Posts by Sherwood Botsford
Part of this is learning to pay attention to what your body is doing. I had a friend on a dogsled trip who was soaked when we reached camp: He could wring water out of his polypro underwear. Me,...
It's a stupid system, even without looking at it. I don't see it as having any advantages. I don't take my phone with me in the back country. There's no reception. How do I find out the code I'...
Much depends on the region you are going to. Check with the local wildlife conservation authorities, park personnel. Jasper Park provides bear proof storage at all their sites, I think. Willmore...
One possibility: Check out the home improvement store. Check the tool section. You can get all sorts of attachments for tool belts, including ones to carry things like a cell phone. They aren't...
PFDs come in various flavours: The best ones have sufficient floatation around the neck, and enough more flotation on the front compared to the back, than an unconscious victim is naturally rotate...
Ok. If you aren't going to wear it dirty, then risking its waterproofing doesn't matter. Things to try: First one sounds crazy: You have a stain. Stain the rest of the poncho to match. You ...
Some times local disposal isn't unreasonable. Here's my thinking: Animals crap in the woods. Assuming wilderness use, the crap load from people is small compared to that of animals. (Animals us...
Biggest reason is weight. Horse packers still use canvas wall tents. Almost indestructible if you don't store them wet. But a 9x12 wall tent can weigh over a hundred pounds, and much more if wet...
My work boots are leather with plastic toe protectors (Thank heavens steel is no longer used. Heavy and cold...) I hike in low top Merrells, including boulder fields and scree. The Merrells are ...
Possibilities: Some form of remote sensor, Perhaps they wanted to monitor microclimate values of temp and humidity on a long term basis. Bug trap. The container fastens with wingnuts, while the...
Canadian topo maps have a diagram with grid north, true north and mag north marked on it. Due to the drifting north pole, I will look up what it is this week online, and pencil it in. Grid north ...
The old style pocket compasses worked just like that. The problem: If you use a compass without using that arrow -- just using the degree marking on the dial, your error will about triple. I...
Locally one of the forms of firestarter our hardware store sells amounts to coarse sawdust mixed with candle wax. Break a piece in half to get a rough edge to start. You can make your own from old...
I've used wood, fiberglass and Mohawk paddles. My preference is for wood. A good blade can be made of ash or spruce. The latter will have a thicker shaft that may be uncomfortable for small hand...
I'm taking a different tack. I have slept both in and out of a tent on many winter nights, and I will not use a tent unless there is significant wind or precipitation. Here's the problem: The te...
When car traveling we freeze pop bottles mostly full of water (2" header air space) A 2 liter (2 quart) bottle takes a fair amount of time to thaw; it doesn't spill and make things soggy; and you h...
From experience, traveling under a full moon works well. Warning: The shadows are inky dark. You will still need a torch or headlamp, but in the open you can turn it off. I have done winter tri...
Various sources say 5 to 10 micrograms/deciliter of blood is the usual point of concern. In adults symptoms show up at around 60. Children are developing so the lower 5 is recommended as their ma...
Try and see. Standing dead poplar burns very well, as does standing dead spruce. Standing dead birch produces a short burst of flame from the bark, and then smoulders with little heat and extreme...
National Forests In the U.S. you have a huge system of national forests. Many of these have extensive trail networks. Many have parts that are too rough for economic logging. Go remote Places ...
A big part of this is "which canoe? which kayak" A long paddle in a white water kayak is a pain. They are slow. Ocean kayaks are much faster but are less than nimble to turn. I find the positio...
Stage 1. You come around the corner and see the strainer. Backwater. The technical term is a backferry. You want to move slower than the water. Move the stern over a bit in the bank you want t...
The shape of the ring matters. If someone has stepped on it it will be flatter on that part and won't pinch the lid to the barrel rim as tightly. Check that. If the seal rubber is old it gets ri...
I've seen these or very similar pics before. Did you ask on another site? I can't tell from the pix if there is mortar or just mud holding the stones together. In a similar question it turned ou...
Depends on the activity. Depends on the time of year. Summer on the trail: Water. I don't bother with anything else. Salted nuts are part of my lunch and there is a salt shaker with supper. S...
