Posts by Lost
Any Wilderness Areas. Seriously. The legal mandates for designating "Wilderness" in the US (as defined by congress) have very rigorous criteria established by each of the major land agencies. Take...
Climbing: Mountaineering: Freedom of the Hills Canoeing: Backpacking: Backcountry cooking: NOLS Cookery Bike touring: Telemark Skiing: Allen & Mike's Really Cool Telemark Book
I've hiked with photographers, painters, sketchers, and writers... two things that will help: Make time for it. Sometimes you have to choose: draw, or hike up that ridge. Put the supplies in the ...
If you want the fastest sled in just about all snow conditions, get yourself one of these: Not fast enough? Add more dogs. (Though I can't in good conscience recommend more than 18. And make sur...
You have heard both answers because both are right depending on the area and ecosystem. Established trails: If there is an established trail going where you need to go, you should stay on it. Even...
From the GRCA back-country permit site: Permit Responses Permit requests are responded to through U.S. Mail - never by fax or e-mail. Due to the volume of requests received, the park can...
You have several options for keeping your toes warm, but ultimately, toes are going to get cold on really cold days... it is just part of the fun. Try the following: Unbuckle your boots while ri...
First, sorry to hear the diagnosis, but you are not alone. I've shopped out many a trip for gluten-free clients, and, fortunately, it is surprisingly easy to replace just about every back-country m...
I'm not sure you can generalize US Hiking trails, since there will be vast variability in popularity, usage, land area, population density etc. (Just as you mentioned is the case in popular vs. rem...
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...
This isn't pretty, and seems to be somewhat limited in locations (I couldn't get it to work for my area) but this looks to have potential. Though there is no "subscribe" feature. National Weather ...
Post-holing has very real risks due to the simple fact you have no idea what lies beneath the surface of the snow until you punch through and bang, scrape or wedge your leg under, against, between ...
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...
Cheese: Long time. Especially hard cheeses. You can just cut any mold off the edge that might creep up. Cheeses sealed in cheese wax (gouda) are a good bet. I've had extra-sharp cheddar un-refrig...
In answering this question I tossed out that a candle lantern can provide as much as 10 degrees (F) of temperature difference while winter camping. I've heard this tossed about before, but is it tr...
Ventilation is your friend. I hate to say it - but the glasses I've found that have this dialed are usually a little more expensive. After suffering through fog, wind sheer, and poor optics, I fou...
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...
For general all-purpose cutting this saw has proven to be the most dependable, versatile, and reliable I have worked with.* It cuts through dead and live wood, and I have chewed through a trees at...
I would highly recommend storing all gear with batteries removed. Batteries over time can (and often do) leak battery acid and cause corrosion. I've seen this happen quite a bit in head-lamps --...
Aside from risk of fire (which for this question we will assume has been fully mitigated) what is the real risk of suffocation if one were to use a stove, lantern, or candle lantern in a tent? The...
I would say... never. What is a tarp but something that keeps precipitation off of you. In humid summer months, sure, condensation can cause precipitation under the tarp, but in winter, this is n...
This (Jetboil Crunchit Recycling Tool) was found by googling "crush isobutane fuel can" and reading this second result (right below the outoors.SE question) for the link.
Some of you may remember 35mm film** and the black cases it came in. I have a few lying around, and have seen people use them as backpacking salt and pepper shakers. I have also heard that's a good...
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...
