Posts by Sherwood Botsford
Fascinating This is NOT an answer, but just a perspective from another place: I am in western Canada, in the province of Alberta. I would not presume to cross fenced land without asking. But u...
I do a lot of my own repair. However, this is one where I instead work on the idea of 'consumer relations' My attack: Phone the company that made them. Explain the problem, and ask how to get t...
Walk the line on a humid very cold still morning. If the hot spring is of any significance -- e.g. enough surface to get in, and enough flow to be hot, -- you should get a plume of steam rising of...
I've spoken to trappers. Wolves are a non-starter. Even in a trap, they try to get away, not attack. One trapper said that the only time he's been bitten by a wild animal it was a muskrat. While...
It's harmless. Rinse out anything loose. If you want, add a handfull of gravel, a cup of water, and shake for 10 minutes to get stuff out. A thermos is going to be food grade metal. So the allo...
Change shoes. Visit a physiotherapist, and take your current shoes -- both the ones you use on trips, and the ones you wear every day. A good physio can learn a lot from reading the wear patter...
Good zipper may keep out more water, but a rain flap will do the trick. A rain flap has a vulnerable direction. Driving rain from side with the open edge of the flap will seep further. Rain gear...
I think you did just fine. Key factors: You want the leather to be non flat, so the stone sits in in one place. This will get you far more consistent throws. You have in essence created the poc...
I had this issue on canoe trips. I would wear my life jacket over my poncho. Worked a treat. One of the things in my backpack is a bungie cord long enough to use as a belt. It has a bunch of us...
Over most of your body your system can restrict blood flow to the skin, cooling the skin (and making you feel cold) Locations where bloodvessels run close to skin big sources of heat loss. Part...
Depending on the weather, I would try to keep them alive in the water until you are lamost ready to start back. Clean them just before you start back. If the weather is colder than that water, cl...
The second one is the better form. I have used that form, with the tall end in a spruce in both heavy rain and in snow, and stayed perfectly dry. However I didn't use a tarp as small as 1.4 x 2.4...
If you are a person who burns readily then sunblock at all times plus long sleeve shirt and hat are your only answer. However the danger of sun, IMHO is overrated, compared to the other hazards of...
Very rough rule of thumb is that effort distance (ED) is horizontal distance (HD) + 5 * Vertical distance (VD) So ED = HD + VD example: A recent hike I took had a horizontal distance of 85 miles...
I have found that soda pop bottles are designed for higher pressure and don't deform as badly. Plus they are cheap to replace. In general a soda pop bottle filled to just the start of the shoulde...
Interesting. All of the answers address winter mountaineering, which I would regard as a separate subject. Winter skills for someone like me, living 4 hours from the mountains, would primarily be...
Try at forestry supply stores. The guys that sell pulaskis, fire pumps, etc. They have the entire setup for portable kitchens. The ones I've seen were a separate stove and bottle, but the stov...
Piece of cake. I was working for St. John's Cathedral Boys' School in the late 70's. The school had a winter program that included week long dog sled expeditions. We had the odd case of frostb...
The change in distance from flat is fairly small. A 10% slope is about when you start toe striking instead of heel striking. Your leg is bent when your foot touches the ground and you have to str...
I don't take a tent, I just take a tarp. Easier to pitch (if you have trees) In 30 years of experience (4-6 weeks per year) I've only once gotten actually wet doing this. Old tarp. Heavy rain....
I've had the opposite problem. My feet are very wide from decades of mocassin use. So my ideas might not work. Certainly lacing techniques are worth trying. Normally I don't find these very eff...
I used to apply the 30% rule, and for out of shape adults it works pretty well. But I worked with teenage males, ranging from the 70 lb dripping wet grade 7 to the 160 lb lean as a rake grade 12 j...
Ben's answer above is good. I wish I could give him more than just one upclick. Rules of thumb: Carbs and proteins run 3.5 to 4 calories per gram. Fats run aobut 9 calories per gram. Working ha...
This is in the category with swimming pools, and trampolines, and jungle gyms. There is no way to be completely safe and still have it fun. Keep it close to the ground. This may mean getting a ...
Lots of mushers will 'candle their dogs'. Use a candle and pass it quickly over the bottom of the paw. The flame singes the hairs between the toes and is harmless to the dog. Practice on your ar...
