Skills Archives - Page 10 of 13

Essential Canister Stove Maintenance

Wilderness Skills March 17, 2009

There you are, way out in the wilderness in bad weather, getting ready for dinner, and your canister stove fails. Now what? Rescue in the field is possible for many problems: learn rescue how-to and the technical details of why it has happened.

Podcast: Packrafting Safety Tips from the Experts Part 2

Tips, Tricks, and Hacks March 17, 2009

Seven packrafters with a total of over thirty-five years of experience under their bums share the safety gear they won't be without, skills that have kept them coming back for more, common - and dangerous - mistakes, and real life rescue stories.

Podcast: Packrafting Safety Tips from the Experts Part 1

Tips, Tricks, and Hacks March 10, 2009

Seven packrafters with a total of over thirty-five years of experience under their bums share the safety gear they won't be without, skills that have kept them coming back for more, common - and dangerous - mistakes, and real life rescue stories.

Pitching a Tent in the Snow

Wilderness Skills February 24, 2009

Want to try tenting in the snow, but haven't done it before and not sure how? Haven't time in the evening to build a snow cave or an igloo just for one night? We walk you through the basics of what gear you need, how to choose a good site, how to create a platform, and how to pitch your tent (or a tarptent if you are brave).

Testimony: How I Fell for Lightweight Backpacking

Wilderness Skills February 24, 2009

Fate stepped in and pushed me down some steps in November 2006, breaking my fibula at the ankle, requiring surgical repair. I asked my surgeon if I could backpack the following summer, and he said "If you can get your pack down to thirty pounds, you can backpack." My lightweight journey was launched in earnest.

Vapor Barrier Liners

Wilderness Skills February 17, 2009

Backpacking Light's Andrew Skurka on Vapor Barrier Liners: What they are, how they work, and when to use them.

Spring Footwear: Lightweight Overboot & High Gaiter Systems for Keeping Feet Warm & Dry

Wilderness Skills February 17, 2009

Foremost among the challenges that spring hikers face is the presence of melting snow and the prospect of continuously wet feet. Ryan Jordan presents his two favorite footwear systems for cold or warm spring conditions.

Video: Have Fun and Avoid Drowning – A How-To for Packrafters

Tips, Tricks, and Hacks February 10, 2009

Highlights from the April 2008 Rescue 3 International Whitewater Rescue Technician course for packrafters held in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.

Lightweight Testimony: Mother Nature Insisted I Go Light

Wilderness Skills February 10, 2009

Carol Crooker's essay on enlightenment shows that Mother Nature can be a pushy broad, but she gets the job done.

Not a Day on any Calendar

Wilderness Skills February 3, 2009

Backpacking Light's Wilderness Trekking School Photo Essay.

Lightweight Testimony: My Journey into Lightweight Backpacking

Wilderness Skills February 3, 2009

The true story of how Jamie survived in the woods with his paper coat.

Lightweight Testimony: Lighter, Farther, Faster

Wilderness Skills January 20, 2009

Steve Hinkle relays that carrying all the comforts of home ultimately made for a miserable trail experience, and how shedding "comforts" was actually more pleasant in the long run.