Posts by theJollySin
I buy my rock climbing hardware in America and it all comes labeled with UIAA ratings. These ratings make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. My gear has met mythological engineering standards. T...
I am planning a multi-week backpacking trip (the JMT in California), and want to bring a real camera. What are some good solar power options for charging my camera batteries on a long backpacking ...
I am an avid rock climber and the answer to all similar questions is always the same: Use safety gear when you feel unsafe. If you want a number, falls from over ~5 meters (15 feet) are where yo...
I doubt a definitive list exists. But here is an algorithm to create your own list: What altitude-based things make climbing a peak require gear? At what altitude do problems in step 1 start occ...
I'm not from the mountains. Every time I go into the mountains I lose all depth perception. I can't tell by looking if a peak is 100 meters or a 1,000 meters above me. I have to stare hard and lo...
Is sandpapering your finger tips an effective way to improve anything about your rock climbing? On occasion, I will see climbers in YouTube videos or people at the local crag using sandpaper on th...
To get an official answer to this question, I decided to email the National Park Service at Yosemite NP. The park ranger said: Bears are attracted to "food" odors. When talking about food stora...
Last weekend, we had a nice hike up Price Peak in the Sierras. We went from sea level to above 10,000 feet (3,000 m) in about 6 hours. And I had a ROARING headache. I could hear my heart beat in m...
Okay, this is a BIG question. One short post on the internet will not give you everything you need. To that end, I suggest reading some climbing training guides. I have read a few, and find this on...
I have never used a Rappel Ring before but I am told they are really useful. Apparently, if you're trying to rappel in a situation where you have to leave gear at the top to get down safely: use a...
What gear did John Muir actually take on long trips? I live in California these days, and around here we revere John Muir as a legend of the outdoors. But the legend seems larger than is possible....
If it has any scent at all, put it in your bear can. If you're worried about cross-contamination between your trash and your food, bring a trash bag you trust. I keep my food in a plastic bag but ...
This answer may depend on the type of bear, but somehow I doubt it. If you ever visit Yosemite National Park, go to the Happy Isles Visitor Center. They have an old Jeep door on display. The ...
Which dog breeds are best for backpacking? I know malamutes do well in the cold and on mountains, but what if I'm backpacking in the summer? Which dog breeds are good for daily trail runs? I wo...
The way I see it, you have two options: Buy some astronaut ice cream. Bring/find some ice and make ice cream in a plastic sandwich bag. I bet you could easily replace the ice in the standard 'i...
A wonderful woman I know has the Habenera bag by REI (link). It's a warm bag. We've taken it backpacking in the snow and on mountains, and she likes it a lot. It's also a high-quality, light-weigh...
We did some research on this once and the results were kind of sad. For major backpacking brands of sleeping bags (say, Marmot or Big Agnes) the major differences between sleeping bags for the two...
How can I tell when my minimal running shoes go bad? Let me explain. Conventional Wisdom The conventional wisdom of marathon runners is that running shoes will eventually 'go bad'. That is, at s...
It all depends on how you want to mount your rock rings. I mounted mine like this from a door-jam pull-up bar: Though you could mount them like monkey bars, or any other way: The idea, from a...
Please don't drink alcohol to stay warm. It may make you feel slightly warmer temporarily, but it isn't actually helping you. According to my favourite volume on Wilderness Medicine (page 156), a...
Over the next 6 months I will be training for my first marathon. This means I will be running 4 times a week, with at least one long (10-20 mile) run each weekend. I have run several half-marathon...
I have never found a good answer to this one: How do you clean rock-climbing shoes, without ruining them? Let me be more specific. I have a pair of modern leather-and-fancy-rubber climbing sho...
I am a decent climber and a better scientist, and I strongly suspect there is no scientific answer to your question. I have been on my long climbs and backpacking trips where I had to carry a pack...
At the crag this weekend I noticed that my climbing partner's carabiner had a great feature: a red line painted such that you know the carabiner isn't locked until the red is hidden. I love this...
Last night I had a nightmare that I was 5 pitches off the ground and it started to pour rain. When I woke up I realized I have no idea how to deal with this. Asking around, everyone says two thing...
