Activity for Russell Steenâ€
| Type | On... | Excerpt | Status | Date |
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A: Prevent mosquito bites: insect repellent patch or just eat vitamin B1? If you want a natural solution, try lemon eucalyptus oil. Considering that B1 does not deter mosquitos, any dose you like will be comparable to 75mg (zero effect). However, if we wish to assume it works, you'll want the patch. Eating B1 won't help much. Since B1 is principally excreted in your ur... (more) |
— | almost 13 years ago |
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A: How to stay clean on a multi-day hike? Some methods Alcohol, either hand sanitizer or rubbing alcohol with a microfiber towel to have a "bath" Advantages: Lightweight, fast. Disadvantages: Dries your skin, have to carry the alcohol, and breathing it isn't perfectly healthy. Solar Shower Advantages: Can get pretty darned clean. Disa... (more) |
— | almost 13 years ago |
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How to reduce pain of wasp stings? Assuming I am not allergic, or showing signs of allergic reaction, what's the best way to treat multiple yellow jacket (a type of wasp) stings in the outdoors while hiking/backpacking? My key concern is pain reduction, since (barring and allergic reaction) I am not returning to town for a sting. I'... (more) |
— | almost 13 years ago |
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Is the "Rule of 3" proven for food? The proverbial "Rule of 3" says you can live three weeks without food. Are there any documented cases of people actually living three weeks with no food in the wilderness and surviving? For those who aren't familiar with the rule, it's that you can't live more than: 3 minutes without breathing ... (more) |
— | almost 13 years ago |
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A: Best/safest wood to carve a spoon from? I have to say that "eating with" falls under the same rules as "eating". Don't go out in the woods and put something in your mouth unless you know exactly what you are dealing with. Many woods are toxic. Also remember that "wood" doesn't just come from trees, but all woody plants, which is why som... (more) |
— | almost 13 years ago |
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A: After I've shot large game, and it escapes, how can I track it? It depends on what the game does and starts when you take your shot. If the game drops: Do NOT move. Sit and watch it. Wait at least 15 minutes. Often game will drop and freeze, even when injured, then stand up minutes later and stroll off. If it stands, shoot it. If you miss again, follow ste... (more) |
— | almost 13 years ago |
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A: Which will keep my food colder longer, draining the melted ice water, or leaving it in the cooler? EDIT: The more I consider this, the ambient air temperature around the cooler is the largest factor. Replacing water with 95F (35C) degree air will have a much larger impact than replacing water with 40F (4.4C) degree air. Actually, the answer is very simple because you asked longer, not colder. ... (more) |
— | almost 13 years ago |
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A: Are there any low sodium freeze dried meals? I see that a good option on the sodium is to buy the components (vegetable medley, cooked beef, green peas, etc.) which are all lower sodium than the premixed meals. Instead of buying dehydrated/ freeze-dried meals, start looking into dehydrated/freeze-dried ingredients. This page has a good list o... (more) |
— | almost 13 years ago |
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What proven alternatives are there to DEET? DEET is an effective mosquito deterrent, but there are many reasons it cannot be used. Per the CDC, cuts, eczema, and being a kid are all problems if you want to use DEET. What proven alternatives are there to DEET that can be used for people with open wounds or eczema? (more) |
— | almost 13 years ago |
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What is the proper tension for a tent line When setting up a tent and staking it out, what is the proper tension for the lines? I generally just make them arbitrarily tight, but have no idea how that would perform in high wind or other conditions. (more) |
— | almost 13 years ago |
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What is a buff? What is a "buff", how is it used, and why should I have one? I've seen them advocated in numerous places, but I'm not sure why a tube of cloth is better around my neck than a scarf, etc. (more) |
— | almost 13 years ago |
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A: What are the rules for eating raw, wild meat? For raw wild meat (assuming fresh) Note: Most mammals can get rabies. If an animal is showing symptoms of rabies, don't eat it. Pork & Rabbit -- Just don't. They get stuff that will kill you just from contact with an open scratch. Squirrel -- Check for cysts, which are a sign of parasites. De... (more) |
— | almost 13 years ago |
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What are the vitamin considerations for extended backpacking For short hikes you can generally ignore nutritional concerns, because you don't generally become malnourished in two days. However, for a long trip like the Appalachian Trail or other long hikes (at least a month and possibly more) what considerations should be taken with vitamins that do no exist ... (more) |
— | almost 13 years ago |
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A: Are there any reliable and/or easy to use "rule of thumb" guides for windchill calculations? Relative humidity is doing to be a big factor here, both on the too wet and too dry sides. Staying warm is generally not something you want to try to do "by the numbers". If you're out in the cold and wind, you need to pay attention to the feedback your body is giving you about the conditions you a... (more) |
— | almost 13 years ago |
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A: What essential items should go in a small first aid kit? Okay just broke out my kit. Here's what we carry. This may seem like a long list, but it's small. It fits in a ziploc bag (almost). Also, please note that you should pack for your skill set and first aid training. If you don't know how to use a splint, it's wasted and will tempt you to do things... (more) |
— | almost 13 years ago |
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How to cheaply introduce someone to backpacking I meet a fair number people who would like to try backpacking. Unfortunately the initial cost seems to be pretty high. Even an overnight requires a lot of big ticket gear (tent, sleeping bag, etc). Generally I don't just happen to have a bag, pack, tent, etc. in all the right sizes for any given p... (more) |
— | almost 13 years ago |
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A: Do iodine water treatment tablets have negative effects? Via WebMD Large amounts or long-term use of iodine are possibly unsafe. Adults should avoid prolonged use of doses higher than 1100 mcg per day (the upper tolerable limit, UL) without proper medical supervision. However I seriously question that 1100 mcg number because people in Northern Japan ... (more) |
— | almost 13 years ago |
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A: How can I make/improvise a rope on a trip? For hanging packs, you can use vines. Find a vine you than can bend almost double (the shape of those ribbon campaign ribbons) without it breaking. You can use those as is, until they dry out. If you need more weight, you can braid them. If you can't find vines, you can use new green bark off of ... (more) |
— | almost 13 years ago |
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A: What is the fastest method to 'break in' full leather boots? Using some sort of leather conditioner, work the boots with your hands. Flex the toe bend and ankle areas. Using your thumbs apply very firm pressure to the toebox in circles. Flex it back and forth as much as possible. Leather is made supple by use and conditioning. The conditioner will vary ba... (more) |
— | almost 13 years ago |
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Raw meat on hikes When backpacking we often carry raw beef which we have salted and frozen, usually cut into strips that can be easily cooked through. I'm confident that this is good for 24 hours, and I know that meat actually keeps for a lot longer than we think after growing up with refrigeration. How long is it ... (more) |
— | almost 13 years ago |
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How to avoid exploding rocks It seems that every tutorial I read and show I watch shows people using rocks for everything from a cooking surface to boiling water. However, I have had rocks crack in half on me, and I've always been warned that they can explode from rapidly expanding moisture embedded within them. How much of a ... (more) |
— | almost 13 years ago |
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A: What is the most efficient food to take a for a 12-15 day hiking trip? Dehydrated food is key. Water weighs a LOT. Breakfast -- Any variation on oatmeal. You can make your own or buy prepackaged meals. Lunch -- Peanut butter on hard tack. (did i mention water?) Dinner -- Any dehydrated meal will do. I've used both Mountain House and Backpackers pantry. Snacks -- I... (more) |
— | almost 13 years ago |
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A: Backpacking or hiking in areas open to hunting Sound like a human, so TALK Wear a bright orange vest, and other bright (not white) clothing Try not to hike deer routes in the peak times (6am to 9am and 6pm to 9pm) Similar to the one above, stay on trail. Generally large game are the seasons of highest concern (deer mostly) Your local DNR (Depa... (more) |
— | almost 13 years ago |
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A: How to harden feet to avoid blisters on long hikes I've never succeed in "hardening" my feet against blisters, even when I was barefoot growing up. However these things have worked for me Vaseline or (preferably) diaper rash ointment before putting on socks Injinji toe socks (If I double socks, these are always my base layer) These worked o... (more) |
— | almost 13 years ago |
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A: How can you navigate without a compass or GPS There seems to be a fixation with North in navigation. Step back to the basic purpose, why do we navigate? We navigate to get to somewhere or to find our way back. Knowing north is just one method of doing such. So predicating navigation on knowing which way is north is unnecessary. North isn't ... (more) |
— | almost 13 years ago |
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A: How can I make a footprint for a tent? Get your material (tarp, plastic, whatever you choose) out and set your tent up on top of it, with poles. Draw about 3" around the outside of your tent. Trace circles around where the poles touch. Cut on the dotted line. Buy and install grommets on the circles http://www.metalgrommets.com/prodgro... (more) |
— | almost 13 years ago |
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A: What exercises are recommended to build strength for hiking? Train by hiking, start small, do it every week. After my injury, when I could not hike, I started by hiking less than a mile, but I did it every week. Even only once a week, this will help. Pick a trail that's a length just a little hard for you. This is best if you have a nearby park with lots o... (more) |
— | almost 13 years ago |
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A: How should I remove a tick? Until just a few years ago I would have said tweezers. I use a tick key these days because it removes without squeezing the tick. I get between three and a dozen ticks a year (they like me), and I much prefer this to the tweezers. The big downside with tweezers is that you are compressing the ... (more) |
— | almost 13 years ago |
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What type of pole can be used for trout while backpacking? Several of the places we hike every year have trout. I'd like to have some fresh fish on a couple of those hikes but I'm pretty new to trout fishing and I don't want to carry the weight of full fishing gear. What type of pole would be best for a portable trout fishing setup? (more) |
— | almost 13 years ago |
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A: What should you do if you are bitten by a rattlesnake? Medical care is needed immediately. Get it quickly. The Sawyer Kit is actually reported to reduce the severity of bites, but does not replace the need for care. It may buy you some extra time though. Running or other activities that drive your heart rate up aren't generally good. It's kind of ha... (more) |
— | almost 13 years ago |
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A: How do I catch fish with fish hooks but no bait? Many fish will strike at any moving object of roughly the right shape. Generally shiny is better when improvising fake bait. However you can almost always catch a bug or worm of some kind to put on the hook. Anything small and gooey will usually do. If you do catch a fish, use their guts for bait... (more) |
— | almost 13 years ago |
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A: What is a good knife for survival in a forested environment? The traditional standard is the USMC Ka-Bar knife. Generally I look for Fixed Blade Five to Seven inch blade Durable (full-tang) Assuming you're going survival, whatever you choose needs to be able to fulfill the following roles. General purpose cutting (rope etc.) Fell small trees Spear po... (more) |
— | almost 13 years ago |
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A: What are essential items in an emergency kit? There are different types of being stranded; there's "lost the trail an hour in" stranded, "lost the trail twenty miles in" stranded, and "broke a leg" stranded, just to name a few. Considering your question Multi-day Hiking -- Therefore I assume you have standard hiking gear and are not asking f... (more) |
— | almost 13 years ago |
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A: How can I identify edible berries/fruit from poisonous? Get a good book, with full color illustrations. I can't find a link for one, but you want quality equivalent to the Audubon full color field guides. Do a few field runs in the area you plan on being in with someone experienced before you try to eat the foliage. Of course, everything depends ... (more) |
— | almost 13 years ago |
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Washing clothes on long hikes I'm looking for a good solution for clothing (or clothes washing) on long hikes with the following considerations Southeastern United States, Appalachians We hike light 10+ day trips I don't want to wear dirty clothes for too long, especially socks. When clothes start to chafe, it's going to hav... (more) |
— | almost 13 years ago |
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A: Is drinking urine safe? Copy and paste from the answer here: Is it a good idea to drink your own urine in a survival situation (Skeptics SE)? Summary: You can do it, as a last resort, but it's dicey. The US Army doesn't think it's a good idea and lists it on its "Do NOT drink" list, stating in its Field Manual that it "c... (more) |
— | almost 13 years ago |