Posts by Ben Crowell
This is called rolling, inverting, or capsizing. What happens is that the knot turns inside out, and part of the tail is consumed. If this happens repeatedly, or the tail is short, you can use up t...
should I be untying the fisherman's knot between uses? Typically it's simply not possible to untie a fisherman's knot, especially after it's been loaded, so that wouldn't even be an option. Th...
His opinion was that I could tie an overhand for the master point and be just as safe–the only downside being that it would be more difficult to untie after being loaded. Yes, this is corr...
This answer assumes that you're trying to attach something to a loop (the black and green band in your photo) that you can't open up. If you can open up the loop, then see ShemSeger's answer. It d...
For a day hike, yes, it could make sense, if it's the type of day hike where you need to carry water rather than drinking from sources along the way. It's really just a matter of what you enjoy. If...
People traveling in the wilderness can acquire infectious diseases. These can be caused by organisms such bacteria, viruses, protozoans, or fungi. They can be transmitted through drinking contamina...
This is not a complete answer to my own question, but the following may be relevant. The book by Long and Gaines on climbing anchors says this: For toprope setups, most professional guides use...
For technical face climbing, there are some really good online instructional videos (on youtube) by Neil Gresham. Can anyone recommend similar instructional videos for crack technique?
I'm signed up for an AMGA single-pitch instructor course (to learn how to teach other people single-pitch climbing). One of the pieces of gear we're supposed to bring is a 30 meter static rope "for...
However, your frightening and my frightening are completely different. IMO this is less subjective than you're thinking, and the WP definition is not very good. The issue is not the spacing o...
The question asks: What are the three to five most important do's and dont's -- in simple bullet form -- for a guest in black bear country? But there is really only one item on the list: St...
The other night I went to the climbing gym, intending to look for a climbing partner once I got there. (My usual gym climbing partner isn't available to climb as often as I want to.) The gym provid...
The blog post shows an anchor in which some kind of hitch is tied around a tree, and a single strand of webbing leads away from the tree horizontally to, presumably, the top of the climb, which is ...
The question doesn't state what geographical area it's about, and it really isn't possible to give an answer that covers everything. In this answer, I'm only going to deal with pristine backcountry...
I was recently in Mexico and bought some unleaded gas at a gas station as stove fuel. I gave the unused fuel away to a taxi driver to put in his car. I suspect the same thing would work fine with ...
Here's a scenario I was faced with recently. We do a climb that involves going up to a mountain hut and sleeping there the night before summit day. There is no snow at the hut to melt for drinking ...
This is a very complicated topic, and you can take an entire course where you learn and practice the techniques. Reading an answer on SE is not going to be enough. You need to practice. The followi...
The main issue you're going to encounter in this situation is rockfall. You don't want a situation where the person in front inadvertently kicks a rock loose, and the rock then hits the person behi...
How many percentage does the bacteria in the water die if it is boiled? 100%. More info here: How long does water need to be boiled for to kill all bacteria / viruses? How clean is it afte...
When I'm setting up for a belay, I first clip the belay device to my belay loop using the keeper wire, then feed the rope through, then open the carabiner and put it through the rope. This is a pre...
I got a rip in my down jacket. I assume the fabric is nylon. What is the best way to repair a rip in a down sleeping bag or jacket?
In my experience, you really don't need either trekking poles or ski poles when snowshoeing. On flat ground or at low angles, I don't find them necessary or useful at all. On very steep stuff, I f...
Rock climbing topos have various standardized symbols, such as xx for a bolt anchor, or a dashed line for face climbing. In keys of symbols, I've sometimes seen SB defined as a "sling belay." What ...
If someone is feeling bad at high altitude, how do you tell if their condition is so severe that it threatens their life unless they descend immediately?
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...
