Posts by DavidR
I've heard rumors of studies that show that trekking poles reduce the force on your legs during a hike (by transferring it to your arms). The only reference to a study I could find was this one, b...
The Ethic So, the ethic among experienced climbers is to not toprope on the base of a popular multipitch route. In addition to the safety issues you point out, its just not fair to the people who...
Muir Valley is a privately owned area, so presumably the coins are acceptable to the retired couple that owns it. Don't know about Ontario, but in the US (the Red River Gorge aside) most climbing ...
I've seen this kind of behavior. I think there's a tendency for people to want to continue to do things the way they're used to doing them, and the way they were originally trained. It can be a l...
Maybe? It may depend on where you're getting the blisters. A lot of the blisters that I get from hiking boots are on my heels, or on the sides of my toes. I don't think that barefoot walking wou...
This is a common question for beginners to ask. Climbing feels overwhelmingly strenuous when you're starting out. There are a variety of exercises that are recommended to strengthen your fingers,...
I think you understand this, but just for the record: The recommendation is to learn how to use an autoblock correctly, and to make sure that the loops of the autoblock won't get caught in the bel...
Its not a piece of equipment, but if you're transitioning to climbing out doors, you probably want to have some training in how to rig a toprope, and / or how to lead. Climbing guidebooks that adv...
You mention that they're newer boots in your post. You could also wear them enough to make sure you've broken them in BEFORE your big hiking trip. Wear them to work (if you can get away with it)....
One other difference - in the winter, your food and water can freeze during the day. Make sure that your lunch (or anything else you'd eat without cooking) is something that you can actually chew ...
Knee and Anlke pain In your question, you mention that you have recently been experiencing knee and ankle pain from hiking. Reading it again, it sounds like you're almost trying to find the "righ...
So, I have (I think) the opposite problem - the outside edges of my shoes wear more quickly than the inside edges. This kind of problem is common among runners, you can look at running websites fo...
I know that on the east coast, a couple of the park services have been pushing the climbing community to install bolt anchors as a replacement for nests of old slings around trees. This is in part...
So, like I said, I'm not a great expert on using duct tape and moleskin. I'm writing an answer because someone specifically asked. :) My experiences: First off - applying duct tape or moleskin ...
This may speak to some of your concerns: American Safe Climbing Association The American Safe Climbing Association publishes guidelines for safe bolting. Their stuff usually targets the people wh...
The risk is that the blisters will get worse and worse, and continue to interfere with your hiking experience. They can get larger, more painful, and eventually tear open and risk getting infected...
You shouldn't buy used safety equipment (ropes, harnesses, carabiners, etc) because you don't know if the previous owner handled them properly (maybe they splashed bleach on the rope?). But shoes ...
Scar Tissue You would need to strike a balance between doing enough damage to build callouses, and not doing so much damage that you cut yourself (and build scar tissue). Scar tissue is weaker th...
I've never done it personally, but you can weave an old rope into a rug. There are several patterns on the Internet. Here's one if them: So You Want to Make a Rope Rug Eh! With an old harness, ...
The best way, when it works It usually works to grab the whole mass of coils, and flip them over when handing them to the second. When you're doing this, care has to be taken that you don't wrap ...
It depends. If you're in a climbing gym, or some scenario where you're belaying someone on toprope on a route that's less than 50' tall, runs straight up-and-down ( so there's no chance for the ...
It sounds like the problem that you're getting is that your ankles are swelling up too much. This could easily be caused by wearing boots that are laced too tightly. It could also be caused by ot...
Oh, your 3rd question (I didnt see it): Is it unsafe to have multiple connections to a single point while switching from climbing to rappelling (e.g. a rope and sling through the tie-ins, or two b...
Question: Should I girth hitch my main belay loop Answer: No! You shouldn't girth-hitch a sling to your belay loop. The belay loop should only ever be in contact with a carabiner, as the trained...
Leg loop verses main belay loop You'll find recommendations for placing an autoblock on either the leg loop or the main belay loop. Some concerns about either placement are: Leg Loops If you'r...
