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 ;)

Many climbers, mountaineers, hikers, and backpackers wear a watch. Often times, it doubles as their GPS. But once we add the necessary gloves and jackets for cold days in the alpine, that watch can be in our way. Here's how it keep my watch from getting caught in my clothing while also keeping it available as I need it.

On some routes, I know I am going to need to be able to access a radio or a GPS device or satellite communicator more frequently. Maybe winds or terrain will make it hard to talk with my climbing partner. Maybe it's a new area and I'm unfamiliar with the landscape. Maybe it's a big expedition, and I need to be able to stay in regular contact with a team that is spread out all over the mountain. If I need to keep the device available, I want it out of the way, high on my shoulder, when not in use; but I also need to be sure it's secure and still attached when I am using it. Here is how I rig a device to my backpack when facing these types of situations.

Hiking, Backpacking, and Mountaineering trips can cover a lot of ground, and the longer the trip the more likely that contingencies will arise that force us to adjust. In those circumstances, having gone through the process of making my own topographic route map helps me better know options and recognize landmarks once I am out in the field. Here's the why and how of making your own maps.

My twin seven-year-olds love mountaineering, climbing, hiking, and camping. But making sure we have all the right gear for winter trips comes with larger consequences for getting it wrong. The full video is a load out of what we take for a winter day-trip in snowy, cold conditions

There are legitimate reasons to prefer not bringing a GPS device with you in the backcountry. Costs may be prohibitive. You may prefer map and compass. You may only take short trips out. But if you do anything that is multi-day, GPS devices make the most weight-efficient electronic option. It's more than just gross weight that should be considered, but weight per hour of use. Once you start getting other devices up to the same battery life by bringing battery banks with you, that supposed weight disadvantage starts to disappear.

Wanting to hike to the summit of a 14er? Here is a loadout of the equipment I take on a typical summer climb to above fourteen thousand feet.