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Activity for Loduwijk‭

Type On... Excerpt Status Date
Edit Post #40836 Initial revision about 4 years ago
Edit Post #40834 Initial revision about 4 years ago
Edit Post #40823 Initial revision about 4 years ago
Answer A: Drinking water in the backcountry wilderness in Northern Great Plains (Grasslands National Park). How to deal with the salinity?
Distill (doesn't work well on the go) Technically you could distill the water, but this takes a long time and uses a lot of fuel. I'm not sure how many ounces of water you can distil with an ounce of some fuel, but I am willing to bet the conversion rate would be too terrible to be practical. And ev...
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about 4 years ago
Answer A: Jumping off of a cliff into water - survival tips
XY-question frame challenge. The only way to win the game is to not play. If you were to be jumping in, then the other answers give insightful food for thought. But that's a huge, colossal if, especially given your use case. So here comes the party-pooper... As long as you are even moderately well...
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about 4 years ago
Answer A: How thin is "too thin" for tent guylines?
You don't need to go thin to get a good strength to weight ratio. 100 feet of paracord weighs only 7 ounces. In this case, it's only amazing how much cordage weighs because it's so light! If I'm traveling ultralight, I bring 1-3 ounces of paracord. That is sufficient for tarps, small tents, and man...
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about 4 years ago
Answer A: What should I replace guylines with?
I had a similar issue: I was tripping over a fire ring that was present at one campsite we used last year. I left one of our flashlights on, shining inside the fire ring until we packed up the next day. I fiddled with the flashlight setting and orientation until I had it mildly illuminating the ring...
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about 4 years ago
Answer A: What conditions should lead an alpine team to abandon a mountain climb/expedition?
Abandon the trip if... someone in the group demonstrates behavior that threatens the group, someone in the group is found to be lying about their status. First involved dangerous brandishing of a gun - I like guns but he was being irresponsible. Second involved people saying they were warm and dr...
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over 4 years ago
Answer A: Is it warmer to sleep naked in a sleeping bag?
TL;DR: Honest answer: depends on too many things, different situations will be different. Best answer: do what you feel like, whatever makes you feel comfortable. If you cannot sleep naked in your bag comfortably, you should consider getting a better bag. If you cannot sleep fully clothed comfortab...
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over 4 years ago
Answer A: Which Ultralight & Compact Jackets are suitable for Winters (minus 10-15 deg. Celsius)?
Battery Powered, Heated Jacket With the newly added criteria of "not more than 2 layers of something light" I began to fear there is no answer. However, your mention of strolling specifically in cities may have saved you. I think the only thing that might fit all your criteria, or at least come the...
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over 4 years ago
Answer A: Which Ultralight & Compact Jackets are suitable for Winters (minus 10-15 deg. Celsius)?
Question was edited to add the criteria of maximum 2 layers of something light. This invalidates the initial answers, but I am leaving this because I still think it is the proper solution to outdoor warmth. The real trick to staying warm is dressing in layers. If you put on enough layers, then you...
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over 4 years ago
Answer A: Can any automotive fluids be made safe to drink?
Radiator Water If you live in a hot climate, as many (but not all) deserts are, then you might not have any antifreeze in the radiator. I live in an area where it gets well below freezing in the winter, so antifreeze is used then obviously. However, I have used straight water in the warmer months a...
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over 4 years ago
Answer A: How can I protect myself in case of a human attack like the murders of the hikers Jespersen and Ueland in Morocco?
After an introductory reading into the matter (Wikipedia and news), I would say there are no definite safety mistakes that I can see. If the attackers were noticed and seemed suspicious, maybe they could have done more, maybe not. Even if they were aware, perhaps the attackers were not acting suspici...
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over 4 years ago
Answer A: Long distance hikes with small children
My Experience With Children on a Hike With 1 other adult and 4 children, I have done a 2-day hike. The youngest child was 3, but he complained of being tired often and was slow enough that I carried him much of the way anyway, so that aspect was similar to your infant-carrying situation. I carried ...
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over 4 years ago
Answer A: Is "survival" paracord with fire starter strand dangerous
TL;DR: Death trap? No. Should you be cautious? At least as cautious as you would be with normal tinder. Think of it this way: Pile of loose jute twine, seem dangerous? No. People who use it for arts &amp; crafts probably don't even realize its fire potential. Pile of loose paracord. Dangerous? No....
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over 4 years ago
Answer A: Black Bear Deterrents
Two parts. TL;DR: Block the bears so that they do no wander into the area, and don't leave anything in the area that smells good. Block the area, essentially like a funnel Funnels are used in hunting. Even if you're not hunting, the idea of directing animals where you want (and away from what you ...
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over 4 years ago
Answer A: What is the most effective way to keep warm in a Hammock in below freezing weather?
Sleep with someone. I like winter camping and hammock camping. The one time I did cold + hammock together I was toasty warm, even my feet. My son and I shared a hammock, sleeping at opposite ends with our legs in the same space. Well, we moved around a few times, and sometimes we invaded each others...
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over 4 years ago
Answer A: Transition to "Starvation Mode" in Survival Situations
is there any evidence to suggest that de-prioritizing food increases survival Anyone who has ever prioritized food and died of any of the other issues would be evidence that de-prioritizing food would have increased survival. If someone spends a couple days setting traps, snares, and fishing l...
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over 4 years ago
Answer A: Eye safety when starting a fire with a magnifying glass
I have found an answer that seems counter-intuitive: add even more light. You can make the spot even brighter, larger, and hotter by catching more light with a larger magnifier. This sounds like the opposite of what is asked for at first, but it allows you to start the fire faster so that you don't n...
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almost 5 years ago
Answer A: Is there clay soil in the Adirondacks suitable for earthen primitive building?
I read the question more as "Does what I want exist here?" rather than "Is the stuff here going to be good enough quality?" So my answer was initially in that light. OP shows in comment that what was really wanted was the latter, "Is the stuff here going to be good enough quality?" Scroll down below ...
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about 5 years ago
Answer A: How strong of a magnet is needed for magnet fishing for assorted metal objects?
The practical answer is "Much less than you can easily get from a decent magnet." My original, more technical answer is left below since it is the answer to the question as asked, but the useful answer is... You can get a magnet much stronger than needed to pull up objects such as your knife example...
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over 5 years ago
Answer A: How can a Common Kingfisher bird balance on a tiny swaying reed without moving its head?
You asked two questions: How does it balance, and why does it do this? Charlie answered "Why does it do this?", and he did so quite well, especially since, as his sources suggest, even the biologists do not completely understand it yet. As for how it balances... It does indeed appear at first to de...
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over 5 years ago
Answer A: In a survival situation is it actually efficient to eat edible plants?
People make lots of claims. You can find all kinds of suggestions when you research this, some of it even from people who are considered experts. In the end, all you can do is use some basic logic and look at some real, anecdotal events. For long term survival, if you can attempt to get back to civi...
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over 5 years ago
Answer A: Winter wear in New York
I recommend you prepare for colder than -15C/5F I lived in southern NY for a while, and I would like to suggest from experience that you prepare for colder than -15C/5F. While that may be the typical range, it is normal to have a handful of days colder than that scattered about the winter. You shou...
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over 5 years ago
Question How much fish can a saltwater angler catch per day?
If a saltwater angler goes out on a boat, how much could we expect that person to catch during a typical day? I would like to set some personal expectations. Obviously if the variables are against you (eg: bad spot), the lower bound would be 0. But if you get it right (see the linked question What a...
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over 5 years ago
Question Can I sleep in my canoe with it adrift on a commonly used lake?
I want to go out in a canoe onto a large lake and stay out for the entire weekend. I have checked the whether and determined that it will definitely be excellent weather and very calm all weekend long. I am concerned about a few things: being hit by another boat, drifting to shore where animals coul...
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over 5 years ago
Question What are the differences between boats and "ice yachts"?
A comment on a different question suggests that an ice yacht (or iceboat), a boat made for going over ice instead of through water, is not merely a water boat with skates strapped on for ice, but that they are custom built for their purpose. Britannica.com says iceboating is "sailing or racing on ic...
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over 5 years ago
Question Are there any natural materials that can be used as a magnifying lens (or to craft one)?
I am currently stuck in the wilderness, and I have been out here for a while. I want to focus light. There are various reasons for wanting to do this, with the two biggest reasons being for vision and for fire starting. It does not need to be anything fancy, not even to help with the vision: my eye s...
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over 5 years ago
Question Does "Ice Sailing" Count as Boating?
As seen in the picture, this sail boat is sliding over ice rather than sailing through water. If I were to try this ice sailing, would I need to follow boating regulations? This might not be the same for all locations. I am in the United States, but really if anyone can just show a precedent that...
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over 5 years ago
Answer A: Can you start a wood fire with a Spark Bunsen Burner/Laboratory Lighter?
The technical answer is simply: yes. But that answer would be deceiving, so... Can it be done? Yes. It throws out some decent sparks. The device works by scraping a tiny piece of flint over steel. In that regard, this should be no different than any other flint &amp; steel fire lighting, with the e...
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over 5 years ago
Answer A: How does bushcrafting relate to the "leave no trace" principles?
The following points for "leave no trace" are taken from lnt.org. Plan Ahead and Prepare There is not much difference here between bushcrafters and non-bushcrafters, except that a bushcrafter might claim that they are always more prepared just by being a bushcrafter. Travel and Camp on Durable Sur...
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over 5 years ago
Question How does bushcrafting relate to the "leave no trace" principles?
The skills mentioned in "What is bushcrafting?" sound useful but potentially destructive. How does bushcrafting relate to the "leave no trace" principles?
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over 5 years ago
Answer A: What is bushcrafting?
Bushcrafting: also known as wilderness skills or primitive living. Many people less familiar with the skills associate it with wilderness survival because of similarities and overlap. I don't think there is any truly official definition of bushcraft, but if you ask Google "define bushcraft" you get ...
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over 5 years ago
Question What is bushcrafting?
Some people say it is just a term some people use for wilderness survival, but some people say it is not survival. What actually is bushcraft?
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over 5 years ago
Question Beginning sailing
Assume I am completely naïve about boating concerns, that I know the following: There are things that float and carry stuff across the water called boats. A boat needs something to make it move. Some have sails. Image Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sail Sails seem like they might requir...
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over 5 years ago
Question Beginning paddle boating
Assume I am completely na&#xEF;ve of boating concerns, that I know the following: There are things that float and carry stuff across the water called boats. A boat needs something to make it move. Some have paddles. I think that some of the popular small boats that might be easy to start with use...
(more)
over 5 years ago
Question Beginning boating
Assume I am completely na&#xEF;ve of boating concerns, that I know the following: There are things that float and carry stuff across the water called boats. A boat needs something to make it move. Some have motors, some catch wind in sails, some you move yourself with paddles. What are the things...
(more)
over 5 years ago
Answer A: How sophisticated a dust mask can one hope to improvise?
TL;DR Yes, carbon might be your best bet. I would not bet my life on such a thing if I had not already practiced it though. Carbon is used to filter purify both water (your typical Brita water filter) and air (re-breathers for divers' air), so the potential is there. Farther down I discuss how I wou...
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over 5 years ago
Question Are there any large knife/saw multitools for pocket or belt use?
The little pocket-knife multi-tools sometimes come with tiny saws on them. Those saws are somewhat useful but extremely limited in the size wood they can be used for. Are there any multi-tools available which include bigger tools, including a saw big enough to be very useful compared to their tiny c...
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over 5 years ago
Answer A: What is the use of the saw blade on a swiss knife?
Whenever I get a multi-tool knife now, I skip over the ones which do not have the saw. I do not understand why you can get one with screw-drivers, hole-punchers, and even corkscrews, that would then not also have a saw. I have used the tiny saw on my multi-tools, including the Victorinox Swiss type ...
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over 5 years ago
Answer A: Found a black snake in my backyard. Is it dangerous?
While I cannot identify the snake myself, I would still like to partially answer your main question of "Is it dangerous?" TL;DR Non-experts can easily misidentify snakes, and even experts can misidentify them if they are not close enough to get bitten. Even if properly identified as a non-venomous...
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over 5 years ago
Answer A: Reusing disposable water bottles vs. buying dedicated bottles
TL;DR Reusable water bottles have a higher failure rate than other containers, but they are reliable enough for short trips, and bringing 2 or 3 in case 1 fails should be reliable enough even on medium-length trips. Citation I go through a lot of bottles of water, I would estimate thousands of the...
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over 5 years ago
Answer A: Self-diagnosis of hypothermia onset
Disclaimer: Despite a comment I made earlier about how I too would like to hear about ways to test for hypothermia, I should stress that relying on this could be potentially dangerous and should be a last line of defense, not first. That is, always assume that you could be even if your test is negati...
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over 5 years ago
Question Reclaiming water lost from breathing
What can we do to bring water loss from breathing down to the absolute minimum possible? Techniques or devices useful to adventurers with no frequent water access is what I am looking for, such as hiking or biking across a desert for longer than is reasonable to carry or find sufficient water. Wate...
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almost 6 years ago
Question What was the temperature without windchill for the climbers that "Minus 148 Degrees" is written about?
The book Minus 148 Degrees is written about a winter climb of Denali in which a rapid weather change forced the climbers to seek refuge in an emergency snow cave. The title is a reference to the claim that the wind-chill temperature was negative 148 degrees F. What was the actual temperature (as op...
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almost 6 years ago
Answer A: What is the most effective means of melting snow with body heat for drinking?
You can do exactly what you want: use your body to melt snow for drinking water without reducing your body temperature, yielding water with a negligible threat of hypothermia. If you are prepared, then you have enough insulation available to overheat yourself, even if you are not currently using it ...
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almost 6 years ago
Answer A: When building a penny stove how do you keep the cans from splitting?
From http://www.instructables.com/id/Alcohol-Can-penny-stove/ We now need to crimp the edge of the base can so it fits inside the top can, with your pliers go around the edge of the can, grip about 5mm of the can in the pliers and twist to pull the edge in, complete this every 5mm or so all...
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almost 6 years ago
Question What is the most severe temperature that a proper snow cave can protect you from?
This question was prompted by my answer to Under what conditions does heating a backpacking tent artificially make objective sense?. In my answer, I mention the possibility of hiking across Antarctica during the winter to experience the harshest cold that our planet has to offer. You are on this Ant...
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almost 6 years ago
Answer A: Under what conditions does heating a tent artificially make objective sense?
Many adventurers have a stove on them, though not necessarily for the purpose you describe. From "Obtaining Water from Snow and Ice" by Dryad (who offer bushcraft and wilderness courses: Most mountaineers, and explorers travelling in cold environments, carry modern stoves which use liquid fuel...
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almost 6 years ago
Answer A: How late/early should you pitch up/leave when wild camping in the UK/Europe?
It sounds like you are talking about the practice of dashing off into the woods to sleep in secret wherever you happen to be while traveling. I have heard this called "wild camping" before. Not to be confused with camping on hiking trails where you are allowed to camp anywhere, which I assume you are...
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almost 6 years ago