Posts by DudeOnRock
I am a staunch proponent of leave no trace. I don't carry dish detergent (sand and small rocks work much better on stainless steel anyways,) and I don't use soap or shampoo, not even of the biodegr...
The general advice I have heard for surprise lightning storms when climbing is to retreat. Since retreating quickly is not without danger itself and often is not even all that quick (I personally h...
I used someone else's Wisperlite Universal for the duration of a trip and it looks like the only functional difference is a jet that can be attached for burning propane. Can I purchase just that je...
TL;DNR: It depends if you are backpacking or car camping. I have owned several mesh tents with windowless rainflies. I have not owned any tents with a "window" (an opening to the tent not meant fo...
To answer your question as to the ideal break position when using the munter: It depends. It depends on your comfort and experience with the knot, its application and the situation. I have rappele...
Stay hydrated. Dehydration prolongs the time it takes to recover from exertion. Eat. Make sure you bring enough and the right kind of food for the trip to adequately fuel your body. Sleep. Make su...
Short answer: Climb lots of other routes in many different areas and have lots of other people climb your routes. Let me get into why you opened a can of worms with your question: Ratings for rou...
Just two small addenda to the great answers from AM_Hawk and JPDurham: Look down. This advice seems obvious, but if you don't specifically train yourself to do this, you might not do it when you ...
I consider a couple of factors when it comes to dropped gear: Some equipment is pretty easy to inspect. A carabiner has one moving part (the gate, possibly a second, if it's a locker). Nuts and h...
Google Earth can give you an elevation profile of pretty much anything. There are 4 ways to go about: Look for a .KMZ or .KML file to load into Google Earth. Activate the EveryTrail layer in Go...
I wanted to mention two additional scenarios not covered by Ben Crowell's great answer. When it is possible to fall past the belayer (on a multi-pitch climb, or when getting to the start of a cli...
What is your intended use for those joined ropes? If your life depends on it (you tagged your question with "safety"), I would not recommend using drastically different sized ropes in the first pla...
The best practice for climbing is to actually go climbing. I have wasted both time and money experimenting with training setups at home for practicing climbing, and I have mostly been disappointed....
I have friends who say stuffing your rainfly prolongs the life of the tent, because folding waterproof material over and over is going to make it leak. I have other friends who say folding and roll...
I am looking for sustainable alternatives for carrying out human waste. WAG bags, though convenient, sadly have to end up in land-fills. I am looking for a system where the non-biodegrading compone...
I have experienced the same when trail running. I can pretty consistently reproduce the symptoms on downhill stretches when running distances that are much longer than my regular runs, when starti...
I have always been inspired by the sketches and watercolors of explorers, cartographers and scientists who lived before the invention of photography. I have tried bringing watercolors myself, but d...
I have been walking/running/hiking in my huaraches for about half a year now and have worn through 3 pairs of laces. I have been using accessory cord used in climbing as lacing material, since it h...
The other day I used some mysterious, ultra-sticky climbing-tape at my local gym, which got me thinking: How much should I be paying for my tape? Prices for climbing-specific tape seem to be somew...
As an alternate solution, if you are doing a lot of simmering and don't mind taking an additional piece of equipment, look into heat diffusers. There is even a company that makes back-country ovens...
I am interested in hearing how people take their dslrs (digital single lens reflex camera) onto multi-pitch-rock-climbs. I have carried mine up in a small pack, but I end up taking hardly any pictu...
I had a huge problem with smelly climbing shoes when climbing in the gym or on long multi-pitch days. The single most effective thing I have come across is taking the shoes off between climbs/pitch...
A cordelette gives you the most versatility and is definitely the way to go in most situations, especially if you are relatively new to climbing. A disclaimer before I elaborate any further: R...
This is not a direct answer but more of an extended comment about safety when rappelling on overhanging terrain. When rappelling over an overhang or an overhanging wall, make sure that you are cer...
I'll answer the slightly broader question "How should I plan my first backpacking trip in Oregon or California?" (with emphasis on California, since that is the area I know best) Since you are men...
