Graham‭

Another option is to keep your water bottle inside your jacket and use your body heat to prevent the water from freezing. Many mountaineering jackets have internal elasticated mesh pockets for this...

posted 13y ago by Graham‭  ·  last activity 8y ago by System‭

Basic celestial navigation: In the northern hemisphere, the star Polaris indicates north. In the southern hemisphere, you can use the Southern Cross, see Finding the south celestial pole.

posted 13y ago by Graham‭  ·  last activity 11y ago by System‭

What you describe sounds like the early symptoms of blisters, a few things you could try are: Are your shoes laced too tightly? If they are too tight over the instep, movement in your foot as you...

posted 13y ago by Graham‭

Heat loss can occur from anywhere on the body through a number of processes: Conduction e.g. when sitting on the ground. Convection e.g. due to wind chill. Radiation i.e. heat loss direct to the ...

posted 13y ago by Graham‭  ·  last activity 8y ago by System‭

The instructions I've always heard are unequivocal - always wear a life vest. By all means make sure it fits well and lose straps are tucked away to minimise entanglement, but, when in a sport wher...

posted 13y ago by Graham‭

Ask specific questions here, or browse the other questions and answers! For your first time, try and make sure you have fun. The following may help: Check the weather forecast, avoid cold, wet, ...

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

Personally, I would use a wind chill chart, e.g this keyring compass includes a wind chill chart that would be easy to carry. It's still not going to be accurate, but it would provide a guide when ...

posted 13y ago by Graham‭  ·  last activity 11y ago by System‭

Instant ice packs, like this one, which are usually used for treating sprains and strains sound a bit like what you are looking for. They use a chemical reaction to cool, but, they are single use o...

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

The rule of three may be a useful mnemonic to help prioritise or plan in a survival situation, but it is not necessarily going to be accurate. Survival without food is going to depend on many facto...

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

The key advantage of a geodesic design is the pole configuration can support a greater static load. This means they are favoured for mountaineering expeditions because they can withstand a heavy sn...

posted 13y ago by Graham‭

The obvious thing to consider would be how loud the whistle is. The loudest I've found is the Lifesystems survival whistle which, at 122dB, claims to be "the world's most powerful whistle." I'm no...

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

This article (*) gives a good summary of the efficiency of boiling as a method for making water safe for consumption. In particular, Table 2 provides a summary of the temperature and time required ...

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

This article (*) gives a good summary of the efficiency of boiling as a method for making water safe for consumption. In particular, Table 2 provides a summary of the temperature and time required ...

posted 13y ago by Graham‭  ·  last activity 9y ago by System‭

Use a biodegradable (e.g. cornstarch-based) bag to pick up waste and then pack it in a airtight container. For obvious reasons the container should only be used for that purpose and disinfected whe...

posted 11y ago by Graham‭  ·  last activity 8y ago by System‭

I am assuming that, as you moved out of the snow field you were also descending, therefore, I think it is more likely you were experiencing altitude sickness and your symptoms reversed as you desce...

posted 11y ago by Graham‭  ·  last activity 11y ago by System‭