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I'd include Mt. Cardigan. A great first "real" mountain to do with kids. The route from the west is just three miles round trip. I've never done Willard; but that one seems to be a very popular short hike. Monadnock is more difficult than the other two; but also tends to attract a lot of...

I LOVE my old 60/40 jacket! How can anyone say it doesn't wear well? Mine is at least 30 years old. It ain't pretty anymore; but it is still a great jacket for working in the woods. The big pockets are terrific for holding all kinds of gear. The fabric holds up to abuse - carrying wood...

A link to the Union Leader; but the full article is print-only. Here is a snippet: http://www.unionleader.com/article/20120117/NEWS15/701179985

A hiker is doing the NH 4K this winter, protesting the Northern Pass, and seems to be garnering some press: https://picasaweb.google.com/larisa.dannis/48OrangeSummitsMyNoNorthernPassSingleSeasonWinter

For hiking in fall/winter/spring, you really need pants with a full side zip, so they can go on over your clothes without taking your boots off, and can be easily taken off again when you overheat. I have a very old and ratty pair that I have been using forever, and I have not been able to find...

Wow! Some great shots in this thread. Forgive me if most of mine are canine-centric. Wonderful ski down the back side of Wildcat with AMC group (Feb. 5, 2011). It was a great year for it, with tons of snow. We also completely lucked out on the sunny, mild, windless weather.: Skiing the...

This one is of my dog Salty, about to finish his 48th NH 4,000-footer on Mt. Bond (ahead, hidden in the mist). Didn't think I'd be taking a shot like this one when he was diagnosed with canine lymphoma nine months previous, and given only ~8 months survival prognosis. The Ridge by Elizabeth...

Another reason for hiking with a dog (or dogs). They are willing to hike anywhere at any time, and will adjust to your pace. Many have an excellent sense of direction and could help find the way back. If not, the dog would provide a warm companion to hold onto to stave off hypothermia until...

So sorry for your loss. It sounds as if you gave Brutus a wonderfully active and eventful life, and he paid you back with loyal companionship. Elizabeth and four-legged hiking partners Salty and Gracie

Looking forward to seeing y'all at the dinner. I did not go when I finished the 4,000 footers; but now that my dogs have finished, I want to go for the canine awards outside beforehand. (Very proud of my Salty, especially, who finished the final third of them while undergoing chemotherapy...

Actually, I had said "limited mobility" not "immobile." Another example would be if you just got soaked through and are in danger of hypothermia - the time-saving advantage of having firestarter material could be very valuable. I certainly agree that anyone who spends time in the backcountry...

Great idea. The website is very nicely done.

I always carry matches with the strip off the match box for lighting (even with "light-anywhere" matches it helps for getting them started easily). Also several candle stubs - dual purpose for light and fire-starters. I like the dryer-lint-with-vaseline idea and may add some to my kit.

Since we already established in the "lost" thread that most people posting here are relatively unlikely to get so lost we can't find our way back, the kind of emergency situation where someone might need to make a fire may very well be under circumstances of limited mobility - twisted ankle or...

Follow the dog The two "lost" instances I am most familiar with - in both cases the lost people were really close to a trail or road in pretty benign territory. In both cases if they had just gone downhill a short distance, they would have found their way back to safety quite easily. Instead...

Here they are on Mt. Moosilauke 9/11/11: A second flag is raised, by men in kilts by Elizabeth W.K., on Flickr

Gorgeous photos. Looks like it was a perfect day to be out.

This was in the mid 1980s. I never heard about the glass ban. Come to think of it, I don't think alcohol was supposed to be permitted; but I believe that the ranger understood that this was an exceptional occassion.

One summer I worked as the cook at an Adirondack family camp. On a hike with guests, I was stopped at a trailhead by a ranger, checking to see that hikers and backpackers entering the wilderness were properly prepared. When I declared that I was headed out only for the day and had in my (full)...

Fascinating article on "Heuristic Traps." The concept seems to be applicable to a number of dangerous outdoor pursuits. I was once skating on a river with a physicist who is an expert on the properties of ice. His take on the matter of safety: "Thin ice doesn't know you're an expert."