Activity for Paul Paulsen
| Type | On... | Excerpt | Status | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Edit | Post #41766 | Initial revision | — | over 4 years ago |
| Edit | Post #40133 | Initial revision | — | over 4 years ago |
| Edit | Post #40110 | Initial revision | — | over 4 years ago |
| Edit | Post #39651 | Initial revision | — | over 4 years ago |
| Edit | Post #39595 | Initial revision | — | over 4 years ago |
| Question | — |
Skis versus snow shoes - when to choose which for travelling the backcountry? When travelling the backcountry in high snow, do snow shoes or skis perform better? By "perform better" I mean how tiring and fast travel is. Is there a general answer, or does it depend on the conditions like kind of snow and depth, temperature, slope etc.? Under which conditions would snow shoes ... (more) |
— | over 5 years ago |
| Question | — |
What is this white substance some climbers smear on their legs? In Dean Potters and Sean Leary's 2010 attempt to take the speed record of The Nose at El Capitan in Yosemite, Dean Potter has something white on his legs (and arms?): What could this be, and which purpose does it serve? (more) |
— | almost 6 years ago |
| Question | — |
Why would you climb hard bigwall projects in Yosemite in winter? One of the hardest routes on El Cap, The Dawn Wall, was done by Tommy Caldwell and Kevin Jorgeson in January 2015. What are some of the reasons to choose to climb such a hard route in winter, when the conditions are probably more adversary? (more) |
— | almost 6 years ago |
| Question | — |
Should I take my weight into account when buying and retiring climbing equipment? In this excellent answer to Ideal and Minimal Rope Diameter for Lead Climbing it is shown how the falling weight affects the drops a rope is expected to survive. This led me to the following questions: Should I take my weight into account when I buy climbing equipment, especially if I am heavier ... (more) |
— | almost 6 years ago |
| Question | — |
Should I do exercises for finger strength as an intermediate, heavy climber? I am climbing for quite a while now and would consider myself a beginning-intermediate climber. I feel my technique has significantly improved over the last year. I am very heavy (1,80m and 100kg) and have large hands for my size, which makes me struggle very often on smaller holds. Even in the level... (more) |
— | almost 6 years ago |
| Answer | — |
A: What basic body position should I be in during a downhill ski run? I think it is important between position and turning technique. I am going to focus on the position you want to have while going straight, without actively breaking, accelerating or turning - i.e. a "neutral" or "basic" position. First of all I agree with @Gabriel C. that you should have an active s... (more) |
— | almost 6 years ago |
| Answer | — |
A: What is the best way to cross a wide river in winter? From how it sounds, the river is too deep to walk through. I strongly advise against trying to swim through it in winter - if you are not well trained, well equipped and know the river very well, this is very likely deadly. Also, I advise against using some makeshift equipment or a blow-up raft. The... (more) |
— | almost 6 years ago |
| Question | — |
Bird identification from feathers - brown-black feathers, medium size, West Sweden While hiking in western Sweden in October this year, I came across a bunch of feathers on my trail: To me it looked like the leftovers of a small to medium bird of prey, which was seemingly eaten by a different animal. Here is a closeup of some of the feathers: The longest feather is about 18 cm l... (more) |
— | almost 6 years ago |
| Answer | — |
A: Do emergency space blankets actually work? Yes, they do. Their task is to reflect as much of the heat radiation of your body back to it, while also inhibiting heat convection and conduction as good as possible without becoming bulky. They are great at this. However, how helpful they are for you depends on your concrete situation. Short ter... (more) |
— | almost 6 years ago |
| Question | — |
Can I fall out of my sit harness? In sport and trad climbing, a sit harness is widely used (except for children). However, I wondered if there is the possibility to fall out of it? One situation where I could see this happen is in climbing a roof, when the hands lose grip on the holds first and you fall head first. (more) |
— | over 7 years ago |
| Question | — |
Good resources for climbing We have a number of questions dealing with how start climbing, how to learn it (and how not to learn it) - e.g. Is it realistic to teach yourself rock climbing?, What to teach someone who wants to start lead climbing?, Reference request: books on self-rescue while climbing Regardless from how I am p... (more) |
— | over 7 years ago |
| Question | — |
How to learn ski touring I love the idea of ski touring. However, I wonder what would be the best way to learn it. Should I focus on learning alpine and cross-country skiing and then combine the two, or should I rather just start with easy routes? Should I take lessons? I am an intermediate alpine skier, but lack any experi... (more) |
— | almost 8 years ago |
| Question | — |
What to look for when buying used windsurfing equipment? When I buy used windsurfing equipment, what should I check it for? Obviously, visible damage would be bad, but what else? I have read that one shouldn´t buy old boards from the 80's since they are very different from concept and technique than modern ones and can´t be paired with modern sa... (more) |
— | over 8 years ago |
| Question | — |
Essential windsurfing moves In windsurfing there exist many different moves. Apart from the very basic techniques (like uphauling the sail), which moves are considered essential for windsurfing? Which order is good for learning them? (more) |
— | over 8 years ago |
| Question | — |
Best time to buy used (wind-)surfing equipment I am wondering if there is a best time to buy used surfing equipment. Is there any time when the offered variety will be greatest or when the prices will be lowest? Would that be just after season or at the start? Will this differ for windsurfing, kitesurfing and waveriding? (more) |
— | over 8 years ago |
| Question | — |
Prevent athlete´s foot (re)infection in barefoot shoes? How can I prevent (re-)infecting myself from my barefoot shoes? The obvious answer would be not to wear them while I am infected, but taken that aside, are there possibilities to clean/disinfect the shoes so I can wear them again? Is there a possibility to reinfect myself again at all? My shoes - as... (more) |
— | over 9 years ago |
| Question | — |
Prevent athlete´s foot (re)infection in barefoot shoes? How can I prevent (re-)infecting myself from my barefoot shoes? The obvious answer would be not to wear them while I am infected, but taken that aside, are there possibilities to clean/disinfect the shoes so I can wear them again? Is there a possibility to reinfect myself again at all? My shoes - as... (more) |
— | over 9 years ago |
| Question | — |
How to put on footwraps correctly? In this answer @Vorac mentions footwraps. So I wondered, if I want to try them, how should I put them on? Does anyone have experience with this? Are there different methods to try? (more) |
— | over 9 years ago |
| Answer | — |
A: How far would you need to fall for it to be fatal? There is no such thing as this certain height. You can fall from a chair, hit your head badly and be right dead. On the other hand, a couple of people fell thousands of meters (without parachutes...) and survived. Some things affecting the outcome of the fall are: Your posture (head/feet first), th... (more) |
— | over 9 years ago |
| Question | — |
Climbing barefoot/in toe-shoes? I recently went bouldering for the first time and liked it a lot. One thing I wondered about are the climbing shoes. The mostly form your feet to a very firm, compact package. So the following question came up in my mind: Why don´t climbers embrace the power of their toes? Why can´t I find anybody c... (more) |
— | over 9 years ago |
| Answer | — |
A: How to check if a fence or cable has electricity without having special tools? I understand your question such that you are asking about fences for livestock and alike, not high-security fences. It is your responsibility to check if you could get in danger. If the fence looks like it was made to withstand humans and/or aggressive animals, I suggest not to touch it with anything... (more) |
— | almost 10 years ago |
| Answer | — |
A: Reusing the same water bottle for drinking tap water More important than the cleaning is, in my opinion the choice of the bootle. I switched to a bottle explicitly designed for a use like yours, in my case a Nalgene drinking bottle. My reasons for doing so: Health concerns: While I think there are regulations about what materials are allowed in drink... (more) |
— | about 10 years ago |
| Answer | — |
A: Camping on a uninhabited island in Sweden's skärgård near Gothenburg Some considerations I can think of: Legality As long as it is not a nature reserve or a military restricted area, it should be allowed. You could probably check with some authority if it applies to the smaller islands as well. I would just try to contact Naturvårdsverket or Gothenburgs tourist ... (more) |
— | over 10 years ago |
| Question | — |
Disposal of Gore-Tex or other membrane products Somebody told me that Gore-Tex products would be hazardous waste. Is this true? If I want to dispose of them, what should I do? What are the dangerous substances? Is this true for other breathable membranes as well? Are there membranes that are free from toxic substances? (more) |
— | over 10 years ago |
| Answer | — |
A: Do truly all-season tents exist? Many 4-season tents cannot be ventilated as well as tents made for summer conditions. Also, they tend to be larger. this means, you can use them, but it won´t be ideal. This differs a lot with the actual models you are comparing, some might be well suited for all conditions. Note that the tempe... (more) |
— | over 10 years ago |
| Answer | — |
A: Affordable Festival Tent In Germany, cheaper pop-up tents like this are quite popular for festivals. I would never buy one, though, for the following reasons: Every tent of those I have seen have been very prone to breaking. A friend of mine just discovered his (brand new one) was broken when he arrived on the campground. ... (more) |
— | over 10 years ago |
| Question | — |
How do permits for US/Canada public land work? I recently read an article stating that to access Banff National Park, you need several permits: A park permit, a backcountry permit and, if you want to, a fire permit. I also read about these permits frequently on TGO, for example here and here. For me, this system is completely new, since everywh... (more) |
— | over 10 years ago |
| Answer | — |
A: Wasp repellent for an object/area? Since the problem seems to be that the wasps enjoy nesting around your camera, I would suggest making it unattractive for them. For example, cover it with a kind of box or anything similar. Normally wasps and kind like cracks, corners and similar things to glue their nest to. If you present them wi... (more) |
— | over 10 years ago |
| Answer | — |
A: What are some ways/devices that I can use to charge my batteries in the wilderness? Apart from the often mentioned possibility of bringing enough batteries or buying new ones along the way, I would like to list possibilities for recharging. As already mentioned by @LBell, there are the following two: Solar: Solar panels come in a great variety, allowing to find something for most... (more) |
— | over 10 years ago |
| Answer | — |
A: How well does solar recharging work when strapped to the backpack? The answer will vary widely for different types of solar panels. For example, some are not suitable for use while walking or can only charge via USB. General considerations Solar cells have the highest power the more vertical the sun rays hit them. Around 50° N the optimum is around 30-40... (more) |
— | over 10 years ago |
| Answer | — |
A: Allemansrätten: What restrictions? This answer shall try to provide a comprehensive list of limitations and rules related to the use of nature in northern european countries, where free access to nature often is known under the name of "allemansrätten". It builds upon bashophils answer and its links. Sweden The basic motto is: ... (more) |
— | over 10 years ago |
| Question | — |
Allemansrätten: What restrictions? I´ve heard and read quite some facts and myths about the Scandinavian concept of Allemansrätten, the right for everybody to use nature, e.g. for hiking and camping. However, I couldn´t find a reliable source, so it´s hard for me to decide wether it´s fact or myth. Where and ... (more) |
— | over 10 years ago |
| Question | — |
Considerations for buying windsurfing boards? Which things should I consider when buying a surfboard for windsurfing? I am particularly interested in the first board after finishing a beginner´s course and gaining sufficient experience on one of that huge beginner boards (220ltrs +). How should I choose the boards size (volume, length a... (more) |
— | over 10 years ago |
| Question | — |
Does windsurfing experience help me to learn kitesurfing? I have some experience in windsurfing, meaning that I can perform the basic moves and handle the board and sail under normal to slightly difficult conditions. I have always been interested in Kitesurfing but had never had the opportunity to do it so far. I would like to try it out, but I would really... (more) |
— | over 10 years ago |
| Question | — |
Is saltwater antiseptic? On some occasions you don´t have anything to desinfect wounds, for example during a (short) walk along the beach. If you cut yourself or have a an small wound that needs cleaning, would it be wise to clean it in the sea or better to leave it the way it is? (more) |
— | over 10 years ago |
| Question | — |
Advantages of wool/felt jackets I consider buying a jacket made from wool. The fabric is some kind of felt. I hade one when I was younger, but since these jackets are really expensive I would like to know how they perform compared to other softshell jackets (I think a comparison with hardshell doesn´t make sense). Categories I... (more) |
— | over 10 years ago |
| Question | — |
How to do maintenance for a trekking backpack? How should I maintain my trekking backpack? Are there things I should do/regularly? How should I clean it, if necessary? How should I store it? This question is related: Taking care of hiking backpack (more) |
— | over 10 years ago |
| Answer | — |
A: Trekking near Berlin I have so far not been hiking close to Berlin. However, I know to areas that might be worth a try: The Spreewald and the Mecklenburger Seenplatte. Also I just learned about the "Märkische Schweiz", a small low mountain range. I have never heard of the 66 lakes trail, so I can´t give you in... (more) |
— | over 10 years ago |
| Answer | — |
A: How to preserve cheese while backpacking? Additional to the two great answers already given I want to share my own experience, repeating some things and adding some: Choose your Cheese carefully As already mentioned, harder cheese will last longer. Good sorts (I don´t know if available outside Europe): Parmesan, Manchego, "Bergkä... (more) |
— | over 10 years ago |
| Question | — |
How to preserve cheese while backpacking? Are there specific techniques for carrying/storing cheese while backpacking for a longer time so it doesn´t spoil? This question is related, but different: Cheese and eggs on backpacking trips (more) |
— | over 10 years ago |
| Answer | — |
A: Scarpa Manta - what size You MUST NOT buy hiking boots without trying them on. Period. You want to hike in them - yet there are thousands of different foot forms and accordingly a lot of different boot cuts, differing in a lot more than only the length (which the size describes). There are wide and narrow boots, some with a... (more) |
— | over 10 years ago |
| Question | — |
Dangers of currents for windsurfers Can sea currents be dangerous for surfers? How common would this be? Should I ask locals about currents before surfing at a new spot? (more) |
— | over 10 years ago |
| Answer | — |
A: How to create campfire which will burn overnight? Additional to the other tips and warnings I would like to mention one special tecnique I found in the book "Outdoor Praxis" by Rainer Höh. Basically it consists of some kind of reflector fire, but the reflector will feed the fire instead. You would stick two or more thick, maybe even green, br... (more) |
— | over 10 years ago |
| Answer | — |
A: Any ideas about long-term camping in a 16x16 foot yurt? When I was younger I used to sleep in yurts as a scout. Things I would consider important: Staying dry can be difficult Depending strongly on the actual yurt (and the weather of course) sometimes it can be struggling to stay dry inside it. If it is made of cotton you have to pay attention nothing t... (more) |
— | over 10 years ago |
| Question | — |
What's a good back-up wood and alcohol stove? I am looking for a back-up stove capable of burning wood and alcohol. Can you suggest one? I would like it to burn alcohol and wood (most important) be cheap be small be robust be light (least important) I thought about a DIY-can-stove, so any advice on a specific design will be appreciated. I al... (more) |
— | over 10 years ago |