Activity for Greenstone Walker‭

Type	On...	Excerpt	Status	Date
Answer	—	A: Hot coffee brewing solutions for deep woods camping I have used a travel coffee plunger with pre-ground coffee. It worked well (I actually prefer plunger coffee to espresso) but after a couple of trips I decided that the extra bulk wasn't worth it for the nice coffee in the morning. Coffee bags are fine for me. I have seen people in huts use travel ... (more)	—	over 5 years ago
Answer	—	A: Titanium Carabiner: what is its ideal use case? Titanium doesn't rust (or at least, doesn't rust in the timeframe that this gear is typically used for) so this could be a good piece of kit for a surfer or diver. You could hang keys or a waterproof phone pouch on your clothing somewhere or hang your phone on your windsurfer or hook your waterbott... (more)	—	over 6 years ago
Answer	—	A: What is the use of this cord on my backpack? Given that it is above the mesh pocket at the side, my guess is that it is for walking/ski poles. If you need to put the poles away for a short time (for example, a traverse using your ice axe, a river crossing), you don't need to go to the trouble of loosening the compression straps (the ones holdi... (more)	—	over 7 years ago
Answer	—	A: What is the difference between hiking boots and “hunting boots”? From that linked site, "Hunting" just seems to be a marketing term, since most of the boots appear in multiple categories. Here in New Zealand, professional hunters usually wear rubber lace-ups. When you spend weeks in the bush at a time, a leather boot will rot and fall apart. People who hunt for ... (more)	—	over 7 years ago
Answer	—	A: Are there any situations while backpacking that would require a watch? Scheduled Transport If you are catching scheduled transport (e.g. bus or ferry) then you need a watch. There might only be one trip a day. If you miss it, you are stuck for an extra night. You might be ticketed on one particular time, so if you are late, the next bus or plane won't pick you up. Fo... (more)	—	over 7 years ago
Answer	—	A: Why should I take a pocket knife for wild camping / hiking? I carry a Victorinox knife. On my last few trips I've used the various tools on it to pry shellfish off rocks, slice cheese and salami, prepare vegetables, cut sticking plaster, cut duct tape for gear repair, cut cloth to make a dressing, open packets of dehydrated food neatly. I have, in the past,... (more)	—	over 9 years ago
Answer	—	A: Leave no Trace: Are campfires unethical? Let me turn the question around: Is it ethical to use a portable stove to burn irreplaceable fossil fuels? Is it ethical to carry that fossil fuel in a pressurised can (for gas fuel stoves) or metal bottle (for liquid fuel stoves) that can't be easily recycled and so ends up in landfill? However, not... (more)	—	over 9 years ago
Answer	—	A: Why should I carry a snow anchor? If you are roped up for glacier travel and the person in front of you has just fallen in then you can hammer a snow stake in to provide an anchor. Note that in this case you probably won't have your ice axe available since it will be stuck in the ground with your knee bracing it, holding up your mate... (more)	—	almost 10 years ago
Answer	—	A: Best technique to sharpen a knife using a whetstone? Ray Mears has produced videos on sharpening knives. In particular, sharpening them in camp and in the field. The teqhnique is pretty much as @WedaPashi explains it, but it's good to see a video of the correct approach. (more)	—	almost 10 years ago
Answer	—	A: How to check if a fence or cable has electricity without having special tools? Growing up in rural New Zealand, we often encountered electric fences. Some of them were illegally high-powered to deal with big animals. We tested fences either with the back of our hands or with a piece of grass. As specified a few times in this question (thanks @Michael Martinez), using the back... (more)	—	almost 10 years ago
Answer	—	A: How to freeze a water container without deforming it? Don't freeze the bottle - fill it with ice cubes. Better still, don't use ice cubes, use ice sticks that fit in the neck of bottles. (more)	—	almost 10 years ago
Answer	—	A: How to prevent fingers from freezing? I have friends who swear by silk inners. They are thin, so can be worn under other gloves, but are extremely warm for the thickness. Combine these with windstopper outers - as mentioned elsewhere, layering is good practice. On the downside, silk is really expensive, at least where I live. On the u... (more)	—	about 10 years ago
Answer	—	A: How to effectively dry/clean the inside of water bladders? I clean my drinking system with lots of hot water then sterilise it using baby bottle sterilising tablets. Once it is clean, I don't dry it - I store it in the freezer. :-) Additionally, I don't use anything but water. People I know who use powdered drinks or sugar solution tell me the black mold gr... (more)	—	about 10 years ago
Answer	—	A: Is burying human waste always the lowest-impact solution? It is not. The lowest-impact solution is to use a poo-pot. These are compulsory in alpine areas here in New Zealand. Pack it out - Poo pots (more)	—	over 10 years ago
Answer	—	A: Do truly all-season tents exist? If the tent fly can be pitched without the inner then your winter tent becomes a summer tent by leaving the inner at home. (more)	—	over 10 years ago
Answer	—	A: How can I tell if I am dehydrated or have low electrolytes (need salt, etc.)? I asked my fitness instructor this question a few years ago. She had several things to say. Electrolyte replacement is for when you have been in a high cardio, sweating mode continually for an hour or more. Endurance runners and cyclists, yes. Gym bunnies, trampers, walkers, no. Very few things on ... (more)	—	over 10 years ago
Answer	—	A: What to look for when purchasing a fixed blade knife I'm a lurker on two knife-related forums (Bladeforums.com and Knifeforums.com). On both of them, "what knife should I buy" or "what is the best knife for X" are either closed quickly or become very hot topics because there is no right answer, only lots and lots and lots of opinions. See this thread f... (more)	—	over 10 years ago
Answer	—	A: Survival type activies for Scout camp Make a sunhat or rainhat out of grass. Make a stretcher out of wood and bootlaces and carry the heaviest Scout (heh heh) for twenty metres (over some mildly challenging terrain, like a small creek). Boil water in a plastic bottle. Find bugs and worms and cook them and eat them. Make up songs abo... (more)	—	over 10 years ago
Answer	—	A: Group camping - cooking equipment and eating utensils packing list I have cooked for 19 people on a five day trip around Stewart Island in New Zealand. We were eating dehydrated meals (from Backcountry), so our cooking requirements were three large billies and cookers to boil lots of water. Pretty simple stuff. My main advice to you is about serving. The first nig... (more)	—	over 10 years ago
Answer	—	A: Using a "tarp" over the entrance of a snow cave To answer the sleeping bag question: Snow shelters drip. Constantly. You can deal with some of the drips by placing your ungloved finger on the drip and then moving down to the bottom of the wall. The heat of your finger melts a tiny channel and encourages the drip to follow it. Still, you will get d... (more)	—	over 10 years ago
Answer	—	A: How do I determine if a tent can handle strong wind? Generally, the more times the poles cross each other, the better the wind resistance. Additionally, tents with crossed-pole designs usually have better head room. Of course, more poles means more weight and more time required to pitch and strike the tent. How you pitch the tent is also important. Ke... (more)	—	over 10 years ago
Answer	—	A: Trekking poles: Collapsed or fixed? Collapsible poles, compared to fixed poles Easier to fit in luggage. Easier to fit in the side pockets of backpacks when doing something that requires two hands, for example river crossing. Can be loaned to other people who are of different height to you. (more)	—	over 10 years ago
Answer	—	A: How do I fold in / tidy up the straps on my rucksack? I have used rubber bands, kitchen ties, pipe cleaners, half-broken shoelaces and whatever other pieces of small cord I've been able to place my hands on. All except the rubber bands worked well but none worked for more than a day or two. The rubber bands snapped too easily and I felt a little guilty ... (more)	—	over 10 years ago
Answer	—	A: Is there any upper temperature limit for a given sleeping bag? I went out once with a bag that was too warm. Sometime in the night I woke up covered in sweat and freezing cold! My sweat had soaked the down, completely ruining its insulation properties. If you want to go outdoors all year round then you just have to accept that you'll be buying twice the gear. A... (more)	—	over 10 years ago