When we get into challenging climbing in mountain environments space, weather, and other constraints might necessitate that we get our calories in while in the relatively secure confines of our camping tent. How can we do that given all the risks that come from cooking with a camp stove when enclosed? Well, there's a learning curve we should take seriously.

Self arrest is a very necessary climbing skill if we are on moderate angled snow slopes like snow-filled gullies, or couloirs, or ridge walks above sloping mountain faces. That technique, at its best, demands proper use of an ice axe, but if we don't have or have dropped our axe, we shouldn't just give up. As a last-ditch effort to avoid having a slip become a fall, the full video gets into details on how and when to apply three techniques that don't require an ice axe.

If we decide that end roping may be the right method for taking on moderately technical snow terrain on a climb, we may want to pack one axe more than we have climbers. It offers up some flexibility in deploying our end roping system. The full length video goes deeper into why and how.

When we are climbing on snow or a glacier, we may have to consider rope systems for both crevasse falls and the more standard falls that simply come from difficult climbing moves. Factor in maintaining a pace that can get us to the summit and back before conditions deteriorate, and we have a lot to consider. The full video goes deeper into how I begin to approach that complexity.

When we cross crevassed terrain, we often rope together to allow us, as a team, to catch a fall of a teammate. But that same strategy of being roped together might compound risk, not reduce it, if we use it on standard snow slopes. The full video goes deeper into why and the pros and cons of other choices we might make to alter our safety systems for the better.

When we are out for more than a few days, backpacking or on expedition, our feet support each and every step. When it comes to foot pain, what starts out as minor discomfort can start a cascade of increasingly severe issues. So, while it may be tempting to hold off treating a minor issue, we never know when the minor issue can be a precursor to more inhibiting problems.

A drug that has been used for years to treat pulmonary hypertension has also been used for years in Canada and Europe to help with frostbite. Well, the FDA fairly recently approved its use in the United States, so full video gets into the evidence we have to support its use as well as some of the shortcomings of the supporting studies.

When we are climbing, camping, or hiking at higher altitudes, we want to do what we can to acclimatize well, helping our body adjust to the less oxygen we take in with each breath. According to respected physicians, like Dr. Peter Hackett, we want to avoid certain sleep aid medications that slow our respiration rate, making acclimatization even more difficult.

I recently went on an expedition to Kyrgyzstan. In preparation for that trip, I needed to consult with my physician on the medications I might need for the travel and the rigors of climbing hard and climbing at altitude. Of course, my medications won't be right for you, so the full video's breakdown of what I brought might be a starting point for a similar conversation with your physician, allowing the both of you to choose what may be right for you.

The quad anchor is traditionally done with a doubled over sling and produces two different double-strand master points. But with a little creativity, we can create a raised shelf that sits higher than the lower master point.

On the way down from either an overhanging or traversing route, we can end up with a surprising danger right near the ground, when we typically feel safest. Let's talk about the hidden danger in tramming, or connecting ourselves to the belay's rope on descent so that we can stay close to the wall as we clean gear off of our route. The full video gets into what we can do about it.

The quad anchor is traditionally done with a doubled over sling. Well, if we have a 240cm sling, we have enough material to triple it over before tying our load limiting knots, raising our master points higher and adding three two-strand, load-limited master points to the setup. Here's how to do it.

Fibers with high-tensile-strength, resistance to cutting, and heat resistance are becoming more common in climbing cords and climbing ropes. Sterling PowerCord has a Technora core. The Mammut Core Protect has an aramid sheath between the outer sheath and the core. The Edelrid Swift Protect has aramid fibers woven into the sheath. Cutting these high tech cords and ropes aren't easily done using the old methods. The full video walks through two ways to cut these soft goods down that overcome the challenges of cut and heat resistance.

As a community, we climb, we succeed, we fail, we learn, we climb some more. And the techniques evolve as we learn. Those changes to tools and techniques sometimes include modifying what was once foundational skills. Here’s an example of a change to what used to be standard rappelling technique that has evolved to a new best practice.

While the flat overhand bend is typically considered the standard knot for joining two ropes and doing a double-strand rappel in a climbing context, there are times when it might not be the best choice. Here are a couple of situations when a different knot may be a better choice along with a how-to on tying two of those alternatives: the Half Gibbs and the Gibbs bends.

When we are rappelling (abseiling) in high winds, yes we have to worry about getting the ropes down the route, but we also need to consider which strand to pull as we take our ropes down after the rappel. If we choose the wrong strand, we might end up with a tangle that can get our ropes stuck and unretrievable.

When we are belaying from a Münter, we may have to turn that hitch into a clove once our partner is up and at the anchor. We can do so cleverly with two clips or with one. It is safer to only open the gate once, but that is only if this maybe more complicated method of tying the hitch is done swiftly and correctly each time. Tradeoffs.

If we've had the waist strap buckle on our backpack break, we can fix this in a minute using two carabiners we likely already have on our harness. It's enough to get you through the climb, or even the expedition, if you are away from the shops you need to get a replacement buckle.

When we bail from a single protection point on a rock climbing route, we can eliminate unnecessary risk by adding a prusik knot into our lowering procedure. Here's why.

In today's world of online ordering - or even if we have packaging that gets in the way of actually touching the product - it can be hard to tell if a ferro rod will be a softer material that throws bigger sparks or a harder material that lasts longer. Well, we can get a good clue from the specifications, but we need to do a little thought work, too.