Posts by DavidR
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 used a double liner (one inside the tent, one outside) before, and it was very effective. When I was in high school, I went on a multi-day backpacking trip where it rained every day. This wa...
Backpacking trips force people to live at a radically different pace than what most people are used to. There's a lot less stimulus that we get in a city. Most outdoorsy people find it wonderful,...
First off - whether one is more durable or not, they're somewhat different products. Whether you need one or the other is more based on what you're doing than on "durability". Hardshell vs Softsh...
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'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...
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 ...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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 ...
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...
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...
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...
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...
I think the regulations are so strict because the park service wants to keep a level of discipline about how hikers manage their food, so that none is accidentally left in a pack, and the oils and ...
You propose packing food deeply in your backpack. I'd specifically recommend against that. Bears (and other wild animals) have vastly more acute senses of smell than humans, and they won't hesita...
Entire books and multi-day training classes are built around thus topic. Climbers spend months either following a more experienced leader, or taking risks and learning stuff the hard way. Lead ro...
The old advice is to "Take nothing but pictures, and leave nothing but footprints". Almost any amount of memento-taking is going to lead to some kind of impact in anything but the most isolated of...
In the context of rock climbing, compared to a figure-8 knot, bowlines are: About as strong under ideal circumstances BUT: Can come untied on their own when unloaded Are more difficult to vis...
