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I don't wish to distort that comment by taking it out of context. It provides a starting point, though. We are told that, "practice makes perfect." Skilled musicians know better. They recognize the truth that "perfect practice makes perfect." Or, to put it in a negative frame, if you...

This story also reflects old wisdom that all your "safety" stuff isn't carried in your pack. A lot of it surely is carried between your ears, in the form of knowledge and judgment. In fact, that well may be the most important part of your kit. G.

It's New Hampshire, land of "Live Free or Die." Stay out of others' business.;) G.

The Green Mountain Club has reminded me that this year we celebrate the 100th anniversary of the founding of Vermont's Long Trail. Three cheers for the GMC and its founders, who a century ago imagined and created the LT, and all those GMC volunteers and employees who over the years have built...

Right on. Solid support first, especially in the lumbar (lower back) area. Support not just for the load, but the back as well. Padding second. G.

Amen to that! We all could use a good chuckle. While we're on the topic of trail use protocols, I have a question raised by the recent video on skiing down from Mt. Marcy, posted in the NY Q&A section. On narrow trails, how are downhill-bound skiers supposed to interact with uphill-bound...

FYI, on all my old manual focus SLRs (and I had a bunch over the years) I replaced the stock focusing screens with a ground glass screen of some kind. The stock or "original equipment" screens invariably had some kind of "focusing aid" in them (fresnel or split image, or a combination...

Interesting idea. Going back to work as a regular freelancer in the newspaper photo business a decade ago -- after a decade's layoff -- the first thing I had to do was update my gear. It almost broke my heart to sell off a half dozen Pentax camera bodies and well more than a dozen...

Probably not. After all, the purpose of being in business ("the outdoor industry") is to generate profit. No profit = defunct business. The bigger question may be, does altruism really matter in this case? Or, more accurately, is motivation the best or all that useful a criterion to apply in...

I can't answer your question about battery chargers, which I assume refers to chargers for the ubiquitous AA cells. Gave up on rechargeables long ago, having decided they were unreliable (or inadequately reliable for my needs and purposes). My needs primarily have involved running photo flash...

For several years I have been well pleased carrying a good size lumbar pack fitted with a shoulder harness. It sits low and fits snugly on and against my lower back. The shoulder harness allows plenty of wide-open ventilation while providing excellent additional load support There are two...

Great Olympic gold medal hockey games, both men's and women's. They just didn't turn out quite right ... but your view on that may differ. ;-) G.

(The parallel “Patagonia” thread raises an interesting question about profitability, but I think the general discussion about “sustainability” probably is best carried on here.) I think the question is very complex. First of all, it is a bad assumption to equate high prices (a relative term)...

I am inclined to think that, in important ways, the durability of my outdoor gear is linked with what we have come to call the (ecological) sustainability of its manufacture. For example, I question that the leather uppers and rubber soles in my Limmer boots are made of especially...

Don't kick yourself. If I am not mistaken, there is precedent for permitting "non-conforming structures" in wilderness areas in the Adirondack Park. As a side point -- and not a personal criticism -- I think it is worthwhile for those of us who love wild places to become familiar with the...

Don't kick yourself for the cut off legs. This still is a nice image in its genre -- I like the human figure emerging from shadow into a background of mist, and finally, bright sky. As for personal favorites, I've really come to like blaze's picture of the two hikers in post #35. Good, tight...

My favorites so far … Post #9 by Chip – image #2, Guide on Mt. Ranier. This well illustrates that sky is not the only feasible backdrop for a silhouette. Also, there is some storytelling quality to thephoto, which elevates it from being a mere “graphics” exercise. Post #11 by Taconic –...

Love my Limmers! Only complaint is that I waited far too long, and spent far too much money on ill-fitting shoes and boots before having the Limmers make me some that actually fit my feet. G.

I’ve had satisfactory scans of 35mm negatives done inexpensively at in-house big box store photo departments. I've also had some scans done in those labs that were not very satisfactory. For digitizing slides, I’ve used professional photo lab services, which are considerably more costly...

I've had mechanical camera components slow down in barely freezing temperatures. Of course, that's with the gear exposed to those temps for extended periods of time, too. Standard "winterization" of camera gear used to mean a trip to the repair shop to have lubricants removed. G.