Greg.Ley

1,128 reputation

212

bio	website	facebook.com/…
	location	Prince George, BC
	age	24
visits	member for	1 year, 3 months
	seen	Jul 14 '12 at 2:08
stats	profile views	4

I am a young outdoor professional from Colorado. I have had the privilege of growing up with a father who loves the outdoors and taught me what he knew. I have worked as a guide, educator, and leader for the past 7 years, and received my B.A. in Adventure Education from Fort Lewis College. I love many outdoor sports, but my focus areas are rock and ice climbing, mountaineering, backpacking, and skiing. I'm still learning a lot, so I'm happy to be part of an open community like this one. Thanks for reading!

	1,128 reputation	bio	website	facebook.com/…	visits	member for	1 year, 3 months
212 badges		location	Prince George, BC		seen	Jul 14 '12 at 2:08

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Mar 22	comment	Dealing with very cold climate (clothing) I think many of us have probably traveled in very cold places, but personally I'm having trouble answering the question as-is. Do I answer with defining a layering system, or by listing actual clothing, or by stating the obvious (big warm boots, big warm jacket, protect your exposed skin)?
Mar 22	comment	Does any tent manufacturer promise to have replacement parts? Well, when I took back a jacket that I had purchased a few years before, that's what they told me. And it makes sense, because they famously took back a 40-year-old 8000m suit, and there is no way they would pay out several thousand bucks for that (the last price they sold it at), right? Honestly I haven't actually looked at the policy, so this is just from experience.
Mar 21	comment	Does any tent manufacturer promise to have replacement parts? I second the REI vote. If you buy it from them, they will give you a refund according to a certain percentage (that decreases over time) of the last price it they sold it for. An excellent option for sure.
Mar 21	comment	Cooking by pouring hot water into plastic bags? I think the answer to "how dangerous could it be?" is "it depends." Long term misuse could result in ingesting a lot of excess chemicals, and in the short term if you don't let the water cool enough you might melt the plastic and hurt yourself or lose your meal. Being careful to not add boiling water directly to a bag is probably the most important safety factor.
Mar 21	comment	How can you prevent kids getting lost at night while camping? Another helpful idea for children that are old enough is to have a buddy system. When they go to the bathroom at night, they wake their buddy and have them turn on a headlamp in the tent. The low light turns the tent into a beacon to return to (but isn't so bright as to be obnoxious), and if the light stays on for a long time, the buddy knows something is wrong and can get help.
Mar 21	comment	How are sleeping bag temperature ratings determined? Some of these ratings actually use an "average female" and "average male," and list the temperatures at which an "average male" would survive (sleepless night), etc. I find the ratings stupidly confusing, and until you've used several bags it's hard to get a personal reading on it.
Mar 21	comment	How do I store a bivy sack? I don't own a bivy per se, but I store my tents and tarps hanging alongside my sleeping bags.
Mar 21	comment	Cooking by pouring hot water into plastic bags? Are there any concerns about the safety of this practice? At a glance I saw these two references that concern me: ziploc.com/Pages/Safety.aspx , which says that ziplocks are not designed to withstand the heat of boiling, and camping.about.com/od/campingrecipes/a/ziplocbaggies.htm I wasn't sure if those were worth worrying about, but...
Mar 18	comment	How long does mayonnaise last unrefrigerated in the back-country? Nice selection of references. +1
Mar 18	comment	How long does mayonnaise last unrefrigerated in the back-country? @RussellSteen - It might be a little extreme to compare the occasional consumption of mayo beyond its prime with smoking cigarettes or winning repeatedly in Las Vegas... Just sayin!
Mar 16	comment	Looking for a boot recommendation Not much of a gear-head, so I don't want to "answer" per se. So, I recommend renting or demoing a few different boots before buying. They are too pricey to just buy without some reference. A common, solid, basic boot that I've seen at collegiate rental programs is the Koflach Degree - it kept me nice and cozy in the middle of winter in the Colorado Rockies.
Mar 16	comment	Tent and sleeping bag: pack inside or strap outside a backpack? If it doesn't fit inside your pack, you have one of two problems: either your pack isn't big enough, or you are carrying too much! Usually it's the second of the two.
Mar 16	comment	How long does mayonnaise last unrefrigerated in the back-country? It's too bad no one has done research into backcountry mayo. I have certainly consumed large quantities of it even after many days out - maybe I should limit that from now on!
Mar 15	comment	How long does mayonnaise last unrefrigerated in the back-country? So why does it taste so good on the sixth day?! :-P
Mar 15	comment	How long does mayonnaise last unrefrigerated in the back-country? I've been told that if you don't introduce a protein source (like tuna on your knife), the stuff won't go bad for at least a week, maybe more. I don't have anything to back that up, unfortunately, other than personal experience.
Mar 15	answered	Mountaineering / glacial traverse: rope-up or go it alone?
Mar 15	comment	Is it safe to camp in the desert without a tent? Couldn't have said it better... I also have rarely used a tent in the desert and never had problems (aside from once setting up on the above mentioned anthills).
Mar 15	comment	Training to prepare for oxygen deficiency in the high mountains I'd add that low-intensity exercise helps acclimatization - don't just sit on your butt and hope you acclimate.
Mar 15	comment	Training to prepare for oxygen deficiency in the high mountains I think so, yes. The problem is that there is no way (that I have ever heard of, anyway) for a body to adapt to a pressure situation that it is not currently in. This is why you acclimate slowly as you ascend, and why your body returns to normal function not long after returning to lower altitudes. If you're really interested in the scientific details, see the research from Ev-K2-CNR (near Everest): evk2cnr.org/cms/en/research/results . So, long comment short, go high slowly, be in fantastic physical condition, and hone your winter camping skills.
Mar 14	comment	Training to prepare for oxygen deficiency in the high mountains I would note that it isn't oxygen deficiency that is the primary challenge with high altitude - it is the pressure difference. Oxygen is often supplemented on high ascents, but it isn't a cure-all, because oxygen isn't the big issue. Also note that you can be struck with AMS, HAPE, or HACE even if you are an accomplished and otherwise unaffected mountaineer.