Activity for Mr.Wizardâ€
| Type | On... | Excerpt | Status | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Edit | Post #41173 | Initial revision | — | over 4 years ago |
| Edit | Post #41153 | Initial revision | — | over 4 years ago |
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A: How can you tie a clove hitch one handed? I found several videos showing a one-handed clove-hitch without clipping, as I think you want: https://youtu.be/ostQdhLI9Y?t=200 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I8qSoIY6FPc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-4RMnULYIM It looks a little fiddly to me and I'm not sure where this would be needed versu... (more) |
— | over 7 years ago |
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A: Techniques for handling pumped arms? (Hopefully this doesn't apply to you but I think it is a needed reference.) Anyone suffering from unusual or extreme "pump" needs to be aware of functional compartment syndrome, also known as chronic exertional compartment syndrome. Excerpts from the book One Move Too Many by Hochholzer and Schoef... (more) |
— | over 7 years ago |
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A: How to train climbing endurance at home? Full body weight hangboard training or pull-ups are way too intense for me to build or maintain route endurance. To extend the time under tension to the length experienced on a route and to practice resting as is needed in route climbing I suggest a modification: chair pull-ups, but using the hangbo... (more) |
— | over 7 years ago |
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A: Can I fall out of my sit harness? You certainly can, if the waist belt isn't high enough and tight enough. A few years ago I briefly worked at a small rock wall where among other duties I belayed and showed people how to put on a harness. In my experience most newcomers don't (want to) fit the waist belt properly, and a significant... (more) |
— | over 7 years ago |
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A: Deodorising rain jacket without ruining waterproofing I recommend you try Gear Aid MiraZyme. It is formulated specifically to remove odors and it is safe for your waterproofing. It does not require you to wash your garmet harshly; instead you dip your garment in a dilute solution and leave it to air dry. (more) |
— | almost 8 years ago |
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A: How can I tell a “trail shoe” from a regular sport shoe? As you can see from the existing answers there is no consensus on this. Something may be "a trail shoe" simply because marketing says so. More pragmatically if someone successfully wears a shoe on a trail it is by definition a trail shoe. Presumably, they are different from the ones above, that... (more) |
— | over 8 years ago |
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A: Do tent colors have functional purposes? I have a Marmot tent and those were my color choices. I chose the brighter one as I thought it would be useful if I were lost and needed visibility, either lost from my own campsite or in need of rescue, and because orange seemed more cheerful. I discovered that the light gray and orange fabrics let... (more) |
— | almost 9 years ago |
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A: How to get kinks and twists out of a climbing rope? Avoid the problem with a better solution Avoiding the twisting in the first place surely is best, and there is a simple way to do that: This is the Super Munter, Monster Munter, or Double Munter. It is essentially a second Munter tied over the first in the opposite direction, and this symmetry... (more) |
— | almost 9 years ago |
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A: What respirator should I get for urbex? I am not an "urban explorer" but in other uses I have never found the simple fiber masks like ShemSeger pictures to seal well enough to be much good. It doesn't matter how good the filter material is if air leaks around the sides. I would only trust something with an actual gasket. How much airbor... (more) |
— | almost 9 years ago |
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A: Bouldering beside the freeway I have no special knowledge of this subject but it is my understanding that rock cut by blasting fractures deeply, beyond the part that is removed, and that as a result climbing on such rock is typically not safe as entire blocks are liable to come loose. A bolt is worse than no good if it pulls a b... (more) |
— | almost 9 years ago |
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A: What accreditations should a professional rock climbing cams reslinger have? There is a UIAA certification for slings just as is there are for (nearly?) all critical recreational climbing gear. You should only have reslinging done by a company that produces UIAA certified climbing softgoods. Certification logo: http://www.theuiaa.org/uploadarea/Safety/Standards/Safety-S... (more) |
— | almost 9 years ago |
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How to safely train for and grip pockets? I was spurred to post this after reading Which fingers to use in a 2 finger pocket when rock climbing? Last year I injured myself training on a shallow three finger pocket with an open hand grip and my pinky dropped. While hanging with maximum effort I felt a popping sensation in the palm of my h... (more) |
— | almost 9 years ago |
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A: Why are eye friction hitches not commonly used in rock climbing? Something that occurred to me after asking is that a Prusik is bidirectional, whereas generally the arborist's knots are unidirectional. I believe the unidirectional knots are easier to both slide up and release, making them superior in a dedicated climbing rig, but their application is limited as w... (more) |
— | almost 9 years ago |
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A: What is the difference between "dry rope", "non-dry rope" and "dry core rope"? This question has already been well answered but I would like to address a slightly different point: What's the problem with a wet rope anyway? Dynamic climbing ropes are, to the best of my knowledge, universally manufactured from Nylon 6 or Nylon 6,6. Nylon is a somewhat unusual polymer in that i... (more) |
— | almost 9 years ago |
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Why are eye friction hitches not commonly used in rock climbing? It seems that the majority of professional arborists favor friction hitches that are tied with a free cord rather than a loop: Blake's Hitch Schwabisch Distel Valdotain Tresse This is often tied using an eye to eye hitch cord like this: This is a Blake's hitch: One can also tie an asymmetri... (more) |
— | almost 9 years ago |
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A: Is it ever necessary to double up locking carabiners? A number of prominent climbing organizations (e.g. International Federation of Sport Climbing) either recommend or require two locking carabiners for clip-in attachment to a harness, e.g. IFSC Rules 2015 [1MB DOC] 8.3.5 The climbing rope shall be connected to the competitor's harness by two Scr... (more) |
— | almost 9 years ago |
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A: How to take care of climbing hands? For the most important kind of care of your hands please read: Can a Finger Pulley injury be predicted / anticipated? For skin care specifically: I am not hard on my skin, climbing mostly on worn plastic these days and with the local crag being smooth basalt, but when my hands do get a bit overu... (more) |
— | about 10 years ago |
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A: What is a "shooting jacket"? According to: Competition Shooting 101: CMP/NRA High Power By Nick Leghorn on April 21, 2011 Shooting Jacket – This is another tool for keeping you steady. While standing or sitting, having an extremely tight jacket to hold you up can be a real help. It also helps keep the sling in prop... (more) |
— | over 10 years ago |
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A: Permanent Camping Cooler - No Ice Needed Although technology has brought us many conveniences most of them require supporting power or other technology. You seem set on refrigeration and you say: "I am willing to go to just about any extent short of buying a fridge and a generator." Perhaps you should consider solar panels (photovoltaic) ... (more) |
— | over 10 years ago |
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A: What are creative uses for retired carabiners? This is probably going to be an unpopular opinion because it's not nearly as "feel good" as helping remote Asian herdsmen. (Which incidentally is probably one of few exceptions to what follows.) Nevertheless: It is my belief that unsafe carabiners should be destroyed. In my opinion it is too grea... (more) |
— | over 10 years ago |
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A: What rope to chose to hold my body weight from a monkey fist knot As Ben Crowell already noted you are not going to be taxing a rope very much in this application, and unless you are planning acrobatic moves off of these holds (which you very well may be) there is little danger even if the rope (or cord) fails. Unless you happen to get a very good deal even 6mm ac... (more) |
— | over 10 years ago |
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A: Wood versus plastic trail signs? My only experience with this is as a hiker, and I can only give my own opinion. But first: Examples In the Columbia River Gorge there are a few different types of signage used. Major road-side signs: Trailhead signs: Junction signs: Masonry signs: Unlike the stone sign WedaPashi showed... (more) |
— | over 10 years ago |
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A: How high to climb before clipping on a sport climb? The pragmatic answer has already been given, but in my own words: Clip from the most solid stance available Clip with your harness as close to the rope-end carabiner as possible Sometimes the old mantra "the leader must not fall" still applies There is a "trick" I'll share at the end of this post... (more) |
— | over 10 years ago |
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A: How do you stop blood-flow from a leech bite? I have heard that if you do not remove the leech until it gets full and naturally drops off that you will not bleed much, and that it is safer because you reduce the risk of infection. At the moment I can't find good sources for this, only: How to Remove a Leech (Go Borneo Travel. Com): In cas... (more) |
— | over 10 years ago |
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A: "Used" top rope when bouldering With due respect to Ben Crowell, who is I believe a far more experienced outdoorsman than I am, I beg to differ with his answer. (Edit: his answer prior to revision.) Having worked at a very small climbing wall I have seen tough ropes completely worn out by top-rope climbing alone, therefore at lea... (more) |
— | over 10 years ago |
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A: Is saltwater antiseptic? No, seawater cannot be considered antiseptic. At minimum, Staphylococcus, which is the cause of many serious infections and deaths every year, and one agent of necrotizing fasciitis, is "able to survive: ... High levels of salt" and may even be spread by seawater. I recall reading (but am presently... (more) |
— | over 10 years ago |
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A: Technique and physical conditioning for crack climbing Update 2019: video links and PDF links fixed, and new 2019 video added. Please let me know via comment if the links break again. I don't have a lot of experience with cracks myself (I refuse to make my feet hurt, and so far I haven't found a way around that), but I found these Wide Boyz videos qu... (more) |
— | almost 11 years ago |
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A: What are the benefits of Vibram FiveFingers? Ben Crowell already answered the "why minimalist" angle better than I could have, but he didn't specifically talk about Vibram FiveFingers (hereafter VFF). This is intended to complement his answer. Generic pros of minimalist footware Little or no heel drop. As with other (true) "minimalist" foot... (more) |
— | almost 11 years ago |
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A: Climbing with a much lighter partner? Alright, there are several different issues here that we must be sure to address. I'll give you my thoughts on each of them. As before I recommend receiving in-person instruction as there may be serious technique problems at the root of this question. Sufficient braking friction A basic requireme... (more) |
— | almost 11 years ago |
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A: When should I retire my rope The manufacturer of your rope says: Time in use : The potential lifetime of BEAL PPE in use is up to a maximum of 10 years. The lifetime of the rope in use must never exceed 10 years. The rope must be retired immediately: if it has held a major fall, approaching fall factor 2 ... (more) |
— | almost 11 years ago |
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A: Can a Finger Pulley injury be predicted / anticipated? Rather than try to answer the personal part of your question, which as Liam said needs a doctor's attention to answer properly, I shall reply to the more general title: Can a Finger Pulley injury be predicted / anticipated? In an absolute sense I do not believe it can be. In a relative sense it is... (more) |
— | almost 11 years ago |
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A: When to perform a filtering of the water? I have never used it and it looks bulky and rather expensive, but the LIFESAVER® bottle makes your third option otherwise practical. You fill the bottle from one end and get clean water from the other; it is capable of filtering biological threads directly so there is no wait period. Reviews I... (more) |
— | almost 11 years ago |
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A: Are there any latex free climbing tapes? A quick search turned up these possibilities: Jaybird & Mais Sports Medicine Adhesive Tape (non-stretch) Many of the products say: Hypo-allergenic and 100% Latex Free This is not specifically described as climbing tape but the first product, EX1 JAYBIRD® ONE TAPE, says: "Our strongest eve... (more) |
— | almost 11 years ago |
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A: Is it realistic to teach yourself rock climbing? With dedication you could learn to climb at a top-rope or bouldering climbing gym without professional instruction. The key skill there is belaying, and you could learn that from videos. However I would never recommend this route if good instruction is available. You may have difficulty separating... (more) |
— | almost 11 years ago |
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A: What's the minimum diameter cord to use when climbing a rope using a prusik I am going to approach this question differently. Since the question is marked with the rock-climbing tag the use of a 7.5mm Technora escape rope that AMHawk's answer focuses on seems unlikely. Also, the method by which he arrives at a minimum Prusik cord size doesn't address certain issues. Cord ... (more) |
— | almost 11 years ago |
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A: How to clean rock-climbing shoes? A UV-C germicidal light kills the odor-producing bacteria, so used regularly the smelly compounds never build up and your shoes don't stink. It also helps to dry your shoes after use, e.g. in front of a fan. And, as stevemarvell said, wash your feet before you climb. I assembled my own UV-C steril... (more) |
— | almost 11 years ago |
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A: Abandoning a multi pitch climb You leave behind gear sufficient to create a rappel anchor that is strong enough for any conceivable load that may be placed upon it. This is no different from any other properly constructed rappel anchor, the specifics of which vary with the placement and circumstance. The only situation I can con... (more) |
— | almost 11 years ago |
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A: Sunblock for clothing-optional camping I can't help but think that this question may trolling, but here goes anyway. There is a difference between skin and skin if one includes the glans as it is mucous membrane: anything marked "for external use only" might cause unexpected irritation. Don's humorous remark about capsaicin is a good ex... (more) |
— | over 11 years ago |
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A: Non-gun hunting tools for small game It requires a fair amount of skill to be highly accurate with (more than I ever developed anyway) but the elastic-band slingshot meets these requirements. Flat-band (as opposed to tubular) slingshots in particular can achieve a high velocity making them effective in both external and terminal balli... (more) |
— | over 11 years ago |
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A: Who places the anchors that rock climbers use? As far as I know there are no general authorities for the placement of fixed gear and bolts may have been placed well or poorly. There are however organizations that provide safety guidelines for placing and replacing bolts. Understand that while good bolts rarely fail there is always a good measur... (more) |
— | over 11 years ago |
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A: Facility to test cold weather gear in London UK In the Top Gear Winter Olympics special Richard Hammond (and the car he is inside) are subjected to extreme winter conditions (-40°) at the MIRA test labs. Hilarity ensues. Top Gear segment: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UM46RoD3-yM (more) |
— | almost 12 years ago |
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A: When do small waterfalls get significant freezing It doesn't take -20°C to form ice near waterfalls or freeze curtains of water, though perhaps it takes that to freeze fast-flowing falls entirely. See this Blog entry from which these pictures were taken: Temperatures around that time: (more) |
— | almost 12 years ago |
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A: Best type of rope for glacier travel? Beal Ropes has a guide that covers this. Read the page but here are two images for quick reference: A robust half rope such as the Mammut Genesis is probably a very good choice; such a rope is much lighter than a 10mm Single but still has a thick sheath. See also: A Comparison of Stretch and Fo... (more) |
— | almost 12 years ago |
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A: Rappelling in the Rain Disclaimer: I have never rappelled in the rain. Basic requirement As with any rappel problem a basic requirement is to have enough friction in the system, and preferably a way to go hands-free. As always this should be tested and not simply assumed. I don't think that anyone can tell you exactly ... (more) |
— | almost 12 years ago |
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A: What is a typical elongation of a dynamic climbing rope? You are apparently confusing static and dynamic elongation. You must use rope that is UIAA-101 / EN-892 certified for the task at hand. You will be buying a Single type rope unless you specifically know otherwise. Quoting Beal Ropes: Dynamic elongation: This is the stretch of the rope during... (more) |
— | almost 12 years ago |
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A: For what it's worth: climbing-tape I have only used Metolius tape myself but this blog post makes the claim: With tape, stickiness is crucial. If your tape isn’t sticky, it will start to roll up and actually become a liability rather than protecting your skin. Oddly enough, most tape sold in America is intentionally made to... (more) |
— | almost 12 years ago |
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A: How can I acclimatize to cold? You could do worse than to research Wim Hof, his accomplishments, and his training methods. TEDx Amsterdam video YouTube channel Daredevils show featuring Wim Hof Have fun. :o) (more) |
— | almost 12 years ago |
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A: Methods for taping hands, wrists, and fingers for climbing? I am only familiar with a couple but I wouldn't be surprised if there are many more for certain injuries or specific applications (e.g. ankle taping for off-widths). Crack climbing For crack climbing "tape gloves" are very helpful in keeping the thin skin on the backs of your hands and knuckles fro... (more) |
— | almost 12 years ago |