Activity for Fred the Magic Wonder Dog‭

Type	On...	Excerpt	Status	Date
Answer	—	A: Waterproof mittens for cycling and snow-fun: leather or synthetic? I spend a lot of time in the snowy wet Sierra's and the only way I know to have a dry pair of mittens at the end of the day is to have two pairs of mittens. Goretex et al can help, but only if the mitten is constructed such that the WB layer is one piece insert between the outer and inner layers of ... (more)	—	about 5 years ago
Answer	—	A: How to waterproof leather gloves & mittens? I have had the best results "waterproofing" gloves using Snow Seal which is a wax like product. Putting the gloves in the dryer for a few minutes before you apply the wax seems to help in getting good absorption and the gloves need to be as clean as possible. This only works for smooth leather gloves... (more)	—	about 5 years ago
Answer	—	A: Does mountaineering organization membership provide wilderness rescue/evacuation expense insurance? The American Alpine Club does provide some rescue insurance as part of its membership. It's the only group that I know of that does. As I recall it's fairly limited. In the United States, rescue is still mostly free. Any costs are generally covered by the local government and if you are rescued you... (more)	—	over 5 years ago
Answer	—	A: Is it safe to drink rain water from a stream after a long drought? The reality is that if there is a trail, there will be human waste improperly deposited near that trail. Recent heavy rain will wash this waste into the stream. Also, stream beds are where gravity naturally deposits anything that can be moved by gravity. Stream beds are nature's garbage collectors. ... (more)	—	over 6 years ago
Answer	—	A: What is a good R value for a four-season sleeping pad? My 2 Cents: Winter camping requires two pads, one inflatable and one foam. The reason for this is that not having any pad at all looses a lot of heat into the ground if you are camping on snow. Even the warmest bag will be uncomfortable without a pad camping on snow. While inflatable pads are reall... (more)	—	over 6 years ago
Answer	—	A: What is the minimum amount of gear that would allow one to ascend a climbing rope? Shoelaces... At least according to James Bond. https://youtu.be/8FDX6BSas8 (more)	—	over 7 years ago
Answer	—	A: Are there any advantages while backpacking to hike during the night and sleep during the day? Something I've done in the Sierras where it can get quite hot at lower elevations during the day is to use the "siesta" method. Get up early and hike until about noon. Wait out the hot hours of the day (roughly 1pm - 4pm) and start hiking again as the day cools off. As far as hiking in the moonli... (more)	—	over 7 years ago
Answer	—	A: Can the sheer existence of snow lead to dehydration? The altitude sickness sounds like the most likely explanation to me. However, one other factor is that snow reflects light. On a sunny day in the right circumstances, a snow slope can act as a giant reflector that can have some physiological side effects. (more)	—	about 8 years ago
Answer	—	A: Which kind of rope should I buy to make an ultralight hammock suspension system? There are two considerations ( if you don't include cost ). Breaking Strength The rule of thumb for rigging is that the breaking strength of the rope should be roughly 15x the static load. That's something in the 1300 kg breaking strength range. Probably overkill for a hammock over a soft surface... (more)	—	about 8 years ago
Answer	—	A: How much insulation does a wet synthetic sleeping bag provide? I think this is one of the biggest myths in outdoor gear. No insulation is "warm even when wet", the real difference is whether it's life threatening or just really unpleasant when wet. The useful difference is when the garment/bag is just slightly damp. (i.e. if you get somewhere dry, wring the wa... (more)	—	over 8 years ago
Answer	—	A: What's the difference between frontcountry camping and backcountry camping? I have mostly commonly heard those two terms used together in skiing. Frontcountry is lift served skiing inside the resort boundaries verses backcountry skiing where you ski up the hill first before you ski down it. (i.e. the front of the mountain is where the lifts and trails are, the back is wher... (more)	—	over 9 years ago
Answer	—	A: When should a belay device be replaced? The minute you have any doubt about it. There really is no other way to answer this question. There are so many different devices with different levels of mechanical complexity and different use and wear patterns, that it's impossible to describe what to look for in each one. Having said that, mos... (more)	—	over 9 years ago
Answer	—	A: How often to wash gore-tex? These are just my personal rules of thumb for WB gear care. It goes in the drier after every trip. If there is dirt on it, it gets rinsed first, but not washed. If it looks dirty after it comes out of the drier, wash it, but don't wash it until it looks dirty. I have found that following 1 red... (more)	—	over 9 years ago
Answer	—	A: Statistics on types and survivability of anchor failures? Personally, I can easily see how this unintended loading can happen. Second gets to a tricky part, asks leader for beta, leader moves over to get a better view of second. This question is an example of one of the really hard problems in climbing. It's almost impossible to get feedback about how w... (more)	—	almost 10 years ago
Answer	—	A: When is it OK to hike off trail? I've hiked all over the USA and the general rule is that on public land, you can hike anywhere you want, unless there are specific rules for a given sensitive area. Generally these rules are posted at least at the trailhead or in any wilderness permit you get. The one place where there aren't post... (more)	—	almost 10 years ago
Answer	—	A: How do membrane-based boots breathe? Goretex does two things well. It's a very light completely windproof layer. Properly cared for it's waterproof. There are many places it's used where it's completely inappropriate and just adds cost. In my experience boots are one of those places. Goretex only "breathes" when there is a signi... (more)	—	almost 10 years ago
Answer	—	A: Spray on waterproofing for non-dwr fabrics? TL;DR - It will help, but it's no magic bullet. Spray on DWR like nikwax or granger's will help the water bead up for a while when applied to knit fabrics. But the garment will still wet out with any significant rainfall, at best they will keep you from getting wet in a slight drizzle. Most of th... (more)	—	almost 10 years ago
Answer	—	A: Why would I want a pressurized hydration pack? I have the Gerrig system and for me the primary advantage is the ability to spray water. In really hot weather sometimes the most effective use of water is to spray it on you, rather than drink it. This is easy to do with a standard cycling water bottle and next to impossible with most hydration pa... (more)	—	almost 10 years ago
Answer	—	A: Most efficient training before alpine hiking/climbing? All these are well and good, but "No training plan survives contact with real life". Doing something vaguely aerobic that you enjoy doing for several hours at a stretch one or two times a week is far better than the "optimal" aerobic exercise that you never do. The best training for long days in ... (more)	—	almost 10 years ago
Answer	—	A: What's faster on packed, gradual terrain; skinning or booting up with skis on back? 6 of one, half dozen of another. A lot comes down to how easy it is to hike in the ski boots you are using. The problem with hiking is that it only takes a short stretch of unpacked trail to lose any gain in time and you can't take advantage of any brief downhill stretches. Even with skins you can ... (more)	—	almost 10 years ago
Answer	—	A: Extra strong sunglasses for sensitive eyes These are generally known as glacier glasses. They are rated as Category 4 on the CE scale and you aren't supposed to drive while wearing them. Sunglasses in Category 4 only transmit 4-8% of available visible light. Hidalogos sunglass guide has a very complete list of the different factors in ch... (more)	—	almost 10 years ago
Answer	—	A: Delayed muscle ache after boulder session Have you ever done any weight training? This kind of "delayed onset muscle soreness" is very common for people beginning a weight training program. This wikipedia page attempts to explain the mechanism. For weight training, the general advice is to not stop lifting, but to reduce the weight and i... (more)	—	almost 10 years ago
Answer	—	A: Why train at less than max intensity? Especially if not training often If you can only run 2x a week and only have limited time, then running 10k as fast as you can is a reasonable training plan. However, you will rapidly reach a plateaux and see no improvement in results. The long slow runs need to be for times and distances that are generally 2-3x the length of your... (more)	—	almost 10 years ago
Answer	—	A: Do polarized sunglasses protect against snow blindness? There are actual standards for this. If you are going somewhere where snow blindness is a real possibility, you should have sunglasses that meet the standard. The most common standard used in outdoor sunglasses is the Category standard based on the european CE standards. There are 5 categories 0-4 ... (more)	—	almost 10 years ago
Answer	—	A: NNN (front clip) vs. telemark style bindings for backcountry XC skis The accepted answer has lot's of useful info, but misses the mark. The problem is that the term backcountry is so overloaded, it can mean anything from a simple tromp through the woods to the most difficult ski mountaineering descents. My reading of the original question is the next step up from clas... (more)	—	almost 10 years ago
Answer	—	A: How to get started skiing? Skiing is a gear sport and it is expensive, but it doesn't have to be nearly as expensive to start as many of these posts suggest. If you're going to spend money, spend it on lessons first. If you've got the clothes to go for a walk on a winter day, you've got all the clothes you need for your first ... (more)	—	almost 10 years ago
Answer	—	A: Pitching a tent in the rain? One last tip, if you don't get everything just right, carry a pack towel or other microfibre super absorbent towel to get the inside as dry as possible before putting gear inside. (more)	—	almost 10 years ago
Answer	—	A: Why should I carry a snow anchor? Well, the primary difference is that once you've used your ice axe as an anchor, you can't use it to climb with. Also, two anchors is almost always better than one, especially in snow. You never know the exact strength of anchor in snow. While it is possible to improvise a deadman anchor in snow ... (more)	—	almost 10 years ago
Answer	—	A: Shoe sizes for bouldering There probably is a point where not having a toe-crunched fit would make a difference, but it's not V3. Climbing shoes do wear out relatively quickly. The difference in the sharpness of the rubber edge between a newly soled shoe and worn shoe can make a difference on small holds. Your climbing gym ... (more)	—	almost 10 years ago
Answer	—	A: Tree skiing/riding in Colorado Steamboat has some very nice tree skiing. In general open tree skiing in Colorado involves finding an aspen or similar hardwood grove and those don't occur at the very highest elevations. So as a rough first guess, I'd look for resorts at similar elevations to Steamboat. I can't think of any similar... (more)	—	almost 10 years ago
Answer	—	A: How steep of a slope can you skin up in AT gear? The optimal skin track angle is a subject of much debate in the backcountry skiing world. There are generally two schools of thought on skin tracks. The steeper the better Slow and steady wins the race Since you used "effective" rather than possible, my 2 cents would be that you should set the... (more)	—	almost 10 years ago
Answer	—	A: Is there a more practical type of cord to carry than "550 paracord"? Nylon is great for climbing ropes, but it's sub-optimal for lashing and repair since it stretches so much under load. If you are going to carry string, carry polyester braided cord. It's just as strong but stretches much less. This is all I could find on the web quickly: Cabela's Northern Flight&... (more)	—	almost 10 years ago
Answer	—	A: How to stay hydrated with minimum water usage I found this interesting article on the topic of cold weather and hydration. http://www.unh.edu/news/newsreleases/2005/january/sk050128cold.html In cold weather you lose significant moisture just by breathing the dry air. Even in 100% humidity ( very rare in winter) the cold air can suck moisture f... (more)	—	almost 10 years ago
Answer	—	A: What crampon front-point setup options are specific for various types of ice climbing? The single point setup was developed to aid in very high technical levels of mixed climbing. Dual points can make it hard to keep the crampon on small rock holds. Also in certain kinds of ice, the monopoint can get a better grip. The various other setups are attempts to make a compromise between g... (more)	—	almost 10 years ago
Answer	—	A: Does cotton really kill? There is this informal study that suggests there isn't much difference between wet gear of any fabric: Cotton vs. Wool Insulation But it misses the point entirely. It's not getting wet that kills, it's how long it takes you to get dry afterwards that kills. A much better test would be to keep the w... (more)	—	almost 10 years ago
Answer	—	A: Why all the different accessory cord diameters? Back in the bad old days, people used chocks for protection. These chocks or aluminum wedges came in many different sizes and each size had a different diameter hole in it. You bought the cord and chock separately, and tied the perlon cord in a sling using a fisherman's knot. Today, almost all ch... (more)	—	almost 10 years ago
Answer	—	A: Thru-hiking the Long Trail (Vermont) in late January For an extended trip, one of your problems will be the accumulation of moisture in your insulation. I would definitely get some kind of vapor barrier layer for your sleeping bag and at least try some vapor barrier socks. It is very important that you test your gear for a couple nights before you hea... (more)	—	almost 10 years ago
Answer	—	A: Ski set that does both downhill and backcountry? A lot depends on where you live and where you ski, but unless you've got solid enough skiing skills to manage ungroomed terrain at a resort, you'll struggle a lot backcountry skiing in a typical situation where AT or telemark gear would be used. There is an entire range of gear from relatively ligh... (more)	—	almost 10 years ago
Answer	—	A: How to overcome the fear of falling in lead climbing I'd focus less on the falling part and more on the climbing part. Get some miles under your belt by leading climbs that you feel comfortable on. Leading is a separate skill from the purely physical act of climbing, you need to train your mental control as well as your physical. It's unreasonable to ... (more)	—	almost 10 years ago
Answer	—	A: Why are death percentages of death from trauma in an avalanche so different between USA, Europe, and Canada? I wouldn't read too much into any avalanche statistic. While there may be plausible reasons behind the difference, the data sizes are just too small to make any reliable comparisons. Avalanches are exceptional events and avalanches that involve injuries that get reported are even more exceptional e... (more)	—	almost 10 years ago
Answer	—	A: River crossing in winter? If the water is running, it can't be much under 0 C. It's likely not much colder than it is during the summer. It's also likely warmer than the ambient air temperature. Of course, due to the much greater rate of heat loss due to conduction, that doesn't really mean much. If you think the chance of f... (more)	—	about 10 years ago
Answer	—	A: When is it too cold for Tarping? I would say it's not a question of too cold, tents don't add that much warmth. Tarps and a shovel can make some very nice shelters in the snow. The real limitation is blowing snow/rain and the wind speed you expect to stand. If the wind is shifting at all, or is much above 20 mph, a tarp is going t... (more)	—	about 10 years ago