Not every climbing scenario demands robust anchors. Moderate snow slopes are a classic example. We won’t suffer the same fall forces as a vertical fall, but we can encounter tricky conditions, such as overly hard or overly soft snow, that make falls a legitimate risk. Maybe the fastest way to add security in these circumstances is to make a simple “bucket seat belay.”

When the risks associated with dropping an ice tool goes up, we often will add a leashes on our alpine climbs. But alpine leashes can result in tangled and twisted leashes that may make our climbs more dangerous. Here's how I try to more rigidly attach spinner leashes to my harness so that the risk of twisted leashes is reduced.

They are thinner, so they are both lighter and easier to drill into the ice. They have three teeth instead of four, which helps with starting an ice screw placement. But they are also wider, which has a number of advantages when placing ice screws or making v-threads or a-threads on our ice climbs and rappels. Here are some of those advantages.

Ice screws can get stuck while we turn them into the ice flow. This can add time, burn through energy, and even throw you off balance at the exact point you are wanting to add protection from a fall. Aluminum screws are particularly bad for this. You can reduce the stickiness by running a silicone gun and reel cloth through the screw a few times a season.

Ice climbing tools allow us to carry an ergonomic climbing hold all the way up the ice flow. But the delicacy of the ice also demands care and understanding. We want to be considerate of directions of pull in order to keep our tools sitting in place. When we decide to use the upper grips on our ice tools, we may be impacting those force vectors.

Whether on a climbing expedition, a backpacking trip, or a thru hike, when I am on an extended adventure, I like to use a three sock rotation to ensure I can handle some common eventualities. The video shares how that three sock system helps me take care of my feet.

With my alpine climbing, backpacking, and camping gear, I will try to make sure I am bringing the right tools for the job. In the winter, that includes bringing items to keep my feet warm while around camp. But the terrain I am on will often dictate the type of "camp booties" I decide to bring.

Broader surface area on the sides of our camping air mattresses make it easier to get cold air to impact the outer material of the mattress. That can impact how cold we feel while sleeping on them. Here's a simple thing we can do about it.

Winter alpine climbing, backpacking, and hiking is complicated by needing to keep many different items warm, such as your stove fuel, sunscreen, batteries, and the like. Having clothing layers with drop pockets can go a long way to helping you manage that gear, your water, and your food to make sure it doesn't freeze in challenging conditions.

Alpine climbing, backpacking, and camping in the winter requires a lot of gear. So, if we could find a way to keep all of our cold-sensitive items warm overnight, for only two ounces (60 grams) of weight, would we do it? Well, getting a sleeping bag that is one size longer than you need might be that solution.

Gloved hands can struggle with zippers. That's why most cold weather climbing and mountaineering jackets have zipper pulls attached. If you should have one break or go missing while on the mountain, a simple fix may be at hand in your repair kit.

While most tents come with installed guy line tensioners, so do not and these plastic pieces could break in the field. Either way, knowing how to tie a Taut Line Hitch could help keep your tent secure in demanding conditions. Here is how to tie the hitch.

The added weight from heavier winter boots and ice-biting crampons can really affect energy output as "a pound on your feet equals five pounds on your back." So, I incorporate ankle weights into my training before the snow and ice alpine climbing seasons begin.

Skiers, Climbers, and Snowmobilers all concern themselves with avalanche dangers and, therefore, avalanche rescue procedures. Well, a recent study has suggested that heated gloves, other heated clothing, and maybe all electronic devices need to be turned off and managed in the event of needing to conduct an avalanche search with beacons.

Most modern headlamps for camping, hiking, and climbing have a red-light feature. Why's it there? Why would we use it? Well, take a look; let's all be kind to our tentmates ;)

The Connecticut Tree Hitch can be set up quickly and with minimal material, making it a very efficient climbing anchor choice. However, being a single-point anchor, making a mistake when setting it up could end up with severe consequences. Here is one potential error to watch out for.

Rock climbing rescue techniques often demand releasable knots as part of their procedures. Two knots that we may be called upon to tie are the Mule Overhand around a belay carabiner and the Münter Mule Overhand. Here's how to tie them.

Rock climbing in the cold temperatures of winter usually means better friction, but it also means struggling to keep your body, hands, and feet warm enough. Here are a few tips that may help with that struggle.

For whatever reason, I had a mental block when remembering how to orient the load strand of the climbing rope through the Petzl Micro Traxion until I made explicit the position of the cam relative to the rope. But, that's not the first time I've had a problem like this.

Once we've arrived at our good belay stance, if we choose to build an anchor with sewn slings or runners, we need to manage the stiff section where the material is sewn together (called the "bar tack"). If we don't it can get in the way of any knot tying we might want to do. Here is the simple solution I go to, most.