Activity for zoul‭

Type	On...	Excerpt	Status	Date
Edit	Post #41144	Initial revision	—	over 4 years ago
Question	—	Are all Alpine winterraums just for emergency? I would love to spend a few winter nights with my friends in a winterraum (winter room) in the Alps; officially, with the owner’s permission. Are all the winterraums meant for emergency only, or are there some that can be used this way, too? (more)	—	over 8 years ago
Question	—	How safe is sleeping in bear country? We have recently hiked in Slovakian mountains where bears live. I’m not too concerned about the bears during the day, as we make enough noise to avoid an encounter. But I am not sure about sleeping there. We slept in bivy sacks in the open, I hung our food on a tree somewhat distant from our ... (more)	—	about 11 years ago
Answer	—	A: Which is more durable: Hard shell or soft shell? The hardshell/softshell distinction doesn’t mean pretty much anything today. It used to be that hardshell was completely waterproof and windproof, implying limited breathability, and softshell was somewhat waterproof, somewhat windproof and much more breathable. In other words, softshell used ... (more)	—	over 11 years ago
Answer	—	A: While backpacking, should one bring hand sanitizer, soap, or both? I usually take just a bar of plain soap. It’s universal, can be used to wash hands or hair, shave, or wash the clothes. And plain soap is friendly to the environment. I guess that a special desinfection liquid has the advantage of not needing any water to work. I’m happy with the soap. ... (more)	—	over 11 years ago
Answer	—	A: What can I do with a retired rope and harness? People who work with children are usually very happy to take any old ropes for non-climbing purposes (marking playing fields, tug of war, anything really). Even an old rope totally unfit for climbing is still very good for them. (more)	—	over 11 years ago
Answer	—	A: Covering up ears at higher altitudes Sounds like a myth to me. The only thing that could possibly come into play is the pressure inside your head. But in order to hold the pressure inside your head constant, you would have to plug your ears with something air-tight, not open your mouth, et cetera. I can’t see how a beanie hat or ... (more)	—	almost 12 years ago
Answer	—	A: Thermal rating on vintage sleeping bags The main problem with any ratings is that the insulation degrades pretty quickly, at least the synthetic one. Down holds its insulation properties longer, but it’s not perfect either. So the only reliable way to find out the quality of an older bag is spending a night in it. (more)	—	almost 12 years ago
Answer	—	A: Winter Camping: How to warm up your boots in the morning? One option is to take them with you into the sleeping bag, just as anything else that needs to keep from freezing (like gas or batteries). I feel like my sleeping bag already takes enough beating as it is, so the boots stay outside. I just make sure they’re wide open, so that I can get them on... (more)	—	almost 12 years ago
Answer	—	A: How safe is the bowline knot in different situations? The bowline knot is very safe if loaded correctly. This is the usual, safe way to load it: The chair foot is the body (sorry for not offering naked models), the part of the rope leading away from the picture will take the load. In this use case the knot should hold perfectly. On the other hand, yo... (more)	—	almost 12 years ago
Question	—	How safe is the bowline knot in different situations? The bowline knot (picture below, source) has a great reputation as a very safe knot. Is it really completely safe in all situations and loads, or are there use cases where it may fail? (more)	—	almost 12 years ago
Answer	—	A: Can I use a garbage bag to approximate pack size Trying to stuff your gear into a plastic bag will only give you a lower bound on the pack size. As with many parameters, the backpack size in litres is more to compare different models, not to be taken as an absolute value. Also, different manufacturers tend to use different litres :) A 60–65... (more)	—	almost 12 years ago
Answer	—	A: Do rescue services use avalanche transceivers in the UK? This doesn’t really answer the question, but it’s good to know that waiting for the mountain rescue team to dig you out of an avalanche is wrong, because there’s preciously little time left. About 90 % of the people survive the first 15 minutes under the snow, but after half an h... (more)	—	almost 12 years ago
Question	—	What is the main purpose of the foam inside a self-inflating mat? All self-inflating mats I have seen are self-inflating in the sense that you’re supposed to inflate them yourself. [That is, the mat self-inflates a bit, but mostly you have to breathe the air in.] Given this, what purpose does the foam inside the mat serve? If there was none, wouldn’t... (more)	—	almost 12 years ago
Question	—	What’s the difference between a B and a T ice axe? Some ice axes are labeled as “B”, others as “T”. What’s the meaning of these letters and what are their practical implications? (more)	—	almost 12 years ago
Answer	—	A: What good factual books have you read on an outdoors topic? Climbing and Mountaineering in Europe Pit Schubert: Sicherheit und Risiko in Fels und Eis (Safety and Danger on Rocks and Ice). This is essentially a huge catalog of all the mistakes you can make while climbing and being in the mountains, supported by statistics and scientific tests. Unfortunate... (more)	—	almost 12 years ago
Question	—	What's special about a winter gas mixture? Why does it work better? There’s a special “winter” gas mix available for gas stoves. How is it different from the usual propane/butane mix and why does it work better in low temperatures? (Does it work better in lower temperatures? :-) (more)	—	about 12 years ago
Answer	—	A: Do bear-safe rules still apply in the winter? Bears don’t really hibernate, although they lower their activity during winter. Here’s one sample study of Black Bear winter behaviour in Sierra Nevada, California: Thirty-nine (62 %) bears were winter-dormant for at least 2 weeks; the remaining 24 (38 %) remained active... (more)	—	about 12 years ago
Answer	—	A: What characteristics should I look for in a good torch/flashlight? I would buy a headlamp, it’s so much more convenient to have your hands free and the light always pointing where you look. I would go for two/four AA bateries. My current headlamp uses three AAA’s. The odd number is not practical when buying or charging and if it used regular AA&#x2019... (more)	—	about 12 years ago
Question	—	Am I allowed to swim in the Austrian Alps lakes? The title really says it all, is it legal to swim in the lakes in the Austrian Alps? (more)	—	over 12 years ago
Question	—	Am I allowed to sleep in the wild in the Austrian Alps? I don't mean to use a tent, just a mat + a sleeping bag, or possibly a bivy sack if the weather is foul. (more)	—	over 12 years ago
Question	—	How easy is it to magnetically destroy a compass? I have quite a lot of items with built-in magnets in my backpack, like a mobile phone, an iPod or headphones. How easy is it to destroy my compass by putting it too close to these items? (more)	—	over 12 years ago
Question	—	How much vertical distance is it possible to make in a day? Are there some numbers on how much vertical distance can people make in a day’s hike? I know that greatly depends on fitness and other factors, but I’d be happy with some statistical curve that would say something like 80 % of people should make 1000 meters up and so on. (more)	—	over 12 years ago
Question	—	How should I wash Ventile clothing? My Ventile jacket is getting a bit dirty. Is there anything special I need to know when washing it, or will a regular washing liquid and low temperature do? (more)	—	over 12 years ago
Answer	—	A: The outdoors, solitude and dealing with loneliness I like being out alone. Generally you have more time for introspection, for getting calm and enjoying what’s around you and inside of you. Of course there’s times when you have to deal with yourself and your fears when you’re out alone. Even after many nights that I have spent o... (more)	—	over 12 years ago
Answer	—	A: What practical issues do I need to be aware of when hiking or camping on my own? One thing that should be obvious, but still is worth repeating: If you’re out alone, make sure you can get help when you need it. I recently went on a solo trip into the mountains in the winter and realized that something like hurting your knee in the deep snow can happen quite quickly and if ... (more)	—	over 12 years ago
Answer	—	A: How do I extend the life of waterproof leather boots? The first commandment of leather care is to never let your boots dry too quickly, for example on direct sun or next to a source of heat. The leather could crack or shrink. You have to let them dry slowly. Second, you should use something to keep the leather in good shape. There are tons of products ... (more)	—	over 12 years ago
Answer	—	A: Does wash in waterproofing work on a non-waterproof shell? I don’t think that will work for heavy rain. The waterproofing coating will make the water slide away from the garment (this is the so-called lotus effect), but that’s just one part of keeping the water out. The harder part is not letting the water through under pressure, like when you ... (more)	—	over 12 years ago
Answer	—	A: How effective are portable electric fences? Are you sure this is a good idea at all? If you need an electric fence to keep animals from your camp, then (in my opinion!) you must have done something wrong. As for wolves, did you ever hear of a single case where wolves would attack a camp site? Bears are a different beast, but again: I sugg... (more)	—	over 12 years ago
Question	—	Cooking by pouring hot water into plastic bags? Recently I came across pour and store bags. They seem a bit similar to the bags for trekking freeze-dried meals like Travel lunch. That gave me the idea of preparing the meals myself beforehand and packing them into such bags. It sounds easy & clean on the hike: just take out the bag for one meal... (more)	—	almost 13 years ago
Answer	—	A: How do I store a bivy sack? I also sent the question to the manufacturer. They say that all membrane stuff in general is best stored unfolded, freely hanging or lying. (more)	—	almost 13 years ago
Question	—	How do I store a bivy sack? I bought a BlocVent bivy sack. What’s a good way to store it for a long time? Obviously I’ll dry it after a hike, but is it okay to roll it up and put it into a small stuff sack afterwards? Or should I keep it unrolled, like a sleeping bag or a mat? (more)	—	almost 13 years ago
Answer	—	A: How can you prevent kids getting lost at night while camping? My experience with children summer camps says the children are so afraid of the dark that they won’t go into the night unless their bed is on fire, and even then very reluctantly. When they need to pee they’ll go the least possible distance from their tents and if they have to visit the... (more)	—	almost 13 years ago
Answer	—	A: What makes a good head lamp? For me, feature number one is regulated light output. When I bought my first head lamp I was quite surprised that the brightness significantly dropped after a few initial hours. This is called unregulated light output: the brightness simply decreases as the battery level goes down. It means that you ... (more)	—	almost 13 years ago
Answer	—	A: Is the "Rule of 3" proven for food? There’s quite a lot of people interested in fasting for spiritual and health purposes. When fasting, these people don’t drink anything but water and don’t eat anything at all, their stomach simply pauses. And it’s not unusual to fast like this for several days or even week... (more)	—	almost 13 years ago
Answer	—	A: What clothing would be appropriate for hiking in -18°C with up to 30 km/hr wind? Cotton pants are fine if you wear something windproof over them, like membrane pants. I use my regular manchester pants for hiking throughout the whole year. Balaclava might be a good choice, so that you don't have to worry about frostbites in the face, especially in the wind. If you wear glasses, c... (more)	—	almost 13 years ago
Answer	—	A: What are some toilet paper alternatives you could use in the woods? Water is also an option, especially if there are no leaves of desirable properties. Deeper puddles, streams, etc. (That you should think twice about consequences for other people goes without saying.) (more)	—	almost 13 years ago
Answer	—	A: When buying a backpack, what should I pay attention to? As already stressed by others, the backpack has to be comfortable. If the back system does not fit you, other features won’t make a difference. But there are plenty of good back systems and therefore good backpacks to choose from, so here are a few more tips: I like pockets on the hip belt. ... (more)	—	almost 13 years ago
Answer	—	A: Is it warmer to sleep naked in a sleeping bag? I’m not sure where this came from, but I can assure you that on some nights people are glad to put on whatever extra layer of clothes they find in the backpack! In other words, according to my experience there is no paradox and more clothes equals warm night. (more)	—	almost 13 years ago
Answer	—	A: What exercises are recommended to build strength for hiking? There’s no better hiking excercise than hiking :) Seriously, if you can walk to work, with your dog, to the shop, do it. Regularly. If you have some time during the weekend, go out for a few kilometers. Running is also fun, and depending on the weather where you live, you could easily run thro... (more)	—	almost 13 years ago
Answer	—	A: Synthetic vs Down sleeping bags? Can you always use a down sleeping bag as long as you keep it in a dry waterproof bag? This appears to be a slight misunderstanding. The problem is not keeping the bag dry when transporting and storing it. The problem is mostly condensated moisture and water vapour from your body. For example... (more)	—	almost 13 years ago
Answer	—	A: What is the difference between Gore-Tex and Mountain Hardwears DryQ? Gore-Tex is a family of products and even DryQ isn’t a single fabric. Probably a better comparison would be between Gore-Tex Active Shell and DryQ. Both are a new generation of waterproof fabrics that has only recently come to the market. Both are supposed to be much more breathable than older... (more)	—	almost 13 years ago
Answer	—	A: What is the best way to store my sleeping bag for long periods of time? When you put the bag into a compressing sack, the insulation fibers take some damage. (Synthetic fibers are less resistant in this regard than down.) The longer and harder you compress the insulation, the more damage; the insulation slowly loses loft and gets "colder". Therefore it's best to keep the... (more)	—	almost 13 years ago
Answer	—	A: What is the difference between men's and women's hiking boots? I think that there are three reasons for special women's gear and clothing: fit, appearance and marketing. If you are happy with the man's boots you have got, if they fit you well, there's nothing to be gained by the women's model. (more)	—	almost 13 years ago
Answer	—	A: What to look for in a durable, 3-season sleeping bag? One of the main questions is choosing between down and synthetic filling. Down bags are much lighter, they last longer because the down takes less damage when compressed, and they are generally warmer. They have two downsides: they are more expensive and the down quickly loses its insulating properti... (more)	—	almost 13 years ago
Answer	—	A: How do I take care of Gore-Tex boots? Whatever you do, the membrane will wear out in a few years. That's one of the reasons why many people prefer leather boots, because once the membrane starts to leak, they can still waterproof the leather (it's much harder to perfectly waterproof textile). That said, you can always try to keep the me... (more)	—	almost 13 years ago