and doing stuff on, a fire ring, some flat sp... (more)	—	over 8 years ago
Answer	—	A: Which is the best clothing in extreme heat? I'll offer up my experiences. I spent a summer in the Sea of Cortez, in which the night time lows didn't go under 100f and the sea water temperature was above 90f for months. It was around 20 degrees latitude, and was extremely hot. In pure sun like that, you need to keep the sun off of your skin, ... (more)	—	almost 9 years ago
Answer	—	A: How many clothes should I bring to Philmont, or any long backpacking trip? Personally, I keep it simple. One long sleeve shirt for daytime use, one long sleeve shirt at night. I wear one set of boxers in a week, and a pair of long underwear at night (if it's under 50f). One pair of pants I can roll up. Three pairs of socks per week. One to wear, one for bed, and one that's... (more)	—	almost 9 years ago
Answer	—	A: What format should I use to report my location to emergency responders? In the marine environment, it's often a little easier if you reference a known location. Offshore, you want to use lat/lon coordinates for sure. But if you're a mile from the coast (or less), it's a lot easier for people to find you if you say "We're a hundred yards south of buoy three, looking at t... (more)	—	almost 9 years ago
Question	—	Is a smartphone or dedicated gps receiver better for navigation in the desert? For most backcountry navigation I use a topo map and compass when necessary. Generally I'm following known trails and combined with some basic awareness of cardinal direction and land features I don't really need electronics. This fall, I'm going to a large desert that's fairly off the beaten track ... (more)	—	almost 9 years ago
Question	—	Where is the optimal place to do dishes in the backcountry? I just came back from a backpacking trip in an alpine area. I was cleaning some kitchen items (pot, spork, pan, etc) with some remnant food particles that were coming off. I use a very small amount of baking soda or campsuds to clean with. I know to stay at least 200' away from water sources, and n... (more)	—	about 9 years ago
Answer	—	A: When rain jackets wear out, do they soak through? I would imagine it's a breath-ability issue. "Breathable" waterproof fabrics, in my experience, are basically "pretty waterproof and allow some/most moisture out in most conditions." Especially in high humidity or in absolutely soaking weather, the math isn't right for the membrane to allow moistu... (more)	—	about 9 years ago
Answer	—	A: Are surface plugs effective for fishing in choppy water? I'm not sure if you're talking fresh or salt. In salt water I used various plugs (primarily cedar) in some really beefy conditions. 1000+ miles offshore, tradewind belt, 4 meter seas, etc. In those conditions (trolling), the plug is mimicking a bait fish that's at the surface, occasionally popping ... (more)	—	about 9 years ago
Question	—	The re-hydration time for deydrated foods I've got a lot of backpacking trips lined up this summer, including one multi-week one. I'm considering picking up a dehydrator because: It probably would be more cost effective than buying freeze dried food. I get more (total, in fact) control over the ingredients. In addition to meals, I can make... (more)	—	about 9 years ago