Activity for ab2 MonicaNotForgotten
| Type | On... | Excerpt | Status | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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Why would a polar bear give away his kill? I am reading Three Among the Wolves by Helen Thayer, who is best known for walking and skiing to the North Magnetic Pole accompanied only by her husky, Charlie. In a subsequent trip, she and her husband spent nearly a year observing the behavior of three wolf packs in three different parts of Canad... (more) |
— | almost 6 years ago |
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What degree and/or type of athleticism is required in no-limits free diving? This question is prompted by reading The Dive by Pipin Ferreras. It is a story of a world-class competitive free diver, in the subclass of free diving called No Limits. According to the second link: No-limits apnea is an AIDA International freediving discipline in which the freediver descends... (more) |
— | almost 6 years ago |
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A: What is the difference between back country camping and front country camping? Charlie has given you an excellent summary of the difference between the two, focused on the difference in exertion and time to reach them, and the amenities to be found at each. There is another important difference: front-country camping gives you very little, if anything, of the feeling of wild... (more) |
— | almost 6 years ago |
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Are there any outdoorsy hikes accessible from the T in the Boston area, preferably (but not necessarily) actually in Boston or Cambridge Because of illness in my family, I cannot travel far from home for awhile, and have to be able to return quickly if necessary. However, I will be in Boston at the end of February visiting MIT and would like to have the illusion that I am in TGO for one or two half-days, (a) preferably, but not neces... (more) |
— | almost 6 years ago |
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Do chipmunks hibernate in woodpiles, and, if so, how do I avoid disturbing them when taking wood from the pile? We have a woodpile, protected from wind and precipitation, under the eaves of our house. Earlier, perhaps a month earlier, I several times saw two chipmunks emerging from, and going back into the woodpile. I also saw a chipmunk drink from a puddle very close to the woodpile. I have not seen them f... (more) |
— | almost 6 years ago |
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A: Summitting Breithorn in the winter? As a general rule, I think it unwise to attempt, solo, for the first time, the sort of climb that one has no experience with, especially if it carries the potential for a serious accident. You have winter against you, ice against you, inexperience against you, and possibly an unknown reaction to 4,... (more) |
— | almost 6 years ago |
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What features to look for in a small snowshoe for getting up and down a long driveway and around the yard during what may be a snowy winter? I have old snowshoes which were fine for hiking in TGO when I was younger, but they are too large now for comfortable walking in TLO (The Little Outdoors), by which I mean walking up and down an unplowed 300 foot driveway and stomping down snow to make a firm surface for birdseed to supplement the bi... (more) |
— | almost 6 years ago |
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A: When should I avoid geotagging? If you geotag a place that is easy to get to, you may have a detrimental influence. However, if you geotag a place that takes a long hike to get to, especially off-trail, multiday, and uphill, you are likely to have only a zero to very small impact. I base this conclusion on our experiences in the ... (more) |
— | almost 6 years ago |
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How do you protect yourself against crocodiles when you have no option but to camp on the banks of a croc-infested river? I am reading Escape Routes by David Roberts. This is a collection of 20 articles ranging from a winter ascent in Iceland to the first descent of a river in Ethiopia, the Tekeze, a major tributary of the Blue Nile. There are a lot of crocodiles on the Tekese, which runs through a deep canyon, 7,000 ... (more) |
— | almost 6 years ago |
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A: Does “Pay attention to the ounces, and the pounds take care of themselves” make sense when planning backpacking gear? There are several expressions akin to Pay attention to the ounces, and the pounds take care of themselves. The most famous saying is Take care of the pennies and the pounds will take care of themselves. ascribed to Lord Chesterfield in 1747 by Phrase Finder. (There were 240 pence (penni... (more) |
— | about 6 years ago |
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A: How do you take field notes at below 0 °C, without freezing fingers? Your question made me wonder how Robert Falcon Scott wrote his final diary entries on his trip to the South Pole in 1912. This article, from The Guardian, Scott of the Antartic's final diary published online says with certainty that Scott's diary entries on the journey to the South Pole were writt... (more) |
— | about 6 years ago |
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A: I am lost, I found a trail, which way do I go? In many parts of life, you have to play the percentages. The likelihood is higher that going downstream will lead you to a trailhead or some other sign of civilization than it is for going upstream. As for the comment that ....as long as you stay on the road, you will find civilization. This... (more) |
— | about 6 years ago |
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A: Have there been any studies done on how fluorescent pink compares to fluorescent orange? This article, Color Blind Awareness shows how people with normal vision and those with one of the three forms of color blindness see various colors. Scroll down to the colored pictures and you will see that people with Deuteranopia (unable to perceive green light) and Protanopia (unable to perceive ... (more) |
— | about 6 years ago |
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A: What are some tips to setting up a refuge if I am lost in the woods Disclaimer: I have never been lost in the woods. I have mislaid myself a few times above timberline, but after I climbed to a local high point, I found myself. The OP asks specifically about building a shelter in the woods. What are some tips to setting up a refuge if I am lost in the woods? ... (more) |
— | about 6 years ago |
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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) |
— | about 6 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) |
— | about 6 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) |
— | about 6 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) |
— | about 6 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) |
— | about 6 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) |
— | about 6 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) |
— | about 6 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) |
— | about 6 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) |
— | about 6 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) |
— | about 6 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) |
— | about 6 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) |
— | about 6 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) |
— | about 6 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) |
— | about 6 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) |
— | about 6 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) |
— | about 6 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) |
— | about 6 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) |
— | about 6 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) |
— | about 6 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) |
— | about 6 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 6 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) |
— | over 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) |
— | over 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) |
— | over 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) |
— | over 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) |
— | over 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) |
— | over 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) |
— | over 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) |
— | over 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) |
— | over 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) |
— | over 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) |
— | over 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) |
— | over 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) |
— | over 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) |
— | over 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) |
— | over 6 years ago |