Posts by Chris H
Just because it's customary to jump in a cold lake straight after getting out of a sauna doesn't make it a good idea if you're not used to it (or even if you are). Wild swimmers are more cautious a...
I'd use food storage boxes - yes, plural, for flexibility in arranging the fridge. The good quality ones with an o-ring in the lid should seal tight (in practice they're not always airtight for lon...
You may want to wash them because they stink too much for where you need to keep them. If it's just about mud, just brush them. Mine tend to get smellier if I've run through puddles or heavy rain, ...
In answers to a recent question, ultrasonic dog repellers were suggested as a means of self defence against stray dogs rather than weapons. I'm also concerned with loose farm dogs, and live somewhe...
I've hiked in the UK, and a little in the US and western Europe. I'll concentrate on the UK. My perception is that British hikers keep their gear for longer than Americans, leading to two things:...
There are some light polycotton travel/hiking trousers. Rohan Bags are the originals (as far as I know) but I've had something similar from Craghoppers as well. They don't feel nearly as synthetic ...
A motorway is very strictly defined and will always be named Mn or An(M). There are A roads sometimes called expressways that look a lot like motorways but they don't have hard shoulders and their ...
I've done it with a broken arm in plaster, but that was nearly 30 years ago when I was a similar age to your character. We always used figure of 8 descenders in those days and had a safety belayer ...
Compared to even the most basic climbing rig, shoes are small and light so not carrying them doesn't really help with your load. Climbing kit is expensive, with or without shoes, but shoes are much...
A downside of your plan is that emergency stuff doesn't have to be comfortable while your planned base camp probably is. If you're spending a safe but miserable night a short walk from your camp, d...
It depends on context as well as more objective criteria. Example: If your first mountain is 1270m but you got the bus to 800m where the road ends, you've still climbed your first mountain (not me ...
I finished the job last night, using "Black Witch" glue and reinforcing tape. It looks good so far - the join is like a less tidy version of the seam in my first picture, as I erred on the side of...
If you've got a (waterproof) outer layer, that can be used to retain the blanket, by wearing the blanket under the coat. If you don't have a waterproof layer, the foil blanket will keep the worst o...
First: buddies. Solo activities are inherently riskier. Not that's out of the way, what kit is practical? Extra insulation and extra wind/waterproofing. This may be just one item, but it's more...
Assuming firewood can be found, but it's likely to be damp, how can I best be prepared for getting a fire going? This is for a light hiking situation, so I'm not going to carry a sack full of kindl...
In other contexts a knife and fork icon (or fork and spoon e.g. on UK motorway service signs) is widely used, but I'm a little reluctant to propose it here, as it could equally mean cutlery, or mor...
Vacuum insulation adds significant weight and bulk. Compared to a stainless steel water bottle, already a heavy option, it will weigh almost twice as much (because of the double wall, and probably ...
Ice Either obtain ice, or freeze ice packs (the latter are common in the UK, and many campsites will freeze them for you, often for a fee). Larger ice packs will keep partially frozen for 24 hours...
Emergency food is tricky because it should keep really well,though in your case it's not so important. For planned consumption I make a savoury flapjack - oats, cheese, a little egg, spring onion...
Given your clarification ("up to small knives") a 10mm diameter by 5mm thick rare earth magnet would work. I've got some and they'll lift my Swiss army knife. However I'd go for a bit bigger, and ...
I'm tall but rather small-boned, and my XL drysuit has always been marginal on the wrist and neck seals, which are neoprene with a smooth lining, rather than the more common latex. This is much mo...
For calm water towing would work. For short stretches of even the gentlest rapids the best approach would be to tie up one boat, paddle the first down (or pole up), tie it up and walk back for the ...
Very indoors, shut up tight, and at a suitable time of day. If you live in a house (as opposed to a flat), and it has reasonably good insulation and tight-fitting windows, the high-pitched sound o...
To address the issues you're having with audio-based solutions, keep the phone inside your clothing and use a "hands-free" headset (wired). This will stop the phone dying due to a cold battery, wh...
The ground is a good insulator though it takes time to warm the soil closest to the heat source. A lot of heat will be lost from the top, but I assume there's a ground-level floor at the top of thi...
