Posts by Sherwood Botsford
Answer so far: James is correct -- when possible go around. Move between clumps. Crossing powerline ravines, it can help to go up or down stream to wooded terrain which shades them out. If yo...
Semi-selfcontained desktop solution: Ozi-Explorer. https://www.oziexplorer4.com This program allows you to have a folder of maps images. You then can download a program called 'map merge' (same...
A lot of it is just by doing it. Both species are quite low density, and the number of wild animal deaths/injuries are very small. Regions that are dangerous for bears are those where they are ve...
I think you need to find out why the plate hurts. If putting a load on the bone is putting tension/torque on the screws that attach the plate, then any form of loading on the bone may be a problem...
I suspect that sweatshirt fabric has too open a mesh for any waterproofing agent to be effective. Rather than risk a garment you love, buy as close to a similar weight sweatshirt at a thift store,...
Original answer below. Apparently I'm not the only one incensed by Garmin's behaviour. Garmin has a firmware update for the PN-60 series version 3.7 that was NOT present on their website last tim...
On a dare with a friend I went into the Saskatchewan River while the river was still running with broken ice, and there were bergybits in the main current. The bet was to stay in 1 minute up to ou...
This sort of hard decision happens at lower elevations. In some ways harder: The Death Zone scenarios obliges you to abandon the victim to save the rest of the party. At lower elevations it's of...
A mix of spruce resin, lard, and wood ashes was used by both voyageurs and natives for caulking the seams of birch bark canoes. Spruce logs have smaller branches than pine, and so are easier to ma...
Suggest you confirm by observation: This is sort of what I would expect to see from a squirrel eating. Take a closer look and see if you can figure out if they are crap, or just cores and peels...
I used to snowshoe in winter, and would be out all day. I would take a 2 liter pop bottle, and put a pair of work socks on it to insulated it. This went into my daypack next to me. I always carr...
You will need more than one pair of pants. Nylon hiking shorts. Dry fast. Cool in hot weather. I'm uncertain how culturally appropriate shorts are on adult males in SA. In touristy areas they...
We had this as a constant issue when I worked in a school with a strong outdoor program. General things As group size increases problems increase faster. The distance between the first and las...
Legally the answer is "nothing" in the National Parks of Canada. I think the US is similar. Ethically the best touchstone is the Kantian ethic: What would be the result of everyone doing this? ...
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...
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...
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 ...
Fingers and toes cold? Put on your hat. Seriously: You are losing heat faster than you are generating it. Bondy compensates by reducing circulation to the extremities to keep the core warm. Hea...
