Michael Martinez‭

When a snake rattles at you, it wants you to move away from it. Rattlers will warn you first before striking, giving you enough time to move away. My wife and I were hiking once in the desert, she...

posted 9y ago by Michael Martinez‭  ·  last activity 9y ago by System‭

I have backpacked and camped in the Rocky Mountains most of my life (and also more recently in the Sierra Nevadas) and have never had any issues with bears. I would say that as long as you're not s...

posted 10y ago by Michael Martinez‭

The mountains in the West are larger, higher elevation, and therefore possibly more strenuous than what you're used to. So: extra physical preparation and altitude climatization. Generally the Wes...

posted 10y ago by Michael Martinez‭

I used to do a lot of backpacking with my wife in the backcountry in the Rocky Mountains. The places we hiked were remote - often hours would pass without seeing anybody else. I gave thought to get...

posted 10y ago by Michael Martinez‭

The only time I'm aware when you shouldn't leave feces behind is near bodies of water (within 200 yards of a body of water), which is why the feces are packed out of the Grand Canyon. (This is taki...

posted 10y ago by Michael Martinez‭

Wild bears don't like the smell of warm man-flesh. So, you're inside your tent, make some noise, move around, talk. The bear will go away. You don't need to use your shotgun, you don't need to use ...

posted 9y ago by Michael Martinez‭

Protein powder. Add it to your food. Add it to water. Add it to hot-water+powdered milk.

posted 9y ago by Michael Martinez‭

Don't use an intact sunfish as bait. cut it up and use the cut pieces on your hook. But, as far as attracting and hooking big largemouths, while at the same time deterring other types of fish, wh...

posted 9y ago by Michael Martinez‭

I've spent many years hiking and camping in the Rocky Mountains and California, and animals I have seen more than once or regularly include black bears, deer, elk, moose, wild turkey, beaver, mount...

posted 9y ago by Michael Martinez‭

I've got a pair of Keen hiking boots that, at their best when brand new, never had a particularly good grip, and now, a few years later, have simply lost any grip to speak of. They are so slippery ...

1 answer  ·  posted 7y ago by Michael Martinez‭  ·  last activity 7y ago by System‭

I don't know about online website, but you can use a handheld GPS like Etrex to keep track of your progress. And since this stores GPS in a common format, you can import this data into another prog...

posted 10y ago by Michael Martinez‭

Be aware of the difference between removal of harmful pathogens and removal of chemical contamination. Harmful pathogens include amoeba, bacteria, viruses, and worms, and these are effectively de...

posted 10y ago by Michael Martinez‭

For certain contaminants such as Giardia, it doesn't matter whether the water is running fast or slow. You will get infected regardless. So this idea about "fast water" is a myth that is not correc...

posted 10y ago by Michael Martinez‭

The Pocket Survival Guide. by J. Wayne Fears Accurate, concise, to the point.

posted 10y ago by Michael Martinez‭

Instead of running or walking, I recommend you go to the gym and do the Stairmaster. This will provide an aerobic workout while building the muscles you need for hiking and scrambling. This is what...

posted 10y ago by Michael Martinez‭  ·  last activity 10y ago by System‭