• Short blog story about ice axe arresting (was an Instagram post, but ended up being way too long).⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣Check out bio or link: https://bit.ly/2ksQLww
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    Short blog story about ice axe arresting (was an Instagram post, but ended up being way too long).⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣Check out bio or link: https://bit.ly/2ksQLww
  • #365ClimbTips #20 Seeing as we are in the 21st century, I think it's best to avoid headlamps that use disposable batteries; in fact, beyond your TV remote, you shouldn't have any electronics that uses AA batteries. If using a lithium-ion battery, consider carrying two, as there is always a chance of battery failure, which could end your climb or even your trip. Mark them with a Sharpie, so you know which is which. Instead of carrying more batteries, which can be extremely expensive – plus you always end up losing them – just bring along a good quality battery pack – vital on long trips and expeditions. Limiting the number of headlamp specific batteries is also a good idea, as few are interchangeable, or even able to fit into headlamp upgrades. Also, try and avoid any headlamps that require docking stations to charge, sticking instead to micro USB. Before heading off on a long trip, run down your headlamp to zero power while charging the power pack fully. Now see how many times you can charge your headlamp before running the power pack down and keep a note of it. If you have more than one power pack, make sure you can identify which is which, as performance can vary radically, even between the same model. Although you should avoid AA and AAA batteries, using a headlamp that can still use them in an emergency – sometimes via a special housing – is a good idea, especially when travelling beyond the reach of outdoor shops (such as Africa, Asia, South America). Seeing as you should always have a spare headlamp on such trips (or spare headlamp pair team on alpine routes), a small torch like the Petzl Tikka, with a Core lithium-ion battery, is ideal, as you can easily switch between AAA and lithium-ion. A final note for the planet: don't bin your batteries, or leave them corroding away in a draw, but ask if anyone wants them for free, sell them cheap on eBay, or take them to the recycle centre. Note: #365ClimbTips is a daily tip, the aim to publish one a day for a year. @petzl_official @
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    #365ClimbTips #20 Seeing as we are in the 21st century, I think it's best to avoid headlamps that use disposable batteries; in fact, beyond your TV remote, you shouldn't have any electronics that uses AA batteries. If using a lithium-ion battery, consider carrying two, as there is always a chance of battery failure, which could end your climb or even your trip. Mark them with a Sharpie, so you know which is which. Instead of carrying more batteries, which can be extremely expensive – plus you always end up losing them – just bring along a good quality battery pack – vital on long trips and expeditions. Limiting the number of headlamp specific batteries is also a good idea, as few are interchangeable, or even able to fit into headlamp upgrades. Also, try and avoid any headlamps that require docking stations to charge, sticking instead to micro USB. Before heading off on a long trip, run down your headlamp to zero power while charging the power pack fully. Now see how many times you can charge your headlamp before running the power pack down and keep a note of it. If you have more than one power pack, make sure you can identify which is which, as performance can vary radically, even between the same model. Although you should avoid AA and AAA batteries, using a headlamp that can still use them in an emergency – sometimes via a special housing – is a good idea, especially when travelling beyond the reach of outdoor shops (such as Africa, Asia, South America). Seeing as you should always have a spare headlamp on such trips (or spare headlamp pair team on alpine routes), a small torch like the Petzl Tikka, with a Core lithium-ion battery, is ideal, as you can easily switch between AAA and lithium-ion. A final note for the planet: don't bin your batteries, or leave them corroding away in a draw, but ask if anyone wants them for free, sell them cheap on eBay, or take them to the recycle centre. Note: #365ClimbTips is a daily tip, the aim to publish one a day for a year. @petzl_official @
  • #365ClimbTips #19⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣One of the iron laws of the wilderness is never to be without fire, or some way of creating it. This was a skill that kept our ancestors alive, allowing them to stay warm, go North, cook the inedible, and avoid being food themselves; fire, protection against the dangers that lurked in the dark. For ancient man, fire came from sticks and stones, the eternal flame sacred and passed from eldest son to the eldest son, (when Troy was sacked, it was the eternal flame, not treasure, that was spirited away from the Greeks). These days all you need to do is carry a one dollar lighter in your first aid kit.⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣A more critical issue for the modern-day Homosapien is the ability to light their PCS (personal cooking system). Yes, many feature integrated ignition systems, but these often fail, as do lighters, and matches (neither like dampness). If you're high on a mountain, and your stove can't be lit, then it could be the end of your climb; alone in the wilderness, far from help, and it could be your life.⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣The best method of lighting any stove is a flint and steel, which works at any temperature, any altitude, wet or dry, with both liquid and gas stoves.⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣Carry one per team member, and consider attaching it directly to the stove, making it faster to relight if it blows out.⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣If you want to use a flint and steel to light an actual fire, that's not so easy, and you'll have to get all Bear Grylls about it, as this requires some good tinder.⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣One way that makes this easier, and kills two birds with one stone, is to include a tampon in your first aid kit, which makes both a perfect fire-lighter when pulled apart, and avoids another type of wilderness emergency. ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣Note: #365ClimbTips is a daily tip, the aim to publish one a day for a year. Some will be long, some will be short, some good, some crap, but all with be something. If you don't want to miss any of these, then please follow this account, and send any questions - or tips to cover - to my website.⁣ ⁣⁣ ⁣#bushcraft #hiking #camping #woodsman #outdoors #adventure #getoutside #survival #survivalskills #prepper #relax #shelter #militarygear #surplus
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    #365ClimbTips #19⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣One of the iron laws of the wilderness is never to be without fire, or some way of creating it. This was a skill that kept our ancestors alive, allowing them to stay warm, go North, cook the inedible, and avoid being food themselves; fire, protection against the dangers that lurked in the dark. For ancient man, fire came from sticks and stones, the eternal flame sacred and passed from eldest son to the eldest son, (when Troy was sacked, it was the eternal flame, not treasure, that was spirited away from the Greeks). These days all you need to do is carry a one dollar lighter in your first aid kit.⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣A more critical issue for the modern-day Homosapien is the ability to light their PCS (personal cooking system). Yes, many feature integrated ignition systems, but these often fail, as do lighters, and matches (neither like dampness). If you're high on a mountain, and your stove can't be lit, then it could be the end of your climb; alone in the wilderness, far from help, and it could be your life.⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣The best method of lighting any stove is a flint and steel, which works at any temperature, any altitude, wet or dry, with both liquid and gas stoves.⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣Carry one per team member, and consider attaching it directly to the stove, making it faster to relight if it blows out.⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣If you want to use a flint and steel to light an actual fire, that's not so easy, and you'll have to get all Bear Grylls about it, as this requires some good tinder.⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣One way that makes this easier, and kills two birds with one stone, is to include a tampon in your first aid kit, which makes both a perfect fire-lighter when pulled apart, and avoids another type of wilderness emergency. ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣Note: #365ClimbTips is a daily tip, the aim to publish one a day for a year. Some will be long, some will be short, some good, some crap, but all with be something. If you don't want to miss any of these, then please follow this account, and send any questions - or tips to cover - to my website.⁣ ⁣⁣ ⁣#bushcraft #hiking #camping #woodsman #outdoors #adventure #getoutside #survival #survivalskills #prepper #relax #shelter #militarygear #surplus
  • The Jerven bag, a popular scandinavian insulated poncho used by the military and hunter. You can wear in many different ways, use as a blanket, a sleeping bag, or as a bivvy bag (protecting your sleeping bag, boosting its insulation, moving moisture away from the bag, or as a ground pad, or even a tarp). I had an @expedint bag you could do some of these things with, but it would be interesting to play around with the idea as part of a two bag system.⁣ ⁣⁣ ⁣@phd_uk_made⁣ ⁣
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    The Jerven bag, a popular scandinavian insulated poncho used by the military and hunter. You can wear in many different ways, use as a blanket, a sleeping bag, or as a bivvy bag (protecting your sleeping bag, boosting its insulation, moving moisture away from the bag, or as a ground pad, or even a tarp). I had an @expedint bag you could do some of these things with, but it would be interesting to play around with the idea as part of a two bag system.⁣ ⁣⁣ ⁣@phd_uk_made⁣ ⁣