Posts by Jonathan Patt
This seems unlikely—simply facing something orange to the sky doesn't get automatically detected as a request for assistance. In general, if someone isn't searching for you, no one is going to be l...
Drink when you're thirsty, don't when you aren't.
Contact your state natural resources agency (California Fish & Wildlife) and ask them for the official explanation. Otherwise, the most likely interpretation is that any tributary which connec...
Cold air drains and settles in low areas at night. In canyons and valleys especially, cold air is going to be "running" off the tops of the higher elevation ridges and peaks above you and settling ...
When it's unsuitable for removal by your group, contact the relevant authority for that land and let them know the type of litter and its location (pictures and GPS coordinates are helpful). For ex...
Clip together any unclipped compression straps even if you aren't tightening them, just to reduce the length that flaps around. The adjustment straps on the top and bottom of the shoulder straps sh...
Pros You don't need to carry a stove or fuel. The space and weight that would be spent on these can be devoted to other things, or eliminated altogether. You don't need to take the time to cook t...
In most places without extremely human habituated bears, a simple hang with the line tossed over a sturdy, isolated branch and tied off to an adjacent tree trunk is suitable. The bag should end up ...
My personal experience does not involve a satellite communication device, but may still shed some light on response time. I was day hiking with a small group in a remote canyon in a U.S. Wilderness...
Stop and move away. Generally that's all you need to do. The rattle is a defensive warning. Develop the instinct (and teach your kids to do so as well) that you freeze, locate it, and move in the o...
No. They can be on the vast majority of each trail, but in most cases the land agencies along the way still have their own rules, and many National Parks (and some state parks) forbid pets on trail...
On designated trails that are infrequently traveled and maintained, using them to mark a faint or overgrown section of trail, the point a trail passes under a large downed tree, a switchback, a tra...
Unless otherwise indicated by specific restrictions that supercede the default, U.S. National Forests generally allow backcountry camping anywhere you choose. They also generally allow dispersed ca...
I cook almost everything in a titanium pot, by boiling water and rehydrating dehydrated meals, whether they be prepackaged backpacking meals from a variety of sources (including Mountain House, Pac...
My standard daypack came with a Camelbak shutoff valve and quick disconnect for the bite valve. I upgraded all my other packs to have the same using Camelbak's HydroLink Filter Adapter kit, which a...
When walking on sidehill tread cut into a slope, walk closer to the uphill side when possible rather than towards the downslope, which can cause the tread to creep downhill over time. Do not cut s...
I think it depends very much on the area. In my area, it's very uncommon to encounter anyone once you get in more than a mile or two from the roads. Back there people are generally safer from other...
