Posts by Lost
I understand, and practice, bear-safe rules like hanging (or canister-ing) during summer months, but what about in the winter when bears are (theoretically) hibernating, and the shorter / colder da...
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...
To wash any pack, you are pretty safe using a large commercial front-loading washer (found at many laundr-o-mats in the US) and regular detergent, then letting it drip-dry. Remove any removable buc...
From the Nikwax link you provide: For best results remove all non-washable parts and always clean item(s) first with Nikwax Tech Wash®. No need to dry item(s) before waterproofing. ...
I have used the Mega Mid tent almost exclusively for hundreds of nights out over the last many years. It's versatile, well ventilated, light... but has this pole sticking straight up the middle. I...
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...
Short Answer: In the US, laws regulating land use are detailed and varied, even on Public Lands. Check with the local land agency before "roaming." Long Answer: Loosely you can divide open space ...
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...
Although the threads may be similar (and even look the same) I've found that often the gaskets are not the same between bottles: flat gaskets, round, beveled and there is a corresponding difference...
Having not seen my chin for 15 years, here are a few thoughts on the practical aspects (assuming one is personally equally comfortable with a beard as without): Pros: Sun protection - for a limi...
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...
There's a reason desert cultures almost all wear coverings from head to toe. Three main things to consider: Protection from the sun's harmful rays. Air flow for convection cooling Moisture reten...
What I have found works best (especially with light rope/cord) is to spool the cord in "figure 8s" between two fingers, wrists or arms: Hold one end in your hand in front of you then sweep under t...
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...
In the absence of water, smothering with soil and thoroughly mixing the embers with the soil will effectively put out a camp fire. A fire needs: fuel, heat, oxygen. By mixing in soil you remove t...
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...
Taking the lead from MrWizard, I did a little look for what the boys and girls in white lab-coats say. In addition to the evidence presented at Snopes.com and the experts at the Ketchup Advisory B...
Outside more room left inside for other stuff. More likely to rip a hole in your gear when you toss your pack down. More options for weight placement (which can lead to off-blanced pack.) More...
Yes, mayonnaise. It is sold unrefrigerated, and is an essential component of any back-country sandwich. Has anyone reached its limit and had it spoil on them? (I haven't. Of course, I've never had...
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...
GPS systems can, and do, work everywhere you can get satellites. The coordinate system -- or datum -- you choose to use should vary (even in the US) depending on the maps you are working with, your...
Since answers are not forthcoming - I'll share what I have learned works, but I'm still hoping someone has some better ideas: Since dog fights are not the result of some deep-seated impassioned ha...
Fights happen. Sled dogs have personalities that aren't always compatible... Is there a technique to breaking up a fight that will minimize risk of injury to both me and my dogs?
