Activity for HorusKol‭

Type	On...	Excerpt	Status	Date
Question	—	How big a fall is a "major" fall? I answered a question about rope safety with some advice about retiring the rope after a "major" fall. Another user asked me what would constitute a major fall - and I have to admit that I can only give a gut feeling about this, not any properly referenced answer. Personally, I'd be wary of a rope t... (more)	—	over 11 years ago
Answer	—	A: What is the best rope to have in a survival situation? As Hartley Brody suggests, I would carry a few metres of para-cord, as this is a very tough and versatile rope which can be used for a lot of things in survival situations. However, if you are heading up onto a hill, I would also carry a 30m or 60m length of abseiling or climbing rope (and a belay d... (more)	—	over 12 years ago
Answer	—	A: How do you prevent mold in CamelBak hydration bladders? This is why I like the pouches that have a zip-lock bottom as well as a cap on the top - it makes it a lot easier to clean the inside and leave it open to let it fully dry. My friend also swore by leaving the pouch in the freezer when not in use - this would obviously slow down mould growth consider... (more)	—	over 12 years ago
Answer	—	A: Time of high / low tide You'd be much better off doing the research before you head into the areas - print off tide tables for where you are heading to and for the period you'll be there. Tide tables should be available on your local meteorological service's website - and should include things like average range of the tid... (more)	—	over 12 years ago
Answer	—	A: What hand and finger exercises help with climbing? As well as squeezing stress balls and pulling on fingerboards, I bought a powerball a few years ago after one of my friends lent me his. It really helps with the wrist and forearm, and if you get the RPM counter, you can have a bit of fun, too. (more)	—	over 12 years ago
Answer	—	A: Why does my belay device have two holes? Most belay devices come with two holes for rope, for various reasons: Some devices are asymmetric and the two holes provide different friction Others are shaped with an up and down orientation, so two holes are provided to make it easy for left/right handed people Some lead climbs are better tack... (more)	—	over 12 years ago
Answer	—	A: What can I do to help relieve joint pain in fingers after climbing? This might sound a bit daft - but you could be holding on to the rock too tightly. Your other questions indicate you might be pretty new to climbing, and it is common for beginners to make this mistake. Primarily, you should be climbing with your legs - pushing your weight up. Legs are used to your ... (more)	—	over 12 years ago
Answer	—	A: In rock-climbing, how do I safely belay another climber? I'm not sure that this is something that can be properly explained over the internet. You really need to be instructed and supervised by a real person - preferably indoors first. I have found a pretty good instructional video on YouTube, although it is quite basic - I've reviewed a few others on the... (more)	—	over 12 years ago
Answer	—	A: How do I inspect a climbing rope? I would inspect your rope long before you get to the crag, rather than just before you're about to use/need it. Rope inspection is essentially going over the whole length of the rope, looking for grit or evidence of wear in the outer layer. One thing to note, the inside of the rope might have been s... (more)	—	over 12 years ago
Answer	—	A: What is the difference between men's and women's hiking boots? While this is by far not a universal truth, in general, women tend to have more slender feet than men. Then again - some women have wide, plate-like feet, and some men have thin feet. Also, I've noticed that women's hill shoes tend to be 'prettier' (I'm not sure why - I doubt that this is actually a... (more)	—	over 12 years ago
Answer	—	A: Is drinking urine safe? Urine is normally sterile (barring urinary tract infections) - so, from bacteriological stance, fresh urine isn't going to hurt. The problem is - urine is a waste product, and so is full of stuff that your body wants to be rid of. Worse, as you get more dehydrated, your body produces more concentrat... (more)	—	over 12 years ago
Answer	—	A: How do I desalinate seawater? You need to distill it - I'm assuming that freezing is not an option (unless you're camping in the extreme latitudes). This is easiest, as the ice on top is almost pure water. Where you don't have a freezer available - boiling the water, capturing the steam and condensing it back to water will provi... (more)	—	over 12 years ago
Answer	—	A: Which stove fuel has best weight to bulk to heat ratio? I found this PDF from UNESCO It would seem ethanol (denatured alcohol) is top of the list, but petrol is pretty good and probably more cost-effective. The both have similar densities (about 0.7 kg/l). No data on white gas, but given the chemical content of it, I shouldn't think it's too far off petr... (more)	—	over 12 years ago
Answer	—	A: How should I treat hypothermia? Admittedly, my first aid training has lapsed - but the last mountain first aid course I took about 5 years ago made a point of matching the speed of onset. For example - if a person has fallen into an icy stream, they will have very rapidly cooled. You need to get their core temperature up, fast - ... (more)	—	over 12 years ago
Answer	—	A: If I'm caught in lightning above tree-line, what should I do? Okay - I found that both my Langmuir (Mountaincraft and Leadership) and my Mountaineers (Mountaineering: The Freedom of the Hills) have pretty good advice about lightning. I would advise anyone planning on heading out into the hills to read both of these excellent books - Langmuir is the book for Bri... (more)	—	over 12 years ago
Answer	—	A: How do I take care of Gore-Tex boots? The Gore-Tex trail shoes I'm wearing right now have the Gore-Tex layer on the inside (between my socks and the outer suede/synthetic). I'm not sure that you can do anything to fix that layer once it is worn out. I would make sure you clean mud off your boots as soon as you can (usually once you get ... (more)	—	over 12 years ago
Answer	—	A: How do I tie a sleeping bag to my backpack? Looking at the picture of your new pack, those 'smallish straps' appear to be compression straps to pull in your backpack once you've packed to stop the weight inside from shifting. I'd say they're definitely not for packing external gear. I would avoid hanging anything below my bag - it alters the ... (more)	—	over 12 years ago
Answer	—	A: What negative consequences can result from having too much toe room in a shoe I think it depends on how rigid your soles are. If you're wearing flexible soles, and you need to edge your toes on a ledge, then that gap at the front of your shoe can cause the sole to bend and you would slip. A rigid sole wouldn't have the same problem. You shouldn't really be moving around all ... (more)	—	over 12 years ago
Answer	—	A: What equipment do I need as a beginner outdoor rock climber? In addition to the obvious stuff regarding climbing equipment in the other answers, I would add: Woolly hat (it can get chilly waiting for your turn on the crag) Gloves (there's a type of glove, can't remember the brand, where the seams are at the knuckle and not on the tip - offering fingertip dex... (more)	—	over 12 years ago
Answer	—	A: How do I wash Gore-Tex clothing? As long as you are washing with a front-loader, then putting in your water-proofs and washing on a low temperature with reproofer (instructions should be on the bottle) will get your get clean and waterproof. Top-loaders batter the hell out of your clothes, and can damage the waterproofing. Also - ... (more)	—	over 12 years ago
Answer	—	A: What is the safest way to purify water? I would get a ceramic filter that is rated to remove metals like arsenic (this is a particular issue in the UK where most surface water in the wild country can harbour arsenic - but I'd rather assume all ground water to be 'tainted' than drink it and become poisoned). I've used some hand-pumped filte... (more)	—	over 12 years ago