Posts by Jeff W
I have recently hit 40 and have been using hiking sticks for the past five years. When I began having problems with my knees, my doctor originally suggested the problem was with osteoarthritis. D...
From a few years of hiking as an adult leader with the boy scouts (who are NOTORIOUSLY difficult to keep hydrated), I can say with certainty that symptoms vary between individuals. Personally, my ...
About three years ago, I picked up a used "MSR Wisperlite" for a great price. At the time, I was not aware of the difference between the classic and the International versions of the stove. Since...
It depends a lot on the terrain. I wear a pedometer throughout the week (health program for work), and I use a GPS when hiking. From experience - on level terrain - I know that I get between 2100...
From my experience (across multiple vendors!), the glass globes on propane lanterns are fairly standard sizes. It seems like there are two or three which are very common. Unless you have a real o...
I tie two half hitches, with the second one being slipped. I don't have any trouble with tension, and it's easy to remove later.
As mentioned in an earlier post, there are three critical components: fuel, oxygen, and heat. Understanding how these interact is critical to successfully creating a fire. The oxygen is the easy...
I just returned from a five day trip during which we used a friend's Solo Stove (wood burner). My pots are now covered with a thick, sticky, black layer of creosote. I've tried steel wool and soa...
When wood is heated, the first thing to ignite are the "burnable gasses" released by the heating process (producing flames). Some time later, the combustion of these gasses heat the wood to the po...
A ridgeline is generally used to suspend a tarp above a hammock. It attaches to the trees at or near the level that the hammock attaches to them, but it is pulled tight so that it is well above the...
I've owned pairs of both Keen and Ecco sandals, and have been quite happy with both. They each have solid leather construction with comfortable padding on the inside, and they tend to hold up well...
In the southern part of the state, a section of the Florida Trail passes through Big Cypress. From what I remember, it's about a 20 mile stretch of trail where you won't see many others. Though i...
400m is a bit extreme. I would estimate that I can reliably get well under 100m depending on the quality and scale of my map. As you indicate, there are many contributing factors to the absolute ...
I would strongly caution against anything which might affect the ability of the sleeping bag to breathe. You sweat while you sleep, and I don't think most of us realize how much. Sleeping bags ...
I'll second the earlier nomination of the "ten essentials" list (@Nate Eldredge). There are two versions of this list, with the classic version of the list tracing its roots back to the 1930's. T...
Others have covered the basic knots here already. Rather than post more, I want to point out that you should know one or more knots for each basic use: Tying two pieces of line together requires...
I have a ProForce All Weather Shelter, which is listed as being "210T rip-stop nylon". On a recent outing, we had four hours of rain overnight and it leaked on me the entire time. Upon closer ins...
A multi-tool or a knife? A multi-tool can be a very appropriate tool for backpacking. It combines the function of many of the tools you mentioned. You may carry the tools you mention above, thou...
The topics of navigation and cartography are two sides of the same coin, and there are entire books written about each. It is interesting to study the history of cartography because it very graphi...
I've been hammock camping for about four years, and there are a few issues you should be aware of. First, as already noted in the comments under your original question, insulation is critically im...
You could do two half hitches using a bight in the cord. In fact, I would expect many (most?) hitches to work well using a bight. I do this frequently when hanging a ridge line for my tarps using...
There are a few things to think about: Fabric. Selection of fabric will affect weight and durability. Whatever you get, make sure it's UV resistant, and you should probably consider something wi...
