Posts by Paul Paulsen
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 co...
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 ...
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 ...
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. ...
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)...
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 t...
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 break...
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 per...
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 compare...
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"...
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
Can sea currents be dangerous for surfers? How common would this be? Should I ask locals about currents before surfing at a new spot?
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 th...
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 whi...
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 ...
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 ques...
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, t...
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 a...
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...
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 learni...
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 th...
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....
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...
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 do...
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...
