Activity for ab2 MonicaNotForgottenâ€
| Type | On... | Excerpt | Status | Date |
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Is there evidence to support or refute the hypothesis that frequent trips to high altitude aid acclimatization? Many years ago, I was reading a book in which the Chamonix guides of the 1940s and 1950s were featured. It could have possibly been Annapurna by Maurice Herzog, but I just don't remember. Several sentences in the book implied that an older climber -- one who made repeated trips to altitude over a p... (more) |
— | over 5 years ago |
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A: How is Chubby the alligators weight estimated? Chubbs, the alligator in the question, is 15 feet long, according to the OP's link. OP's source and mine: Sports Illustrated. According to this source The state's [Florida's] biggest alligator on record is 14 feet long and 780 pounds. The article does not say if the previous record holder (... (more) |
— | over 5 years ago |
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What is the most methodical way to try to get yourself unlost? (Assume below timberline in a temperate climate) My question is prompted by the answer of @Aaron to this question; his answer referenced Geraldine's Largay's death on the Appalachian Trail. Ms. Largay was hiking alone on the AT in Maine. She got lost off-trail in a wild section and remained at a water source rather than attempting to self rescue... (more) |
— | over 5 years ago |
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A: In a survival situation is it actually efficient to eat edible plants? I looked first at bears to get a handle on this question, because it is well known that bears get a significant part of their caloric intake from berries. I should have looked first at berries! According to Blueberry Nutrition Facts, one quart of blueberries has 340 calories. Let's assume that t... (more) |
— | over 5 years ago |
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A: Winter wear in New York I agree with the recommendations on jackets, so I won't repeat them, but no one so far has mentioned layering. When hiking in very cold weather or visiting Boston in the winter, I layer a Patagonia top (they have several different weights, and I am sure other makers do too) under a down parka or f... (more) |
— | over 5 years ago |
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A: Ways to desalinate water when "lost at sea"? There is a summary of the Bombard voyage in Surviving the Extremes by Kenneth Kamler, MD, who started his explorations into extreme environments through climbing. On one of his Everest trips in 1996 he treated Makalau Gau and Beck Weathers for severe frostbite. Kamler says: ....Alan Bombard, a ... (more) |
— | over 5 years ago |
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A: Hiking and camping with medium size dog and keeping safe from mountain lions I doubt that there is anything about your body chemistry that is a cougar attractor. But, if you are a petite person, a lion will see you as easy prey. And, if the stalking occurred at dawn or dusk, know that that is prime hunting time for cougars. A reference that I cannot now find advised people... (more) |
— | over 5 years ago |
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A: Internal (unseen) damage from a 40ft climbing fall Doctors are not omniscient. They miss things. Some are sedentary, and they don't understand how important a full recovery is to an athletic person. Everyone, when going to a doc, needs to think through what to ask his doc, and know how to ask -- or insist -- effectively. We are not giving the O... (more) |
— | over 5 years ago |
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A: Suvival: logs/wood, split or not to split? Splitting logs takes energy and skill. If you are unskilled, a survival situation is a bad time to play around with an axe for a nonessential reason. If you don't have much food, and do not have anything to hunt with, and are a neophyte at making hunting implements (e.g., snares, traps), or are in ... (more) |
— | over 5 years ago |
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Are chiggers moving north, and if so, how do I protect myself against them? I thought I knew every pest in our woods and on the trail to Great Falls National Park, and had been bitten by all of them, but I have never encountered chiggers. Not in our woods, not on hikes to and in Great Falls National Park, not in Shenandoah. I have always thought of them as denizens of the d... (more) |
— | over 5 years ago |
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Can I use a trail camera to identify a roadside litterer? The roadside in our semi-rural area is relatively litter free. With very few exceptions, it can be easily picked up with one hand, and is not gross. But one litterer is getting to me. He (or she) tosses out V8 juice cans (tangy) with depressing regularity over a 300 or so foot stretch across the... (more) |
— | over 5 years ago |
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What are the immediate causes of the large forest fires that have ravaged the US and Canada over the past several years? Forest fires seem to be more numerous and larger, and the forest fire season is getting longer. Some of these fires are caused by arson. For example, from USA Today: The man suspected of igniting the Holy Fire in Southern California was charged on Thursday with three counts of felony arson, ... (more) |
— | over 5 years ago |
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A: How to deal with changing clothing which was used while cooking as not to attract a bears? I agree with the answer of @Charlie Brumbaugh about having a dedicated set of clothing to cook with. I also agree with @James Jenkins that you smell more like a person than the food you are cooking. (Evidence: I was sniffed from toe to head by a black bear about an hour after dinner and rejected as... (more) |
— | over 5 years ago |
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Is it likely to be my technique or my muscles that cause my arms and shoulders to ache so soon after I start kayaking? I've never had a stamina or ache problem with rowing a row-boat or paddling a canoe, although my limits have declined with age. However, my arms and shoulders tired very quickly the few times I tried kayaking recently. Either my technique was wrong, or my kayaking muscles were rudely wakened from a... (more) |
— | over 5 years ago |
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A: Is there a simple at-home test to objectively measure the insulating value of a sleeping pad? It is not clear whether you are motivated mainly by scientific curiosity or mainly by a desire to ensure comfort in the wild. My answer assumes the latter. This answer adds only one point to Charlie's excellent answer, and refutes one of your reservations to his answer. A stringent test as to whet... (more) |
— | over 5 years ago |
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A: Hypothermia risk from deflated sleeping pad It would not be wise to take a leaking inflatable sleeping pad on any trip where you actually need a sleeping pad, and cannot hike out and replace it easily. The pad is already leaking. You have to weigh the probability and consequences of the leak getting worse, maybe much worse, on your Alaska t... (more) |
— | over 5 years ago |
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Why is it undesirable for the New Forest to convert to a mature forest? The source, Commoners of the New Forest referenced by @Liam in his answer to the question How do you become a New Forester Commoner? implies that for the New Forest to become a mature forest would be a bad thing. It is vital that the tradition of commoning is maintained, as without the [grazing... (more) |
— | over 5 years ago |
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A: Neoprene as a base layer for winter activities? By a strange coincidence, your Question and the September/October Technology Review arrived today, with an article titled Super Suit. When divers carry out rescue missions in frigid waters, standard wetsuits offer less than an hour’s protection. The Navy and researchers who work in pol... (more) |
— | over 5 years ago |
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Are there any credible estimates of how much of the US National Park System does not have cell phone reception? If so, what do they conclude? We have found that almost any place that is interesting to hike, and especially backpack, does not have cell phone reception, or at best lousy cell phone reception. To which I say hallelujah! I do not want to be in touch with the world when I am hiking. I do not want to keep au courant with my e-m... (more) |
— | over 5 years ago |
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Is there a backpacker's guide to edible plants that is very light? Several decades ago, we were three days from the trailhead with no food. Let's not get into why that happened, please. It is too embarrassing. We had to slog through snow for two days, but on the third day we walked into spring greenery. Everything looked delicious, but we didn't know what was OK... (more) |
— | over 5 years ago |
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A: Are there any natural materials found in the wild that can be used as an effective sunscreen? Wood ash As @Monster said: anything that stops light from reaching your skin. The OP her/himself suggested mud. All you need to get wood ash is a campfire, which you probably want anyway, in the OP's scenario. Survivopedia in 9 Survival Uses of Wood Ash says: Natural Camouflage This i... (more) |
— | over 5 years ago |
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What to do if you are above timberline and your descent is cut off by a large forest fire? The situation: you are backpacking and are above timberline. Streams are ubiquitous, you are well equipped so exposure is not a problem, the entire party is uninjured and healthy. But a large, rapidly expanding forest fire sprang up well after you left the trailhead, and your route down is blocked... (more) |
— | almost 6 years ago |
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A: Restoring waterproofing of tent - worth the hassle? The OP asks our advice because .... I am a bit appalled by the idea to throw away an otherwise intact tent which wasn't used that much. This is really a question of how far down the trail of leaving no trace you should feel obliged to go. Throwing away the tent leaves a trace; buying a new ... (more) |
— | almost 6 years ago |
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A: Is parasol a good gadget to stay cool walking around the city and parks? The OP asks: How do I attain the ultimate parasol experience? First, get a beautiful parasol, one that Madame Butterfly would be proud to carry. Second, develop your evasive techniques, raising and or tilting the parasol when you are headed for a close encounter. Third, remember that on scorching ... (more) |
— | almost 6 years ago |
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A: Which is bigger, as in longer, Omura's whale or Blue whale? Omura's whale is definitely smaller in length than the blue whale. The New Bedford Whaling Museum says: Length as an Adult: Male Omura’s whales are approximately 33 feet (10 meters) and females are about 37.7 feet (11.5 meters). This is one of the few whale species in which the female... (more) |
— | almost 6 years ago |
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A: How is the maximum legal altitude for campfires determined? This answer is from personal experience and personal observation in Yosemite and the other parks of the Sierra. (I wish I had time to research this answer properly, but I don't right now.) The altitude above which fires are prohibited is what I call continuous timber line, which is probably not an ... (more) |
— | almost 6 years ago |
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A: Found in a river in north Georgia USA. What type of rock is this? If the rock is granite, the white inclusions are almost certainly quartz. The OP ruled out ab2's original suggestion of calcite with his scratch test, the results of which he edited into his question. It would take an expert eye to identify the rock as granite from the photograph the OP provided. ... (more) |
— | almost 6 years ago |
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A: What is the defintion of a "unisex tent"? My guess, backed up by the definitions for unisex in the Oxford English Dictionary is that this is a attempt by manufacturers and sports shops to show that they recognize that women too, hike and backpack and need tents. They are trying to overcome an image of backpacking being only for homo saps wi... (more) |
— | almost 6 years ago |
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A: How to check whether a tent is prone to ants eating holes in tents? I have never had this problem. I never even worried about this problem -- and I worry about everything. If you google What kind of ants eat through tents, you will find that other people have had your problem, for example in Texas and Africa. There are also many hits about ants who just saunter ... (more) |
— | almost 6 years ago |
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Is there any evidence that black bears (or other large predators) are indifferent to, or acutally repulsed by, the scent of humans? I am hoping for more than anecdotal evidence about the negative effects on black bears of the human scent -- ranging from meh to Yecch. This question is prompted by two anecdotes I have to offer: (1) I was sniffed by a black bear in my sleeping bag. The bear reminded me, even as I was rudely awak... (more) |
— | almost 6 years ago |
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A: Cat-safe mosquito repellent? One strategy is to use whatever repellent you want, but, if it harmful to cats, thoroughly shower and wash your hair and change into uncontaminated clothes after your trip and before you get home. Wash the contaminated clothes at a friend's house or at a Laundromat, put them in an uncontaminated bag... (more) |
— | almost 6 years ago |
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A: Does body need to re-acclimatize after a few days out of altitude? On your itinerary -- sea level, Machu Picchu, low altitude, Cuzco -- you do not have to start from scratch in acclimatization after four days at low altitude, but you are far from acclimatized to Cuzco, even if you were fully acclimatized to Machu Picchu. The acclimatization you attained going to... (more) |
— | almost 6 years ago |
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A: What was the temperature without windchill for the climbers that "Minus 148 Degrees" is written about? From an ad for the book on the website of the AMC Store: In 1967, eight men attempted the first winter ascent of Mount McKinley, now known as Denali. They faced winds in excess of 150 miles per hour and temperatures more than fifty below zero. The windchill temperature reached –148&#... (more) |
— | almost 6 years ago |
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Under what conditions does heating a tent artificially make objective sense? My question is motivated by the earlier question How To Quickly Warm A Tent, which generated a lot of interest, and one of the best comments ever on TGO: All I could think about after reading your other half's post, was what my wife would think, if after a night of her puking, my primary conc... (more) |
— | almost 6 years ago |
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A: Do any birds hibernate? According to the RSPB, which @muru found spelled out at the bottom of the linked page below as the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, there is one species of bird that does truly hibernate. According to the RSPB website, the common poorwill, which lives in the western US, hibernates through ... (more) |
— | almost 6 years ago |
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A: How can I help an injured crow fledgling with a hurt leg? The source for this answer is an article Found a Baby Crow ? on the website of an organization called Pacific Wildlife. I'm not a bird expert by any means, and certainly not a crow expert. Everything I say is from this article; the only experience I have with crows is observing them in our neighbor... (more) |
— | almost 6 years ago |
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What, exactly, is ice-transplantation as used to reinforce ice for the Elfstedentocht? Several weeks ago, I read an article in The Economist about the Elfstedentocht, a 120 mile long Dutch ice-skating race. The race is held only in years when the canal ice is strong enough to safely hold the 15,000 or so participants -- 300 serious competitors and about 15,000 amateurs. It was last hel... (more) |
— | almost 6 years ago |
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A: Is there scientific evidence of bobcats breeding with house cats? Sadly, No. The Pixie Bob is the primary candidate for bobcat/domestic cat interbreeding, but, according to the website of The Tabaxi Cattery, which is a breeder of Pixie-Bobs: Pixie Bobs are a domestic cat breed with a resemblance to Bobcats, which originated in the Pacific Northwest region of... (more) |
— | almost 6 years ago |
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A: Finding dead hummingbirds on my property I'm not a bird expert, much less a hummingbird expert. I can only say what I would do if faced with dead hummingbirds on my property with the knowledge I have just gained by looking into your problem. I would read the section on Hummingbird Sleep on World of Hummingbirds.com, and then follow the li... (more) |
— | about 6 years ago |
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A: How to design a semi-permanent campsite for short trips into the woods that won't attract vandals when we're not there? Unless you are going to build a sturdy structure, you cannot be confident that you will escape vandalism over the long term whether by homo sapiens or some other species. You will also have to be prepared for normal maintenance. Even a sturdy structure is not absolute proof against vandalism or peo... (more) |
— | about 6 years ago |
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What determines whether the young of a cat is called a kitten or a cub? The young of cats are called kittens or cubs, depending partly on how large the cat is, and apparently partly on informal custom. Wikipedia, kitten says: The word "kitten" derives from the Middle English word kitoun, which in turn came from the Old French chitoun or cheton. Juvenile big cats... (more) |
— | about 6 years ago |
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A: Is it possible to differentiate between a dog howl and a wolf howl? The answer is yes, but it may require equipment, which is not just the human ear. The publication quoted below is from Montana State University Disentangling canid howls across multiple species and subspecies: Structure in a complex communication channel. (It is not clear whether this work is part ... (more) |
— | about 6 years ago |
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A: Do truly all-season tents exist? We've always had a three-season tent and have comfortably camped in and outside the range the OP specified (50 F to 23 F or 10 C to -5 C). The only time we were really uncomfortable was at 4 F (- 15 C), and that was partly because we were camped on snow, which melted and then froze so it was like sl... (more) |
— | about 6 years ago |
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Can a backpacker's solar water heater produce warm water when the ambient temperature is in the 20s (F)? We have long carried a backpacker's solar water heater on our trips. The bliss of warm -- nearly hot -- water in quantity for washing one's filthy self is worth the small extra weight -- especially when a packer is carrying all our gear up the first day -- the day of maximum elevation gain and minim... (more) |
— | about 6 years ago |
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What skills should one learn before attempting paragliding? Paragliding is the recreational and competitive adventure sport of flying paragliders: lightweight, free-flying, foot-launched glider aircraft with no rigid primary structure. The pilot sits in a harness suspended below a fabric wing. Source. Impetus for the Question: Some years ago, a y... (more) |
— | about 6 years ago |
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A: Hiking in Lappland in August - what about animals? Lapland has moose. As AMC Outdoors says in its article Do You Know How to Respond to a Moose Encounter? Any moose, at any time of year, may respond aggressively if provoked by your presence The tricky thing is, you may be doing nothing, and a moose will be provoked for reasons unclear even to it.... (more) |
— | about 6 years ago |
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A: How to measure combined clothing and sunscreen? The fine answer of @Monster is correct for UVB rays, but the point raised by @imsodin is pertinent. The following information and quotes are taken from the Skin Cancer Foundation, UVA and UVB. When talking about sun protection, there are two broad ranges of ultraviolet (UV) light: UVA and UVB. UVA... (more) |
— | about 6 years ago |
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What is an effective technique for plogging? See this article on plogging, from the Washington Post Swedish Fitness Craze Coming to the US (March 06, 2018): Have you recently spotted people toting trash bags while jogging? Or their hands filled with old plastic bottles? You might soon. Sweden’s latest fitness craze — pl... (more) |
— | about 6 years ago |
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What are the steps you would go through to teach someone how to split logs? A recent power failure made firewood one of the four most important things in our lives for nearly three days. We had enough in our pile of cut up fallen branches and small logs to keep our cat warm and happy, and ourselves not too unhappy. We've never split logs (and certainly never bought split l... (more) |
— | about 6 years ago |
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What ever happened to the proposals for no-rescue zones for backpackers? Decades ago, there was a proposal that there should be no-rescue zones for backpackers, in which backpackers would be entirely on their own, and rescue by government agencies would not be permitted. (Private rescue operations would be permitted.) See, for example, this 1984 article in Backpacker Y... (more) |
— | about 6 years ago |