Posts by Vorac
This weekend I forgot my expanded-foam sleeping mat and was cold during the night. The environment was an autumn forest. There were plenty of dry fallen branches. However, I couldn't work out a w...
tl;dr: concrete advice under the horizontal line Agreeing with the other answers, alcohol is best left for later because it can disorientate you. And among strength, endurance, body type, environm...
It is a common advice to handle your ice axe with the pick facing to the rear. Furthermore, having a single technique of self-arrest aids in training and being prepared for an emergency situation. ...
Drinking too much (and wasting it) or insufficient water quantity can be dangerous. The current method that I am using to judge if I am doing it correctly is urine colour: clear white - if water ...
This is my first bow - it's a low-end recurve with a draw weight of 14kg nominal. At the shop they told me not to string it by bracing it against my foot, because the limbs get twisted sideways. Th...
I know that a recurve bow should have its string removed when not shooting, so that it does not stretch and the limbs do not experience plastic deformation. On the other hand, the procedure to unst...
There is a trail (Not really a "trail" as such), adjacent to my appartment I am lucky to be by a 100m x 500m patch of earth (not an official park), that is not built on. Swerving from the trail, wh...
Yesterday I was shopping for breathable waterproof boots* and this is what the salesperson explained to me. The shoe material does NOT matter. The damp air from the foot goes through the membrane (...
How safe is sleeping in bear country? I, too, like to sleep in a bivy sack under the stars. And while during the summer I am not too concerned about wolves (in spite of locals reporting attack...
On both of my backpacks (40L and 100L) the construction is as in the picture. The shoulder straps are connected to the backpack body at some point A on the back of the backpack. Separately, there...
People perish from falling from 0 meters (just standing, you faint and the back of the head hits the concrete)*. Others can jump from roofs and continue running (parkour guys). Therefore, I think...
Non-cheep correct-size raincoat. Mine is a decent quality (maybe 40 euro), but is too small for me and my trousers get soaked. Also, it should cover the backpack, as backpack-only rain-protection ...
Camping under a tree protects against rain wind morning dew heavy sun (worst on beaches) you can hide your bike from the rain ;) But you lose the sight of the stars. If rain is possible, it i...
Store your sandals or boots on the hip belt of your pack, while walking barefoot. Hook small items to your pants belt rings - while camping or in the city. Hook the nylon pouch, used to collect ru...
Carabiners on the shoulder straps can add two bags of easy-access items. Just don't put more than several kilograms inside, the shoulder straps soft mesh could get damaged. Carabiners on the waist...
I think that a fair way to split the weight between group members is ... everyone to carry their own. Including food, clothes, bedroll, part of the tent. This prevents the inexperienced and unfit ...
Polishing a blade means sanding it with very fine compound (more than 2000 factor). Specialized pastes exist just for that. For example:
I don't think estimating is the correct approach to climbing trees. See, from mechanics, the tree branch is a cantilever beam. So comparing branches could be done if stepping only at the base of i...
For a 3-day hikes, firstly you need a medium-sized backpack. Somewhere between 40 and 60L. Next, you need comfortable hiking shoes, gaiters and a raincoat. Also sunglasses and a nice summer hat. ...
On a recent winter backpacking trip there was some confusion and danger of separation of the group. The group had not walked together before. Some members were not very experienced, while others w...
Dear Mr. Vitkov, we would rather suggest to proceed in this way: wrinkle with a brush the external part in order to leave out the dirty parts; then you need to take out the Insole...
I have a pair of GriSport boots. They are natural leather, with SimpaTex membrane. I use them for biking, weekend hikes and general wear in the winter in the city: salt and car oils everywhere. Th...
I wonder about the breathe ability of low (=ankle high) versus high (=20cm above the ankle) hiking shoes. Do high shoes breathe less in the area of the foot (and not the shin)? What are the mecha...
This answer address efficiency i.e. to climb quickly, without getting too tired. It is something in between an answer and a comment. One advantage of walking consistently is thermal balance. That'...
I am not familiar with the reptiles around the world. I can however, share the results of my (informal) research (read: googling) of several years ago. I did that, because I was going alone in the ...
