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In the corridor zone (where you are planning) you are only allowed to camp at designated campgrounds, which are secured on a reservation basis. If they are full, of the options you list, 2. Pray hard a permit is available when I show up is your best bet.
The park leaves a percentage of permits unreserved for the main corridor (which includes the Bright ...
35
Project Remote was started by a scientifically-minded couple to quantitatively determine the most remote locations in each of the 50 states mainly using the distance to the nearest road or town and whether cel phone coverage is available. They've cataloged quite a few states already east of the Mississippi, which you can check out here: Project Remote. The ...
33
The short answer is "bear spray"; a firearm is really not the most effective option. That said...
I will assume you are looking for grizzly protection, since you didn't specify the bear and black bears are relatively shy. Again, using spray is a far more effective way of improving your odds; a review of its use in Alaska found a 98% success rate, with no ...
24
Try a menstrual cup. The advantage being that you only need one (maybe having two is a good idea) and that it can be washed.
23
First - Assess the situation and determine if an active rescue is possible and safe. Many would-be rescuers are caught or killed in follow up avalanches because they acted without assessing the surrounding conditions.
Assuming you have equipment to assist in the rescue follow the guidelines below.
Yell to alert your partners and other people that may be ...
22
Baking soda (sodium bicarbonate). It's naturally occurring, and to get a level of toxicity to animals you would need to get to 450mg per liter. Unless you're operating a mine or using literally tons of the stuff, it's quite safe and you'll never get near that. From a 2008 USGS study:
Chronic toxicity was observed at concentrations that ranged from 450
...
22
Even for "multi-week" trips, brushing with water alone is not going to compromise your tooth health. The abrasive action of the brush does most of the work, and missing the flouride hit for a few days won't affect your teeth in the least. Plus, it saves weight. So, the best LNT option: don't use it.
If you MUST use toothpaste (or an alternative), try a few ...
22
Most importantly, the living are more important than the dead. Check your scene safety, something killed that person and you want to make sure that it won't kill you as well.
I can't imagine that you will be alright, your partner just died. Emotionally, your thinking will probably be off, take extra care because of that. I would document what had happened ...
20
The other answers seem good, however there's an extremely important step they have missed.
Make sure the person is dead!
(And no I don't mean by stabbing them).
Some injuries are clearly fatal but it's entirely possible that someone who is ill/ poisoned/ injured/ hypothermic/ suffering from blood loss/etc may seem dead but actually be alive. You need to ...
19
As an update, I arrived at the canyon on May 13th. They had precisely one open slot and thus I was able to hike down to Bright Angel one day, and back up the next.
A rim-to-river in a day is doable, but hard. For a first timer, it is definitely worth overnighting and going back up. Especially during May, hiking between about 11 - 3 is really uncomfortable. ...
17
The answer to your question is: the middle of the Selway-Bitteroot/River-of-No-Return Wildnerness in Idaho. These are actually two wilderness areas joined together (separated by a single dirt road) which together form the largest roadless area and the largest wildnerness in the Continental US. The Selway Bitterroot is where the author of "A River Runs ...
15
Depending on your activity level, access to water, etc, the types of food you carry should change accordingly. Some points to consider:
Dehydrated foods are great in that they are light-weight since they have no water in them. But they might not be a wise choice if you are dry camping with no water available (e.g. in the desert) since you would just have to ...
15
The optimal skin track angle is a subject of much debate in the backcountry skiing world. There are generally two schools of thought on skin tracks.
The steeper the better
Slow and steady wins the race
Since you used "effective" rather than possible, my 2 cents would be that you should set the steepest skin track that allows you to climb at a consistent ...
15
Self-assessment is difficult because your level of consciousness (LOC) may be impaired. Unfortunately, one's own state of mind is also very difficult to self-assess. I'll list here a brief overview of some of the "self-checks" you can do, but (as I'm sure you're already aware), getting a second person to check you out as soon as possible will help ensure you ...
15
I'll answer the slightly broader question "How should I plan my first backpacking trip in Oregon or California?" (with emphasis on California, since that is the area I know best)
Since you are mentioning fishing and hunting, I am going to lead with permits.
Make sure that fishing and hunting is permitted in the areas you are considering. Hunting is not ...
13
This isn't a direct answer to the question, but I want to point out that most ordinary forest fires pose little danger to humans. It is the relatively unusual crown fires which can be very dangerous.
In generally dry pine forests, like many parts of the western US, forest fire is a natural and relatively frequent (from the point of view of long-lived trees)...
12
I hike in generally the same area of the country, mostly on the AT around NC and VA.
Snakes in this area will be most active during spring and fall months. Generally they will be more active in moderate temperatures. In extreme cold and extreme heat you'll see less snakes.
In the summer they will be more active in the early mornings and evenings. During ...
12
Most of the "untouched" places left in North America are that way for a reason, no one wants to touch them. There are loads of barren desserts in Nevada, Utah, New Mexico and Arizona that people don't bother going to because it's dead, there's nothing there but heat sand and rocks.
The easiest way to figure out what parts of the USA are isolated from people,...
12
Modern Day Adventurers
Answers to What are essential items in an emergency kit? identify patterns/guidelines about what equipment and skills to have in backcountry. This is relevant as it covers the most basic necessities for survival and rescue in case of emergency. However, I imagine those intentionally venturing and living out in the wild with purpose ...
11
This question really made me curious as my wife has asked me the same thing. If you end up finding a better solution than anyone on this site can provide, I ask that you would please share it.
I searched the web for a bit and found this website.
Allow me to quote the part I found most important.
Sponges Isabelle Gauthier of Blood Sisters, an ...
11
You touched on one thing: fires are often seasonal. Want to avoid fires in the Canadian Rockies? Come in the winter time. Want to risk smoke inhilation in the BC interior, come visit in August. Find out what the situation is in the area you are visiting, for the extent of your visit. Most parks have fire safety levels that clearly indicate whether the fire ...
11
Cooking as a large group is bad for a variety of reasons:
More work to coordinate roles, responsibilities.
Limited cooking resources (stoves, pots, etc.) means waiting, frustration, idleness, or carrying more than one of everything.
More likely to waste fuel.
Waste of energy/misuse of downtime e.g. Instead of cooking every 3rd day/meal you're cooking every ...
11
The army solution is to have two pairs of boots so that one pair dries while the other is worn (yes, even in the field). Another solution is to use goretex socks so that it doesn't matter what state you boots are in. I find wool socks keep warmth even when wet, and don't chafe or cause blisters the way cotton socks can when wet.
You can air dry goretex (...
11
I'm very satisfied with my Goalzero Nomad 7, it's small, easy to strap to your backpack, and it fully charges your batteries or anything that charges from USB or even 12V power in as little as 3hrs in good sunlight.
There are lots of solar panels to choose from, any one will probably do the job, so shop for one that suits you. What you really need in your ...
11
The cheapest ways to try cross country skiing are borrowing equipment, yard sale equipment, craigslist, or rentals. If you like it, and rent frequently, that stops being cheap.
If you make friends who run or are otherwise active, ask around, and someone might have a spare set of skis and poles they can lend you - you can find them for a few dollars at yard ...
10
If you choose to go backpacking in the Sierra Nevada in April, prepare yourself as if you were going in winter, because there will still be significant snow, and you could be hit by a blizzard at any time.
To quote the National Park Service:
Hiking and backpacking options are still limited in April. Expect snow above 6,000 feet (this varies from year to ...
10
By engaging in winter sports (where there is significant snow on the ground) you are already greatly reducing your impact. The biggest impacts to back-country areas from non-motorized recreation come from vegetation disturbance: boots grinding up plants and breaking topsoil, tents compressing vegetation, camp activity destroying vegetation, fire scars, etc.
...
10
Anyone that says you shouldn't carry a handgun in bear country is misinformed about a lot of things. Better would be a .12 gauge shotgun with slugs, but let's deal with the handgun issue. Sure, bear spray is good to have, and we all like to have recourse to non-lethal measures, but if it comes to playing dead or shooting a bear in self-defense, I'll shoot ...
10
Heat up the creosote covered pan. This softens it. Then pour some denatured alcohol on it and scrub it off. I used a scotch bright pad to scrub with the alcohol, and then wiped the now liquid creosote off with a rag. It will make the rag black and perhaps ruined but it will come off slick and easy. Do this in a well-ventilated area!
10
I believe the answer to your specific question is no; the only boots I know of with tech fittings are hard boots made of plastic or carbon fiber. However, I think you may be underestimating those boots.
AT boots are hard plastic but can still offer a soft feel. Transitioning to skinning uphill consists of not just unlocking the heels but also switching ...
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