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Activity for nivag‭

Type On... Excerpt Status Date
Question Climbing all the Munros as a continous round
I think it would be fun to climb all the Munros as a single long distance type route. The wikipedia page indicates that several people have climbed all the Munros as a continuous round. Where can I find more information about completing such a challenge? In particular is there a standard route and...
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over 9 years ago
Answer A: Create ultra light camera tripod w/ mini tripod and 3 tent poles?
I have several suggestions of how you could do this. If you are going to use rope I would use 3 pieces of thinner rope 2/3mm paracord should be more than strong enough. I would then tie a shear lashing (see picture) on each leg. You want to try and use a significant length of the pole or possible ev...
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over 9 years ago
Question What fictitious wilderness animals are there as tourist attractions?
Having read this question on drop bears. I have been wondering what other fictitious animals are there in other parts of the world that have been invented to amuse/confuse tourists. Has anyone compiled a list? Do these animals share any common features? In particular I'm interested in the more "m...
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over 9 years ago
Answer A: Do mountains regularly (for a mountain) change height?
While heights do change slowly by natural processes such changes are likely to be on the order of centimeters barring any extreme events. Most changes in published heights of hills since people started measuring these things accurately (only the last couple of hundred years) are due to improvements/...
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over 9 years ago
Answer A: How many "Munro" revisions have there been?
A list of changes to the Munro list and database of Munros and tops can be found at The Database of British and Irish hills. The list is maintained by the Scottish Mountaineering club (SMC) and is published in the SMC Journal. As far as I am aware, an update is only published when there is a change ...
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over 9 years ago
Answer A: Reusing the same water bottle for drinking tap water
Given that your water is clean I don't think cleaning the bottle is a major concern. Personally I would rinse a water bottle out with tap water before filling (or maybe once a day if using it lots) and only bother with soap if visibly dirty. Therefore I would say your suggestion is more than necessa...
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over 9 years ago
Answer A: What do you call a small backpack? (so I can search for it)
Such small bags are often known as daysacks. However, in my experience the best way to search for bags is by their size. Bag size is generally measured in L (even in the US I think). Most larger bags will have their size in the name. Some smaller bags don't, but is you can find the bag online it wil...
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over 9 years ago
Question How to repair the broken stitching and seams in my leather boots?
After several years of abuse and poor care my boots have completely gone at the seams around the inner ankle (see photos) What can I do to repair my boots? My current plan is to just get some thick thread and just resow them, but I am concerned about whether they will be at all waterproof afterwa...
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over 9 years ago
Answer A: Lodging while hiking the European E-paths
Unfortunately being Europe the situation changes from country to country. But I will try and keep my answer as general as possible. I most places wild camping is not allowed. Main exceptions are Scotland and Nordic countries and some other places where its illegal but widely tolerated. I Alpine and...
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over 9 years ago
Answer A: Walking stick or Pole
Here is a pretty useful article on the correct way to use poles. There are several aims in using a pole. In my opinion, the primary one is to reduce strain on the knees and ankles. Additionally they provide extra stability on rough ground and can make going uphill easier. The disadvantage is they re...
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over 9 years ago
Answer A: Tying up a tent to the sack
Firstly if you are on your own a four man tent is probably excessive. People buy small two man/trekking tents so that it is easy to carry them and one doesn't have this sort of problem. If you are in a larger group then it is not necessary for one person to carry the entire tent. You can break it up...
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over 9 years ago
Answer A: Carrying a portable stove
When packing/carrying the stove there are two main aims: to not break it and not get the rest of your kit covered in fuel. There are some tips for achieving this: pack the stove somewhere secure where it won't get too knocked about/crushed/bent. Most stoves will pack inside a pot/pan which is my pr...
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over 9 years ago
Answer A: What batteries would make sense to power 12v devices (e.g. blankets, lights) for camping?
My friend has made a camping power box that uses (two?) car batteries to store the power. Instructions for making something similar can be found here and probably many other places. This more than supplies our needs including phones, lights, radio and electric 'fridge'. The major issue is getting en...
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over 9 years ago
Answer A: How to use all the fuel in a bottle with a MSR Whisperlite Internationale?
Most things I can think of would stop it working even when full. My one suggestion is, is the pump below the fuel line when on its side? The fuel line is the white tube in the picture. If it is in the middle of the bottle and the fuel is low it might not be submerged when the bottle is horizontal. ...
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almost 10 years ago
Answer A: How do you repair a plastic kayak?
The main issue with repairing plastic hulls is that is that most adhesives don't bond very well to the plastic. For temporary repairs duct tape is the way to go. Its quite adhesive and waterproof. If the hole is too big use the duct tape to secure something else waterproof (e.g plyboard or plastic) i...
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almost 10 years ago
Question Are self-inflatable sleeping pads more slippery than other mats?
I was camping recently and someone was complaining that they were finding it hard to sleep, as their new self inflating mat was much more slippery than their old foam one. Is this a real effect, and why does it occur? Is it a general feature of self-inflating mats vs foam, the particular design, a ...
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almost 10 years ago
Answer A: How should I pack for a week of backpacking in the rain?
Other things to consider than just what to bring are what the rest of the weather will be beyond just raining. Will it be cold or still quite warm, what is the wind doing (especially if you're going up any big hills), etc. Depending on how severe the rain is, flash flooding may be a risk, especiall...
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almost 10 years ago
Question Survival type activies for Scout camp
I taking a bunch of scouts camping next week. While we are staying at a Scout campsite with facilities and some organised activities. We have decided we want to have a bit more of back to basics/survival focus. Do people have suggestions of any good activities that are survival/scout skill orientate...
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almost 10 years ago
Answer A: Buoyancy aids ratings
50N refers to 50 newtons. This is the buoyancy force that the buoyancy aid provides (10N = 1kg). This site has some useful information on buoyancy aids and ratings. 50N is the pretty much the standard rating for things like kayaking or dinghy sailing, with the occasional higher rating (60/70N). Howe...
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almost 10 years ago
Answer A: What hazardous wildlife is there in the UK?
A few others I could think of: Foxes Foxes are generally not aggressive are easily scared away by humans. However, there have been cases of fox attacks of on small children. It should be noted these incidents are very rare. Interestingly this appears to be more of an urban problem possibly caused b...
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almost 10 years ago
Answer A: How can I test out my equipment before a backpacking trip?
To test your hiking kit/boots to see if it is all comfortable/fits you can do a day walk but carrying your full rucksack and kit (or stuff of similar weight). This will give you a idea of how your kit fits and the difference in hiking with a full rucksack compared to a daysack to help you judge how f...
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almost 10 years ago
Answer A: Week long trek, how far each day? pace?
My personal opinion is you may be being a little bit optimistic on your speed. I would probably aim for 20-30km per day (15 miles) if you have not done such a long trip before and are reasonably fit. Although there are several factors to consider: Hiking with a 40lb pack is significantly different ...
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almost 10 years ago
Answer A: Affordable Festival Tent
I also hadn't thought of tent hire. Quick search gives http://www.tent2hire.co.uk/ and http://www.campinggearhire.co.uk/ for UK services. Cost about &#xA3;20-30 for a weekend + &#xA3;100 deposit for a 2-3 man tent. The deposit would make me nervous about taking a tent like that to a festival. Depe...
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almost 10 years ago
Answer A: An adjustable length knot for 2 lines and a carabiner for easy suspension
Unless I'm missing something you could just throw the rope over the bar and tie the two ends together with figure eight bend/sheet bend/reef knot. If you're worried about it moving too much you could give it a couple of turns round the bar or even tie directly to the bar with two clove hitches (as ...
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almost 10 years ago
Answer A: Which fuel burns the cleanest? Can I use E85 for an MSR stove?
Kerosene, white gas (Coleman fuel) and unleaded should all work. However you need to change the nozzle/jet where the fuel comes out depending on the fuel used. I believe (though I'm not entirely sure) there are different diameter holes for different fuels - presumably due to different viscosity. T...
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almost 10 years ago
Answer A: What are the Pros and Cons of Trekking Solo?
I think there are several factors to consider when traveling alone. Pros You can set your own pace. For me this is one of the main reasons to hike alone. When with other people they often want to go faster than you and you end up breaking yourself trying to keep up or are slower/less confident and...
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almost 10 years ago
Answer A: Knot to turn cord into loop (load bearing)
I believe the conventional way is to use a double (triple) fisherman's bend. This has the advantage of being and relatively compact. The main disadvantage is that it can be hard to undo if you need to. Other options include the figure of 8 bend which is bulkier than the fisherman's but easier to unt...
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almost 10 years ago
Answer A: Maintaining a Mountain Hut
My experience of mountain huts huts is mainly from UK and Europe. Standards in other parts of the world may vary. Mountain huts come in a wide range of different varieties. At the basic end you have unmanned huts or bothies. These can range from very basic with just a roof and wooden bunks to put yo...
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almost 10 years ago
Answer A: How to fix a leak in a fibreglass kayak?
Here is a pretty good article on repairing fiberglass hulls. Its aimed at dinghy's but I guess the same principles apply. Youtube also has many videos on fibreglass repair. The small leaks should be reasonably easy to fix. Especially if it is just the gelcoat that is damaged rather than a complete h...
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almost 10 years ago
Answer A: Gloves for knuckle protection that can get wet but not necessarily waterproof
You could look at sailing gloves such as these. There are loads of different varieties with open or closed finger versions depending on your preference. As mentioned by others many sailors also use rubber gardening or builders gloves. These are much cheaper but wear out a lot faster. I'm not sure ho...
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about 10 years ago