Activity for xpda
| Type | On... | Excerpt | Status | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Answer | — |
A: What should I look for if I want to buy a winter-proofed tent? If you use your current tent, you should make sure the rain fly (outer layer) covers the entire tent. Otherwise you will have a healthy layer of frost on the inside of the tent (in the uncovered area) every morning. Four season tents usually have more poles and are sturdier than three season tents, ... (more) |
— | over 12 years ago |
| Answer | — |
A: How do I tie a sleeping bag to my backpack? If you put a sleeping bag on the outside of the pack, you should have it in a stuff sack or something similar that is strong, waterproof, and has loops for straps. A sleeping bag is something you don't want wet or lost. You can strap the stuff sack with the sleeping bag anywhere, probably near the bo... (more) |
— | over 12 years ago |
| Answer | — |
A: How can one find the difficult to find geocaches? First, pick the location you think it closest to the mark, based on the GPS. Then, walk in an outward spiral, looking at any place that someone would be likely to hide a geocache. Think like a person who is hiding it. Where would you put it? Don't forget to look up. Maybe it's at eye level or above. ... (more) |
— | over 12 years ago |
| Answer | — |
A: If I'm caught in lightning above tree-line, what should I do? Cracks in rocks or lying on the ground won't improve things. Creek beds might make it worse if there's enough water to conduct electricity. The best policy is to get down before the lightning starts. Moving to the trees is probably the second best bet. Look around and see if a bunch of trees in yo... (more) |
— | over 12 years ago |
| Answer | — |
A: What style crampon should I use for my hiking boots and how do I adjust them? Some crampons have a heel lever that clamps down on the sole at the heel of the boot. These are more stable, but they don't always fit things like rubber boots. Steel crampons will stay sharp, but weigh more than aluminum crampons. If you buy them online, make sure you can return them if they won't... (more) |
— | over 12 years ago |
| Answer | — |
A: Is a varied diet necessary while backpacking? It takes more than 4-5 days to have problems from a limited diet, as long as you get enough of short-term things like salt (which is not normally a problem). Even so, I usually take some Flintstone chewables and dehydrated meals along to be healthy. (more) |
— | over 12 years ago |
| Answer | — |
A: Can any waterborne pathogens survive boiling? Boiling kills everything -- giardia, cryptosporidium, other bacteria, and viruses. 185°F (85°C) for a few minutes will do it, and boiling for one minute will do it. (Boiling is lots of big bubbles, not just a few small bubbles on the side of the pot.) Some people recommend longer boiling t... (more) |
— | over 12 years ago |
| Answer | — |
A: When stranded at sea, should I not ask for a tow? If you run out of fuel, have engine trouble, run aground soft, when there is no immediate danger to the marine environment, the boat, or the persons on board, then towing is just towing. If a vessel is hard aground, stranded, on fire, or sinking, and is towed from the site, it may be considered a sa... (more) |
— | over 12 years ago |
| Answer | — |
A: Hiking boots vs trail shoes I almost always hike in tennis shoes (court shoes) if it's reasonably dry and free of snow. I use them for climbs, day hikes, and backpacking. I don't have ankle problems, so I don't the ankle support. The tennis shoes grip rocks better and have better padding than my boots. (I do carry extra socks, ... (more) |
— | over 12 years ago |
| Answer | — |
A: What can I do to prevent getting poison ivy? There are no creams that will prevent poison ivy. Avoidance and long clothes are best. One thing you can do is wash it off. Usually if you catch it within a couple of hours, you can scrub off the oil on your skin with soap and water and a washcloth. You can't see the oil, but it seems to require abo... (more) |
— | over 12 years ago |
| Answer | — |
A: Is there a straightforward way to calculate energy requirements for a trek 2000 calories is the "standard" daily diet amount, so I usually shoot for 3000 calories per day plus 1 to 3 extra days, in case I get delayed or distracted and want or need to stay out longer. And I usually pack out some food. (more) |
— | over 12 years ago |
| Answer | — |
A: I found a Deer Tick on my friend and removed it, what should I do now? Put on neosporin and keep an eye on it for a few days looking for an oddly shaped rash. More info on Lime disease: Lyme Disease (Borreliosis) More info on Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever: First Aid For Tick Bites More detailed tick first aid: Tick bites: First aid I would stay with the trip. I get t... (more) |
— | over 12 years ago |
| Answer | — |
A: How should I check that the anchor is secure when I anchor a small yacht off unfamiliar land? Set the anchor by reversing the engine until the anchor chain is tight, and then run the engine at medium speed to make sure the anchor has dug in. You can watch a GPS to make sure the speed is around zero (and the anchor is not dragging) when you're doing this. However, if the tide and/or wind chan... (more) |
— | over 12 years ago |
| Answer | — |
A: How should I remove a tick? I pull them off gently, and if their head detaches in my skin (rarely happens), I'll dig it out with a needle or tweezers. Then add neosporin, and occasionally look for oddly-shaped rashes. If you spray your socks with deet, it will help keep them off. (more) |
— | over 12 years ago |
| Answer | — |
A: Should I get trekking poles for snowshoeing, or stick with ski poles? Trekking poles are lighter and sometimes easier to break than ski poles. Some have the advantage of folding up into a short package. If you use trekking poles, you may want some with changeable baskets so you can put on some larger baskets that won't sink into the powder so easily. (more) |
— | over 12 years ago |
| Answer | — |
A: What is the most efficient food to take a for a 12-15 day hiking trip? I go with a couple of Mountain House dehydrated meals per day, and check the calories per ounce of snacks and other food that I buy. Everybody does this differently. I have carried a watermelon before. I found this to be somewhat inefficient. (more) |
— | over 12 years ago |
| Answer | — |
A: How can I stay warm in subzero (0°F, -18°C ) weather? More insulation. Stay dry inside. Make sure you wear something that lets sweat escape. Keep your head covered with a hat and, if possible, a mask or balaclava. Eat plenty of food. When you stop, you will probably want to be doing something, stand at a fire, or get in your sleeping bag. It's hard to ... (more) |
— | over 12 years ago |
| Answer | — |
A: Where in the Alps is it safe to drink the water without filtering? At a water faucet? I would filter any untreated water in the Alps, and filter or boil melted snow. (more) |
— | over 12 years ago |
| Answer | — |
A: How do I know what size ice axe I should get? Some people prefer to have one long enough to use as a short walking stick. Others prefer to save weight and go as short as possible. In any case, it should be long enough so that you can use it properly to self-arrest. Everything else is optional. You could rent a couple of ice axes of different si... (more) |
— | over 12 years ago |
| Answer | — |
A: What are the critical dimensions to a safe bear-bag? It depends on the area. Some places (Yosemite, Glacier Bay) there are pretty much no safe bear bags and you need a bear-proof container. The bear bag should be high enough that a bear can't reach it from the ground, and far enough from the tree trunk that it cannot reach it from the trunk of the tree... (more) |
— | over 12 years ago |
| Answer | — |
A: Do polarized sunglasses protect against snow blindness? Any sunglasses or will help protect against snow blindness. UV protection is highly recommended. (more) |
— | over 12 years ago |
| Answer | — |
A: How should I treat poison ivy? Benadryl cream works about as good as anything for me. (more) |
— | over 12 years ago |
| Answer | — |
A: Keeping warm in an emergency Prevention. It's a good idea to carry extra clothing. Fleece is light and compressible, and it doesn't soak up water. An extra fleece top and bottom can be a life saver. And, there are lot of times someone you're with can use it just for comfort. If you are far enough away that you are potentially u... (more) |
— | over 12 years ago |
| Answer | — |
A: What do I do to prevent and treat frostbite? It is much better to avoid frostbite than to treat it. You can easily lose fingers and toes to frostbite. When you are camping in the winter, you cannot go into the lodge and warm up like you do snow skiing. You should really pay attention to frostbite. If it is much below freezing and you have numb... (more) |
— | over 12 years ago |
- ← Previous
- 1
- 2
- Next →