DanO

To live is to climb. Don't F up!! https://www.liveleak.com/view?t=5fa_1512223489 Imagine this in bad weather.

If interested, some trail and home remedies for intestine bugs, or food poisoning etc. Non herbal tea, green tea is the best, make it strong and hot, keep drinking until feel better, strong like four tea bags in a cup. (Note: Drink tea like the locals when overseas for your belly. ) Mainly for food poison, but helps for critters. Activated charcoal, little capsuls , can find in health food stores, very good for food poisoning or other poisoning, but even helps against the critters. I carry some every hike. NOTE , Activated Charcoal will absorb out medications as well. For intestine critters certain herbs or herbal tinctures. Primarally Black Walnut hulls, Wormwood and Cloves, take as directed. For critters, not for food poisoning. ( One can take a one time dose of tincture one teaspoon/tablespoon on empty stomach , but likely to get VERY stomach sick from such strong treatment, may do a couple days if feel the need.) Stomach or intestine viruses, can try food grade iodine in water and drink. May also work for other bugs, iodine is used to treat water, same idea but inside your gut. For critters. If you do such treatments suffering likely to be much reduced. As compaired to doing little to nothing conventinal treatments. Likely to be feeling well in few hours to a day or so, verses much longer. Dont forget these treatments or suffer and worse yet unable to move yourself effectivly. A most powerful quick acting treatment mainly for food poisoning but will help with critters. Take activated charcoal powder, remove from 5 to 10 capsuls , place into cup. Add in green tea, make it strong, bitter strong, add in boiling hot water, let steep around 5 to 10 minutes stir every now and then . Cool enough with cold water to be drinkable. Stir and drink this until you feel better, if you puke it up no worry keep drinking, do more cups if needed. This is not for unknown chemical poisoning but will work well with most anything else. This can take a sick like your dying event, to feeling much better, IF done quick enough.

I think most of us solo 3rd to 4th class rock at times, or get on steep snow etc .Often enough on poor quality rock or soft snow etc . At some level there is no “them” and “us” it is only us. Even just hikers get on sketchy ground. Best wishes and a prayer.

Pushing one's limits is very personal as my limits these days are "bottom feeder low" compaired to most. A top climber in form, their limits can be much above the average. In any case fame is fleeting , I personally strive for boring climbing stories and suffer the weight and expense of an inreach. Bad luck with weather or bad luck in general can do in even the most cautious climber or hiker. Wish for the best...

I used this setup a lot for the last two summers, late spring to early fall. Worked well, most of the time did not need the weather protection due to good weather forecasts. The few times the weather was mildly bad it worked great. The nice thing is being in the back country and while looking for a camping spot this kind of set up is a lot more easy to find a place to camp, most of the time. Uneven ground is no problem the covered space is so large that one can place the center of the tarp on a rocky spot or lumpy area and have enough of two spots for two people to lay down. It works pretty well on sloping ground, it works well with the door opening sideways to the orientation you are laying. Several times I used this setup where it would be very difficult to use a floored tent shelter. It does cover a lot of area, but this has not been a problem to date for me as the sides tend to go over objects. I personally like to use a closed cell foam pad that is fairly large as my pad / ground cover 24" by 70". One can use a pad inside the bivy sack or a ground cloth of some sort according to personal preference. I had only a few slight storms in this setup, once we had a good forecast to do the Ptarmigan Traverse last summer. But Right at the middle we had a mild wind storm of around 30mph winds. We ran out of time and camped on a very rough rock section that was sloping, impossible to use a tent on that spot, we would have had to camp on snow if had a tent. We had our heads uphill and the doorway to the side of our sleeping orientation. At that time I had a 8x10 ft tarp. The wind roared somewhat that night and the tarp flapped like crazy but we were fine... This type of shelter gives a different experience, which can be interesting in of itself..

A basic two trekking pole setup I use most of time. I usually put the front pole upside down, pole tip up through tie in loop. Other pole the tip down, the pole up under center of tarp. Depending on weather the outer sides can be up and airy or down low for bad weather. If bad weather try put the open front on other side of the direction of wind. One can drop the open front down low , even down to the ground if weather is really bad and if tarp big enough. However I mostly use this set up as a fair weather shelter low chance of rain, as normal with most hill walking. But it works great for rain with bivy sack (with milder winds), but take extra care not camp in low areas(flooding). The larger tarp gives extra protection. This setup is far better than a tent when looking for back country campsites. This setup is not for if expecting very bad weather. When leaving camp leave or bring trekking poles as desired.

Ok nw hikers is back, the global conspiricy against me is illusionary .. 😁

Just wondering if it is censorship or coincidence? Since this is "spray". Question?? Can mankind handle democracy and real free speach? Or only a type of republic///dictatorship and controlled illusionary free speach??? Sadly i would have to bet on the 2nd choice , and it is a choice.

Curious ? is nw hikers website down now?

I pick up a 10X10 silnylon Bear paw flat tarp. I ordered it with a tie under the center of the tarp for a trekking pole. To use I make it like a A frame tent with the front open. A trekking pole at the front and a trekking pole at the center under the tarp. Bear paw put in a really good tie in point made for up in the under center of the tarp. I ordered the lightest guy line I could find from Z packs. I pre tied in a hundred feet of guy line on the tarp and added in 5 titanium stakes. Total weight is 1lb 5oz. This for me is a fairer weather shelter for the alpine. Monster room for two, can set up most anywhere, best cost and weight deal on a tarp I have found to date. No field testing yet but expect good times. This should give good shelter for most anything except high winds while using a light bivy sack. The SOL Pro Breathable bivvy sack at 8oz is the best I found to date for performance and weight, for a normal sized to small person it is great. There are two other less expensive SOL breathable bivy sacks that are also good at less cost. Look for the breathable SOL breathable bivy sacks for intentional use for camping. The SOL bivy sacks run a good size for summer weight sleeping bags, the Pro version has a bit more room than the mid priced SOL breathable bivy sack. The lightest SOL breathable bivy sack is 5.5oz, but open on top. I have no relation to any companies. Good set up for not so high good weather alpine camping, can carry a light bivy sack while climbing up from camp if wanted, that is the main advantage over a tent, also tarping usually has much more internal room than tents- luxury of covered space. Main disadvantage with tarping over tenting in good weather is less bug protection, however bug net clothing works fairly well. As a minim I always carry a bug net head cover, some bug juice. I would use a tent instead if any chance of really bad weather or wind, or winter like conditions (check weather forecast, consider how high you go or if going to very windy areas, mountain passes etc). May use a tent if bugs are super duper bad... Tarps are good to about up to 30mph or so, then big trouble, but you can clamp down all the sides or make a closed in teepee type shelter if caught out with a big enough flat tarp. Good to study some different tarp set ups and have a plan if caught out in a storm. Dan

If you decide to fliter, a Geigerrig pressurized bladder with a filter, (I use a Sawyer) has an almost zero pentily in weight time and bulk. System works good just lube the fittings with dielectric grease and an extra fitting just case one breaks. Time to fill bladder is exactly the same, time to drink the same, time to fill cook pot a bit more , extra weight only a few ozs. Extra bulk , about the size of a fist. Dan

Fresh toe warmers do work, old ones do not. Make a big difference, also may check on heated socks as an alternative. Old toe warmers loose their strength sitting on the store shelf. 6 hours of toasty toes per install, do some testing to see if you like and concur.

Any of the adjustable frame packs made for climbing may be what you want I have the Mystery Ranch one, Osprey makes one, I think Gregory has one. I prefer the design where you can put a close cell foam pad on the outside of the pack, on the side, not bottom. The lighter made packs can be painful with a +/- 30 pound load, so I went to the mystery ranch adjustable framed pack (Pitch). You do pay a weight penitently for a framed pack, so I think of times going back to a zero framed pack, However for me I need a frame if much over 20 pound loads. By the way if doing mail order it can be hard to get the right size, be sure to make sure the size is right, sometimes the recommendation of the maker are wrong. Adjustable frame is nice, a longer frame pack often feels better until you put in long miles then it starts to hurt the tops of the legs were you raise them up against the pack waist strap.

By the way the most breathable fabric I found to date is a Bull Frogg jacket by Frogg Toggs. (mouth on fabric breath test) But it does saturate with water when running in the rain.... Event is very breathable via the breath through fabric test.. Like most everything it is nice to verify things yourself in some fashion, no trust and verify. >) Dan

I can breath through the event fabric in my bivy sack made of event. The outdry I tried was like non breathable rain gear, but there may be other outdry fabrics than what I tried. Dan

I decided not to buy an Outdry for now. I have a very unscientific test method of putting my mouth on the fabric to see if I can move air through it. By this test it is non breathable.... However it could be OK anyway , as most breathable materials actually do not work anyway in rain especially combined with wet brush. For me If it is wet out and I am moving I get wet no matter what in a few hours,. wet from sweat and rain. I doubt there is any magic way to stay dry in rain if your hiking at any real pace. Even when I use a flappy loose poncho I get wet on a trail, if moving in heavy rain. However I never tried the super high end expensive gear. I do know that the waterproof breathable gear if soaked with rain, whetted out, holds a lot of water, hard to dry out, not good, sucks out body heat trying to dry it out,,,,, the non breathable stuff is likely better in really wet conditions. Dan

Check them out when they are in Costco, they are made of nylon and spandex, super thin and light and fairly tough. They are a great lightweight hiking or climbing pant for uphill cold weather approaches and for in general cooler weather, in hot weather I prefer shorts or zip offs. They shed light rain and dry very fast, the material they are made of seems like magic to me, (but I have not experienced much of the higher end pants from climbing companies). They are almost like long underwear for your legs in function, but are in pants form with pockets. They do not have lower leg zippers but are stretchy enough to pull over boots. I had leg zippers installed on a pair. If you tend to run warm to hot while moving give them a try, around 20 bucks at Costco when in stock, they should be back in this spring sometime. Dan

Thinking of trying columbia outdry jacket and pants or bibs. Mostly for cool to cold weather bushwhacking. ?? Looking for info or recomendations, thanks. I have a packa which is ok for useage on trail but not so good in climbing situations and dealing with gear on pack.

By the way you do this with no basket on ski pole for best self arrest effect on soft snow. A bare ski pole works very well in snow if you want security. You can do a lot with it that you otherwise unable to do. Going uphill is much better you have a another shaft to stab in, same for downhill, two poles downhill works well, or one ski pole and ice axe downhill works well. Extend one pole way out and place the tip below your boot while hiking side hilling it will prevent the boot from blowing all the way out if it slips. Downhill hand with trekking pole. Bare tip trekking poles can save your butt, but you tend to mangle your poles at times. Dan

Ski pole is much longer than pick of ice axe, you can get it deeper to where the firm snow lies. Only works if you can prevent ski pole from levering out, the best way I have found in the arm pit method. If you are using ice axe on very steep soft snow your unable to get pick of ice axe into firmer snow that can grab, you can dig in feet of course and that helps. I have not done the testing to prove it, but I suspect a ski pole self arrest is likely to be much better with very soft snow conditions, BUT you can bend and break the pole if you use the lower section of pole extended. I am thinking of getting some solid aluminum rod to try out for lower sections of my trekking poles to see how that works. I like to extend my pole or poles way out for side hilling and downhill Dan

https://www.google.com/search?q=ski+pole+self+arrest&client=tablet-android-samsung&prmd=isvn&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjZquy9tvfUAhUI2mMKHQI6BXwQ_AUICSgB&biw=1280&bih=800#imgrc=OgJual7EQDdLmM: I do something like this but upper hand is lower and pole is in arm pit, pole less likely to break with lowest section retracted. Works very well with medium soft to soft snow, likely a LOT better than a ice axe in very soft snow. Not as good as axe in harder icy snow. It is a shame this skill is not well known. I am thinking of building my own poles because of the lack of knowledge of this skill etc, and the gear for it that I would prefer. I would want a hard solid spike for the lower section of the pole for most usage. Like steep slick ground and for snow. Dan

Anyone know of trekking poles designed for self arrest via pole In arm pit method? Works well if pole does not bend or break. Dan

Whitepine creek or whitepine drool, is still in, it is slowly going away due to melting. I climbed it this last Saturday. I guess it should last a few weeks longer, while melting and ice going away to rock and snow. I hit a few soft spots.. The most easy way to climb is to start over to the right take most easy path up to tree to right, sling the tree then climb up and left taking the most easy way, can repel a tree far left not at the top of the climb or climb to the top of the ice fall someplace. around 3+ the most easy way, solid 4 other ways up. Dan

Anyone know if White Pine Creak is still in? It is between Leavenworth and Stevens pass Thanks Dan

OK, I think a bothy bag can be the best in certain situations. For what I want and most of what I do I am going look into getting a light square tarp. It is possible to fold a tarp into a small 2 man pyramide tent for two with a trekking pole (videos on net). A tarp bivy combo will leave you dryer in the morning and so less likely to wet out gear. And can do a fire if under tree line. The lightest breathable Bivi's that are cost effective that I know of are Tera Rosa's tyvek bivy 5.5oz . SOL escape bivy 8oz, and SOL escape lite bivy 5.5oz. Look for the breathable escape bivy sacks. The more heavy one is equal to a 50 degree F sleeping from what read on the net. A non breathable blizzard bag is another option. Hope to have personal extra bivy gear weight under 1.5lb including pad and fire starting gear. I think a bothy can be lighter and better in many situations but for me a light tarp and bivy should be more useful more often, so I will hold off on the bothy for the time being. Thanks all.