Activity for Sherwood Botsford‭

Type	On...	Excerpt	Status	Date
Answer	—	A: Where to find the front worn bags/pouches that ESF instructors wear Google waist packs for travel This isn't quite what you are looking for, but may be functional enough for your purpose. Padded ones are often used by photographers. In use, you commonly have them on your bum for walking, and slide around to the front for access. As another option, check ou... (more)	—	almost 6 years ago
Answer	—	A: How to repair a jacket whose pocket zip has detached from shell? I have found that many drycleaning/laundry agencies (where you drop off your clothes and pick them up later, not laundromats) will do small repairs/alterations. (more)	—	almost 6 years ago
Answer	—	A: How dangerous are alligators to people canoeing? Treat them respectfully, but there's no reason to be afraid of them. Excerpt from http://www.kayakguide.com/Kayk-Alligators.htm I Feel Safer Paddling by Alligators than Driving Doing most of my paddling in Florida, I've encountered hundreds of alligators of all sizes on the water. And the b... (more)	—	about 6 years ago
Answer	—	A: How to use DEET bug sprays if I have dogs? A quick search found this on a vet site: Picaridin is another common active ingredient in insect repellents made for people. Though it appears to have a wide margin of safety when used on dogs, there are no products specifically licensed for use on dogs that I am currently aware of. http... (more)	—	about 6 years ago
Answer	—	A: Are there any exercises that will strengthen my back to prepare for a day hike? Backaches are part of life with backpacking until you have a pile of experience. Causes Compression. You are carrying more load than you are used too. This squeezes your vertebrae together. This usually isn't the cause unless you are older, or you are carrying excessive loads. Twist combined wi... (more)	—	about 6 years ago
Answer	—	A: How to prevent metal eyelets from rusting? Wash the eyelets with soap and water (tooth brush) follow with a solution of TSP. (tri-sodium phosphate) Let dry. Apply zinc chromate primer with small brush or Q-tip (cotton swap on a stick) Let dry. 2 coats of Water based polyurethane varnish. Renew every 30 days of wearing. Note: Use care... (more)	—	about 6 years ago
Answer	—	A: Backpack for both ice tools and snow shoes Look for a pack where the ice axe is on the side of the back. Strapping snowshoes to the back of a pack is fairly trivial: usually I rig a loop at the bottom of the pack about 4" in diameter. Run the tails of the shoes through the loop, and a bungie cord areound the body of the pack hooking into t... (more)	—	about 6 years ago
Answer	—	A: As a tall female should I be looking at male or female backpacks? I worked with a girls high school for a while. We used standard Serratus packs. As another answer pointed out, the critical dimension is the distance from the shoulder to the hip bones. Girls at the school ranged from about 80 pounds to about 160; from ones that could play Tinkerbell in Peter Pan,... (more)	—	about 6 years ago
Answer	—	A: Is it possible to acclimatize to a cold weather in a short time? Roald Amundsen, the arctic explorer, would stand by his open window without a shirt from the time he was 11 or 12. Myth or fact? Personal experience, living in a climate with big changes between summer and winter: The first cold days of winter seem bitter. At -10C I would have toque, mitts, polyp... (more)	—	about 6 years ago
Answer	—	A: how to calculate adding pontoons to a 12FT aluminum V bottom boat If you are doing outriggers, then do not plane the boat. At those speeds, catching a pontoon on an outrigger can either rip it off, or twist the boat hard enough that occupants go flying. If you want to keep the boat stable, then the pontoons have to be IN the water, not above the surface. They don... (more)	—	about 6 years ago
Answer	—	A: What makes shoelaces so special? I have tried paracord, and don't like it. True paracord is kernmantle construction, with a braided sheath and linear core. The sheath wears too fast. The hard braided nylon cord works well. You may want to buy a variety of sizes. 1/8 is hard on hands. 3/16 is too fat for some eyelets. 5/32 is m... (more)	—	about 6 years ago
Answer	—	A: Titanic survival, ice cold water? Any amount of insulation helps. There are 3 main areas of heat loss. Head, sides of chest, and groin area. Any form of fabric will work. Yes, even cotton. (Cotton's problem is when it's in the air.) As an exercise try this: While wearing a life jacket in the water, remove your belt, then put i... (more)	—	about 6 years ago
Answer	—	A: What would make my backpack uncomfortable? Some bags have an adjustment where you can set the upper attachment point of the straps. This often isn't obvious, as you have to un thread the plastic triangular attach point, run the central strap under one or more horizontal straps on the back of the pack, then rethread the attach point. If it i... (more)	—	about 6 years ago
Answer	—	A: Carrying a bridge camera while hiking with a backpack I backpack with my D7100 and an 18-200 mm zoom. It rides in a nylon camera bag -- just a cheap $20 buck one, that I spray with 2-3 coats of scotch guard water repellant. The strap that came with the camera bag isn't long enough. I made another one, and put a fleece pad on it so it doesn't chew my n... (more)	—	over 6 years ago
Answer	—	A: What types of food make for good emergency rations that I can store in a car? As mentioned above, things like energy bars work well. Prefer the ones in aluminum coated plastic packets as they are more airtight, and don't go rancid. If you go with nuts, get ones that are sealed. Again, anthing that permits oxygen access to the nuts will cause the oils to go rancid. Nuts hav... (more)	—	over 6 years ago
Answer	—	A: How should I walk or hike barefoot? I run barefoot, and I hike in neoprene water booties. You're over thinking it. A: For your stepping, my preference is to keep my feet parallel to my direction of travel. If you want to practice, walk on a curb or railroad rail. (Watch for trains...) B: For pacing, you want to have a certain ... (more)	—	over 6 years ago
Answer	—	A: Are there any natural materials that can work for a "fire roll" friction fire? Seed fluff: wild clematis, milkweed, dandelion, thistle, salsify... Birch bark: Shred into narrow pieces (1/16 wide Cedar bark: shred. Nettle fibers. In general google anything that could make rope or twine. (more)	—	over 6 years ago
Answer	—	A: Best material to protect wooden skegs HDHM polyethelene. The acronymm is High Density, High Molecular weight. Sheets of it are used to line the chutes for ore dumping facilities, and to protect the edge of highway snowplows. I used to make dog sleds out of it. 1/4" outlasted oak runners by about 4:1 Can be machined with wood working e... (more)	—	over 6 years ago
Answer	—	A: Diet for Long-Term Camping We live for a month at a time on the following type of diet. Weights are in pounds if unspecified. Breakfast: hot cereal 0.2 brown sugar 1 oz dried fruit 2 oz margarine .5 oz Lunch: 1 cup granola, or 2/3 cup trail mix (half nuts) 3 oz cheese, 1/3 tube stoned wheat thins, 1.5 oz peanut bu... (more)	—	over 6 years ago
Answer	—	A: What can I feed my dogs on a week-long hike? Teach your dog to pack. 4 cups seems like a lot. Big dogs? Our dogs live outside in winter and get 2 cups. The two larger ones are 50-55 pounds. If the main ingredient in your dogfood is corn meal, and half the calories come out the back end. Many dogs do not digest corn meal well. Change brands... (more)	—	over 6 years ago
Answer	—	A: What features should I look for in a satellite emergency device? PLB: Robust. Simple to operate. Most have a battery that enables standby for years. No account needed. Newer ones provide GPS location. Downsides: Inflexible. You can only say, "I'm in trouble, come get me" Requires special radios to track. It has zero subtlety: The people receiving the c... (more)	—	over 6 years ago
Answer	—	A: How to hide a trail turn? Given your environment, disguise the packed portion of dirt with litter. If you make it look disgusting (add a rubber dead rat...) more people will avoid even walking near it. Adding something that stinks in a mesh bag tucked out of sight nearby will also repel people. If the trail is more than ... (more)	—	over 6 years ago
Answer	—	A: Do tent colors have functional purposes? Light colours don't heat up as much during the day, nor cool off as much at night. Light colours allow more light in the tent. If I'm stormbound I'd much rather be in a white/light beige tent than in either red or green. (more)	—	over 6 years ago
Answer	—	A: How to harden feet for walking barefoot on harsh surfaces? Walk barefoot a lot. Rub your feet with alcohol. Use the 99% stuff, not the 70%. Soak your feet in brine. On hot surfaces it's cooler to run. When you walk, each foot is on the ground more than half the time. When you run there is at least some time that both feet are airborne. I got to th... (more)	—	over 6 years ago
Answer	—	A: Down inside of a sleeping pad does it make a difference? You blow up your pad every night with hot humid air from your lungs. You deflate it every morning. That water vapour condenses in the pad. Getting the water vapour out requires letting the pad self inflate from a source of warm dry air, and then forcing the air out. Over and over and over. (The ... (more)	—	over 6 years ago
Answer	—	A: Can I avoid dew by sleeping at higher elevations? Cause of dew: You have a local surface that is below the dewpoint. It has gotten enough colder than the air, that water condenses on it. Dew is heavy on clear nights (more surface radiation cooling as your sleeping bag tries to warm up interstellar space) Smoke in the air, or overcast will reduce... (more)	—	over 6 years ago
Answer	—	A: Does cotton make you colder or hotter? Edit: A comment pointed out that I didn't answer the question. Dry cotton is a good insulator, and most cotton t-shirts are thicker on average than synthetic shirts. A typical cotton tee in dry weather will be warmer than a typical dry synthetic shirt. Now start to work hard. The cotton takes a ... (more)	—	over 6 years ago
Answer	—	A: Is a full waterproof coat more important than waterproof trousers for hiking? Intro: You can get wet from sweat or wet from rain, or a combination. The waterproof breathables depend on the outside surface being not wet. So the outside layer has to shed water. This generally works well in light to moderate rains -- up to about 1 mm/hour, but fails in major downpours. You w... (more)	—	over 6 years ago
Answer	—	A: Why aren't aluminum canoes more popular/prevalent? I've owned both. I've also used CPVC and Royalex canoes on trips. Aluminum is noisy. You don't have to tell people that you hit a rock. They will hear, even over the roar. It's cold. If you spend time on your knees in your canoe, you will want to install foam kneelers. It's also grabby. Alumin... (more)	—	over 6 years ago
Answer	—	A: How can I care for a wound that will be immersed in water? I've had this happen on trips a lot. (You take 20 teenage males into the bush...) There aren't that many pathogens that thrive on people. Your biggest problem is not the lake, but the sleeping bag. During the day, leave it open to the air. Wear shorts. Cover it only if it's going to be constant... (more)	—	over 6 years ago
Answer	—	A: How much of a temperature difference does a reflective sleeping pad make? In terms of heat loss, they are marginal at best. However.... I had aluminum coated emergency tarp -- silver on one side, bright orange on the other. I found that sleeping under the stars that the aluminum surface would not collect dew. I didn't understand this until high school physics. Someth... (more)	—	over 6 years ago
Answer	—	A: Tips for avoiding losing things when backpacking? Routine is your friend. Tent pegs: One person picks up all the pegs. Start from the front and go around. Count the pegs. Cup & spoon: Top right pack pocket. Rain gear: outside top pocket. etc. When running trips, I tied each boy's cup to his spoon with 18" of paracord. Told them to hang i... (more)	—	over 6 years ago
Answer	—	A: Why do Old Town canoes have dramatically higher capacity than Osagian canoes? Agree with Charlie Brumbaugh Manufacturer's figures are based on smoke and mirrors, bragging rights, and what someone thinks would be possible in good conditions. I tell you that loading a canoe with the amount of weight they declare is something that can be done only on a calm day. I've run into ... (more)	—	over 6 years ago
Answer	—	A: Vibram FiveFingers or Non-Hiking Boots as a Beginner in Hiking? If you are normal weight,then I would strongly suggest wearing whatever runners you wear day to day. Your feet are happy in them. Your body mechanics are used to them. I would never recommend 5 finger type footwear (any almost barefoot type footwear) for a first trip. The almost comes about beca... (more)	—	almost 7 years ago
Answer	—	A: Are there any general rules of thumb for route finding up a mountain without any trails? Some good answers here: Gotchas that can get the unready: A contour interval of 100 feet or 20 meters is common on mountain maps. Even a slope that shows an even gradient can have lots of stairsteps too big to handle on close inspection. It's easy to see cliffs from the bottom. Much harder to s... (more)	—	about 7 years ago
Answer	—	A: Without rain/snow/wind would it be significantly warmer to sleep under a tarp? A tarp is significantly warmer. On a clear night the surface of your bag is radiating into interstellar space. Not much radiation back. With a tarp, you have one absorb/reradiate layer which will essentially cut this in half. If you look on a frosty morning, you will see that there is often no fr... (more)	—	about 7 years ago
Answer	—	A: Hiking with kids - what are the right distances? If she is easily doing 10 km now, then a one shot of 15 km isn't unreasonable. Yes it will be a challenge. You may have some tears toward the end. Tips: Assuming typical alpine country, -- lots of small scree, moss tufts, but not overall very steep. It's still not a sidewalk or park trail. Allo... (more)	—	about 7 years ago
Answer	—	A: Why does the intensity of sunlight at sunset/sunrise depend on your latitude? Part of it is the distance from the sun to the horizon. In the tropics the sun path angle is nearly at right angles to the surface. Sunsets are short. The time between 10 degress above the horizon and below the horizon is also short. As latitude increases, the angle of the sun's path decreases. ... (more)	—	about 7 years ago
Answer	—	A: How do I judge what fabrics used to make ear warmers mean, in terms of their function? As a kid carrying papers in Idaho I had the over the head ear muffs that were acrylic synthetic fur inside and out. They were certainly good to 0F, probably to -10 F. Features I looked for: Cupped to go over the ear. This allowed the fuzz on the inside to fill the space, and not get squash... (more)	—	over 7 years ago
Answer	—	A: Long term autonomous winter expedition northern Quebec/Labrador: Advices/questions River crossings: I've done a couple dozen three week trips on the Canadian Shield, most in Northern Saskatchewan, but also northern Alberta and the N.W.T. I think the following will be applicable to any land form that has been recently glaciated. Rapids and fast current are likely at the following... (more)	—	over 7 years ago
Answer	—	A: How do I tie a sleeping bag to my backpack? The link to the image of your pack is broken, so I'm going to generalize. I still prefer my external frame pack (hard to find nowadays) I will gladly live with the extra pound to have pockets, and tie points, and enough frame to lash to. Many internal frame packs have compression straps on either ... (more)	—	over 7 years ago
Answer	—	A: What should you do if your sleeping bag gets soaking wet at night? Your solution isn't a bad one. Adding whatever fleece you have under the raingear would help. Putting your feet in your pack will help keep them warm. Much depends on other factors. How cold is it getting? I have routinely done trips with teenage boys in the eastern slopes of the Canadian Rock... (more)	—	over 7 years ago
Answer	—	A: How should I choose a submersible bird bath heater which is reliable and effective? Here's the way I would go about it: Firstly, don't worry about efficiency. Heaters by their nature are close to 100% efficient. All the energy is turned to heat. That said, thermostatically controlled is a must. Some have multiple thermocouples for better reliability. Secondly: Two factors go ... (more)	—	over 7 years ago
Answer	—	A: How do you remove a fishhook from a human? The usual place this happens is a finger, ear, occasional other places. If you are close to town, and have good insurance by all means, tape it in place to minimize movement, and go see a doctor. I'm assuming that, given the forum, medical help is not at hand. Clip the line off the hook. You don... (more)	—	over 7 years ago
Answer	—	A: How do you reset your body 'thermostat' after hiking in snow? I have not seen this protracted to the scale of weeks. This is a common effect in my experience, but I've never seen an effect beyond a few days. I used to do dog sled expeditions in the Rockies, and east of Lake Winnipeg on the Canadian Shield. We sought out trappers/rangers cabins every 3-4 da... (more)	—	over 7 years ago
Answer	—	A: What materials are most durable for marine vessel interior resurfacing? Materials to consider: Counter tops: Formica on marine or pressure treated plywood. Working with formica is fairly straight forward. You need a battery laminate trimming tool. HDPE. High density polyethelene. Easy to cut. Available in 1/8, 1/4 and 1/2 thicknesses. VERY slick. On a boat, I'... (more)	—	over 7 years ago
Answer	—	A: What harm, if any, does epoxy paint do to rope? The issue: hard gunk on the rope decreases flexibility of the rope. Fibers may break when the gunk spot is flexed. My suspicion: Kernmantle ropes will suffer less than conventional laid ropes. Test: Take 3 feet off the end of your rope. Soak it in your paint, and allow to cure. Flex repeatedl... (more)	—	over 7 years ago
Answer	—	A: How to harden feet to avoid blisters on long hikes I have routinely done week hikes with sufficient creek crossings that we didn't even try to keep dry feet. (Coral Creek has 22 crossings in 3 miles. Most of the trails in the area have at least a knee deep crossing every hour.) These trips would be the first intro to the school I worked at. A 7 d... (more)	—	almost 8 years ago
Answer	—	A: Stove/fuel setup for harsh conditions As the elevation increases, the boiling point of water drops. This makes cooking times increase enormously. You may want to essentially ignore cooking, and rely on cold food, and warm drinks. The whisper light is a good stove for such events. I have also used regular gasoline at low temperatures... (more)	—	almost 8 years ago
Answer	—	A: Am I allowed to "wild-camp" in my car? Other jurisdictions: When I was younger I would drive part way from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada to Lake Louise. I'd go to 2 o'clock Creek which was on Abraham Lake. There I would pull off the road, throw a sleeping bag on the ground. Next morning I'd drive the final hour to the ski hill, have break... (more)	—	about 8 years ago

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