Activity for Systemâ€
| Type | On... | Excerpt | Status | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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A: What types of resources are best for identifying trees while hiking? The iNaturalist app is also a good source for identifying plants. Taking a picture, it will help provide some suggestions as to what you are seeing. As an added bonus, you can use it to identify other plants and animals as well. https://www.inaturalist.org/ (more) |
— | about 6 years ago |
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A: What are the chances to catch rodent-transmitted illnesses while hiking? Very slim to be almost nonexistent. From personal experience, I have not gotten any disease from touching/eating things while hiking. I am typically hiking in the midwest on and off trails. Diseases from rodents are not something to be concerned about. First, while they are moving along leaving ... (more) |
— | about 6 years ago |
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A: Skull soaking in hydrogen peroxide for days still brown You can use towels soaked in hydrogen peroxide and wrapped in plastic set in the sun. This article shows the method being used on an old cow skull. For whitening, I don't think that you need any dish soap or extra water. You should boil the other skull to help get the bits off. (more) |
— | about 6 years ago |
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A: Why are stove jacks NOT normally made of metal? To keep your tent from burning. Making the stove jack out of metal, would conduct heat to from your stovepipe. This could cause your tent material to start to burn. If you look at the description in your link Our stove jacks are contructed of fire proof 17-ounce silicone-coated glass material ... (more) |
— | about 6 years ago |
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A: Why do people lock their tents at Everest Base Camp? Tent locks (or security awareness, or organisational policies, or anti-virus, or any security control) are not a perfect solution, so why use them? Flip the question around: what would happen if you did not use a lock (or awareness, or policies, or AV)? Any security control (that includes tent locks... (more) |
— | about 6 years ago |
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A: Why do people lock their tents at Everest Base Camp? I will translate this to a more general discussion: why bother to add protection to a system that can easily be bypassed? Anders already pointed out good reasons for this. Another reason may be persecution and insurance protection: I myself recently had to learn the hard way that if there is no obvi... (more) |
— | about 6 years ago |
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A: Why do people lock their tents at Everest Base Camp? There could be a number of reasons: When picking a tent to raid, a thief will probably pick an unlocked tent over a locked one. Seeing someone enter a tent and leaving with supplies doesn't look suspicious at all. As a witness, I would not intervene. Seeing someone slash the tent horror movie style... (more) |
— | about 6 years ago |
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Internal (unseen) damage from a 40ft climbing fall I am aware that the statistics regarding a 40ft climbing fall, which result in "decking-out" are not favorable. I survived such a fall only recently. Major injuries seem to have only been a broken & fractured right leg (above and below the knee). This being said, I am sure that there is a lot mor... (more) |
— | over 6 years ago |
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When did wearing a helmet become the norm for climbing? This is going out primarily to those who have been climbing for 20yrs + Back in the day, helmet use was optional and not particularly popular. These days, things seemed to have taken a dramatic change. Do you always use a helmet? Do you only use a helmet on Trad Climbs? What about sport climbs or ind... (more) |
— | over 6 years ago |
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A: If you are kayaking on a lake when whitecaps start happening, what is the best direction to get off the lake? First of all, if the wind suddenly starts blowing, realize that this is a case of bad planning. You should never find yourself in the middle of an open lake when the weather patterns may lead to powerful winds. But it's too late now, and you have to make a decision where to paddle to. (This answer ... (more) |
— | over 6 years ago |
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If you are kayaking on a lake when whitecaps start happening, what is the best direction to get off the lake? I am stealing Charlie Brumbaugh's question about canoeing on an open lake, because for kayaking you would get different anwers, and it's important to distinguish those. If you are kayaking on a lake and the wind suddenly starts blowing to the point where there are whitecaps, what is the best dire... (more) |
— | over 6 years ago |
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A: How do you become a New Forest commoner? I know the New Forest well, I used to live in Ringwood. To become a commoner you essentially have to buy some land that comes with the right to common on the new forest. Commoners are those who occupy land or property to which privileges known as ‘rights of common’ are attached, ... (more) |
— | over 6 years ago |
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A: How to prevent sleeping bag from expanding in its bag Just put some straps around the packing bag (plastic clasps to not damage your bags). You probably have those lying around already ;-) (source) Even (large) rubber bands can work, though they will have to re replaced for the next trip. (more) |
— | over 6 years ago |
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Is there any effective repellent against deer flies (Lipoptena cervi)? Is there any effective repellent against deer flies (Lipoptena cervi)? It should be safe for humans as well as dogs. All related information I could find is about a different deer fly (Chrysops). (more) |
— | over 6 years ago |
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A: Does a hands-free kayak bilge pump exist that is as speedy and reliable as a hand pump? It's been some time, but at our canoe club our sea kayaks were outfitted with one of two systems (others I have no experience with): A hand pump mounted in the deck like this: (Source: UK Sea Kayak Guide Book) A simple tube-like pump with two unidirectional valves mounted on the foot rest. It ... (more) |
— | over 6 years ago |
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A: How to dry a BCD (Buoyancy Control Device) If you have electricity available and are willing to spend some money: I have seen divers use small electric blowers for boots and gloves. These seem fine for a BCD as well. Hang it above the blower. (more) |
— | over 6 years ago |
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A: Placing protection efficiently when leading trad? One thing that jumps out at me here is: I have a bunch of alpine draws on my left gear loop, and cams on my right I've recently stopped doing this. I now mix my gear and draws up, so both sides has some gear and some quick draws. This allows me to access a piece of gear and a draw with a sing... (more) |
— | over 6 years ago |
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What is the best way to place a sling on a rock spike so that it's prevented from lifting off? I occasionally place slings on rock spikes as trad climbing protection. If the spike is not very tall or thick the slings can become easily dislodged as the rope passes though the quickdraw/carabiner. Is there a better technique to hold the sling in place? I have considered using a clove hitch but ... (more) |
— | over 6 years ago |
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A: Is there an actual advantage of switchblade folding knives over any other method of opening a folding blade with one hand? Switchblades with the button-activating blade are just easier to open with one hand and require very little in the way of distracting thought. This means that you can concentrate more on what your other hand is doing (say, holding down a rattlesnake) without having to spend effort in fumbling for th... (more) |
— | over 6 years ago |
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A: Is parasol a good gadget to stay cool walking around the city and parks? A parasol being used in the city is likely to annoy people when they either get stabbed in the face by one of the ribs, or have to take avoiding action to prevent said stabbing. This is generally why people don't really use them any more. I guess that people are more accustomed to seeing umbrellas ... (more) |
— | over 6 years ago |
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A: How do I evade or pacify a bee? Bees are pretty sensitive to movements, so if you see some moseying around, then try to move slowly and smoothly and they should ignore you. Swatting at them or waving them away will likely send them into Alarm mode. Bees won't usually sting you out of pure spite. The chances are that you accident... (more) |
— | over 6 years ago |
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A: Reusing disposable water bottles vs. buying dedicated bottles On the bottom of the plastic bottle should be a number. #1, PET bottles leach antimony (a metallic element, Sb, atomic number 51) into the water. Over time and with sunlight exposure, more antimony leaches out of the plastic and it is harmful, and PET water bottles are recommended only for 1-time u... (more) |
— | over 6 years ago |
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A: Self-diagnosis of hypothermia onset Mental changes are generally hard to detect and have other common sources like blood sugar, hydration, altitude and strenuous exertion, but these are what I use to track my mental state when I'm by myself: A change in how much I care about discomfort If I find myself thinking "This icy wind isn't r... (more) |
— | over 6 years ago |
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Criteria for putting up a tent in morning or evening shade We're going to an area in France where the expected daytime temperature will be 30°C or higher. We use a light brown (beige) coated cotton tent. We have to decide whether to put it up in the morning or evening shade. I realize this is opinion based, but since I have no idea even of the crite... (more) |
— | over 6 years ago |
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Restoring a deformed kayak hull I have a Venture Kayak Easty 15 and it has developed a flat spot on the bottom center just below the foot rests. What is the best method to return the bottom of this kayak back to its original convex form? (more) |
— | over 6 years ago |
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A: Why would a raccoon climb a building? Tl;Dr it was scared up the building by accident. the BBC coverage explains what happened quite well: Evan Frost and Tim Nelson, journalists with Minnesota Public Radio (MPR), documented the raccoon's nerve-wracking journey on Twitter. "One of my colleagues spotted the raccoon on, kind of ... (more) |
— | over 6 years ago |
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A: Best rope for a rope swing Providing you're not setting this up too high, a good cheap alternative is to pop down your local climbing wall and ask if they have any old rope. Climbing walls throw out rope all the time. Depending on how friendly you are with them you might just get several tens of meters for free! It's not safe ... (more) |
— | over 6 years ago |
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A: Where can I legally go hunting for rabbits with a slingshot in the UK? do I have to ask land owners or could I go into a forest away from people and hunt there? Yes, you always need the land owners permission to hunt/fish or even to leave designated footpaths. So yes you do need permission to hunt. Bear in mind that virtually all land in the UK is owned. This may... (more) |
— | over 6 years ago |
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A: How to permanently label Nalgene bottles? It sounds like you carry more than one of these. If that is the case, then put them all in a large zip-lock bag. That should protect whatever labeling system you use. Another option is to put a small piece of paper inside the bottle itself with a label that shows through the mostly transparent bott... (more) |
— | over 6 years ago |
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A: Are there any reliable plants to use for navigation? There are plants that move parts of them in north-south direction. There is a plant called Lactuca seriola that turns its leafs in the direction of the north-south axis. It is common in many regions of the world, both native or non-native. Other plants that show this behaviour are Silphium laciniatum... (more) |
— | over 6 years ago |
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A: How many miles should one expect to get out of a good pair of hiking boots? A couple of factors from my own experience are: Pronation - I over-pronate slightly, so the outside of my heel gets worn down more quickly than the inside. When it wears past a certain point, I find myself rolling my ankle more than usual and end up buying new boots. Sole material - The softness o... (more) |
— | over 6 years ago |
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How to secure wild Red Eared turtle eggs from predators? We have a wild Red Eared turtle laying eggs in our yard. What can we do to keep animals from getting to their eggs? We had a turtle to lay eggs about two weeks ago and the next morning, something had dug the eggs up and eaten them. (more) |
— | over 6 years ago |
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A: How much should I worry/care about the "Known to the State of California" warnings on fuel canisters? You should not consume the canisters or warning labels while in California. Seriously they are not actually very helpful, since they have neither the chemicals nor specific risks. The list of possible chemicals is pretty long and varied. If you know what you are using (a component of gasoline) ther... (more) |
— | over 6 years ago |
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A: Wild animal in Virginia that sounds like monkey cackling/laughing? Try listening to the sounds/songs/calls on these two pages. I would bet on the second one bird. But, the first one is worth listening to. The first one on this page labeled "song": https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/NorthernFlicker/sounds The first two on this page labeled "Wuk": https://www.alla... (more) |
— | over 6 years ago |
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How to estimate the volume a person sweats? I'm pretty comfortable with my technique to stay hydrated, but I am curious about estimating how much liquid is actually involved. I generally am just concerned with getting rid of it, but occasionally (especially when drips become a steady trickle) I wonder at how much I can make. I guess if I weig... (more) |
— | over 6 years ago |
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What is the expected flowrate of a bucket brigade? A naive estimate of one gallon bucket a second is 60 gal/min for a well staffed and equipped line, but is there any data on how much water can be moved by bucket in less than ideal conditions? Specifically how much the number of people per distance effects the speed. (more) |
— | over 6 years ago |
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A: Can a backpacker's solar water heater produce warm water when the ambient temperature is in the 20s (F)? The water temperature will warm up until the heat gained is identical to the heat lost. At 20F, with a thin layer of plastic between the water and outside air, its unlikely the equilibrium will be much above freezing, certainly it would be optimistic to expect a warm shower. Keep in mind the reaso... (more) |
— | over 6 years ago |
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A: Can removing dead wood harm the ecosystem? Can removing dead wood harm the ecosystem? In a word yes. Dead wood forms an important base to any wooded ecosystem. If you think of a food pyramid for a wooded area it'll look something like this: Source Dead wood in this process plays an important role as: Food for a lot of primary cons... (more) |
— | over 6 years ago |
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A: How can I photograph a kingfisher in the United Kingdom? Turns out this is actually quite difficult. Apart from the scarcity a major issue is that Kingfishers in the UK are a Schedule 1 protected species. This essentially means it's illegal to go anywhere near their nest, etc. If you can find somewhere not near a nest then great but this is going to be dif... (more) |
— | over 6 years ago |
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How can I photograph a kingfisher in the United Kingdom? I want to take some photographs of Kingfishers in the United Kingdom. How do I find them, get close to them, etc? Image Source (more) |
— | over 6 years ago |
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A: What is the use of the saw blade on a swiss knife? Its for sawing though small branches. Video here of someone doing it: Has anyone used the saw on the swiss knife for anything? Yes, I've used it to saw though small branches :) (more) |
— | over 6 years ago |
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A: What UK carnivores might I find up mountains? Pine Martens aren't native to the Lake District as yet - you need to go further north to find them (and then in small numbers). This will most likely be one the more common mustelids - Stoats will happily (and greedily) take rabbits, which I believe are your bones. Without a photo/dimensions of the... (more) |
— | over 6 years ago |
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A: What is the best way to figure out the size/volume of an old pack? One option is to take the backpack to an outdoors store like REI or LL Bean and compare it to backpacks that list their volume. (more) |
— | over 6 years ago |
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A: Where to carry a folding knife when hiking? For such a trip put the knife in your backpack. You should not become separated from the backpack, if you do, in the area you are traveling survival will not come down to access to a knife - a pocket of $US will be far more useful. When backpacking, the idea of getting separated from your backpack... (more) |
— | over 6 years ago |
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How can you regain your feet when you lose an edge snowboarding on steep terrain? Last year I was snowboarding in Tignes (France). I was coming down a steep red run into La Daille (Orange on the map below) when I lost my edge (heel side). I'm not a great snowboarder... So I ended up falling forwards (not seriously) with my feet facing down the slope. I landed on my backside and... (more) |
— | almost 7 years ago |
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A: Is there an equivalent of "The A.T. Guide" for the Pacific Crest Trail? As of 2017, the majority of PCT thru-hikers are relying on apps. The most popular option is known as "Guthook," from Atlas Guides. Other popular options include "Halfmile" and "Hikerbot." These apps are comparable to AWOL's AT guidebook in many ways. While offerings vary between apps, you can expect... (more) |
— | almost 7 years ago |
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A: What are the possible risks of exercising at high altitudes? The real question here is how do I maintain muscle mass at high altitude, with the flawed premise that resistance exercise is the only way. Exercising to maintain muscle mass at high altitude will be futile for most, and should be a low priority for everyone. To maintain muscle mass you not only ne... (more) |
— | almost 7 years ago |
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A: How to contain the stench of climbing shoes? Use an odor neutralizer. As the smell will be coming from the inside of the shoe, Spray them with an odor neutraliser or a specialist shoe odor neutralizer, then pack them paper or cloth impregnated with the same stuff. This may take a while to work on its own, but can be used in conjunction with... (more) |
— | almost 7 years ago |
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A: Can smoldering logs be transported safely Yes you can. It's called a long match and here's an example of how to make one. I've seen several variations on this theme but basically you want a method to hold the heat of the fire with a limited oxygen supply and insulation. You need some Oxygen to get to the fire to keep it smouldering and you... (more) |
— | almost 7 years ago |
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A: What should you look for when buying hiking socks? I agree with everything StudioHack is saying. Make sure the thickness is compatible with your hiking boots/shoes. It is a lot easier to add an extra sole to your boots/shoes to make up for some empty space. But, it is almost impossible to compensate for too tight a fit. So, either get socks first an... (more) |
— | almost 7 years ago |