Activity for Loren Pechtel
| Type | On... | Excerpt | Status | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Edit | Post #41297 | Initial revision | — | over 4 years ago |
| Edit | Post #41234 | Initial revision | — | over 4 years ago |
| Answer | — |
A: Topo map server out there somewhere? I'm not sure if it covers Canada or not but have you checked out the GaiaGPS app? It's phone rather than desktop but it can serve up topos at a variable scale, I just don't know how much of the world is covered. If you pay the subscription fee you can actually download the maps onto your phone to c... (more) |
— | almost 5 years ago |
| Answer | — |
A: Gear storage: what gear that can be safely stocked outside? Much of the damage could be averted by placing the stuff in airtight containers with a desiccant of sufficient size in there. Silica gel in suitable containers can be regenerated, there are other options that are cheaper but they are single use. This will avoid humidity damage but will not protect ... (more) |
— | almost 5 years ago |
| Question | — |
Male swimming attire that can be worn under clothing (Use case: A hike to heated waters--hiking with only swimwear for lower attire is not an option.) I find most swimwear is not exactly suitable for wearing under clothing, speedos would work but I'm hoping for some middle ground--snug fitting but not quite so skimpy. (more) |
— | almost 5 years ago |
| Answer | — |
A: As of 2019, why do mountaineering courses still teach how to use a paper map? I have a very practical example of the value of paper maps: I found a waterproof, tear resistant map of my usual mountain hiking grounds that lives in my pack. When I put it there I figured it would probably never come out. Yet the very first day it did--I met up with some people on the trail that... (more) |
— | almost 5 years ago |
| Answer | — |
A: The best solution for carrying a D-SLR when hiking I have never taken mine into the temperatures you are talking about but for hiking in general I clip it to my shoulder strap with a Peak Design Capture Clip. This is the best solution I have yet to see for having it ready without being an inconvenience. Some extra padding on the strap would be nice... (more) |
— | almost 5 years ago |
| Answer | — |
A: Where can I get little durable cases you can hang on your climbing harness? Pelican makes small cases for electronics. There is likely something of a size to do what you want. (more) |
— | about 5 years ago |
| Answer | — |
A: Clothing for cold weather hiking For my few forays into such weather I have worn: Heavy merino wool socks over silk liner socks. Merino wool under my pants. For my upper body I go with layers on the outside rather than anything under my top. I will either wear my puffy vest under a light jacket, or a puffy jacket with a hood. I... (more) |
— | about 5 years ago |
| Answer | — |
A: Is sleeping on the ground in cold weather better than on an air mattress? Some more factors here: 1) Even if the air in the air mattress was the same temperature as the outside air it has much less thermal capacity and thus will take your heat away slower. 2) An air mattress will spread the pressure more evenly--your sleeping bag won't be as compressed at pressure poin... (more) |
— | about 5 years ago |
| Question | — |
Why do hydration bladders top out at 3 liters? Many, many companies offer 3 liter bladders. Only the dromedary units go above that and the reviews say they're hard to clean and in general are negative about using them as hydration bladders rather than just water carriers. What's about 3L that they figure nobody wants more? (more) |
— | about 5 years ago |
| Question | — |
What do I call this hat(?) with sun protection on the sides? It looks like a typical hat but also has fabric hanging down around the sides/back of your head for sun protection. I saw one on the trail that was labeled North Face but I can't find anything like it on their website. Not knowing what to call it I'm having no luck finding what the choices are for ... (more) |
— | over 5 years ago |
| Answer | — |
A: Transition to "Starvation Mode" in Survival Situations Another factor here: Depending on where you are you very well might find that attempting to obtain food costs you more energy than whatever you find provides. I'm thinking of my usual hiking territories. At lower elevations I have seen the occasional lizard at a range where it wouldn't be a hail M... (more) |
— | over 5 years ago |
| Answer | — |
A: Is it practical to get a satellite phone for communication from remote areas? You're almost certainly going at this the wrong way. For something like this you want a Garmin inReach unit--the costs are a lot lower. They only give you text messaging, no voice communications. There are also the SPOT units, I'm not sure about their messaging capability. There are also some sma... (more) |
— | over 5 years ago |
| Question | — |
Is there an app: remind me when I get back here The basics of what I'm after is very, very simple: Push a button, it notes your location. When you reach that point again it tells you. I've looked around and I don't find anything that seems to meet this description. Use case: Yesterday on the way out I noted two pieces of trash. I generally p... (more) |
— | over 5 years ago |
| Answer | — |
A: Does an ice chest packed full of frozen food need ice? Another factor to keep in mind: Heat rises--the warmest part of the ice chest is on top. Thus you have ice there and food underneath it so it's ice that melts rather than food. That being said, you're asking more of an ice chest than it's capable of. Even stuff like the Yeti chests can't do this.... (more) |
— | over 5 years ago |
| Answer | — |
A: What overnight backpacking trails are clear of deep snow now (or likely to be in the next two weeks) in northwest Washington? This forum is worldwide, you're not going to get a good localized answer. I do have two suggestions, though: 1) Look at local hiking groups. I suspect you have Meetup groups, there might be others, also. See where they are scheduling hikes, and see what people are saying about past events. Ther... (more) |
— | over 5 years ago |
| Answer | — |
A: How dangerous are wild horses? I have had multiple encounters with wild horses in an environment where they are used to the presence of hikers. There was an obvious pattern where approaching within a certain distance (which isn't the same for each horse) would cause the horse to switch from natural behavior to wary behavior. Any... (more) |
— | over 5 years ago |
| Answer | — |
A: Is there a handgun or rifle target practice set-up for the home? I recently ran into a mention of the Coolfire system: https://coolfiretrainer.com/ My understanding of it is that it attaches to a real gun and simulates recoil. I have no experience with it. There are also cameras that attach to a gun and record what happens when you pull the trigger. (more) |
— | over 5 years ago |
| Answer | — |
A: Google Map Hiking Trail My color vision isn't perfect so I'm not completely sure what you're talking about on that map. I see two things on there that you might be talking about: 1) I see several paths with names that start with "Variante". The similarity with the word "Variant" in English makes me think these are other... (more) |
— | over 5 years ago |
| Question | — |
How do you wave off a search and rescue helicopter? We were out on a night hike. A helicopter showed up, by behavior it was search and rescue, looking not too far away from our group. It might have simply been doing training, but if it was a real mission, how would we communicate to it that we are not who it's looking for? The terrain offered littl... (more) |
— | almost 6 years ago |
| Answer | — |
A: Can I theoritcally climb The Mount Erciyes in the summer? Categorically, no. 1) As ab2 said, you need experience. You need to learn how much you can do (note that hiking endurance isn't very related to how one performs in sports--my nephew is 10 years younger than I am, plays multiple sports frequently but I, who have never played sports, can go much f... (more) |
— | almost 6 years ago |
| Answer | — |
A: How do you take field notes at below 0 °C, without freezing fingers? Fisher Space Pen. Writes down to -30F and won't leak no matter what (say, from altitude changes going up a mountain.) https://www.spacepen.com/about-us.aspx (And I have no connection to them other than being a satisfied user. At a desk I consider gel ink pens to be superior, but nothing beats a sp... (more) |
— | about 6 years ago |
| Answer | — |
A: Is a hole in a cold place warmer? (Note: Doesn't this belong on Worldbuilding??) Your question is inherently unanswerable as you are missing a key factor: The season. Look at that chart in wanderweeer's answer--note how the temperature swings up and down with the seasons, the deeper you go the less the swing. Your basement is al... (more) |
— | about 6 years ago |
| Question | — |
Who gets the bill if you activate a PLB to help someone else? Locally Search and Rescue doesn't charge but what happens if you're in an area where they do? They obviously have your name and address but it doesn't seem fair to bill the person who was prepared rather than the one who wasn't and it doesn't feel like a good social policy, either--it would make it ... (more) |
— | about 6 years ago |
| Question | — |
Fittings to connect together two hydration bladders I hike in an area where packing in all your water is the only option. For longer hikes when it's warmer one bladder won't hold enough. Does anyone make a practical way to connect two together so you have only one feed hose that will draw from two bladders? (more) |
— | over 6 years ago |
| Answer | — |
A: What are the simplest 5000 m mountains to hike? The first thing that comes to mind to me is Kilimanjaro. It's almost 6,000m and my evaluation of it would be class 2 (I haven't seen any proper rating of it) and that only on the final ascent, getting there was easy (except for the altitude) class 1 trail. You have far more experience than I did wh... (more) |
— | over 6 years ago |