Activity for ShemSeger‭

Type	On...	Excerpt	Status	Date
Answer	—	A: How do I disinfect my wool hiking socks? Simply throwing them in the wash should suffice, but if you want to be extra sure the fungus dies, you could soak your socks in a 1 part bleach to 10 parts water mixture for ten minutes. Keep in mind that it's not your socks you need to worry about so much as your shoes, they're a little more difficu... (more)	—	over 8 years ago
Answer	—	A: What is the most effective means of melting snow with body heat for drinking? The best way to melt snow is to put it in a bottle inside your jacket under your mid layers while you're on the move and let your body heat melt it. Do not place it against the skin, leave a layer or two between you and the bottle. It's advisable to always leave your bottle in your jacket in subzero ... (more)	—	over 8 years ago
Question	—	How do you treat frozen lungs? You know that bleeding lung feeling you get after going out for a long run on a freezing cold night? The one where you can taste blood in the back of your jaw, and begin to wheeze and cough as fluids start forming in your lungs? Whatever the circumstances may be, if you end up "freezing" your lungs... (more)	—	over 8 years ago
Answer	—	A: Winter backpacking pants It does apply, but as others have pointed out, changing pants layers isn't as easy as changing out top layers unless you have full-zip, or at least 3/4 zip pants. There are also boot zip pants, which zip up to your calf, but I'm not a huge fan of pulling my dirty or wet boots though my nice warm flee... (more)	—	over 8 years ago
Question	—	How much does body fat actually insulate you against the cold? I'm not a big guy, but I can sit in a cold pool of still water for a long time if I stay still and control my breathing, my skin gets cold, but after you get past the cold shock I can sit there rather comfortably without any signs of my core temperature dropping (shivering, etc.). One of my favourite... (more)	—	over 8 years ago
Question	—	What are the different stages of frostbite? My brother and I were out backcountry sled-skiing yesterday, and my brother froze his feet in his new ski-boots. We were sitting at just above 2000m, my brother had his boots off and was trying to warm them up with hot packs, sticking them inside his mitts, and even resorting to putting his foot righ... (more)	—	over 8 years ago
Answer	—	A: What is the proper etiquette for back country camps with assigned spaces when people take a different site? What you did was probably the most peaceful course of action, but ultimately, the best people to direct this question to would be the people who issue the permits, the proper etiquette will likely differ from place to place. Unfortunately, there really isn't a pleasant global solution to this. By al... (more)	—	over 8 years ago
Answer	—	A: Where do you place ice screws? Good Ice Sounds obvious, but that's the answer, you need to learn how to identify good solid ice for all your screw placements. The best ice is the thickest ice you can find, so you can place your longest screws; clear and blue will be the most solid, while the worst ice is cloudy or brown, full o... (more)	—	over 8 years ago
Answer	—	A: Blisters on small of back Prevention is easy, wear your pack on your hips where it's supposed to be, and never let anything rub. Friction is bad, all hot spots need to be taken care of long before they are allowed to develop into a blister. Treatment for such blisters may involve draining them so they don't cause pain from p... (more)	—	over 8 years ago
Answer	—	A: How to walk on wet, slightly rotten wood? Fishermen use felt soled wading boots for wading through creeks and rivers on the slippery rocks, they give you the friction you need without damaging the surface you're walking on. They would work just as well on a slippery dock. You can buy them at any fishing store. (more)	—	over 8 years ago
Answer	—	A: How effective are mosquito repellents for people who are mosquito magnets? Depends on how much you put on. It may be helpful to first identify why you are a mosquito magnet. Mosquitos are attracted to primarily two things that you can control: odour and heat. Unfortunately, about 85% of what makes people mosquito magnets is suspected to be genetics, so there's not much you... (more)	—	over 8 years ago
Answer	—	A: How to concentrate on a minimal point on a solid surface? Use your imagination. If you can't see a small point, imagine one. When I'm sighting up a target, I don't aim for the bulls-eye, I aim for the centre of the bulls-eye. Here's your solid surface: When you put your sights on an animal at a significant distance, you want to aim just behind their le... (more)	—	over 8 years ago
Answer	—	A: Skis or Snowshoes for Colorado If you have no experience with either, then I recommend getting some snowshoes first (I'm not recommending you don't eventually get into everything else as well). There are many different styles of snowshoes out there, the most popular types on the market are the hiking snowshoes with the crampons, b... (more)	—	over 8 years ago
Answer	—	A: Does wearing too many layers have any negative impacts other than sweating? In cold weather, I'm the guy that always has way more layers on than everyone else. I don't let myself sweat though, I just suck at retaining body heat. Sweating is the primary reason for not over-layering, but aside from hypothermia the only real danger presented from excessive sweating is dehydrati... (more)	—	over 8 years ago
Answer	—	A: What makes flannel so popular? Besides being the manliest thing you could ever wear outdoors: Durability Have you ever had a flannel shirt, or pair of pants? If you have, then odds are you still have them. They are extremely abrasion resistant, and won't melt or burst into flames if a hot coal from the fire lands on them. There'... (more)	—	over 8 years ago
Answer	—	A: Municipal invasive species committee experiences? The people to talk to are in your municipal office. Administration are the ones who deal with all that stuff. If you were to take your proposal to a Town Council meeting as a delegation and ask these questions there, I can pretty much guarantee that Council would differ to Administration for the answ... (more)	—	over 8 years ago
Answer	—	A: What are the most frequent crimes perpetrated by people against people in the Great Outdoors? The most common crimes committed in the great outdoors are vandalism and littering. Nature is the number one victim, but when it's your backcountry it tends to feel like a personal attack. There are some crimes committed specifically against people. Petty theft does happen, but you're just as likely ... (more)	—	over 8 years ago
Answer	—	A: In an emergency situation, is it healthy to eat human flesh? Humans actually have a gene which protects them from cannibalism, according to some scientists, a prion disease acquired in prehistoric populations through cannibalism represents a likely explanation of the high prevalence of people with one mutated and one regular prion protein gene, which makes it ... (more)	—	over 8 years ago
Answer	—	A: How to create a cast or splint to aid a broken bone? One of the most effective splinting materials is birch bark. Peel it off the tree just as you would if you were going to use it to make a canoe. It's very stiff, and it has some natural curl to it. Wrap it around the broken limb and you can use anything from triangular bandages to strips of torn clot... (more)	—	over 8 years ago
Answer	—	A: Heal burn wounds in the wild I've been out in the woods with companions who have suffered severe burns. You first priority is to relieve the pain, you accomplish this by removing the heat from the burn. Cool clean water is your best friend for the first few hours at least, have the victim stick his hand in a cool clean lake or s... (more)	—	over 8 years ago
Answer	—	A: Why's the plastic/paper cup training so popular? It's all about grouping. When you're setting the sights on your bow, where you hit a target is less important than what the size of your grouping is while you're practice shooting. If you're missing the centre, but your grouping is tight, then you at least know that your shot is consistent, and tha... (more)	—	over 8 years ago
Answer	—	A: Why are these acceptable and safe anchors? I happen to know for a fact that the steel ring in those anchor set ups is rated to 50kN. That's as much as both hangers combined, they're only rated to 25kN each, which is still double the force any human body will ever be able to produce. The human body is rated to fail somewhere around 12kN which ... (more)	—	over 8 years ago
Answer	—	A: In real life, could the best possible archer pull off the shots that Katniss Everdeen routinely performs? Yes! But don't take my word for it, see for yourself: Stan Lee's Superhumans: Deadly Shot This guy is a real-life Hawkeye, he very matter-of-factly states that if he can see it, he can hit it with his bow and an arrow. And if you watch the video, you'll see that it's true, he hits everything, inc... (more)	—	over 8 years ago
Question	—	What's the safest way to hike up a steep slope in deep snow? So I stumbled onto this GIF: It appears that this avalanche was caused by the deep trail cut into the snow. You can see ski tracks on the slope, it looks like it's been climbed and skied a number of times, so it appears the slope was initially stable, but then this long deep trail gets cut into t... (more)	—	over 8 years ago
Answer	—	A: Efficient technique for handling trad gear? I don't grab the biner first, I grab the cam first, pretty much as I would if I were placing it, I then unclip the biner from my gear loop with the cam in hand. There's no fumbling with it during or after, the more steps you put into placing gear, the more likely you are to drop it. I watched a video... (more)	—	over 8 years ago
Answer	—	A: Is the keeper wire loop on a tubular belay device necessary? Take off the wire cable and you're pretty much left with an old school belay plate: The original belay device was simply a munter hitch on a "Karabiner", or "Halbmastwurfsicherung" (often abbreviated HMS) as it was originally called, but munter hitches are hard on ropes, which was the reason belay... (more)	—	over 8 years ago
Answer	—	A: Distel Hitch vs Prussik They are essentially the same knot on the rope, they're both friction hitches. The difference is how they connect to your harness. Distel hitches are used mostly by arborists, one advantage a distel hitch has over a prussik is how well it works in combination with a pulley system: You are right ... (more)	—	over 8 years ago
Answer	—	A: Can you help identify this fish i caught? Looks kind of like a walleye to me. I didn't think there was anything else worth catching in Ontario, in NW Ontario at least this is what everyone goes fishing for, they're one of the tastier fishes. They're fighters too, you always expect them to big bigger than they are when you reel them in.... (more)	—	over 8 years ago
Answer	—	A: Can I reuse the soft fibres from hackle feathers in some other fly tying application? You could use it, but it probably wouldn't be very convenient. That fluffy stuff is basically Marabou, which is one of the most popular fly tying materials, the difference between the soft hookless barbs found on your hackles, and the barbs found on semiplumes like Marabou, is the rachis, the shaft o... (more)	—	over 8 years ago
Answer	—	A: What tent should I use for extended winter camping in the midwest US? The answers is to simply get a proper 4 season tent designed for camping in the winter. There's a reason why 4 season tents are different than 3 season tents, and that reason is because the weather and temperature of that fourth season (winter) is much harsher than the other three. You are not going ... (more)	—	over 8 years ago
Answer	—	A: Which two handed fly casting style should I learn? To answer your question, "Which two handed fly casting style should I learn?" the answer is all of them. After you've learned every style then you'll know which one suits your needs best in any situation, but whenever you have something behind you I always recommend the roll cast, which is very effec... (more)	—	over 8 years ago
Answer	—	A: What are other possible make-shift alternatives for chalk powder? A few years back at my University climbing gym, someone posted a study performed on chalking your hands while climbing. Basically, it was discovered that there was actually a measurable decrease in the coefficient of friction when you used chalk. As in, chalk made climbing holds harder to hang onto. ... (more)	—	over 8 years ago
Answer	—	A: Blister Prevention/ Heel hardening I think that if your feet are going to harden, then they're going to harden. Chances are you just don't get out as often as you used to. I used to have massive calluses on my heels, but I simply don't put the same milage on my feet as I used to. Now I use hikers wool, it's amazing. I have massive he... (more)	—	over 8 years ago
Answer	—	A: Walking through an active railway tunnel during a long distance walk First of all, next time I'm in India I'm gunna give you a call so you can show me where that tunnel is. Second, the only real precaution you need to take is to ensure that in the event of a train encounter, that there is room for the train to pass by safely with you in the tunnel. I've actually been... (more)	—	over 8 years ago
Answer	—	A: Any tips for landing fish on barbless hooks? Fishing in the rivers around here is catch and release only on barbless hooks. The trick is to not get over excited when you get a bite, let the fish take the lure, when he runs it'll set it itself, so don't tug on the rod. While he's on the hook you want to bring him in gently, don't tug on the rod,... (more)	—	over 8 years ago
Answer	—	A: Can I mix the contents of a cigarette with Odomos to prevent leech bites? Q: Would it work? A: Probably, tobacco is toxic to Leeches, but the problem with rubbing cigarette tobacco all over your legs is you will also absorb all of the manufactured additives and toxins put into the cigarette tobacco. You'd be better off using chewing tobacco. Tobacco accelerates coagulati... (more)	—	over 8 years ago
Answer	—	A: Acclimitization: Would 20 min at an "oxygen bar" deliver more than an ephermal boost to a healthy person? Oxygen bars aid in recovery, they don't speed up acclimatization, but they do help you recover after a long day of exercise at high elevation and give you more energy. Just as a fire can’t burn without oxygen our cells can’t produce heat and energy without oxygen. When acclimatizing, ... (more)	—	over 8 years ago
Answer	—	A: Proper food storage against black bears on a LONG (e.g., 14 days) trip, partly in black bear country? (enough bear canisters not practical) Realistically, if you can manage to carry the food, then you can manage the canisters also. They have been proven to decrease bear encounters and are actually now required in parts of Sierra National Forests, as well as in parts of Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, Inyo National Forests and in... (more)	—	over 8 years ago
Answer	—	A: Questions about specifics of black bear encounter with mother and yearling cub I'm from bear country. I've had multiple bear encounters this year and the bears have been really bad this season. We had 4 maulings inside a month this summer. In answer to your questions: A1: The Mother bear is going to stay between you and her cub. This includes keeping her cub away from you as ... (more)	—	over 8 years ago
Answer	—	A: How to re-store an inflatable sleeping pad? I still use the old Thermarests, which are norotiously difficult to pack down small. What I do is slightly different than what has already been suggested: Start off by quickly getting the bulk of the air out however you wish, I over inflate my mattress, so often I only have to open the valve while I... (more)	—	over 8 years ago
Answer	—	A: Advice for waterproof winter jacket for city and cycling For a true waterproofness and breathability, while being active, you want to get a triple-ply Goretex hardshell, or a Goretex alternative like HyVent, Dry.Q, NeoShell, etc. Lots of the big brands have their own alternatives to Goretex, that Northface Triclimate jacket for example has a HyVent Shell. ... (more)	—	over 8 years ago
Question	—	What easy 6,500m peaks would serve as easy qualifiers for Everest? So there's been talk of this for a while, but it seems like the Nepalese government is finally committing and closing Everest to inexperienced climbers. So from now on, as a safety measure, if you want to climb Everest, you will be required to prove you have summitted at least one mountain higher tha... (more)	—	over 8 years ago
Answer	—	A: What should I feed ravens/crows? The real question is what won't ravens or crows eat. Ravens hang out at the garbage dumps and perch on dumpsters, the easiest way to get them to visit your yard would be to leave garbage spread out behind your house, or leave a hunk of rotting meat nailed to a perch of some sort. They will eat pretty... (more)	—	over 8 years ago
Answer	—	A: How to avoid snakes when hiking in heavily leaved areas? You don't need to try and avoid snakes, they're already trying their best to avoid you, but if you want to give them ample opportunity to get out of your way, walk with a heavy foot fall. Snakes feel vibrations in the ground, so if you come stomping through the woods they'll do their best to slither ... (more)	—	over 8 years ago
Answer	—	A: Backpacking in the Winter (Michigan) Your number one concern when winter backpacking is breaking out into a sweat while hiking, getting your clothes wet, and then getting hypothermia after you stop for the day, but at temperatures of -30°C you're also concerned with frostbite. Layering is key, you must know how to properly layer ... (more)	—	over 8 years ago
Answer	—	A: Bottled Oxygen on Everest The first reason is weight, you can hardly carry yourself up Everest let alone extra oxygen bottles, in fact as soon as they empty a bottle a lot of people drop it on the ground as litter because they can't be bothered to carry the extra weight any more. Weight is the number one reason garbage gets l... (more)	—	over 8 years ago
Answer	—	A: Does a bird really abandon the nest? Will similar birds re-use it? Birds do not typically reuse nests, as pests and parasites typically move in and use it as a habitat after the birds are done with it. Those birds who do reuse nests often don't have much success raising healthy chicks, because of said parasites. Also, predators have a much easier time finding food i... (more)	—	over 8 years ago
Answer	—	A: Spreader rig safety question If I may simplify your question, you have a sling of webbing, you've tied a bowline on a bight into each end, and then folded it in half and tied another bowline on a bight in the middle. Something like this: (Using Climbing carabiners and 120cm 22kN runner) And you're wondering if it's a good ... (more)	—	over 8 years ago
Answer	—	A: Rock climbing over edge - What can I put under the rope to protect it? Top roping over sharp edges is never recommended, but if you insist that's what you want to do then what you want is an edge roller: You can anchor it to the top bolts and hang it right over the edge using accessory cord so that the ropes slide over the rollers instead of the sharp edge: The pi... (more)	—	over 8 years ago
Answer	—	A: How do you get better at static climbing? I'm a very static climber, but back in the day I was one of those climbing cave rats who campused and dyno'd his way through as much of a problem as he could. The key to becoming a more static climber, is to learn more technique and balance. I learned how to be a static climber from bouldering. You ... (more)	—	over 8 years ago

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