Activity for Andrew Jennings‭

Type	On...	Excerpt	Status	Date
Answer	—	A: How do you refill your alcohol stove while it's burning? I'm going with "it's too dangerous, so don't do it". I have two manufactured alcohol stoves, and both contain warnings against refill while hot. That being said, my answer is "You don't". Pictured (I can't see the video) suggests a squeeze bottle with a plastic tube running into a reservoir where ... (more)	—	almost 6 years ago
Answer	—	A: Alcohol-fuel for burner at the Glasgow Airport Your travel to Scotland has probably passed, hope you had a good time. You are in the land of my favorite single malts: glendronach, oban, and glenmorangie - and therein lies my answer: Use ethyl alcohol in a pinch. That is, any high-proof potable spirit, generally anything 75% or more alcohol. R... (more)	—	almost 6 years ago
Answer	—	A: When using a compass, why not follow a degree mark without rotation? There are times when accuracy counts. A map will tell you where there is a dangerous or sensitive area, like highways (where you might miss a pedestrian crossing), cliff, body of water, private property, hunting area, protected habitat, industrial complex, high security area, etc. By approximatin... (more)	—	almost 6 years ago
Answer	—	A: How do you take field notes at below 0 °C, without freezing fingers? Use a pencil. They do not freeze and can be easily sharpened. You might also use a grease pencil; they can write on metal, plastic, wet, oily, or waxy surfaces as well. These don't always afford the finest points, so if this is a concern, consider a fine-tipped sharpie, but, Sharpies are still sus... (more)	—	about 6 years ago
Answer	—	A: How to follow an existing angle when sharpening? For me, I'm fairly experienced at sharpening knives by eye. If you don't have access to a guide, which is not something that immediately comes to mind when you're packing for a hunting or camping expedition, it's a good idea to learn how to do it by eye. For some cases, such as butchery and knife r... (more)	—	about 6 years ago
Question	—	What are directional, height, and distance guidelines for marking trails? Generally, I'm more used to methods described here for the US. Our task this past weekend was to use dots to remark a trail, but the method of placement was opposite to what I'm used to: the dots were placed inward toward the path - only one dot. I questioned the wisdom of such placement, but the r... (more)	—	about 6 years ago
Answer	—	A: Etiquette of playing musical instruments on popular hikes A few years ago, I went on a hike with the scouts, and came upon a beautiful overlook atop a cliff. The sun was setting, a gentle breeze was blowing, and it was really serene. We admired the sight for awhile, and soon enough, we heard someone playing the bagpipes. This thing bellowed across the va... (more)	—	about 6 years ago
Answer	—	A: Who gets the bill if you activate a PLB to help someone else? Almost always the victim gets the bill, but as mentioned in commentary, it depends on locality and sometimes fault. Local rules always apply. As an example, in the US, some state authorities will assume the rescue costs except in cases of negligence of the victim. This is true even if the victim d... (more)	—	about 6 years ago
Answer	—	A: Is there a good way to be kept up-to-date with climbing gear recalls? I use these sites for general product recalls (categorized by use), although I think they are maintained by the same group: www.Recalls.Gov US Consumer Product Safety Commission For other recall resources, refer here: Protect Yourself from Recalled Products In addition to government-kept list of... (more)	—	about 6 years ago
Answer	—	A: Where does lightning strike Lightening strikes from a point of excess electrons (negatively charged) to a path to a deficit of electrons (positively charged). As a rule, lightening usually strikes from the clouds to the ground, but occasionally, the opposite can happen as well. It is not always the case that the tallest objec... (more)	—	over 6 years ago
Answer	—	A: Using a thermometer for hypothermia diagnosis in backcountry? This is a great question. There are many different kinds of measuring body temperature, from oral/anal digitals, temporal/infrared digitals, glass, strips, non-contact infrared, and ear thermometers. First off, any battery-operated thermometer is useless when the batteries run out. This can happen... (more)	—	over 6 years ago
Answer	—	A: Is there a standard way of marking cooking alcohol containers? I would use a red, yellow, or green bottle - and never a blue, white, or clear bottle, no matter how you labelled it. Red is typically used for gasoline. Kerosene is stored in blue. Diesel is stored in yellow. And combustable oil is stored in green containers. I know, blue containers is also use... (more)	—	over 6 years ago
Answer	—	A: What can I add to alcohol to make the flame visible? There are several methods, one is adding water. The thinking is this: the alcohol should be at about 75% alcohol, and denatured alcohol sold in the US already has some water in it, or other compounds depending on its intended use (or of the means by which it is denatured). So, if you're not good at... (more)	—	over 6 years ago
Answer	—	A: What are the steps you would go through to teach someone how to split logs? This is how we teach our scouts: When cutting, your primary tool will be an axe (held with two hands) or hatchet (held with one hand), but a bow saw and splitting wedge can also be used. This focuses mainly on the former two. Safety clothing - gloves, safety goggles/glasses, and close-toed shoes ... (more)	—	over 6 years ago
Answer	—	A: How dangerous is swimming fully dressed in cotton/denim clothes? Cotton kills - but only when not in water. Whilst in water, cotton will not have any thermal effect. However, the material itself can easily wear you down through drag. You might be able to swim short distances, but longer ones - depending on your fitness - can slow you down considerably through d... (more)	—	over 6 years ago
Answer	—	A: Is the correct term Canada Goose or Canadian Goose? For branta canadensis, it is "Canada Goose". As I suggested in my previous answer to a related question of yours, language is a stupid form of communication. Reputable sources in this link say it is "Canada goose" and give several examples of similarly named animals (or plants) that do and do not f... (more)	—	almost 7 years ago
Answer	—	A: Would a Canada Goose deliberately try to keep a section of water from freezing? I tried to research your question, but could find no information - credible or otherwise - which would suggest a deliberate behavior. So, my answer is just a guess. First off, Canada geese feed by dipping their head under water to feed on vegetation. As others said, this action can create enough s... (more)	—	almost 7 years ago
Answer	—	A: How do you safely and legally dispose of old, damaged/unsafe camp stove gas canisters that are still full? You will not have any problems with propane or butane being released in your yard, unless there are sparks or a heat source near by, or if there are low areas leading into a house. I would manually release the gas, one can a day - and don't burn the gas. In this manner, the gas will naturally dissi... (more)	—	almost 7 years ago
Answer	—	A: Has a person ever got rabies from a marine mammal? The WHO reports no rabies contracted from marine life. Rabies (World Health Oorganization) However, many kinds of marine mammals, such as seals, sea lions, whales, dolphins, and - especially - killer whales, can be carriers. The vector typically starts with a land mammal, like an infected dog, coy... (more)	—	almost 7 years ago
Answer	—	A: What precautions are needed for caving? Great answers here. This news piece seems to be relevant to your question, now probably 3 years old now. Grade Point Student survives three days in a cave after college spelunking group leaves him behind And since no one mentioned it, I'll say it here: Always do a periodic headcount. Do a head c... (more)	—	about 7 years ago
Answer	—	A: How much of a temperature difference does a reflective sleeping pad make? I'm gonna go with "not much". I found this article, Reflection Measurements in IR Spectroscopy And in it, I recognize many English words, but they did not seem to be arranged in a coherent fashion that I could well understand. Maybe you have more luck or skill than I. It seems written for an aud... (more)	—	about 7 years ago
Answer	—	A: What are the downsides to sleeping in a hammock on a multi-day hike? One downside I've recently found out is that some hammock use can violate Leave No Trace policies. If you aren't careful about the rig you use to hang the hammock, you could injure the trees. The wider the strapping around the tree, the better for the tree. I suppose this doesn't mean all hammocki... (more)	—	about 7 years ago
Answer	—	A: Which type of rope is to be used to practice knots? You need to use rope specific to the knots' purpose. It does no good to practice a fisherman's knot on hemp or climbing rope, when fishing line is expected. You'll never understand the nuances of the knot if you do otherwise. Bends tend to require ropes of different sizes and/or materials. If you... (more)	—	over 7 years ago
Answer	—	A: Offset in compass I have a similar compass. What you see is normal, and can (and should) be changed. You review declination with NOAA, because declination changes with your physical location, and over time. Refer here: Magnetic Declination (Variance) Next, you want to adjust your compass so that it is offset by t... (more)	—	over 7 years ago
Answer	—	A: Double half hitch, versus two half hitches? Looking closely at the photo, the knots are very much different. In the lark's head, the running end is inside the knot; that means, as tension is applied, the knot will tend to tighten on the standing end, making it more secure. The pull of the standing end will tend to pull the knot and the runni... (more)	—	over 7 years ago
Answer	—	A: What's the fastest way for a single person to setup a tarp umbrella/leantoo in the rain in a nothern temperate forest? Lean-tos are hard-sided structures, and are not really meant to be set up quickly. As a hiker and scouter, I and my group carry tarps all the time, and expect rain to greet us wherever we decide to set up camp. As such, tarps need to be one of the most accessible things you have. If I were caught ... (more)	—	over 7 years ago
Answer	—	A: How does water depth affect swimming safety? Why do signs, especially in the UK, say "DANGER: deep water"? Some commentary focuses on quarries and industrial lakes. I am not of the opinion that that makes a difference: what's down there (ie, machinery, rock ridge formations, etc), and what's in the water (ie, chemicals) is more important than how deep the water is. In this case, signs should scream "Dan... (more)	—	over 7 years ago
Answer	—	A: Dangers of swimming with algae (potentially Eurasian Watermilfoil) You can indeed get sick from swimming in algae, if the algae is a bloom. Not all algae in lakes is harmful - in fact, it shows that the lake's ecosystem is alive. But too much algae can be dangerous, as it deprives the water of oxygen, and introduces harmful bacteria. Here is a warning from New Yo... (more)	—	over 7 years ago
Answer	—	A: What's the difference between white gas, propane, kerosene, and gasoline? Chemically, they're very different, having to do with carbon chain lengths, the discussion about which will not help you decide. @WedaPashi gave an awesome answer, so, I'll add to it by saying this: First, you must know your stove; I assume you're asking about backpacking stoves who use jets, not g... (more)	—	over 7 years ago