Posts by Lost
The procedure is roughly the same for both Down and Synthetic, however down requires special precautions: Never dryclean. Wash by hand in a bathtub, or use a front-loading washing machine on gent...
To answer the original question: At no point is the cord so small that you need to seriously worry about it cutting through the attachment points. Unless you pulling it through at high speed under ...
I would argue you answered your own question in your first comment: I think it's the way the boots fit It is a myth that leather boots should require a painful bludgeoning period to break th...
There are several types and configurations of mosquito nets that you can use: ones that hang (from a single center point, or from four corners), ones that drape over your bag with one or two pol...
One point missing from the current answers: Fixed blade is absolutely essential in any situation where seconds count in emergency life-or-death situations. For example, anything taking place in or...
Put on the gear to test Turn on the shower (adjust temperature to your liking) Walk into the shower Perform a series of movements (walk in place, jumping jacks, etc) Turn off shower Inspect gear f...
According to this article (full disclosure: I wrote it) lead-based ammunition is a well-known threat to Condors and other scavengers, and may have negative effects on humans who unknowingly ingest ...
Without getting into any specific recommendations, pretty much any decent water filter you can find will get you through well more than 20 liters and several days. By decent, I mean the standard ...
The best thing for a scorpion sting: wash the area apply an ice-pack or cold compress consider aspirin or ibuprofen for pain and swelling wait it out There is nothing else you can do. They can ...
Footprints: Zero? Sure. One? Good. Two? Nice. Three? Great. Four? Bomb-proof! My point is this: if you have a waterproof floor on your tent, you don't need any footprint. The trouble is, you a...
The breed of dog will make a difference, but most "backpacking" dogs will do just fine in the open or under the tarp with you. A dog's metabolism works differently than humans, and they generate ...
It is a rare day that I head out into the winter wilds without a flask of sumpt'n-sumpt'n in my pocket. A nip helps one to relax, can mildly embolden timid skiers in my group, and gives one that fi...
Original Poofiness (or OP as they call it in the 'wood) will always be illusive. No matter how you care for your bag, it is on a steady decline toward compression from the moment you buy it. To at...
No, it is not safe to use denatured alcohol for two good reasons: Denatured alcohol refers to a class of ethanol produced for industrial uses that has been "denatured," which essentially means "m...
MSR WhisperLite backpacking stoves are ubiquitous, but they lack a key function: the ability to simmer easily. How can you set a WhisperLite to simmer without having to constantly watch the stove a...
Telemark -- where the toe is attached, and the heel is free to rise up and down -- allow skiers to skin up back-country slopes with a more natural and efficient stride. However, AT (or randonee) ri...
Skiing is a full-body, high endurance, activity. Being in good cardio-vascular shape is important, and can be achieved through running, swimming, rowing, etc... This can not be over-emphasized. Get...
Depending on your activity level, access to water, etc, the types of food you carry should change accordingly. Some points to consider: Dehydrated foods are great in that they are light-weight si...
Given that it will be your first time, no amount of preparing on a fake hill, will turn you into a snow-shredding powder dog. Your first days on a mountain WILL be difficult, painful, and short. Bu...
Commercial slackline solutions seem bulky, heavy, overpriced, and a little too industrial for my liking. I have 6 carabiners and 50m of tubular webbing. What knots do you recommend for building, an...
I never understood the appeal of trekking poles until I started carrying 80+ lbs packs down into the bottom of the Grand Canyon for a living. Now, I wish I had started using them sooner. Perhaps my...
Yes you can. And more to the point, you should (save weight, and leave no trace). I have not found a backpacking cooking mess that could not be cleaned with a combination of (in this order): Ton...
Despite the convention, "cotton kills," in the desert those same properties (slow drying, water retention) are useful for keeping you cool by slowing down the near instant evaporation experienced a...
Your mileage will vary by manufacturer, tent technology might not change, but designs do quite a lot (just to keep you wanting the next thing...) Check out REI - they have a 100% full return or re...
When crossing a glacier (or other mountaineering activity for that matter) I've heard that roping everyone together without having a fixed anchor is falling out of fashion since more often than not...
