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Activity for Separatrix‭

Type On... Excerpt Status Date
Answer A: Can I use a Canoe Paddle with a Kayak?
Yes, but you might want to use a short paddle. While the difference between a canoe and a kayak in practice is only the seat, and people do swap out kayak seats for canoe saddles in playboats, you'll find that you're much closer to the water and a standard length canoe paddle is a bit awkward. You...
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almost 6 years ago
Answer A: Is there an actual advantage of switchblade folding knives over any other method of opening a folding blade with one hand?
The point of the switchblade is how fast you can open it without needing any particular skill or practice. If you were that kid with a butterfly knife then the difference is negligible, but for anyone else, if the speed of availability is an issue then a switchblade would be your best choice after fi...
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almost 6 years ago
Answer A: Mosquito free areas closest to Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer, France?
Iceland Not the answer you wanted of course, but there are very few places in the world where you don't find mosquitoes and the others are considerably further away. New Caledonia, French Polynesia, The Seychelles, Antarctica. While not in France, the first two of these are special collectivities ...
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almost 6 years ago
Answer A: Purchasing a sit-on-top kayak
There's no reason why a boat of this type could not be used for short expedition type trips, assuming you stay within the capabilities of the boat and paddler. As boats of this type don't usually have watertight hatches you need to consider a couple of things, importantly Securing your gear to the...
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almost 6 years ago
Answer A: Restoring a deformed kayak hull
It sounds like you have oil canning. It's a standard problem with plastic kayaks, usually caused by excessive tension in straps when loading onto roof bars or long term storage on bars. Various solutions exist, mostly they involve heating the affected area and putting pressure on the inside to resto...
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almost 6 years ago
Answer A: What are the pros and cons of plastic and aluminim vs wood vs composite paddles for canoeing?
Wooden paddles are heavier but have a very nice feel to them, they can be expensive. The flex in plastic blades can mean you lose power and the blades can flutter under heavy load. Aluminium paddle shafts aren't that nice to hold in the long run, especially in the cold. These tend to be the cheapest...
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almost 6 years ago
Answer A: Are there any statistics on how many mallard ducklings survive?
In a stable population any breeding pair will, during the course of their lives, successfully raise two young who successfully breed themselves. Of course there's no such thing as a stable population, so you can only talk about long term population stability. In the UK the mallard conservation statu...
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almost 6 years ago
Answer A: When a sailing ship is pursuing another upwind, why does the distance gained to windward matter so much?
The ship to windward is "ahead" Nothing is entirely linear in this game, but the key is that the further off the wind you're sailing, the faster you can go (this is not true of modern racers), up to an effective limit of the same speed as the wind (also not true of modern racers). The ship to windwa...
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about 6 years ago
Answer A: How do you determine the optimum time to tack?
The text implies differences in the ships. Once settled on the new tack the Loire&#x2019;s natural advantages asserted themselves once more. She showed her extra speed and extra weatherliness; Hotspur: Smaller (he's running not fighting), slower in a straight line, but quicker to tack Loire: B...
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about 6 years ago
Answer A: Kayak for fishing and low class rapids?
Firstly I have to say that I disapprove of an inexperienced kayaker considering running any rapids alone. Get out and walk round. However, given that and your intent to fish, I suggest looking at the sit-on-top style kayaks. Many of them are primarily designed for fishing and hence have mountings fo...
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over 6 years ago
Answer A: If I put a smoker in a shed, does my exhaust have to be at the top of my shed? (Does exhaust height matter)?
Safety guidelines for this smoker specifically state that it's not suitable for indoor use. It's quite literally the first thing on the instructions https://www.riversidegardencentre.co.uk/pdf/2009SmokeyMountainCooker.pdf DANGER Failure to follow the Dangers, Warnings, and Cautions contained...
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over 6 years ago
Answer A: How to carry a German Shepherd up and down ladders on the trail?
What you probably need is a dog carry harness (pictured below) They're relatively easily purchased, though mostly people have them for small rather than large dogs. Finding one rated for an Alsatian may be harder but they're certainly made for military and police use. You'll need to practice carryi...
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over 6 years ago
Answer A: What is the most reliable way to start a friction fire?
The one you've practiced Starting a friction fire is hard work. It's not something you can "just do" after watching a video. You need to have the experience to choose the right wood, build the bow or drill or whatever method you've chosen and the strength and stamina to use it. None of the method...
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over 6 years ago
Answer A: Is it really a good workout to go to work by bike every day?
There's a technicality here that's about the difference between "training" and "being active". It's important not to confuse the two but where the threshold lies is a matter for an individual. For the first few weeks, cycle commuting will be training. Subsequent to that, assuming you're not the type...
(more)
over 6 years ago
Answer A: What causes the current in the interior lagoons of Presque Isle State Park PA?
Lake Erie is classed as non-tidal because the tidal variance is less than 5cm at spring tide However (same source): Wind and weather conditions on the Great Lakes may create a seiche, an oscillating wave which can be several feet high. In many of the Great Lakes, the time period between the &#x2...
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over 6 years ago
Answer A: Alternative Gooseneck options for small home built sail boats
If you really want to take the budget option you can just use rope. This is something that dates back to the old wooden ship days but given that you're not putting a vast amount of load on the rig and a gooseneck is fundamentally just two loops with flexibility between them, there's no reason not to...
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over 6 years ago
Answer A: What are the benefits of learning to climb outdoors rather than indoors?
For a total beginner? Not a lot. A beginner is better off in the warm and dry with consistent safe holds, solid top rope fixings, and close to the pub for the end of the session. There are basic proficiencies that you're much better off learning indoors in a controlled environment like belaying and ...
(more)
over 6 years ago
Answer A: How to manage the sail of a sunfish when paddling?
You're a bit more cramped than a topper but it seems to be much the same game. It's very much about the type of paddle you're using and the position you want to be in. We used praddles in the Toppers for which you need to be low and close to the water anyway. Kneel in the bottom of the boat, til...
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over 6 years ago
Answer A: How are the routes of hiking trails determined?
This very much depends on what country you're in. The majority of footpaths in the UK are public rights of way. These are simply the routes people have travelled since time immemorial, the route from a village to the market town or an ancient drovers' road. Some of these were paved and became moder...
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almost 7 years ago
Answer A: How can someone fall 3m to the ground while top-roping & how to prevent it?
If you're top roping on a 14.5m climb, 10% stretch in the 29m of rope between you will be up to 2.9m. In practice there's less rope than that between you, but if there's a little slack in the rope on a climb of that height, the fall could easily hit 3m. The only way round it is to keep more tension ...
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almost 7 years ago
Answer A: Life Jacket for a person without arms?
The expensive way is to get a harness lifejacket. The cheap way is to fit a crotch strap to a lifejacket (type 2 pfd), this is a standard part and I believe most lifejackets have fittings for one. By your description I'm assuming in this case that you actually mean a buoyancy aid (type 3 pfd) rathe...
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almost 7 years ago
Answer A: White-water (slalom) kayak in calm waters (lake)?
For an experienced paddler: These kayaks can be a delight to paddle on flat water. They're light, fast, and maneuver beautifully. For an inexperienced paddler: It'll be a nightmare. It has a K1 competition cockpit which is a tight squeeze to get into (legs in first then shuffle to get your bum i...
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almost 7 years ago
Answer A: Are longer kayaks faster than shorter ones?
As a general rule, yes Consider a boat weighing 20kg, a paddler weighing 80kg. You're now displacing 100litres of water, the way in which you displace that volume has a lot to do with how easily the boat will handle. If you choose to displace it as a wide cylinder on a vertical axis you will ha...
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almost 7 years ago
Answer A: Are there any situations while backpacking that would require a watch?
Tidal causeways You need to know the time, the time of the tide and the range of times when you can safely cross.
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about 7 years ago
Answer A: How can I use horsetail as a "indicator plant" to find gold while gold pannig?
You can't. The theory required you to get samples and send them to a lab, which wouldn't exactly be practical in the field anyway. METAL ABSORPTION BY EQUISETUM (HORSETAIL) A19 GOLD AND SILVER Gold in Equisetum throughout the conterminous United States ...
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over 7 years ago
Answer A: "Unsinkable" sit-on-top kayaks
The boat itself is effectively unsinkable, it's a sealed plastic box. The hatches normally have bulkheads separating them from the rest of the boat. If the hatch sections become swamped it's not going to sink the boat, just make it very difficult to handle. It should be noted that most properly set ...
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over 7 years ago
Answer A: How to get the best results when applying gelcoat with a brush?
The trouble with hardening is usually insufficient hardener in the mix, though it's possible you've got a high temperature or very slow drying gelcoat. Getting a perfect finish requires either vacuum bagging or release film. I don't know exactly what this stuff is in terms of material but it's a pla...
(more)
over 7 years ago
Answer A: What should I look for in a used wet suit?
First, consider what design of wetsuit you want. As a (casually) competitive kayaker I use a 2mm longjohn wetsuit in winter with a thermal rash vest (or two if it's really cold) and a waterproof if it's very windy. Sometimes that's too warm for a proper training day, even in the depths of (UK) winter...
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over 7 years ago
Answer A: Why is the category called "Open" in climbing competitions?
In general sport terms "Open" is the primary competitive group. Anyone can enter. There may be other groups that anyone can enter, like "Recreational" or restricted entrance groups like "Under 21s", "Men", "Ladies", "Masters" (usually over age 35 depending on sport), but if there's an open category ...
(more)
over 7 years ago