Search results

Sure, definitely. There was a while when they were really little (3 to 6-ish) where unless I had another adult along I would stick to more travelled routes, at least in winter. By the time they were 5 I'd taught them both how to insulate, shelter, and batten themselves down for a long wait in...

I used to do it a lot more often than I do now. As my kids got excited about hiking and became as capable as most of the adults I know, it barely ever happens anymore that I'm contemplating a trip neither one of them would want to go on. You name it, they're in.

Cool! Wheeler may be a little mountain, but it's a super-awesome hike, not short on the good stuff -- steeps, open rock, big views, etc.

Dang, man. That's a ballsy traverse in this week's conditions. Good work!

^^ Grouseking, I like the Upper Valley local scenery. Very cool. Looks like you had a great day for Moriah, too. What a nice spot.

The way it's been presented in the wilderness med courses I've had is that the quick-burning sugar can be helpful in kick-starting the metabolism, and you follow with more substantial stuff. Sweets = kindling, wheat tortilla with cheese & salami = big fire logs. Naturally, though, it's...

Understood. Another decent resource for a starter generic first-aid kit contents list is the ADK Winter Mountaineering School's course handbook. See page 32. This doesn't explain what to do with any of the stuff, just a list of contents for a kit. Enjoy.

Another thought -- there are a number of different pocket-sized wilderness first aid books like this one around. None will substitute for training, but even with training it is well worth including one of these five-ounce books in your kit. One of the things WFA or WFR will help you to...

Mt. Shuksan Lone Pine Peak Maroon Bells "World's Best" is stiff competition, but these three are pretty good ...

SOLO and WMI are probably the top two organizations in the US providing Wilderness First Aid (WFA) and Wilderness First Responder (WFR) courses. I cannot recommend this type of training strenously enough. IMHO, it's worth postponing a number of gear purchases and a few extended trips to free...

Seriously. And anyway, if you climb one mountain this winter, you're doing something that around 316 million Americans won't do. If comparison is to be brought into it at all, we all come up winners. Neat reading about everybody's accomplishments. Here's to a great winter & a fabulous year...

I can think of one occasion when my pack, at its cautious, solo/remote heaviest, contributed to me getting fairly worn out and perhaps covering less ground than I might have with less on my back (i.e. did not tag all three Santanonis). Having said that, I try not to let things go to the point...

I've found 45L is more or less the winter daypack sweet spot for me; depending what I'm lugging I usually come in between 20 and 30 pounds. I think the short answer to your question, with no intent to start a flame war, is that there are plenty of people out there with less than they'd need...

^^^ very nice!

Emma is a seriously photogenic dog. Thanks, pudgy -- Isidora is ten now, nine in the pic. Grouseking, puma, and Jim, your photos are amazing!

^^ Hey, congrats, a winter 115 is a pretty big deal! How long did that take you? Isidora and I finished our NH48 on Mt. Carrigain in March. The whole family hiked a five-day loop in the Yosemite backcountry in late July, about half of which was off-trail. The crux of this was when we...

Not sure I've got ten, but this is my favorite from the year. Yay, team.

Kinda depends what you mean by family-friendly since I know half a dozen kids ten and under who will do anything any of the adult hikers I know will do, but if you mean shorter hikes with a high reward:effort ratio, then I would put Wheeler Mountain in northern VT near the top of the list. 2.3...

Cushetunk, this is a thoughtful and well-reasoned summation. Two things that will make this strategy go much further are an insulating pad and some type of tarp or plastic sheet. These will greatly extend the insulating value of the extra layers of puffy clothing, at well under a pound each.

Fair enough.