Activity for gerrit
| Type | On... | Excerpt | Status | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Question | — |
What alternative topographic maps exist in the USA? This answer recommends topographic maps as downloadable from the USGS. A comment holds that those are definitely the best thing for the US. An except for the San Joaquin river near Mammoth Lakes looks like this: When I look at the same place with the interactive map at postholer.com, it looks qu... (more) |
— | over 11 years ago |
| Answer | — |
A: How can I locate wilderness maps for specific countries or regions? The USGS Fort Collins Science Center published the following map of the conterminous United States in 2005: It has been published as a factsheet with a PDF (that can be zoomed for more detail): Watts, R.D., R.W. Compton, J.H. McCammon, C.L. Rich, and S.M. Wright. 2005. Distance to the nearest roa... (more) |
— | over 11 years ago |
| Answer | — |
A: What do unusual waymarks in France mean? I think you can safely take any undocumented variation of a white-red marking to mean this is the right way, unless it's clearly a cross: Red-white-red markings below the Scatta Minoia, between Alpe Devero and Pomatt, near Domodossola, Italy. It is my impression that in Italy one sees whatever the... (more) |
— | over 11 years ago |
| Question | — |
Bear spray vs. rifles against polar bears? In Svalbard, the arctic archipelago administrated by Norway, anyone leaving Longyearbyen is required to carry a rifle for their own safey. For grizzly bears, Wikivoyage recommends that Bear repellent spray (a very strong pepper spray/mace) is considerably safer than carrying a rifle. This answers say... (more) |
— | over 11 years ago |
| Answer | — |
A: How far is a reasonable distance for someone to hike on their first trip? Start by day hikes where you can frequently exit. For example, find a day hike where after 2 hours, one has the option either to cut it short to a 2½ hour hike in total, or to extend it to 4 hours, and after 4 hours, one has again the option to cut it to 4½ hours, or to make it 6 hours. If... (more) |
— | over 11 years ago |
| Answer | — |
A: Booking Alpine huts You cannot book most huts in advance. You simply arrive and get a place to sleep. If you're late then you will have to sleep on the floor. Places are awarded on a first-come, first-serve basis. I speak from (limited) experience. I haven't slept in huts much, but I've visited quite often, and most ar... (more) |
— | almost 12 years ago |
| Question | — |
May hiking in Eastern California In May this year (6–8 May) I will have a workshop in Mammoth Lakes, California. I would like to do some hiking in addition to this workshop (roughly one week). I have never been to the United States, but I have considerably experience with trekking in the solitude of the tundra of northern Fen... (more) |
— | almost 12 years ago |
| Question | — |
Is a national forest always a forest? This question may seem obvious — but is a national forest always a forest? In Norway, statskog — which quite literally means national forest — is a state agency owning forest land, but also vast amounts of mountain tundra, marshlands, lakes, reindeer herding lands, mountain cliff... (more) |
— | almost 12 years ago |
| Answer | — |
A: Rifugio (Mountain Hut) trek in Austria One such resource would the website of the Alpenverein. On their website, you can find an interactive hut-finding service. If you click on any of the huts, you will get detailed information about opening dates, services available, possibly a link to a website, etc. Most of this information is in Ger... (more) |
— | almost 12 years ago |
| Question | — |
Where in Europe is wilderness meeting the U.S. wilderness definition? In this excellent answer, LBell quotes the U.S. definition of wilderness: (1) generally appears to have been affected primarily by the forces of nature, with the imprint of man's work substantially unnoticeable; (2) has outstanding opportunities for solitude or a primitive and unconfined type of ... (more) |
— | almost 12 years ago |
| Question | — |
Hiking popularity in North America vs. Europe From browsing this site, I have learned that US national parks and wilderness areas have restrictions and that campsites need reservations, sometimes months in advance. I've never seen anything like it in Europe; in popular areas, there are simply many campsites and one meets hundreds of people per d... (more) |
— | almost 12 years ago |
| Question | — |
Interactive online map of long-distance / marked trails against best freely available topographic map background I've recently learned about the U.S. national trails system, apparently akin to the European long-distance paths. I found an (incomplete?) table of U.S. national trails and a rather poorly layed out map. Is there any website where long- and short-distance marked hiking trails are shown against a sel... (more) |
— | almost 12 years ago |
| Question | — |
Long distance hiking trail markings in North America or parts thereof In many European countries, dedicated long-distance hiking trails are marked with a white-red marking, like in the photograph below: Source: Wikimedia Commons. I've seen this in at least The Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, France, Spain, Poland. Switzerland has its own, different system. Is there ... (more) |
— | almost 12 years ago |
| Answer | — |
A: Is it dangerous to sleep in a tent alone in a forest in -20°C? Get a Lavvu with a stove! Photo from Wikimedia Commons The Sami population of Lapland have lived for centuries in Lavvus in a climate with temperatures down to -40°C. They did decide about a hundred years ago or so to live in houses, because it is a tad more comfortable. As the Sami still ex... (more) |
— | almost 12 years ago |
| Question | — |
Are there any exceptions to the layer principle? This question asks why we don't apply the layer principle on trousers. Personally, I disagree with the pretext of the question: I certainly do apply the layer principle on trousers when cycling in cold (-10°C < T < -40°C) weather, and I think skiers do, too. The answers to this questi... (more) |
— | almost 12 years ago |
| Question | — |
Are PLBs banned or otherwise useless anywhere? This comment raises the idea that PLBs may not be allowed inland in the UK. A later comment refuted this, but I never even considered they would be disallowed anywhere, but simply rented one and took it with me on a hike in Norway and Sweden (fortunately I didn't use it). Are Personal Locator Beaco... (more) |
— | almost 12 years ago |
| Question | — |
Apart from down, is there any outdoor material that should not be stored stuffed? Down sleeping bags and down jackets should not be stored in the stuffbag, but as loose as possible. Tents, as far as I know, can be stored stuffed as long as they are dry. Are there any other materials or equipment that I should be aware of that should not be stored in the same bag as when I'm carryi... (more) |
— | almost 12 years ago |
| Answer | — |
A: Are there any easy hiking daytrips up mountains in Lofoten, Norway? There are also excellent hiking books that describe hikes along with their difficulty. Even if the description may take some work to decipher (although with a dictionary and some time you should be able to), the route sketches, estimate for duration and difficulty can be quite helpful. I recommend P... (more) |
— | almost 12 years ago |
| Answer | — |
A: Are roads in Iceland closed to hikers outside the winter? Since Iceland has the "right to roam" similar to other Nordic countries, you're virtually allowed to go wherever you want. You probably won't even be able to see the road due to the snowcover, so it would be weird if you could go everywhere except there :) so I wouldn't worry. Even when there's no s... (more) |
— | almost 12 years ago |
| Question | — |
How do people safely trek in polar bear country? For hiking in polar bear country, this answer cites a page that advices to avoid camping under the stars at all times. Yet people do go trekking on Svalbard, and I don't think the density of huts is such that people stay can avoid camping. For example, this company offers a multi-day trek including a... (more) |
— | about 12 years ago |
| Question | — |
What shoes keep me warm in the cold? One of the biggest problems I have keeping warm in the cold are my shoes. When I'm out cycling in temperatures below -20°C, ordinary sport-shoes or hiking boots fail to keep me warm Cycling to work at -32°C. Photo by Torbjörn Lövgren. What kind of shoes can I wear to keep warm ... (more) |
— | about 12 years ago |
| Question | — |
How do I light a spirit (ethanol) stove when it's cold? I am very happy with my starm-proof spirit stove (similar to this model, but older. When others are struggling to find a place outside the wind, I can cook wherever I like — provided I can lighten my ethanol fuel. Trangia stove in use. Usually, this is not a problem. I have a good lighter t... (more) |
— | about 12 years ago |
| Question | — |
Does camping in polar bear country require someone to keep guard during the night? Some animals are big and dangerous and, when hungry, may realise that humans contain a pretty decent amount of meat. I've never hiked in such areas, but they do exist. Photo from Wikipedia, CC-BY-SA 3.0 When on tour in Svalbard (and presumably in other polar bear territory as well), one is requir... (more) |
— | about 12 years ago |
| Answer | — |
A: New Zealand recommended hiking maps, books and other resources Omnimap seem to have all 1:50k maps with a delivery time of around two weeks. However, Omnimap are quite expensive (US$ 16.95 per sheet). By comparison, MapWorld New Zealand charges NZ$ 7.90 (US$ 6.50) per map. Land Information New Zealand have a (probably incomplete) list of international resellers... (more) |
— | about 12 years ago |
| Question | — |
What is a freestanding tent and why should I want one? What is a free-standing tent? What are the advantages of a free-standing tent as opposed to a tent that isn't, and what are the disadvantages? See also: What is a self erecting tent and why should I want one? (more) |
— | about 12 years ago |
| Answer | — |
A: Driving tent pegs into rocky ground Sometimes, regardless of the pins, it's simply impossible to put pins into the ground no matter the technology. In such a situations, boulders may be your friend: Raising a tent between Baugevatnet and Sijdasjávrre, near Narvik, Norway, 68.1°N, 1 October 2012. The ground was frozen solid... (more) |
— | about 12 years ago |
| Question | — |
What is a self erecting tent and why should I want one? What is a self erecting tent? What are the advantages of a self erecting tent as opposed to a tent that isn't, and what are the disadvantages? (more) |
— | about 12 years ago |
| Question | — |
Destination for (half-) day hike near Kraków, Poland in late autumn/early winter At the end of this month, I will be spending some days in Kraków, Poland. I might have a half or a full day available and apart from exploring the city, I'd like to do some hiking in the close surroundings. It will be only a short hike: one day at most, probably just a few hours. Can anyone rec... (more) |
— | about 12 years ago |
| Question | — |
How do I recognise quicksand and how do I get out if stuck? This year, a Danish citizen went missing without a trace in the mountains of northern Sweden. It is not the first time; in total, ten people are registered as missing after venturing into the mountains of the Swedish county of Norrbotten, including two this year (a Polish citizen in May, and a Danish... (more) |
— | about 12 years ago |
| Question | — |
Tips for outdoor during the dark winter? The dark winter is approaching on the northern hemisphere. At my latitude (67½°N), the sun sets at 15:00 by now, and a little more than a month away the polar night will start. So far, I'm virtually not doing any outdoor activities between October and February, due to the dark, cold conditions. But I... (more) |
— | about 12 years ago |
| Question | — |
How to be safe on lake and river ice and what should I do when I fall through? It's late October and in cold, northern hemisphere climates, winter has arrived, and moderate northern hemisphere climates will follow soon. In my area, small lakes are already frozen and people have been ice-skating already. The rivers and large lakes will freeze soon, too. Fresh, blank ice can be ... (more) |
— | about 12 years ago |
| Answer | — |
A: City tickets as exchange objects? My personal opinion: Yes. Once, while hiking in the mountains, I found by chance a 30 year old train ticket for transporting some freight between two train stations that have now been closed a long time ago. I love railway history as I love hiking, and it's a nice collectors item. If the ticket is f... (more) |
— | about 12 years ago |
| Answer | — |
A: Near-realtime satellite snow-cover imagery via easy web-interface This NASA web-interface provides a somewhat recent (several days old) interface to global daily snow-maps. From the main page, click on Land (immediately below the map), then click on Snow cover in the drop-down menu that appears. Then, on the right, under "Matching datasets", select "Snow cover - 1 ... (more) |
— | about 12 years ago |
| Question | — |
Near-realtime satellite snow-cover imagery via easy web-interface I'm looking for a freely accessible website that provides access to recent high-resolution (<1–5 km) satellite-based snowcover estimates (snow / no-snow). Many meteorology websites provide an interface to cloud cover satellite imagery, but it's not always easy to see snow-cover from those. ... (more) |
— | about 12 years ago |
| Question | — |
How can I locate wilderness maps for specific countries or regions? The Norwegian directorate for nature management publishes a map of wilderness showing how far away a particular area is from heavy technical interventions, such as roads, electricity lines, hydro lakes, etc. This provides a quick overview as to where one can get far into the wilderness. I like it a l... (more) |
— | over 12 years ago |
| Question | — |
What's the difference between a 2, 3, 4, and 5 season tent? I'm looking to buy a new trekking tent, a good quality one, e.g. Hilleberg, Fjällräven, Vaude, etc. At Vaude they categorise tents in 2, 3, 4, or 5-season. What's the difference between a 4- and a 5-season tent? I know 4 seasons (although the Sami have 8 seasons) and have camped in all of t... (more) |
— | over 12 years ago |
| Question | — |
When do I need a permit to go into nature? When on holiday, I want to get as far as possible from civilisation — the furthest I've come is seeing only a single cairn during a full day. In Scandinavia, hiking and camping is permitted unless explicitly forbidden (the right to roam or allemansrätten in Swedish). In most of western Eu... (more) |
— | over 12 years ago |
| Question | — |
How to get started with packrafts? I love hiking and I'm starting to love longer cycling trips too. I've done combined cycling/hiking trips (cycling to the trailhead of a hike). Last summer I met someone who carried an inflatable raft on his bicycle, as well as hiking equipment. Ever since, I've been thinking of the unprecedented poss... (more) |
— | over 12 years ago |
| Question | — |
Is backcountry hiking in northwestern Russia safe? Is it safe to go backcountry hiking in the Tundra's of northwestern Russia, e.g. the Kola peninsula, such as the Khibin mountains? There is some heavy industry around there; can one safely go around, camp, drink from the rivers etc. as one would do in Scandinavia or the Alps, or should this rather be... (more) |
— | over 12 years ago |
| Answer | — |
A: How much vertical distance is it possible to make in a day? In good terrain, I use the thumb-rule: 10 minutes per km of distance + 10 minutes per 100m of altitude. This works on easy trails in moderate conditions (no heat, no high altitude, etc.), and often translates to roughly 400m/hour. This does not include breaks; at this pace, I need a 15 minute break e... (more) |
— | over 12 years ago |
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