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The Best DIY Fire Starter For Camping: Super Quick and Easy Part 1

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This is a two part article with an accompanying video that shows:

1.  How to make the Best DIY Fire Starter for camping (Scroll all the way to the bottom of this article for the 1:34 instructional video.)

2.  How the Best DIY Fire Starter for camping works when wood, tinder, and everything is soaking wet. (Video:  Coming Soon.  First experiment worked!)

To make the Best DIY fire starter, you’ll need:

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Route Setting Appreciation: 101

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Yelling At Your Route Setter 1

Sadly, I’ve heard all of these at my local gym:

“This is not a f***ng 5.9!”
“You don’t know how to rate a route…”
“None of your ratings are right.”
“You’re an evil person.”

Some climbers give too much energy to the wrong things

Bill Cosby famously asked a friend, “Why do you drink alcohol so much.”  The friend answered, “Because it enhances my personality.”  To which Bill Cosby replied, “Well, what if you are an asshole?” Continue Reading

Notes For Better Route Setting: 11 Tips For The New Setter

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Route Setting

I set routes at my local gym, Monster Mountain, in Overland Park, Kansas.  I put together some notes from my personal experiences and from the tips I’ve learned from other setters.  These notes are directed toward the new setter and covers basic safety, logistics, and creativity.

Monster Mountain Climbing Wall

 

1. Always set up cones with caution tape whenever you are setting or removing a route.  You will drop a hold, bold, or tool at some point; so you may as well not have any climbers underneath you.

2. Check all of your gear to minimize the risk of dropping anything.  Double check your anchor knots.  Check your gear bucket for balance while you are still on the ground.

3. Choose tape color carefully so that there is no confusion for the climber.  This is important especially if your route is going to move horizontally over an entire wall or multiple walls.

4. Carefully consider the placement of your tape.  Think about where the foot will be placed. Think about where smearing will occur.  Places where you think the tape might receive some abuse, it is okay to stick the tape under the hold.

5. Consider the placement of large/large profile holds when setting a new route near an older route.  You must climb the nearby routes to ensure that the new route is not in the way and does not create a danger.  If you place a large hold near a thin move of another route, ask yourself if there is a good possibility that a fall or slip will cause a ankle, shin, elbow, or head to smash into said large hold.

6. Minimize the use of existing holds of existing routes for your NEW route. Think about what will happen to your route when the old route is removed.  Sharing existing foot chips is acceptable.

7. There is always a requirement for care and artistry even when setting a beginner’s route.

8. For route ideas, consider watching a climbing movie.  www.dpmclimbing.com has tons of climbing videos and clips.  Or, pull out your route guide and think about a recent climb and the movements you remember and try to duplicate those.

9. Climb outside…more.  Go to a different crag next week.

10. Ratings are subjective.  Remember this is plastic and only an approximate guide to gauge your (or the paying customers) abilities.  Nothing here is set in stone.  (Pun intended.)

11. Most importantly, set your routes so that they are fun. Set your routes to push your own limits. Set your routes so that the paying customers want to come back and climb your routes again and again. Set your routes to make paying customers happy!

Meet Alex Riester: Backwoods General Manager and Lover of the Outdoors

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Alex on Ozark Trail

HCRB:  Alex, you have worked at Backwoods for over 5 years.  Why did you start working there?

ALEX:  I started working at Backwoods as a full time employee, and worked my way up to General Manager.  I started working here primarily for my love of the outdoors.  The first time I walked in through those doors, I wondered what it would be like to spend every single day here.   Next thing I knew, I was spending every single day here.

HCRB:  What do you love most about the outdoors? Continue Reading

Meet David Tindle: Owner Of The Strength Lab In Lawrence, Kansas

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David Tindle Owner Stength Lab

HCRB: Ok, David, what makes the Strength Lab Bouldering Gym so special?

David: I feel two key factors are at the heart of every great climbing gym.  The first factor is a friendly atmosphere. I love the idea of not even having to call a climbing partner to meet up ahead of time, and just knowing when you walk into The Lab, there will be plenty of friends to climb with. As the owner, I make a point to introduce everyone to each other so that it provides a place to make new friends in a healthy environment.

The second factor that makes a gym great is the setting. You need fresh new problems going up every week and a diverse style of setting. Every problem in The Lab has a 6 week expiration date from the time it goes up. This gives climbers specific goals and keeps them progressing forward. We have 8 setters and they are a wide range of abilities as well as years of experience setting. We have so much fun setting together and busting each others beta. A few times a month we get together for the Midnight Sessions. This is where I invite all the setters out so we can have a special night of setting projects for each other and hanging out. Something else I like to do is allow the setters to pick out what holds they want to order. This gives them a real sense of ownership and allows them to feel inspired about what direction the gym is headed.

HCRB: Why do you think the vibe at the Lab is so welcoming?The Strength Lab

David: I love climbing. Eight years ago a friend told me a quote that has since shaped my life…”If you do something you love, you’ll never work a day in your life.” From that moment on, I tried to seek out what career would make me feel that way. I can honestly say everyday I go to work I am happy and excited about it. I think that might be what helped to start the good vibes.  I have been incredibly lucky to meet so many cool people through the sport.

HCRB: Why does CrossFit Lawrence fit so well with the Strength Lab?

David: CrossFit is about teaching people how to be better athletes. So you have this population of people who already have a good foundation of strength, balance, and mobility. They naturally pick up on climbing at a relatively quick rate. Also the psych that climbers feel towards climbing is not unfamiliar to the psych that CrossFitters feel towards W.O.D.ing out.  (W.O.D. – means workout of day.)

HCRB: What is this “mob” thing you always talk about? Continue Reading

Little Changes Every Day Make Big Changes Over Time

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Do You Have New Goals For Climbing This Year

The best advice I can offer you is to track your changes. Tracking your data may help you keep on course and keep you motivated to stick with your goals.

You will see in the later graphs, that in each of my workouts, I challenge myself to do just one more push up or one more pull up than the previous workout.  It is just a tiny change; but the dividends it pays later are enormous.

So, if you are going to improve your climbing abilities this year, start tracking your data.  Will you climb a grade or two harder?  Will you work on your diet and try to drop some fat from your body.  Or, will you just work on improving your health?  You can track all of those changes.

How I Track My Workouts Continue Reading