Posts by Scott Hillson
Keep in mind that smaller does not automatically mean more efficient. A larger van with a diesel engine will easily get better fuel economy than a small van with a petrol engine. That said, indeed...
The first option that comes to mind is a 20 ounce plastic soda bottle or something similar. Lightweight and well sealed, if you fill it only half full it's relatively easy to pour without spilling ...
The complexity of backpacks, as well as the typical use case scenario has a lot to do with why the backpacks themselves aren't waterproofed. For example, the typical day in the life of a bicycle p...
48 hours is very definitively too long for your feet to be wet, even regardless of temperature. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immersion_foot_syndromes From the CDC article "Injury occurs because ...
The good news is, it's compatible with just about every harness. However, you'll only be able to use it with 3mm static cord. It's best that you retire all of that heavy 6mm cord, it's slowing you ...
Your most practical solution would seem to be a wing shelter. For the most part, you simply need your tarp, a tree, sticks and rope. The pdf I attached recommends making it 5 feet tall, but you co...
If there's a solid chance you're going to encounter snow or heavy wind during the trek ( and I'm guessing there is with those elevations ) or the future treks you plan to use the tent with, it's un...
Always have a water proof map of the area you're traveling in ( one with coordinates on each side if you can help it ), and a compass you can use to triangulate your position with. You'll be better...
At the very least, you'll want some type of plastic bottle. You can cut the end off of your plastic bottle and layer in ground ( smashed ) charcoal from your camp fire along with cotton, sand, gras...
You probably already do this, but make sure you mark all 'retired' carabiners with their own color of tape so that you never accidentally climb with one. Then let the fun begin. If you do any back...
If you don't have a scale, you can still figure out roughly how much fuel is in each canister with a simple bowl of water. Drop a full canister in bowl of water and mark the water line. Then, drop ...
Perhaps not surprisingly, there's not a lot of information floating around about what happens when you subject gore-tex to this kind of stress. Gore-tex is a porous material, so stretching it might...
It's quite simple really. If the railway is abandoned, bring an LED headlamp and a set of backup batteries. Edit: Use the buddy system if you can. If the railway is not abandoned, don't step foot ...
They're not cheap, but they exist: http://www.rei.com/product/871649/outdoor-research-stormtracker-heated-gloves http://www.outdoorresearch.com/en/stormtracker-heated-gloves.html
It already has a hole in it, what if you used a cam? Not exactly the cheapest method but potentially the easiest. Edit: if you found the perfect size Tricam that might be a less expensive option
The same way you would with the spine of a knife or other flat piece of metal with enough thickness: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3NYyRLGUMCY
Two arms up (Y) indicates you are in distress. One arm up, one arm down, indicates that you are not in distress. Also, when in distress, our friends in Europe tend to recognize the rule of 3 ( or ...
No, there doesn't seem to be any standard in place for avalanche shovels. Even though an avalanche shovel has to be depended on in a life or death situation, there are plenty of cheap ones out the...
I don't have my copy of How to Survive in Avalanche Terrain in front of me, but one of the things that stood out to me relating to this is the wide variety of avalanche climates that exists not jus...
Quite the contrary, many experiments support the argument that modern carabiners retain their strength or even gain some strength when dropped a couple of times (from a reasonable height). http://...
To put it simply, carry a compass with you that has a clinometer to measure a slope's angle, set one of your poles down on the slope and place the compass on top of the pole to get a solid reading....
Obviously, the more specific you can be about what route you'll actually be taking the better, but the most important detail is nailing down the trailhead or launch point you're going to begin your...
In all likelihood, you just need to replace the helmet. Nearly all helmets, climbing and bicycle helmets included, need to be replaced once they become worn or older than 5 years. Ideally, you woul...
For the purposes of defense, the only situation that comes to mind would be hiking through an area known for criminal activity ( think marijuana farm ). And even then, is a small handgun really goi...
Obviously, you're better off not going near the water in the first place. If there are storm clouds anywhere within your vicinity, do not spend unnecessary time in the water and consider the possib...
