Jon Custer‭

I regularly drive my 2003 Honda CR-V AWD on forest roads here in New Mexico. There isn't much gravel anywhere, generally it is graded dirt and rocks. Some roads haven't seen any work in a year or...

posted 10y ago by Jon Custer‭

Some years ago I had the same problem. But, while shopping at my grocery store I looked at the olive oil options. Several came in small plastic bottles (maybe 3 oz), and since they were 'real' oliv...

posted 8y ago by Jon Custer‭

In over 40 years of getting to trailheads across the US, I've used a variety of vehicles. (1) Classic 1970's era rear wheel drive US-made station wagons. These sufficed to get a load of people an...

posted 6y ago by Jon Custer‭

For pickup trucks on snow/ice, the conventional wisdom is to throw some weight in the back (sand or cat litter) to add weight on the rear axle, increasing friction and making it less likely to go i...

posted 6y ago by Jon Custer‭

Both sugar and alcohol will, of course, lower the freezing point somewhat (but may add other issues, particularly the alcohol, and sugar really doesn't help much - see this question). The best be...

posted 6y ago by Jon Custer‭  ·  last activity 6y ago by System‭

I do not have a global (US-wide) answer to the question. However, I can point to my state, where CWD is not getting worse, suddenly or not. In fact, it seems to be getting better. In New Mexico, 5...

posted 6y ago by Jon Custer‭  ·  last activity 6y ago by System‭

I live in New Mexico, and have done lots of hiking all over the state. Several things first. (1) In the northern part of New Mexico (anything north or, say, Socorro, the Forest Service campgrounds...

posted 9y ago by Jon Custer‭

It is true that the instructions say not to sleep with the Thermacare on you. Most electrical hot pads have the same warning. For some people, particularly those with compromised circulation, the h...

posted 7y ago by Jon Custer‭  ·  last activity 7y ago by System‭

I will answer in reverse order: (2) the least impact to the stream ecosystem, presuming you intend to cross, is to use the preexisting track. First, this restricts disturbance to an already distu...

posted 6y ago by Jon Custer‭

There is indeed data on mallard duckling survival, which in retrospect is not that surprising given the number of wildlife biologists and the interest of fish and game departments in the number of ...

posted 6y ago by Jon Custer‭  ·  last activity 6y ago by System‭

The answer is to not use a repurposed water bottle. Further, use completely different types of containers for fuel and water so you can't mix them up. Back in the day (the 1970's) when white gas s...

posted 6y ago by Jon Custer‭

The web site UtahFishFinder claims a 99% survival rate (assuming the fish hit the water). I presume height of drop could influence it. They drop the fish anywhere between 50 and 150 feet: Once ...

posted 6y ago by Jon Custer‭  ·  last activity 6y ago by System‭

Going back more than 40 years, the answer is to have an air (and water!) proof portion of the packing system. I still use a black plastic garbage/garden trash bag liner inside the manufacturer-prov...

posted 6y ago by Jon Custer‭

A recent-ish article in the Seattle Times on moving goats out of Olympic National Park covers the situation pretty well. From a helicopter, the goat is either (1) darted, or (2) directly caught i...

posted 5y ago by Jon Custer‭

In the past when my knees seemed more susceptible to irritation of the cartilage, I carried two elastic sleeves for them (cheap drug store items). Mostly they just were loose around my socks. On do...

posted 5y ago by Jon Custer‭