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21 votes
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Are there any general rules of thumb for route finding up a mountain without any trails?

I'll try to give a fairly generic answer to this broad question... Avoid Dangers This is obvious really, but first and foremost you'll want to avoid any kind of routes which lead you close to ...
fgysin's user avatar
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20 votes
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How to trick my body/stomach into thinking I'm full?

I've used a few methods for this (being a larger guy who would backpack with smaller individuals). The biggest thing I've learned is that the mental aspect matters as much as the nutrition. Here's the ...
David R.'s user avatar
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15 votes
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How to prepare on hiking routes?

The answers you seek are not easily quantifiable - for instance, a very fit experienced hiker might walk 50+ km a day on flat, open (i.e. not brush covered) terrain, but might only do 5-10 (or less) ...
bob1's user avatar
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14 votes

How to trick my body/stomach into thinking I'm full?

There is a saying in cycling that the best post-ride meal is "a bottle of (sparkling) water and a couple of sleeping pills. You need to loose some weight." While not very healthy, the point ...
Max's user avatar
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12 votes

Are there any general rules of thumb for route finding up a mountain without any trails?

You will likely find topo maps as the best starting point. Find a route that avoids impassible features, like cliffs or high rivers, and sticks to easier terrain like snowfields (depending on the ...
hornj's user avatar
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12 votes
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Why is freeze-dried food not much more popular?

The answer is that it is very expensive to make compared to other forms of preservation, especially in the home. Canning can be done at home with nothing more than jars, lids, water and an oven. ...
bob1's user avatar
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10 votes

How can I be sure that I'm ready to do the Three Peaks Challenge?

I have a few colleagues who have done this, and one team who did it with a colleague in a wheelchair. They are all reasonably fit, but the day job is desk-based, so if you have managed Kili easily, ...
Rory Alsop's user avatar
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10 votes

How to design a semi-permanent campsite for short trips into the woods that won't attract vandals when we're not there?

What to sleep in? Any building will be inviting vandals, so I would just level out a part of the plot with easy access for your car or a camper van. Instead of having a building you can bring a tent ...
Willeke's user avatar
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10 votes
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I am torn between axe or hatchet, what would you recommend?

Personally, I usually take neither. Instead, I bring a sturdy knife and a saw. The knife wouldn't be replaced by hatchet or axe: it is anyways needed for cooking and it is at least as good as a ...
cbeleites's user avatar
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8 votes

How to prepare on hiking routes?

Pretty much as per @Bob1. I would not start out on this GR without having experience (and good equipment) of camping 2-3 nights in a row minimum, several times. You should also be able to do a 15-...
Italian Philosophers 4 Monica's user avatar
8 votes

How to prepare on hiking routes?

We already have two good answers pointing out that you should start small. However, I would like to add another point--you also need to do shakedown hikes with the gear you actually will be carrying--...
Loren Pechtel's user avatar
7 votes

First time camping, need advice

After six years of asking this question, now I am answering my own question purely based on my experience and how I introduced myself and my family to camping. I see this is a very common question and ...
SeattleOrBayArea's user avatar
7 votes

Are there any general rules of thumb for route finding up a mountain without any trails?

Some good answers here: Gotchas that can get the unready: A contour interval of 100 feet or 20 meters is common on mountain maps. Even a slope that shows an even gradient can have lots of ...
Sherwood Botsford's user avatar
7 votes

How to design a semi-permanent campsite for short trips into the woods that won't attract vandals when we're not there?

Unless you are going to build a sturdy structure, you cannot be confident that you will escape vandalism over the long term whether by homo sapiens or some other species. You will also have to be ...
ab2's user avatar
  • 24k
6 votes

Where can I find resources to find user-contributed GPS tracks?

Different sites are strong in different parts of the world or for different activities, even if most aim to cover all activities. This is a list of such websites. This is a community wiki effort. ...
6 votes

How to prepare on hiking routes?

A lot of people tackle long distance walks like this in segments, at least until they're used to multi-day hiking. The opposite is through-hiking, but not many people can take several months off work. ...
Chris H's user avatar
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6 votes

How to trick my body/stomach into thinking I'm full?

I suspect those bars don't go as far as you think. Comparable ones I've had have only been about 300 Cal each so 4 of those in a day adds up to rations on which you can survive for a while but very ...
Chris H's user avatar
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5 votes

Are there any general rules of thumb for route finding up a mountain without any trails?

Ask the locals! Something missing from the current answers and the first port of call in my opinion, unless you are somewhere very remote. For any mountain with significant difficulties or dangers ...
Tullochgorum's user avatar
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5 votes

Are there any general rules of thumb for route finding up a mountain without any trails?

If it were me. I would take my binoculars the 20x to 180x ones with me. Set up a base camp & study from there the best way to get to the top. You have the valley there with water run off a trail ...
J Bergen's user avatar
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5 votes
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What route does the E1 European Long Distance Path take through Børgefjell National Park?

There are two conflicting accounts of the route of the E1 through Børgefjell. After coming back from Børgefjell, I believe that the route through Børgefjell is probably the toughest part of the E1, ...
gerrit's user avatar
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5 votes

How to trick my body/stomach into thinking I'm full?

If I understand correctly, you are testing how well you do on freeze-dried meals in your regular environment. But when you go outdoors things will be different: you will be distracted with activity ...
Ivana's user avatar
  • 843
5 votes

Is using an electric fly swatter outdoors frowned upon?

Frame challenge: trying to kill annoying mosquitoes while outside is a pointless endeavour, whether you use your hand or any kind of electric fly swatter. There are many more mosquitoes than you will ...
fgysin's user avatar
  • 13.3k
4 votes

What are some good gluten-free foods for backpacking?

I have had celiacs disease going on 5 years now and I am lactose intolerant as well. I love hiking and backpacking so I've found a few ways to work around my diet. For snacks: Kind bars Bobo bars (...
Liz's user avatar
  • 41
4 votes

What are some good gluten-free foods for backpacking?

One of the problems with gluten free diet is bread. Fortunately the solution has already been invented in the stone age and due to its energy content, it's perfect for backpacking. Instead of just ...
Jani Hyytiäinen's user avatar
4 votes

Overview of free and open huts in Norway outside the system of the official tourist association DNT

Fjellstyrene.no might lead you to the right fjellstyre and their website with more information about huts here is also a good start for finding open huts.. https://utelivet.wordpress.com/bubasen/ [...
iontomet's user avatar
  • 121
4 votes
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Handling IT-Band Syndrome when hiking

As general rule a physical assessment is necessary as it can be the result of compensation for other problems (flat feet or hyperlordosis for example, just to name a couple). The treatment involves ...
Erik vanDoren's user avatar
4 votes

What options are available for hunting feral boar on Hawaii?

Here is what I've learned from living and vacationing in Hawaii on several of the islands. Looking through the Hawaiian Yellow Pages, it seems that there are several different local food processing ...
bhilgert's user avatar
  • 430

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