Ryley‭

I think you pretty much covered it. Advantages of a tent: Keeps more rain/snow out (particularly if you have little skill in tent/tarp setup) Keeps out insects. For me, this is the big one - in...

posted 13y ago by Ryley‭  ·  last activity 13y ago by System‭

I use this system exclusively, and there's an entire site dedicated to the variety of ways you can do it. I think it is generally called "freezer bag cooking", and the main site I'm aware of is ca...

posted 14y ago by Ryley‭

I've been surprised by how durable tent floors are. I've never used footprints, and I have a silnylon-floored tent (i.e. not very durable material) that has lasted hundreds of nights and still doe...

posted 14y ago by Ryley‭

I've gotten shin splints on long hikes - once 2 weeks into a hike, and another time 2 months. I wasn't able to determine how I got them though, which has really annoyed me! I get that I could pro...

1 answer  ·  posted 14y ago by Ryley‭  ·  last activity 14y ago by System‭

Keep the inside of your poles clean. If they get soaked or sandy or muddy, clean them out after your trip and let them air dry. Clean the actual lock mechanism occasionally. Depending on the pol...

posted 14y ago by Ryley‭

If you're hiking in dry, hot weather places, and you have a whole backpacking setup your best bet is to store your water deep in your pack. The sun is your only real enemy here. In the desert, I'...

posted 14y ago by Ryley‭

I would recommend making your own. I've used a bunch of the recipes from FreezerBagCooking and found them generally easy to make and incredibly tasty. You can adjust them to fit your budget or so...

posted 14y ago by Ryley‭  ·  last activity 9y ago by System‭

Shoes and a harness. Some places don't have belay devices or carabiners attached to each rope, so check on that beforehand, as you may need to provide your own. That's it. Chalk and a chalk bag ...

posted 14y ago by Ryley‭  ·  last activity 14y ago by System‭

It somewhat depends on how warm you sleep and how much you're willing to layer up in your bag. I've met people who claim they used one 30F bag the whole trip (with thick layers at the start, and u...

posted 14y ago by Ryley‭  ·  last activity 14y ago by System‭

Sadly, in North America, there is no rating beyond what each manufacturer decides for itself. I suspect that in the US especially, some thought goes into liability (i.e. if someone freezes to deat...

posted 14y ago by Ryley‭  ·  last activity 14y ago by System‭

I don't think you need to bypass them at all. You didn't say what time of year you'd be going, but in the later summer/fall, they are not nearly that deep. Also, at any time of year you could e...

posted 10y ago by Ryley‭

Trekking poles can telescope down and pack away. If you happen to have a shelter that uses trekking poles to hold it up, sometimes you need to be able to set your poles to a different height. ...

posted 14y ago by Ryley‭

I hiked all of the Pacific Crest Trail (~4000km) and the Continental Divide Trail (~4200km) wearing shoes 1.5 sizes too large and 2-4 widths too wide (i.e. normally size 11.5D but wore 12.5EEEE). ...

posted 14y ago by Ryley‭

Here is my magic blister treatment method. You need to have this stuff in your kit: Lanolin: Yes, otherwise known as sheep grease. Sold in pharmacies as an aid for breastfeeding mothers. It i...

posted 14y ago by Ryley‭

If you are in bear country, I agree 100% with everyone - cook somewhere else. 100m away minimum. In winter, not in bear country, getting out of your tent to cook sucks. Fortunately, many mountai...

posted 14y ago by Ryley‭