Activity for System
| Type | On... | Excerpt | Status | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Answer | — |
A: Is wild garlic edible? How do you prepare it? I've just been sent this article in the Telegraph about it It says: At this time of year (May) the flowers (a nice edible addition to a plate) are also a giveaway: delicate, thin, six white-petalled things forming into rough globes that look like exploding fireworks. The true test of wild ... (more) |
— | over 9 years ago |
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Is wild garlic edible? How do you prepare it? Driving into work this am, the woods were full of wild garlic, you could actually smell it in the car. I've always presumed that it is edible but I'm not 100% sure. Can you eat wild garlic? Which parts are edible? Does it have bulbs like the garlic you buy in the shops? How do I go about collec... (more) |
— | over 9 years ago |
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A: Adjustable mid-line knot? Knots by Grog say: If you are asked to learn to tie the Sheepshank, please request your Troop Leader to eliminate this knot and replace it with something safe and useful, e.g., the Alpine Butterfly Loop is an excellent way of creating a loop in the middle of a length of rope and can also be... (more) |
— | over 9 years ago |
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Help identifying black and white "square winged" bird? I keep seeing a particular bird lately and I don't recognise it. Can anyone help? I've only ever seen it from the car and in flight so I have no photo's unfortunately. It's black and white about the size of a magpie (possibly bigger, has broader wings) Has very "square" short but wide wings in fli... (more) |
— | over 9 years ago |
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A: What's the difference between frontcountry camping and backcountry camping? Where I live (Outside US), Front-country is used to refer to facilities and activities that are close to roads and easily accessible. Short walks, nature trails etc 10 minutes up to a couple of hours, camps and visitor centres you can drive to are "Front Country". Front country is often wheel chair ... (more) |
— | over 9 years ago |
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A: When should a belay device be replaced? Couple of red lines for me: As soon as there is anything resembling a sharp edge on any point of the equipment, this can cut your rope. If any part of it is broken, visibly cracked or obviously heavily worn If it's been dropped form a great height (though the whole micro cracks thing is a little co... (more) |
— | over 9 years ago |
| Question | — |
How to prevent chafing in my lower regions I'm training currently for a long distance walk (the welsh 15 peaks in 24 hours) and I'm doing some long days (12 hours plus). I'm having some real trouble though with quite painful chafing in my (ahem) crotch area. It appears to be being caused by my underwear and trousers rubbing while I'm sweati... (more) |
— | over 9 years ago |
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A: Are manual double-back buckles on harnesses considered obsolete? Is that kind of buckle considered obsolete? Obsolete, no, they work fine they've just been superseded by autolock style buckles. what is the reason for this? Quite simply they're just harder to do up wrong. It also means you can adjust your harness faster. Some cheaper harnesses still ha... (more) |
— | over 9 years ago |
| Answer | — |
A: How to prevent mosquitoes entering in your mouth while running? You could wear a mosquito net: Not clear how this is going to affect your running though... (more) |
— | over 9 years ago |
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A: Is it safe to wear a down jacket while building a fire Having built several fires while wearing down jackets I can confirm that your jacket will not burst into flames, nylon is not that flammable. The worst you will experience is a small burn hole in the outside if an ember lands on you. Probably still a good idea to keep a safe distance away anyway ther... (more) |
— | over 9 years ago |
| Question | — |
Paramo vs Gore-Tex jackets? I'm considering replacing my North Face Gore-tex jacket as it's starting to get a bit tatty, some of the zips are breaking, etc. I've seen quite a few Paramo jackets about. I'm presuming they're quite good as they are the jackets I see a lot of mountain rescue members and mountain guides wearing. ... (more) |
— | over 9 years ago |
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A: When rain jackets wear out, do they soak through? A long time ago (when I was teenager) I had one of the early GoreTex jackets. I had this Jacket for years and years and used it constantly. Over time the fabric wore out and it started to leak. This actually got to the point where you could see though it in places (imagine a thin cotton t-shirt, that... (more) |
— | over 9 years ago |
| Question | — |
How to walk silently in the woods? Today I walked in the woods and it was quite late in the evening. While I was walking, a deer jumped and ran away. I guess I disturbed it while it was sleeping. And it came to my mind that I'm the only one who is making some noise at this hour. So my question is: What is the best way to become... (more) |
— | over 9 years ago |
| Question | — |
Should you avoid handling lambs? On a recent walk we ended up with a lamb following us. I picked it up and took it back to its mother. As I walked past someone else on the trail shouted that I shouldn't touch the lambs as "it will follow you now". I didn't think it was a problem as I'd picked up lambs in farms (with the farmers... (more) |
— | over 9 years ago |
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A: Cleaning the inside of a backpack Oil needs a soap or detergent, and ideally hot water to dissolve. Hand washed with a laundry detergent and hot water. if it is still a problem, remove the aluminium frame and any loose bits you can and wash it on a gentle cycle (no spin) in a front loading washing machine. You may want to take it t... (more) |
— | over 9 years ago |
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A: Prevent athlete´s foot (re)infection in barefoot shoes? Key thing is to get the shoes clean and dry. Wash the shoes at the hottest possible temperature and let them dry thoroughly. (Use a hair dryer on cool/warm setting carefully if needed). Use an anti fungal laundry rinse such as CANESTEN laundry wash if the problem is persistent. Don't wear the same s... (more) |
— | over 9 years ago |
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A: Basic setup for trout fishing (Local regulations have a part to play in gear selection - e.g. are you allowed to bait fish?) My personal preference in this situation is a telescopic rod. They have a bad reputation, mainly because you get lot's that are really cheap and nasty. Get a decent quality one and its nearly as good on ... (more) |
— | over 9 years ago |
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A: What happens to rappel anchors? Leaving a sling behind is not as wasteful as you might think - a sling that has been rappelled off (without a 'biner or ring) must be retired anyway. In the scheme of the cost of recreational activity a few slings and rings add up to a minimal cost. Within reason, waste is not a reason to avoid leav... (more) |
— | over 9 years ago |
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A: What is a good (and affordable) sleeping bag for someone who is beginning to backpack? It's hard to give specific advice on exactly what sleeping bag you should buy. What I can help with is some general advice on what to look for: Filling Probably the most important thing. Generally two types of filling will be offered: Down (see types of down) Synthetic Synthetic is typically mu... (more) |
— | over 9 years ago |
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A: Bouldering vs aid climbing vs free climbing vs free solo climbing All of the above are styles of rock climbing. The differences/similarities are highlighted below: Bouldering Low-level climbing (usually up to about 3m) without the use of a rope. Falls are typically protected against by the use of large portable mats (bouldering mats). Concentrates on technically... (more) |
— | over 9 years ago |
| Question | — |
Bouldering vs aid climbing vs free climbing vs free solo climbing What re the differences between these 4 styles of rock climbing? Bouldering Aid Climbing Free Climbing Free solo climbing (more) |
— | over 9 years ago |
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A: Is climbing an ambidextrous sport? I both agree and disagree with Michael's answer. If you can train your weaker hand to be as good as your stronger hand then good on you but this isn't always possible. My left is much weaker than my right. I train my left all the time but it's always not as strong as my right. As such, I will somet... (more) |
— | over 9 years ago |
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A: Road Trip food on the cheap This slightly depends on size and heat output or your stove, but camping stoves are universally good at one thing, heating water. So this makes them ideal for using with dyhydrated food's. These have come a long way from super and pot noodles and you can now get some pretty decent tasty food that you... (more) |
— | over 9 years ago |
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How far would you need to fall for it to be fatal? A little grim this but I was discussing free soloing with a non-climber in work and I said "Well once you get over a certain height you're not going to survive a fall anyway so anything over this doesn't really make much of a difference." ... which got me thinking, how high is too high? I... (more) |
— | over 9 years ago |
| Question | — |
My head torch/lamp has a red mode, why? My new head torch has a mode that produces a red light. I've seen this several times and I have no idea when our why you would use it? (more) |
— | over 9 years ago |
| Answer | — |
A: Guidelines for safe use of ATC Nano? Talking to a lead developer of it (I think he was the 5th to work on the project, no mention of what happened to his predecessors), he said that as it is not designed for use on single ropes, which is why they can get down to 3mm. They did think about a 5mm version for single rope, but a market surv... (more) |
— | over 9 years ago |
| Question | — |
Road Trip food on the cheap I'm planning my first road trip with a friend. We're going from UK through France, probably Germany or maybe Belgium to Denmark and over to Sweden, back down to central France and then back home. We'll be over the channel for 5 weeks all in all. I have a gas camp cooker. We'll be travelling from mi... (more) |
— | over 9 years ago |
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A: What's the best way to dispose of a body in the backcountry? Eat it Happy April Fools!!!!!!!!!!!!! (more) |
— | over 9 years ago |
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A: How to tandem rappel/abseil with a child? I'd probably use the same technique I'd use if I was tandem abseilling with anyone, i.e. extend the abseil and attach both parties to it: | | @<- belay plate / \\ / \\ <- rope to adult child--adult ^ | / | <- tail of rope / attach child to adult... (more) |
— | almost 10 years ago |
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A: Does sleeping with liner shoes make you feel colder? As with clothes you were wearing while you climbed, the liner boots are damp - if not wet from the days activity. Energy is required to evaporate the moisture - this cools you down, including your feet. You get cold from it very easily. Also as most people will feel cold if they have cold feet, so yo... (more) |
— | almost 10 years ago |
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A: Which camp fuel type is the easiest on your stove? Rather than the type of fuel - any stove designed to run a fuel will run it with little maintenance, but the quality is important. I had to strip and clean my cooker, that had never had a problem, daily - at 6000+meters due a batch of bad fuel. Best option for trouble free cookers is Gas (Butane/Pr... (more) |
— | almost 10 years ago |
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A: What can I do on a honeymoon in New Zealand while five months pregnant? (I live in New Zealand, Have been everywhere from Cape Reinga to Bluff, Climbed and hiked extensively in the back country and done many of the Great Walks, and many more other trips. I also have done or do MTB, Ski, Ski Tour, fish, hunt....) New Zealand is seen as an action adventure capital. Howeve... (more) |
— | almost 10 years ago |
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A: When is it OK to hike off trail? Without knowing the numbers using it, the signs are absolutely acceptable. The forest floor is very fragile, and although one foot print might not make a noticeable difference to most people (Having tracking training for SAR, I see the damage one person makes), 10 people will leave obvious damage, an... (more) |
— | almost 10 years ago |
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A: How do membrane-based boots breathe? > The salesperson explained that leather keeps much warmer, but has no effect on breathability or water proof-ness. Well he's not really correct there, so breathability is based on the concept that moisture will pass from a high saturation of moisture (next to your skin) to a low saturation o... (more) |
— | almost 10 years ago |
| Question | — |
Down feather species, which is best? I've seen several down jackets stating what species of down the jacket is filled with, i.e. Duck, Goose, etc. What are the differences between the various species' down and which is best? (more) |
— | almost 10 years ago |
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A: How to top belay 2 climbers at the same time on multi-pitch climb? Simple answer is the same way you would belay one climber. The two should climb simultaneously with the second tied in to a loop (Alpine Butterfly) about 5-10 meters above the third. If the difficulty is such the a fall is more than a remote possibility for either of the following climbers, or simul... (more) |
— | almost 10 years ago |
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Ice axe and crampon post winter cleaning/preparation So winter is well and truly over in Wales. Pretty much all the snow has melted and the weather is improving. So it's time to retire my winter gear until next winter. What should I do with my Ice Axe and Crampons to ensure they're in tip top condition for next winter? Should I oil or clean them? Wha... (more) |
— | almost 10 years ago |
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A: Most efficient training before alpine hiking/climbing? Typically for training for this kind of thing you want to work on two aspects of your fitness, strength (to carry the weight you need for the periods you need without pain/injury) and cardio vascular performance (you want to have the lungs and heart to process as much energy as you can as fast as you... (more) |
— | almost 10 years ago |
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A: Memory foam mattress topper for camping? First things first: Has anyone else tried this? No I've not tried it. Would I use a mattress topper while camping No Why? They're heavy and awkward to move in and out of tent they'll absorb water they'y designed to sit on top of a nice flat mattress not a bumpy stone covered field (as y... (more) |
— | almost 10 years ago |
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Top gear presenter pees on snare, why? I was watching Top Gear last night and Richard Hammond was (supposedly) trapped on a mountain in British Columbia and had to "survive". At one point he laid a snare for rabbits on a track and said: The instruction on this say I need to bait this with my own pee (continues to pee on snare) (or ... (more) |
— | almost 10 years ago |
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How to humanely kill an injured bird? Last night I was walking my dog when I came across an injured racing pigeon. I've reported it to the owner who's coming to pick it up today, providing it's survived the night..... I was thinking maybe I should of just put it out of its misery though, a cat has obviously mauled it badly. What's the... (more) |
— | almost 10 years ago |
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A: How to unlock walking poles that have not been used for a while This actually happened to me the other day! It's likely (if they've not been used for some time) that they've corroded slightly and this has produced a seal between the moving parts. I'd probably try the below in this order: Spray it with Wd40 or GT85 or someother spray oil leave it to penetrate;... (more) |
— | almost 10 years ago |
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A: Why train at less than max intensity? Especially if not training often I'm not an expert, however I can give you general direction. The reason why you want run slower to run faster is for one: less risk of injury and second: training to stay in aerobic zone, avoiding going to anaerobic zone and build endurance in the end. When you exercise, first you are well rested ... (more) |
— | almost 10 years ago |
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Ice Axes - Ice blade or Mix blade? I have just got Grivel The Tech Machine Ice Axe. It comes with Ice blade by default. Mostly I am going to do Mix climbing on granite in Norway with Ice climbing occasionally. Do you recommend to get Mix blade additionally? What are drawbacks of using Ice blade instead of Mix blade? (more) |
— | almost 10 years ago |
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A: How can I vet a hiking partner without potential hard feelings? Don't waste time vetting- just do it... Putting things in perspective - you are not arranging a marriage, a round the world sailing trip on an 8 meter sail boat, or a climbing trip into remote Patagonia. You said its 3-4 days - not that long, certainly short enough they can work out how to tolerate e... (more) |
— | almost 10 years ago |
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What are the measurements on this slope angle tool? I totally need one of these This helps you estimate the slope angle on a contour map by measureing the gaps between the contour lines. This is to help you avoid avoid avalanche areas. I'm sure I could work this out but my maths is terrible. Anyone know what the mm gap is between each of the marke... (more) |
— | almost 10 years ago |
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Where in the north of the UK are locations with good and easy to locate fossils? Following on from this question there was a map of the good areas in Northern America where there are significant dinosaur fossil formations. Where in the UK would this be the case? Just to narrow this a little. I am aware of the Jurasic coast in Dorset (mantioned by nivag and aravona) but tha... (more) |
— | almost 10 years ago |
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Beginners guide to fossil hunting I spend a lot time rock climbing and walking and generally being around rocks. But I've never seen a fossil. I've always liked the idea of finding a nice fossil. How would I go about doing this? Any beginners guides? (more) |
— | almost 10 years ago |
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A: How to straighten a bent tent pole Your likely out of luck. Aluminium is used in tent poles because it is stiff, strong and light. The trade off is that because it is less dense and more stiff it is less forgiving to being "manipulated". When steel fails it fails slowly, aluminium simply breaks. You could bend it back and see what ha... (more) |
— | almost 10 years ago |
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A: How can I survive multiple days in cold environment? I would say that its vital to let someone know your route & radio in at a set time of day to let them know where you are & how you are coping. (more) |
— | almost 10 years ago |