36
votes
Accepted
How do I tell if this single climbing rope is still safe for use?
I have always been told that if you are not sure a climbing rope is safe it is deemed unsafe and should be discarded, and many people do it in such way it can never be used for climbing anymore.
You ...
- 3,226
26
votes
Accepted
How to clean and refurbish a Victorinox Swiss Army Knife?
When mine gets too bad I use WD40 to free it up, then clean with soapy water and a brush. Mine also goes through the dishwasher sometimes, with the blades partially open. If it gets gummed up with ...
- 24.6k
18
votes
How do I tell if this single climbing rope is still safe for use?
You should replace your rope. 5 years is a long time for a climbing rope. 6 weeks of daily use in wet conditions (especially if it's a not a dry treated rope) is a fair amount of stress for an old ...
- 3,763
15
votes
How to clean and refurbish a Victorinox Swiss Army Knife?
The producer offers a page of care instructions on their website (here) (PDF). The gist is:
don't use a dishwasher, that might be too aggressive
open and close the blade multiple times in warm water
...
- 1,441
13
votes
Accepted
Rain soaked leather jacket- how to repair?
It is normal to a certain degree that wet leather, after drying, is a bit stiffer than before.
The effects will generally be worse
the longer your leather was in contact with water
if the water was ...
- 12.5k
12
votes
Accepted
Cleaning the plastic residue of the inside of my old backpack
It looks like the waterproof coating is flaking off. Try washing with a cloth and warm soap and water. I've had reasonable success with this method in the past.
- 5,952
11
votes
Accepted
Relation of ski edge sharpening to skiing ability and snow conditions
TL;DR
Don't do it. It is really easy to ruin a perfectly good pair of skis. A great way to handle ski maintenance is to wax your own skis, touch up the burrs with a fine grit diamond stone (400-grit ...
- 4,000
11
votes
Is is okay for a SUP-pump to get wet?
I'm assuming you have some sort of barrel pump like this one pictured?
In short, it is fine but not great if it gets wet. The pump will work better and last longer if kept dry. Water will mess up the ...
- 3,763
10
votes
When should I use spray-on versus wash-in waterproofer for treating DWR garments?
Contrary to what a lot of people are saying, the wash-in treatment won't block pores of multi-layer fabrics (unless it's really dirty).
The chemicals used are designed to break down particulates as ...
- 109
10
votes
Should one store a tent loose for prolonged periods between uses to maximize its lifetime?
Storing tents follows the same rules as storing anything basically, with a couple of important additions:
Keep away from sunlight. UV radiation will damage many materials after extended exposure, so ...
- 12.5k
10
votes
Accepted
What is the difference between a sac liner and a dry bag?
The soft dry bags aren't as good as the stiffer sort anyway. My traditional plasticised dry bag can handle long periods in the water if it's been rolled down properly, but my nylon ones eventually let ...
- 24.6k
10
votes
How to touch up scratches on a black anodized aluminum flashlight?
How to touch up scratches on a black anodized aluminum flashlight?
Try using black nail polish on your flashlight 🔦. But make sure it is a good quality nail polish and not something from the Dollar ...
- 9,579
9
votes
Is it ok for my climbing shoes/chalk bag to get wet?
In addition to @Liam's fine answer: The usability of both chalk and shoes will be severely limited while wet, e.g. friction is extremely reduced and you will slip. Chalk will lump.
Your shoes will be ...
- 1,441
8
votes
How to prevent strap slippage through buckle?
The solution on my backpack/bike helmet is a rubber band/hair tie like cord around the straps just below the buckle. In order to readjust the buckle you have to loosen the elastic cord around the ...
- 69.1k
8
votes
How do I tell if this single climbing rope is still safe for use?
I searched for the source of the chart posted by Noah (hoping to find a somewhat better quality version) and found this excellent page How Many Years Does a Climbing Rope Last? .
The article is well ...
- 428
7
votes
How to store a knife
Oil the knife, then leave it alone until you are prepping your outing. Oil doesn't evaporate, it dries. When it's dried, it has the same and perhaps even better protective properties than fresh oil. ...
- 4,664
7
votes
Cleaning the plastic residue of the inside of my old backpack
Soap / water / kitchen brush (not wire for me) + 30 minutes of listening to good music and scrubbing.
- 71
7
votes
Ice axe and crampon post winter cleaning/preparation
I am not exactly the guy who have been doing that year by year, but I have some thoughts about cleaning and packing the gear after a high altitude expedition. I think some of it can be applied to your ...
- 31.6k
7
votes
Accepted
Impregnation and waxing full leather shoes
Full leather shoes are easy to take care of in a way: they'll perform exactly accordingly to how you treat them.
First off: if the shoes are new, don't to anything. They'll already be treated/...
- 12.5k
7
votes
Accepted
Get the bad smell out of sheep wool
When you think of the amount of wool we normally wear and use - and how it behaves - the only reason a wool garment would stink is that the wool hasn't been properly processed. This document is bit of ...
- 3,916
7
votes
Accepted
Should wax for G-1000 be continuously applied?
I own a couple of different Fjällräven items (trousers, jacket, hat, duffel) and a number of my friends do as well. While my personal experience with the Greenland wax is limited, it is my ...
- 12.5k
7
votes
Can or should you season titanium cookware?
Seasoning is done for two reasons,
To prevent rust/corrosion.
To prevent sticking.
While titanium can rust, in the process it creates a layer of titanium oxide which creates a protective layer that ...
- 69.1k
7
votes
How to prevent strap slippage through buckle?
If you've got the strap to the perfect length and want to maintain that length, you can sew a small fold in the strap, similar to what's used at the end to stop the whole strap running through. ...
- 24.6k
7
votes
How do I tell if this single climbing rope is still safe for use?
Just have a look at one of the the countless guides out there or if you prefer visual media, have a look at one of these.
Basically run down the length of the rope and check for irregularities.
How ...
- 893
6
votes
Accepted
How to store a bow?
It all depends on the bow. I'll run through the three most common.
For a recurve.
Never left strung and detach the limbs. My personal superstition is make sure the top and bottom bolts always go in ...
- 3,175
6
votes
Cleaning the plastic residue of the inside of my old backpack
Just a suggestion, you could try putting a small amount of something abrasive (such as rock salt or perhaps gravel) into the bag, closing the bag securely with a zip tie on the zipper pulls & ...
- 1,658
6
votes
Cleaning the plastic residue of the inside of my old backpack
I tried using Goo Gone on a small portion of a pack like this. It did not work very well.
I then tried a rubber cement eraser (It is basically a hard piece of rubber that gathers up loose pieces of ...
- 689
6
votes
Accepted
Via ferrata equipment maintenance
For storing the harness, REI recommends
Transport a harness in its supplied bag and always keep it away from sharp objects, ice screws, crampons, direct sunlight, corrosive substances (e.g., battery ...
- 69.1k
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible