Posts by HorusKol
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 pla...
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 ...
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...
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 in...
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...
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 t...
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, ...
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 pr...
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...
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 assu...
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 hea...
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...
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 ...
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 mis...
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 ...
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 n...
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 ...
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...
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 i...
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 ...
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, ...
