Posts by Don Branson
I've had this, too. You're just stressing different ligaments than when traveling uphill. I think it's a matter of getting the right exercise, which is to say, do the same thing on training hikes. ...
When gap shooting or shooting a bow in general, there are a couple of advantages to keeping both eyes open. One is that having both eyes open gives you some amount of depth perception, so you can s...
In season 3 episode 1 of Survivorman, Les Stroud uses a guitar and a can of some consistently shaped chips made from potatoes of an unknown brand <cough>Pringles</cough> to make a trap ...
No, don't worry. At least in the US, and presumably a number of other countries, there are organizations that set the safety standards pretty high. As a result, IMHO, we've become much more suspici...
If I see a deer munching on a particular plant, is that enough to indicate that it's safe to eat? How about other animals?
There are people who swear by poles, and there are people hiking into their eighties without poles or knee trouble. Part of it is genetics, part of it is being intelligent about hiking. Poles may h...
I currently use a Sawyer Filter without using purification. I carry iodine tablets as a backup. Iodine's been in use for decades, and I don't worry at all about using them when necessary. Ray J. re...
Being in a hammock shouldn't change anything. A tent is not any safer, and may be more dangerous, since you don't have visibility of the area around you. Buy or borrow a copy of Trail Life, there's...
I've been using the same Evolv shoes for bouldering that I bought for top-roping. It seems like they're worn enough to start considering a new pair of shoes. Since I'm doing bouldering almost exclu...
I just spray some Lysol into the shoe from time to time after returning home from climbing, and that seems to do the trick. I haven't noticed a downside to this, but perhaps some more experienced c...
I almost never get blisters. It's been a few years since I've had one, when I got a small blister between two toes. It was my own fault for not properly drying my feet after a creek crossing. My h...
I'm assuming there won't be three parts of equal weight. Depending on the tent design, you could be talking main room, fly, and poles. You could break it into threes that way, then swap other items...
If a lightning storm is coming, and you had a tent and a hammock/tarp with you, which would you choose, based only on relative safety from lightning?
theJollySin is right. Your body adjusts to seasons by changing the viscosity of your blood. Thicker in winter to help stay warm, thinner in summer to help stay cool. Essentially, alcohol thins your...
It's not at all too much for 2 weeks, even without rushing. I've done a couple trips from St. Louis out to CA this way. You're asking the right question, IMHO. Make a list of the must-see location...
Backpacking Trail Life by Ray Jardine Ray is one of the pioneers of ultralight backpacking, if not the pioneer, not to mention expert kayaker and freeclimber. This book changed how I see backp...
I've been top-roping for several months. About a month ago I found out how much fun bouldering is. I've been getting quite a few scrapes on the knees working certain routes, or from falling. I'm...
Those are blazes. They used to be done with an axe, now they're done with paint. There's no national standard, but there are usually standards for a particular trail. The Appalachian Trail, for ...
Top-roping or lead-climbing? I haven't seen this happen in top-roping except when using the wrong rope - that is, for the rope next to the route i'm climbing. When you top out you should be near ...
Can you do some local training hikes on similar terrain before heading out there? That will give you a good idea of what your capabilities are. Even if you don't have similar terrain, you could c...
I avoid water-resistant shoes for hiking since they trap moisture (your sweat) in as well as out. Kinda depends on hiking style, too - if you're ultralighting then you'd probably want trail-runnin...
I don't know how much push-ups will help, since they're working the muscles in a different direction. I started indoor rock-climbing this year at a place with some pretty healthy overhangs, and th...
I don't think that a limited diet will cause you health issues. (caveat, I'm not a doctor...) But, keep in mind that hiking is typically a strenuous activity. You need energy, and lots of it. Y...
Lots of good answers and ideas here. I backpack ultralight now. This is nice for a couple reasons, one of which is that sleeping under a tarp is a lot more comfortable than a tent, rain or shine....
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