Ben Crowell‭

I use 1 mm dacron cordage from Oware. I use a tarp with loops (not grommets), and have never had a problem with the cordage cutting through anything. The knots I usually use are square knots, figur...

posted 11y ago by Ben Crowell‭  ·  last activity 11y ago by System‭

With the exceptions of grizzly bears and polar bears, bears are nuisance animals that are after your food. They have no interest in you except as a source of food or as an obstacle to obtaining you...

posted 11y ago by Ben Crowell‭

When climbing multipitch, what is the cycle of things you do when climbing each pitch, and what are the associated voice signals?

4 answers  ·  posted 5y ago by Ben Crowell‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

To me, hiking is totally different from the rest of the activities on the list. A hike is just walking. The other possibilities require a lot more technical skill, gear, trust, and experience. In t...

posted 11y ago by Ben Crowell‭

Interesting question! Here is an article describing the techniques used by arborists. The article describes a number of different techniques and different pieces of gear. I'll describe one specific...

posted 10y ago by Ben Crowell‭  ·  last activity 10y ago by System‭

The guy who taught me to lead sport in the gym suggested that when I'm going for a clip, I position my body so that the clip is somewhere between my hips and my chest. He claimed it was a bad thing...

4 answers  ·  posted 10y ago by Ben Crowell‭  ·  last activity 8y ago by System‭

The idea that caffeinated drinks dehydrate you or "don't count" toward your body's water requirement is a myth. Laboratory studies have shown that caffeinated soda is just as hydrating as water, i....

posted 10y ago by Ben Crowell‭  ·  last activity 9y ago by System‭

This question has some information about when to retire a rope. The core of a rope doesn't become weak from top-roping or from sustaining lead falls with a small fall factor. It becomes weak from s...

posted 10y ago by Ben Crowell‭  ·  last activity 10y ago by System‭

I have a pair with the big-toe strap, and they're very comfortable when I wear them with toe socks. When I first got them, I tried wearing them barefoot, and found that I could only walk a few mile...

posted 10y ago by Ben Crowell‭

Welcome to outdoors.SE! Most of us have probably flown in airplanes on altitudes greater than that in pressurized passenger airplanes and didn't feel any fatigue at all. I think you gave a pa...

posted 10y ago by Ben Crowell‭  ·  last activity 10y ago by System‭

What wild animals are there in California that can be dangerous or create hassles, and how do I avoid problems with them?

2 answers  ·  posted 10y ago by Ben Crowell‭  ·  last activity 7y ago by System‭

I'm American, so I can only address canyoneering, not canyoning. Easy canyoneering is just lots of rappelling. If you're a trad climber, that means it should be mostly skills you already know. You...

posted 9y ago by Ben Crowell‭  ·  last activity 9y ago by System‭

I'll give this a shot, but I'm from the US, and although I've done a little bit of mountaineering in the Alps, I've never done Mont Blanc. Others may be able to give better answers. First, you nee...

posted 9y ago by Ben Crowell‭  ·  last activity 9y ago by System‭

The first thing I would do is yell down to my belayer to put a knot in the end of the rope. You could also try to evaluate the situation and try to figure out what happened. Is it a route that requ...

posted 9y ago by Ben Crowell‭  ·  last activity 9y ago by System‭

Many people at moderate altitudes (about 10,000-13,000', 3000-4000 m) experience mild AMS (acute mountain sickness). The most common symptom is a headache. Mild AMS is not life-threatening, and peo...

posted 9y ago by Ben Crowell‭  ·  last activity 9y ago by System‭