Activity for gerrit
| Type | On... | Excerpt | Status | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Question | — |
How well does solar recharging work when strapped to the backpack? This answer recommends solar cells to recharge batteries. However, this likely works best during a layover day. I usually don't have those. For a nice-to-have situation, how well does it work to strap a solar cell/panel to the backpack to charge a set of batteries? When walking, the panel will no... (more) |
— | over 10 years ago |
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A: Wood versus plastic trail signs? Switzerland has a nationally consistent policy for hiking signs with Swiss precision (for example and inspiration, see this impressive 64 page guide on signage), as required by law. This applies whether in the high mountains, on easy forest trails, or (usually short segments) on rural roads. You mi... (more) |
— | over 10 years ago |
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A: If a national park trail with its campsites has been decommisioned, can I still hike and camp there? I have phoned with the trail reservation office for Jasper National Park, and this is what they told me. The route has been decommisioned. This means that it is now considered wildland. Hiking and camping are permitted but require significantly more skills (and some more equipment) than hiking on ... (more) |
— | over 10 years ago |
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If a national park trail with its campsites has been decommisioned, can I still hike and camp there? I am considering a hike along the Canadian Great Divide Trail from Jasper southward. As described in Dustin Lynx' book Hiking Canada's Great Divide Trail, the middle segment inside Jasper National Park passes through the upper reaches of the Maligne River valley over the Maligne Pass. However, this... (more) |
— | over 10 years ago |
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What should I do when caught in lightning while in my tent? Suppose I'm caught in a heavy thunderstorm while lying in my tent, on my foam sleeping bad, in my nice waterproof tent. Suppose I have a good campsite so I don't need to worry about flash floods. However, suppose that I happen to be in a rather exposed place, far away from any forests. What is the... (more) |
— | over 10 years ago |
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Thunderstorms in the Canadian Rockies in September? How frequent are thunderstorms in the Canadian Rockies in September? Canadian Climate Normals do not list thunderstorm frequency. (more) |
— | over 10 years ago |
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Do I need to hang a bear cache? I am considering to get Garcia Machine Backpacker's Cache. According to MEC user reviews, this is the only cache approved in the Adirondack Mountains. Canadian parks, and other places as well, contain instructions of how to hang your food bear-proof in a tree. Those drawings are always related to ... (more) |
— | over 10 years ago |
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How do I determine if a tent can handle strong wind? I'm considering to buy a light-weight backpacking tent. My current tent (Hilleberg Staika) is very solid, but also quite heavy (4 kg). I'm looking at various Big Agnes tent models, such as the Slater SL1, Fly Creek UL1, Copper Spur UL1, Fish Hook UL1, or Seedhouse 1 SL. They seem quite similar. T... (more) |
— | over 10 years ago |
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What Canadian national/provincial/territorial parks permit random backcountry camping, if any? From my outdoor experience in the Nordic countries, I'm used to random backcountry camping. I've never seen a backcountry campground in my life, but I've recently moved to Canada and it seems that in Canadian parks, camping is not permitted anywhere else (short sample: Jasper, Algonquin, Alberta pro... (more) |
— | over 10 years ago |
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How are backcountry campground reservations enforced? It seems that in the backcountry of Canadian parks, one may only camp on campgrounds, and reservations are required. For example, in Jasper National Park, one must camp on campgrounds to be reserved in advance, and from the Algonquin Provincial Park regulations, point 6 states that you must not camp... (more) |
— | over 10 years ago |
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What routes in the Canadian Rockies have minimum group sizes (and where can I find about those)? I like to be alone in the wild. I know it's not the wisest thing to do, but I do it anyway (and I'm not the only one). Today I learned that some routes in Canadian national parks may enforce minimum group sizes. What routes in the Canadian Rockies enforce minimum group sizes, and where can I find ... (more) |
— | over 10 years ago |
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In Canada, does a frontcountry campground kitchen shelter typically include a freezer? In European campgrounds, it is common that there is a kitchen shelter with a freezer, where people who camp without electricity can freeze their ice packs, in order to subsequently use those with cool bags for refrigeration. The Parks Canada website for Gros Morne National Park indicates that each o... (more) |
— | over 10 years ago |
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A: Where to buy ethanol in Canada? I did find ethanol at Canadian Tire (in downtown Toronto). However, they only had a large bottle (almost 4L), so it's not suitable if one is already on their way; you should still get a smaller bottle and find a place to store the larger container. (more) |
— | over 10 years ago |
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Where to buy ethanol in Canada? I have recently moved from Sweden to Canada. In Sweden, I always bought ethanol for my trangia ethanol stove at petrol stations. Where can I buy such ethanol in Canada? Is it sold at petrol stations, or will I need to visit more speciality stores? What is the colloquial name? (more) |
— | over 10 years ago |
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Can I camp in the backcountry outside backcountry campsites in Jasper National Park? In Jasper National Park, when I am hiking on trails, must I camp on designated backcountry campsites, or can I camp anywhere I want? According to this forum post on tripadvisor: Yes, random camping along established trails is frowned upon and park regulations are enforced by wardens on patrol - ... (more) |
— | over 10 years ago |
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When (if ever) do backcountry campsites in the major Canadian national parks in the Rocky Mountains grow quiet? The Canadian national parks in the Rocky Mountains are very popular (and for good reasons). Banff National Park had 3.3 million visitors in 2012-2013, and Jasper National Park had almost 2 million (Source). Although only a fraction of those visit backcountry campsites, a fraction of >5 million is s... (more) |
— | over 10 years ago |
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Where can I find visitor statistics for Canadian provincial and territorial parks? I'm currently planning my autumn (August/September) trek somewhere in Canadian mountains. Canada is vast and there are many very spectacular places, but some are very popular; for example, Jasper National Park gets some 2 million visitors per year, and even backcountry camping is limited to campsite... (more) |
— | over 10 years ago |
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How frequent are polar bears inland in the Mealy Mountains and English Mountains in Labrador? I am considering a trek in August/September in the Mealy Mountains and English Mountains in Labrador (Canada's newest National Park; for info see 1, 2, 3). However, I am worried by the prospect of polar bears, so I wonder how frequent they are. I have two data points: Gros Morne National Park, al... (more) |
— | over 10 years ago |
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A: Good quality walking maps for Spain Spain is mediocre when it comes to topographic maps. Certainly beats Italy, but you won't find the quality of France, Switzerland, Germany, or northern Europe. They're not too old — you can find maps less than 10 years old in the new digital series, at scales down to 1:25,000. In general, w... (more) |
— | almost 11 years ago |
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A: Trekking maps of Svanetia available abroad? You have two options: Georgia trekking maps Georgia trekking maps covering part of Georgia are available from various international resellers, such as omnimap and amazon. They cover part of the mountains of Georgia, and seem to include the province of Svanetia: Genshtab maps As a former Soviet... (more) |
— | almost 11 years ago |
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Affordable South Korea topographic or hiking maps, in particular for the Jeju Olle trail Where can I find topographic maps of South Korea? If those don't exist, where can I find good hiking maps? Specifically, I'm looking for maps suitable to hike the Jeju Olle Trail. For topographic maps, I've found the Genshtab maps — not ideal in a densely populated area with lots of infrast... (more) |
— | almost 11 years ago |
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A: How do you keep the inside of your backpack organized? When I pack my backpack in the morning, I sort everything into two categories: Things I will (almost) certainly not need before I set up camp again (sleeping bag, tent, kitchen, most food, etc.) Things I might or certainly will need before I set up camp again. Usually, the two categories don't ch... (more) |
— | almost 11 years ago |
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What are the consequences of — illegally — using a 446 MHz PMR in the North American wilderness? I've recently bought a pair of PMR446 walkie-talkies with some 5–10 km range, operating at 446 MHz. We've happily used them in Sareks Nationalpark in Sweden. Now I'm moving to Canada, where this frequency requires a license. My options are to: Buy another pair for use in Canada Get ... (more) |
— | almost 11 years ago |
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A: How to grade a trek? In my experience, you need to calibrate each guidebook or website to your own experience. As a case study, I can speak from experience with two guidebooks describing hikes and treks in the same region: På Fjälltur: Abisko Kebnekaise, describes lots of trails in the area around Nikkaluokt... (more) |
— | about 11 years ago |
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A: What alternative topographic maps exist in the USA? There are two kinds of USGS maps. Two articles on directionsmap.com explain the situation: US Topo – A New National Map Series. Larry Moore, May 2011. US Topo - A New National Map Series, 2012 Update. Larry Moore, January 2013. In a nutshell, the old-style maps prior to 1992 are normal ... (more) |
— | about 11 years ago |
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Is a mother bear more defensive during early summer compared to late summer and autumn? According to the Wikipedia page on Grizzly Bears, Mothers defending their cubs are the most prone to attacking, being responsible for 70% of fatal injuries to humans. Is there any seasonal dependence on this? For example, are mothers more defensive during early summer than during late summer a... (more) |
— | about 11 years ago |
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A: I am looking for a two way radio/device with constant contact What you are looking for is a walkie-talkie / two-way radio / private mobile radio with voice control. Normally, to communicate with a walkie-talkie, you need to press a transmit button. Some models, however, have voice-control: they will automatically start transmitting based on voice input. My f... (more) |
— | about 11 years ago |
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What are traditional Sami trail markings? This weekend I came down to Vuodnabahta along the spectacular Ávttje-canyon. The Norwegian Tourist Association (DNT) marks trails with cairs and red painted T-marks. The local Sami organisation in Vuodnabahta, Vuodnabat Sijdda, is critical, as reported by nord-salten. They find that those mar... (more) |
— | about 11 years ago |
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A: How to deal with hail outdoors without special equipment? I was caught by a hailstorm the weekend before last. I was high above the tree line, the nearest trees were perhaps 20 km away, and several hours hiking from shelter. The hailstones were not huge, but large enough to hurt. Hail north of Rássevárri, above Guovdelisjávri, Narvik, No... (more) |
— | over 11 years ago |
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A: What are the dangers of swimming in natural waters? Adding one more, from my own experience: a "false floor". I stepped into a lake fully dressed with shorts and sandals, because I saw it was just 10 cm deep. Unfortunately, what I observed as being the floor of the lake, was in fact the upper layer of plant growth... and the lake was, at this shore,... (more) |
— | over 11 years ago |
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How can I tell if a natural snow-bridge is safe to cross? In early summer in the high mountains, snowfields may lie over rivers. These rivers may be otherwise tricky to ford, and it can be very tempting to use the snowfield to cross the river. However, this can, of course, be risky. What is a good way to test whether it is safe to cross? I've heard of u... (more) |
— | over 11 years ago |
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What range should I expect for a reasonable set of walkie-talkies / two-way radio? When I'm hiking with my friend, some of the time we hike together, but sometimes we hike seperately, and may be some kilometres apart only to meet on the agreed location for the evening. Our next trip will be in an area with no trails at all, so we need good communication. Therefore, we're looking ... (more) |
— | over 11 years ago |
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A: Car camping meal ideas? I've just ordered a large set of Spaghetteria packages, such as: Spaghetteria Funghi Spaghetteria Spinaci Aktiv Muschelnudels mit Frühlingsgemüse ... and many others Those are functionally identical to "official" outdoor meals, but at a fraction of the price, and I think the taste is qu... (more) |
— | over 11 years ago |
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PLB, SPOT, and similar services; is there any relevant difference in reliability? There's some discussion here about SPOT vs. PLB. The article recommends that PLB's (Personal Locator Beacons) are more reliable than SPOT (Satellite Communications), a comment says this is not true, the result appears inconclusive. Is there any significant difference in reliability between SPOT, PL... (more) |
— | over 11 years ago |
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A: Is it safe to swim naked in lakes in Northern Europe? Swimming is a popular summer pas-time in Sweden and Finland. In rural areas, it's still common for schools to have swimming lessons outside, in lakes. I'm pretty sure there's no risk from fauna in Swedish lakes. If you go too far north, you could risk hypothermia ;). (more) |
— | over 11 years ago |
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A: Emergency measures: sleeping bag not suitable for the current weather I've only once experienced a nights' sleep that my sleeping bag didn't handle. I was only 200 metre from civilisation, and I hardly slept, but it was not really dangerous. I'd expected temperatures around 0°C, but it turned out to be the local coldest night of the year at -7°C. Normally... (more) |
— | over 11 years ago |
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A: Hiking in the Pyrenees late July/early August, what track should I do? Camping If you're walking with a tent and pitching it up somewhere high in the mountains (this may not be legal, but if you're well behaved nothing will happen), you won't have a problem with crowds. Very few people hike with a tent. In general, as soon as you're more than 2 hours from the nearest... (more) |
— | over 11 years ago |
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A: How to get rid of bad smell in hiking boots after they have been soaked? Put them in your sink and fill the sink with warm water and possibly some soap. Leave them like that overnight, then hang them to dry the next morning. You won't smell them while they're in the water and in the morning, the smell will be gone (and the water will have an interesting colour). (more) |
— | over 11 years ago |
| Question | — |
For fording cold rivers, is there any special clothing (as opposed to makeshift bags or tightly connected raintrousers) to stay dry and warm? On my treks, I often need to ford rivers — on my last trek (3½ day) I forded five, including four on a single day (not counting >100 smaller streams). My current practice is to take off my boots and put sandals instead, but this is a dangerous practice that several books and agencies str... (more) |
— | over 11 years ago |
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Overview of free and open huts in Norway outside the system of the official tourist association DNT On my hiking trips, I mostly sleep in my tent, but occasionally I appreciate to have a roof. Mostly by chance, I've found on my trips a number of free and open huts in Norway that are not owned by Den Norske Turistforening (DNT) (the Norwegian Tourist Association). They tend to be far away from whe... (more) |
— | over 11 years ago |
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Where can I find current information on shelters in the Swedish mountains? This weekend, on a 3-night hiking trip, we decided to head for the Pieggaluoppal wind shelter for the final night. When we arrived (at 23:15 and after 13½ hours of hiking) we were a bit disappointed to see that it looked like this¹: (Photo from before it burnt down) We came home yesterd... (more) |
— | over 11 years ago |
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A: How do I find a less crowded trail in the southeast United States on the 4th of July? My answer is not specific for a particular area or a particular date. I like to find trails, areas, that are less crowded in general, and estimate the seasonal pattern mostly on availability. Signs of less popular areas: A relative lack of photos on things Google Photos, Flickr, Instagram, etc. A... (more) |
— | over 11 years ago |
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5-hour loop hike near Boulder, Colorado I'll have the good part of a Saturday to enjoy in Boulder, Colorado on 18 May. What is a suitable area for a day, loop hike close to the city? My criterion for "close" is that the start of the trail can be reached with at most 30 minutes cycling or a short bus ride. By a "day hike" I mean around 5... (more) |
— | over 11 years ago |
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A: How to select a good GPS receiver? I live in Sweden and I hike a lot in the wild. My personal top three properties to look for in a handheld GPS receiver for The Great Outdoors: Battery life Battery life Battery life I honestly don't care if the measurement is 20 metre off. In the Swedish mountains, it usually isn't, there are n... (more) |
— | over 11 years ago |
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What is considered a water source, and why is it recommended to camp so far from them? I've read one one of the US national forest or wilderness websites that when camping in the wild, one should camp at a certain distance from a water source. Should I understand a water source to mean a spring/well, or any place where hikers may collect water (streams, lakes, etc.)? Why is this ... (more) |
— | over 11 years ago |
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PLB or satphone rental in the USA from National Forest offices or ranger stations? I've read that in the United States, national forests, ranger offices, etc. often have some safety-related equipment for rent, such as bear canisters. Do they rent out Personal Locator Beacons, satellite phones, or similar equipment that can be used to call for help in the wild? (more) |
— | over 11 years ago |
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Can I get away with less advanced food storing methods if backpacking in areas where meeting bears is unlikely? A page like this one, as well as a number of questions on this site, discuss how to pack food safely from bears. What about other animals? This post advises a pretty sophisticated way to protect food against rodents. Is that really needed? This counterbalancing method appears pretty complicated, bu... (more) |
— | over 11 years ago |
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Should food be in a bear bag/canister even when I'm hiking? I've read that in the western US, backpackers need bear canisters or bear bags, for bears or for other animals. For example, a post comparing different methods is here. I must admit I'm a bit daunted, because on my European trips I've never given the slightest worry to animals (food lying around ri... (more) |
— | over 11 years ago |
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What's the problem with electrolyte imbalance and how do I mitigate it? In the past week I've seen two answers mentioning electrolytes; one about the grand canyon and one in an answer on a question that was actually about wildlife, but where other desert dangers were described as well. In the context of outdoor sports, what are electrolytes, why do I need them and where... (more) |
— | over 11 years ago |
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Dealing with wildlife in the desert of California/Nevada in general and in the White Mountains in particular I'm planning a hike in the White Mountains of California; see also this related question. So far, all my hiking have either been day hikes in the densely populated hikes, or treks for up to three weeks in the mountains of Sápmi (where the only significant risks are river crossings and getting lost).... (more) |
— | over 11 years ago |