Activity for Van‭

Type	On...	Excerpt	Status	Date
Answer	—	A: Most practical knots for a bend (tying two ropes together) while pulling to create tension? (Maybe not a great answer, but too long for a comment.) I guess this would all depend on how much tension we're talking and how much extra line you'll have (and whether you have another set of hands). When I'm trussing a roast, I use a surgeon's knot to help maintain a small amount of tension while... (more)	—	over 4 years ago
Answer	—	A: How much vegetation is represented by the green on USGS 7.5 minute topo maps? According to this USGS pamphlet (last page, bottom right), solid green is "Forest". This link gives us The mesomorphic tree canopy is typically >10% cover and often exceeds 5 m in height (I was not able to find a good reference for a definition to "Shrubland" for the spotted irregular green t... (more)	—	almost 5 years ago
Question	—	Can or should you season titanium cookware? I have a set of titanium cookware that I use for backpacking. It's a small set for one to two people and consists of two little pots and one cover/frying pan. Mostly, this set gets used for boiling water, but I do occasionally actually cook in it. Is there any (good) reason to try to season this... (more)	—	about 5 years ago
Answer	—	A: Should I do exercises for finger strength as an intermediate, heavy climber? My answer is going to be: depends. When I started climbing, I was in a similar height / weight bracket as you are. However, my finger strength was fairly decent for a novice. I did install and use a fingerboard, but I never used it too much. I have friends who swore / swear by finger exercises, b... (more)	—	about 5 years ago
Question	—	how shelf stable is pocket (portable) soup? This video for Portable Soup (aka Pocket Soup) from James Townsend popped up in my feed. If you don't know (like I hadn't until I saw the video) Pocket Soup is basically a shelf-stable ultra-reduced stock. It pretty much looks like leather, stores in a tin, but dissolves into boiling water in minut... (more)	—	over 5 years ago
Answer	—	A: How to shorten alpine slings into an alpine quickdraw? If you want to make them even more compact (especially for longer slings), you can hold onto the biners, and twist one a couple of times, then continue twisting in the same direction and clip one biner onto the other. Be careful not to put so much twist on them that it imprints. (For storage, it's ... (more)	—	over 5 years ago
Answer	—	A: How do I slow down while snowboarding? Like Jon Custer said, move your board so it's level (board not not pointing downhill) and then lean into the slope. I.e. you want someone downhill of you to be able to see some of the bottom of the board. (You can do this facing either upslope or downslope.) Think of it as trying to use the snow p... (more)	—	over 5 years ago
Answer	—	A: Best practices for physical and inventory management of a ready pack/bug out bag Maybe this is an obvious thing, but does your BOB have to be completely prepacked? (Or even, is it?) I.e. do you expect to need to grab this bag and have less than 60? 30? 10? seconds to get out the door? How much different would it be to have a packed bag of essential gear with open containers re... (more)	—	over 5 years ago
Question	—	What is an efficient and effective way to test an emergency day-hike kit? Questions like these two have made me wonder about my own answer in the first linked question. I have to admit, I haven't 'tested' the kits I put together. I have some wilderness survival training (primarily from when I was a kid in the BSA), but that was more than a couple of years ago. (Quite a ... (more)	—	over 5 years ago
Answer	—	A: Train climbing with additional weight? Does it make sense to train rock climbing wearying a weight vest... ? To expand a bit on what Jan said: it depends on why you're training. Back when I was a solid gym rat, some of my climbing was to learn technique. Some was to build strength. Some was to practice. Some was for flexibility. ... (more)	—	over 5 years ago
Answer	—	A: Lush meadows December time You may have some luck in Florida. The Florida Wildflower Foundation list some things still in bloom. I'd say poke around on their site; especially the links to South Florida parks. It you're going to find anything in the continental US that's lush, green, and has wild flowers, that's the best bet... (more)	—	over 5 years ago
Answer	—	A: Why are zip-in (fleece + hardshell) jackets so rare? I used to work at Eastern Mountain Sports (a New-England, USA, based chain of outdoor goods). Granted, I haven't worked there in over 15 years, but I know what you are talking about. It was very popular early 2000's up to about 2010. Whether due to fashion or pricing (like Gabriel C. has suggested... (more)	—	over 5 years ago
Answer	—	A: What gear should I carry along for winter emergencies? Second Edit: Thanks for all the upvotes. I just want to clarify one thing: I don't think I've done a good job in answering the OP's question. I think cr0's answer is much better for winter hiking. This little kit that I've put together is my 3-season emergency kit. Consider it the start of an em... (more)	—	over 5 years ago