Posts by gerrit
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 mini...
Of course, there are many long-distance hiking trails without any available maps. As far as I'm aware, none of the European long-distance trails have dedicated end-to-end maps, unless you count Op...
An ultralight tent makes me feel unsafe. I have tried the ultralight Big Agnes Slater UL1+, and I was not happy with it. The fabric seems really fragile. In a small space, condensation is worse ...
The book Sierra de Grazalema: Complete Guidebook to the Natural Park includes a chapter on canyons, describing two routes: one Garganta Verde and one through the Garganta de las Buitreras. Both re...
The Swedish tent company Hilleberg has packing lists with masses on their website. Their itemized list includes a lower and upper range for a list of items, leading to a very large range of masses...
Although I have not found IUCN Level II protected areas, there do exist areas with a higher level than national parks. So as regards are there at least areas with a protection level stricter than ...
As a child, I remember walking with my family over the Gornergletscher to reach the Monte Rosa-Hütte. I remember the same for crossing Vadret da Diavolezza. In both cases, we did not have crampon...
In the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, national parks are in IUCN Category V rather than II. Are there any protection levels stricter than what UK National Parks have?
If you want to get a similar feeling at a lower elevation, there is one simple solution: head north (colder) or head west (more snow — shorter growing season). The treeline in Yosemite National Pa...
Burn it. True, campfires are not really a perfect example of leave no trace. But what you can do: Carry the carcass far above the treeline, where there is no vegetation Carry firewood to the sa...
I will have a work trip in Whistler, British Columbia, Canada early June, and I'm seeing if I can combine this with a backpacking trip in the nearby coast mountains for 2–3 nights. However, it's v...
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...
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...
A barometric altimeter is supposed to be more accurate than a GPS altimeter in the relative sense (total ascent, total descent, during stable weather), but may have considerable error in the absolu...
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 c...
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 bo...
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 de...
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 i...
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...
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 temperatur...
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 w...
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, sa...
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 substanti...
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...
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...
