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Activity for Chris Mendez‭

Type On... Excerpt Status Date
Question What types of live bait should I use to catch red drum?
I want to go fishing for red drum (reds) on the Texas Gulf Coast and I would like to use live bait. What types of live bait should I use?
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over 8 years ago
Question How to avoid snakes when hiking in heavily leaved areas?
While attempting to locate a specific climbing wall, our group hiked off-trail through several different areas that had large piles of leaves. In attempt to scare off the snakes, we poked the ground with a hiking stick/pole, but I later questioned whether that would even scare them off. What is the ...
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over 8 years ago
Answer A: This isn't a double overhand loop -- what is it?
Yep, when weighted the rope pulls through and reveals a false pair of loops. Definitely not a knot/loop that should be used!
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over 8 years ago
Question This isn't a double overhand loop -- what is it?
Inspired by @ShemSeger's possibly invented knot, I'm curious to see if anyone knows anything about this knot: Final knot: Reverse deconstructed: It's basically the same idea from a double figure eight loop but applied to an overhand knot. It uses less rope than a double figure eight, but that'...
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over 8 years ago
Answer A: What's this knot called?
I think you invented a new knot, or at least one that is decently documented (my non-trivial search came up empty). Regardless, the bigger question (as others pointed out in the comments) is how it handles in various tests, and whether it fares better, worse, or on par with the flat overhand bend. E...
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over 8 years ago
Question Are any natural insect repellents effective against fleas?
Are any natural insect repellents effective against fleas? Although very effective, DEET products are controversial and many people have shied away from their use in favor of natural products with herbs, lemongrass, and eucalyptus. Are any DEET-free insect repellents effective against fleas? Clear...
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over 8 years ago
Question Are DEET-based insect repellents effective against fleas?
There have been an increase in plague cases in the western United States that have been tied to infected fleas. Dogs and cats have flea repellents available on the market, but I've never seen flea repellents for humans. Are DEET-based insect repellents effective against fleas?
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over 8 years ago
Question Do snakes try to get in hammocks?
I use an ENO hammock when I camp and I have always wondering if a snake would want to slither into my hammock while I'm sleeping. Note that this hammock is open, as opposed to a Hennessy hammock, which is enclosed with a bug net. Is this a reasonable concern? Do snakes want to climb trees and webbin...
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over 8 years ago
Question Safe, effective method for splitting firewood using a hatchet?
While car camping this past weekend, I bought some firewood from the park headquarters but unfortunately, it was split into very large pieces that obviously wouldn't light very well. I tried splitting it by using a hatchet and another log to hit it, but this wood was very hard and not splitting using...
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over 8 years ago
Answer A: What to do when you run out of rope on a sports climb?
Whether you run out of rope or just can't complete the route, you have to bail as safely as possible. As soon as your belayer reaches the rope's middle mark, he should double check that there's a stopper knot at the end. Then, you would down climb to the nearest bolt and then proceed to bail on the ...
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over 8 years ago
Question Considerations for older campers?
I grew up car camping with my parents several times a year, but as they've gotten older (early 60s), they basically stopped camping. Recently, they've expressed interest in camping again but I'm concerned that all of their gear is between 10 and 15 years old, bulky, awkward to assemble, and just an...
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over 8 years ago
Question How long of cord do I need to make a three-point cordelette?
I was looking at buying some cord to make a three point cordelette (I am American, after all). I see that REI sells a pre-cut length of 7mm cord that is 6.4 meters (21 feet), but one of the review comments says that it was only long enough to make a two-point cordelette. How long of cord should I bu...
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over 8 years ago
Answer A: Learning Anchors - How is single cordelette loop anchor redundant?
The focal knot itself provides redundancy. According to the Ashley Book of Knots, when a cord breaks, it usually does so outside of the knot and not inside. Therefore, if the cord breaks below the knot, like you were concerned, the knot will not usually be affected or unravel. SARRR has an excellent...
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over 8 years ago
Question Can rock climbers easily transition to canyoning?
Rock climbing and canyoning/canyoneering are very different. However, it seems like the two disciplines would also have significant overlap in skills and gear-- knots, rappel techniques, harness, rope, belay/rappel device, etc. Can rock climbers easily transition to canyoning? If so, what sorts of c...
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over 8 years ago
Question How do I get cam slings replaced?
I bought my first set of cams and I've been curious about what happens when the slings start to wear out. Are they user-replaceable? The ones I purchased seem to be very un-user-replaceable: How do I get cam slings replaced?
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over 8 years ago
Question Practical uses for commando/Australian rappel?
Having watched several Bear Grylls shows, I was curious if anyone has any practical uses for a "commando rappel", as he calls it, or an "Australian rappel". It seems like they're only used for entertainment since I've never seen anyone do one outside of television. On the other hand, their name sugge...
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almost 9 years ago
Question How can I safely practice trad climbing?
I have climbed indoors and outdoors for several years, both top rope and sport, and I somewhat recently took an outdoor trad climbing class. In the class, we placed protection while on top rope and never took any falls on the gear. Now, after the class, I would like to try putting some of the knowle...
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almost 9 years ago
Question How can I avoid or lessen sweating in a rain jacket?
I have a nylon rain jacket that I wear to walk my dogs when it rains. It seems that no matter what clothes I wear underneath, I always end up very sweaty. I've tried long sleeves, short sleeves, quick-dry and cotton shirts, but it just happens after about 10 minutes. Of course, Texas weather is gener...
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almost 9 years ago
Question How to hike without constantly looking down
Every time I go walking or hiking, I generally spend most of my time looking down to make sure I don't step on a snake or hole or dog poop. I don't do it consciously, it just happens. Obviously, I miss out on a lot of birds and small animals up in the trees and I'd like to see how other people cope w...
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almost 9 years ago
Question How to light a fire with wet firewood?
There is a wide variety of pre-cut firewood available when camping. In my experience, even wood that's been kept covered is often very wet and can be difficult to light. What are some techniques for lighting wet firewood? Are there ways to tell wet pre-cut firewood from wood that's only damp on the...
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about 9 years ago
Question Uses for different size locking carabiners
What are the advantages/disadvantages and typical use cases for different sizes of locking carabiners? For example, a Black Diamond RockLock Screwgate vs a Mini Pearabiner Screwgate (or the differently-shaped Black Diamond Positron Screwgate). I'm wondering if one is better for belaying, anchoring,...
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over 9 years ago
Question Benefits of tree tents over typical shelters?
I've recently learned about tree tents such as Tentsile and while they certainly look interesting and fun, they seem to combine the drawbacks of hammocks (heat loss due to wind and need for trees) with the drawbacks of a tent (size, weight and complexity). So, in which situations would this type of ...
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over 9 years ago
Answer A: Dog Breeds for Backpacking and Trail Running
Australian cattle dog or other types of working dogs. Mine loves backpacking. Cattle dogs have very high energy levels and are bred to travel long distances. Excellent for trail running and hiking long distances. They can carry their own food/water and will do so without whining or stopping (workin...
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almost 10 years ago
Answer A: Camping with a dog for the first time
I regularly take my two medium-sized dogs car camping and keep them inside the tent with me. I initially took them on a practice trip to a nearby park and let them sleep in the tent with me. The dogs tore holes in the mesh because they kept trying to go after animals. We learned two lessons: Dogs t...
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almost 10 years ago
Answer A: Reliable supplier of Ultrafire batteries
The UltraFire product is manufactured by WhaFat Technological Company, which is based in Hong Kong. Their products look very similar to SureFire flashlights, so it's possible that UltraFires themselves are clones/knockoffs. That said, the WhaFat website recommends purchasing from an official dealer,...
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almost 10 years ago
Question Is it safe to cut a climbing rope in half?
I recently bought a 70 meter climbing rope from REI because it was a great price on the outlet. Last weekend I used it for the first time in the Texas hill country, where 99% of routes need a rope less than 35 meters. The rope is overkill for what I will be climbing in the foreseeable future. My que...
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about 10 years ago