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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 ...
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 ...
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
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
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
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
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
A quick search yielded this video, which seems straightforward enough.
I have never seen anyone use charcloth like in the video, but it seems to work nicely.
To summarize the video:
Place the charcloth on top of the flintstone with your fingers.
Strike the flint until the charcloth is lit.
Put the glowing charcloth into a tinder bundle (old rope that has ...
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 ...
10
Throughout the entire US the law boils down to this: Whether government or citizen owned, you cannot travel on land without the landowners permission. Doing can result in charges from criminal trespass to much, much worse (in the case of some private government lands).
So you'll need permission. In short, for each part of your journey.
Find who owns the ...
10
Make certain that you are part of the solution and not the problem, never leave any of your own garbage behind.
As people are less likely to litter a clean area, remove as much of other people's trash as you can.
Document and report violators to the authorities.
9
I too recommend newspaper however you can also give the following a try:
Buy a pack of disposable diapers and empty the sodium polyacrylate into a sock or any fine mesh cloth/bag. Carry it in your pack for any absorption emergency.
You should make sure to pack it in a sealed waterproof bag until you need it. Otherwise it will suck the humidity from its ...
8
The great thing about finding bones outside is that for the most part, they're already clean! I'm from a small hunting town, going out for hikes to look for bones and sheds is a popular thing to do in the spring. I found bear skull on a game trail once, you don't need to do much more than collect them in a garbage bag or a cardboard box, old bones aren't ...
8
You could use a towel or (if you can spare the weight) some old news papers.
Me and my friends dry everything except for the tents by fire.
Just set a line about 3-4 meters away from the fire so it will only catch some of the heat (30-50 degrees Celsius is fine for anything).
I know this really doesn't give you an alternative and I'm interested to see what ...
8
Unfortunately this advice may a bit late for you now, but if you cover the outside of the pots in washing-up liquid before putting them on the fire/wood burner and clean it after use. The washing-up liquid should stop the soot sticking and it should wipe of fairly easily.
This approach is best if you are at a fixed campsite where you can easily wash your ...
8
What you did was probably the most peaceful course of action, but ultimately, the best people to direct this question to would be the people who issue the permits, the proper etiquette will likely differ from place to place.
Unfortunately, there really isn't a pleasant global solution to this. By all rights you could have moved their stuff to the side and ...
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