Activity for DudeOnRock
| Type | On... | Excerpt | Status | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Edit | Post #40982 | Initial revision | — | over 4 years ago |
| Edit | Post #40638 | Initial revision | — | over 4 years ago |
| Edit | Post #40592 | Initial revision | — | over 4 years ago |
| Edit | Post #40269 | Initial revision | — | over 4 years ago |
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A: Dozens of earthworms came on my terrace and died there Purely speculative hypothesis: Worms are coldblooded, which means they depend on temperatures above freezing for their metabolism to function. They survive the winter by burrowing down below the layer of soil that freezes to hybernate. You mentioned that temperatures changed abruptly. This is where ... (more) |
— | about 8 years ago |
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A: How to assess the likelihood of a tree falling in a forest? A few suggestions for reducing the likelihood of an incident: Sleep in clearings. Avoid the forest during heavy winds. Avoid sleeping under large branches: even when the tree looks healthy. I have witnessed the aftermath of century old drought-stressed but otherwise healthy California live oaks los... (more) |
— | about 8 years ago |
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A: What's a good place for a beginner to go backcountry camping in Oregon and California? I'll answer the slightly broader question "How should I plan my first backpacking trip in Oregon or California?" (with emphasis on California, since that is the area I know best) Since you are mentioning fishing and hunting, I am going to lead with permits. Make sure that fishing and hunting is pe... (more) |
— | over 8 years ago |
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A: What do I need to consider when rock climbing at night? General advice for climbing at night: Don't do it if you are new to climbing. Avoid it, even if you are not new to climbing. Be prepared for it on long routes, even when you are not expecting to be climbing at night. Most of my night-climbing came about unplanned. Make sure you can do everything in... (more) |
— | over 8 years ago |
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A: Rapelling an overhang This is not a direct answer but more of an extended comment about safety when rappelling on overhanging terrain. When rappelling over an overhang or an overhanging wall, make sure that you are certain that you will be able to reach the ground. Ideally you know that both ends of your rope are touchin... (more) |
— | over 8 years ago |
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A: Can windowless tents be adjusted for adequate ventilation? TL;DNR: It depends if you are backpacking or car camping. I have owned several mesh tents with windowless rainflies. I have not owned any tents with a "window" (an opening to the tent not meant for ingress and egress), though I remember them from my youth. The tents I have owned would all qualify as... (more) |
— | over 8 years ago |
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A: What sleep quality do you get in the outdoors? Quality of sleep can depend on a multitude of factors. These are some of my experiences: Quality and appropriateness of gear Most people sleep poorly if they get too cold or too hot. Having a quality sleeping bag that is appropriate for your climate and time of year will definitely increase the lik... (more) |
— | over 8 years ago |
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A: Tent inside of a tent - any improvement in warmth? I don't know what your situation is exactly, but my advice would be to instead invest in a good down sleeping-bag. Or bring someone to cuddle with. A good sleeping bag will provide that pocket of still air you are looking for and is going to be much more compact and lightweight. For about a year and... (more) |
— | over 8 years ago |
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A: How to use a Munter hitch to belay and rappel? To answer your question as to the ideal break position when using the munter: It depends. It depends on your comfort and experience with the knot, its application and the situation. I have rappeled and belayed with munter-hitches on numeral occasions. A double stranded munter-hitch rappel provides... (more) |
— | over 8 years ago |
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A: What is the correct way to attach a rope to a harness with carabiners? Carabiners always attach to the belay loop. Attaching carabiners to the tie-in-points causes them to get loaded incorrectly. Carabiners are designed to load the spine, which is the side opposite the gate. Attaching a carabiner to the tie-in-points causes the gate to be loaded, since three strands g... (more) |
— | almost 9 years ago |
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A: How can I recuperate between two long walks Stay hydrated. Dehydration prolongs the time it takes to recover from exertion. Eat. Make sure you bring enough and the right kind of food for the trip to adequately fuel your body. Sleep. Make sure you didn't skimp on sleep, just to get that extra early start. Prepare your body. Go on long hikes or... (more) |
— | almost 9 years ago |
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A: What is a safe distance for large, non-predatory wildlife? Each species and possibly even each individual animal will behave very differently. A good rule of thumb is: if wildlife reacts to you, you are too close. I think this is the most general way to answer you question and has the benefit of giving you instantaneous feedback. If the animal looks straight... (more) |
— | almost 9 years ago |
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A: How do you grade a bouldering problem? Short answer: Climb lots of other routes in many different areas and have lots of other people climb your routes. Let me get into why you opened a can of worms with your question: Ratings for routes are almost always in a greater context both historically and in respect to their location. The peopl... (more) |
— | about 9 years ago |
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A: Looking for a Topographical map resource? I have used the free caltopo.com for my recent trips. They use 7.5 minute quadrangles and stitch them together seemlessly. It is possible to create custom maps by creating tracks or import tracks created with Google Earth. They also have a topographical image overlay for Google Earth, which I have... (more) |
— | about 9 years ago |
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A: How to introduce individuals to the concept of Leave No Trace Doctrine and strict rules create resentment. Children are a prime example of this, but most adults are sadly not immune either. The importance of Leave No Trace is coupled to a place. Yes, ideally we would all try to minimize our impact on this planet, but some places are more fragile than others an... (more) |
— | about 9 years ago |
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How to introduce individuals to the concept of Leave No Trace How do I prioritize teaching about the concept of Leave No Trace to someone who is unfamiliar with it, without coming across as off-putting because there are so many rules? (more) |
— | about 9 years ago |
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Toothpaste in the back-country and the principle of leave no trace I am a staunch proponent of leave no trace. I don't carry dish detergent (sand and small rocks work much better on stainless steel anyways,) and I don't use soap or shampoo, not even of the biodegradable kind (being smelly I have heard might even help with repelling mosquitos...) I do however use too... (more) |
— | about 9 years ago |
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A: Is it possible to put a kayak in the water in Berlin and reach the Baltic via lakes and rivers? I haven't done that specific trip, but I went from Bremen to Bremerhaven on the Weser river, and thought I would chime in with what I learned on that trip that might be applicable to your itinerary. Make sure you study the tide tables in advance. The closer you get to the sea, the more you will ha... (more) |
— | about 10 years ago |
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A: Where should a band be tied to stop bleeding from wound? Small addendum to the excellent answers already present: Never release a tourniquet unless you have received expert instruction on doing so. If the patient who received a tourniquet does not receive medical attention within a few hours, it is likely that the patient will loose the affected limb. Th... (more) |
— | over 10 years ago |
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A: Learning to fall when leading: what is good fall technique? Just two small addenda to the great answers from AMHawk and JPDurham: Look down. This advice seems obvious, but if you don't specifically train yourself to do this, you might not do it when you take an unexpected fall. Know where on the route you should absolutely not fall. Both answers kind of m... (more) |
— | over 10 years ago |
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A: How to rappel on an over-hanging cliff? Please make sure you know what you are doing before you attempt this feat. Just because you have successfully rappeled there before, does not automatically mean you were/are qualified to do so. Very overhanging cliffs can't be rappelled in the traditional sense. "Bouncing," like another answer here ... (more) |
— | almost 11 years ago |
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A: Anchor without cordelette? A cordelette gives you the most versatility and is definitely the way to go in most situations, especially if you are relatively new to climbing. A disclaimer before I elaborate any further: Reading a book on anchor-building is not enough to be able to construct a safe belay anchor. Read the b... (more) |
— | about 11 years ago |
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A: A Hat or a Cap? Another option is a cap/visor with a bandanna. I like doing this when I expect windy conditions. Wide brimmed hats (superior in most other circumstances) will have more wind resistance and can become quite the nuisance. When you can wear neither a hat nor a cap (because you are wearing a helmet, for ... (more) |
— | about 11 years ago |
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A: Micro-Fractures in Climbing Equipments I consider a couple of factors when it comes to dropped gear: Some equipment is pretty easy to inspect. A carabiner has one moving part (the gate, possibly a second, if it's a locker). Nuts and hexes have no moving parts.Cams on the other hand are not easily examined. Equipment like non-locking car... (more) |
— | about 11 years ago |
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A: How to clean rock-climbing shoes? I had a huge problem with smelly climbing shoes when climbing in the gym or on long multi-pitch days. The single most effective thing I have come across is taking the shoes off between climbs/pitches. This seems tedious at first, but once you make it part of your routine it's not that bad. There stil... (more) |
— | about 11 years ago |
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A: Where can you find an online elevation profile of Tahoe Rim Trail? Google Earth can give you an elevation profile of pretty much anything. There are 4 ways to go about: Look for a .KMZ or .KML file to load into Google Earth. Activate the EveryTrail layer in Google Earth int the Layers panel under 'Primary Database'->'Gallery'->'Everytrail' and look for GPS... (more) |
— | about 11 years ago |
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A: How dangerous is it to fall 3 meters when lead climbing? I wanted to mention two additional scenarios not covered by Ben Crowell's great answer. When it is possible to fall past the belayer (on a multi-pitch climb, or when getting to the start of a climb involves a scramble or stepping out onto the face,) the fall factor is the greatest. In those cases t... (more) |
— | about 11 years ago |
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A: How does cam strength change with the retraction angle? Under-camming and camming angle are two very different things. The camming angle is constant for the whole range of the cam and is defined by the shape of the cam-lobe and can range from 12.5 degrees to up to 21 degrees (Black Diamond's C4s for example have a camming angle of 14.5 degrees.) An und... (more) |
— | about 11 years ago |
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A: Knot for Joining the ropes of different thicknesses What is your intended use for those joined ropes? If your life depends on it (you tagged your question with "safety"), I would not recommend using drastically different sized ropes in the first place and I would recommend something that has been well tested by the rock-climbing community. Most rock c... (more) |
— | about 11 years ago |
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A: Carry a larger water bottle or a smaller water bottle for backpacking? Single use water bottles are nice, like Steed mentioned. I use those a lot. The downside is that most filters don't readily attach to those bottles, which means I often wish I had a third hand when pumping water. Whenever I have space in my pack, I like to use a hydration bladder. You don't have to ... (more) |
— | about 11 years ago |
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A: What's the difference between Sport Climbing and Traditional Climbing? Both sport climbing and trad climbing are a form of lead climbing, which means the first climber to go up is not protected by a rope from above. A sport climber uses quickdraws which, as you mentioned, get clipped to bolts that have been placed in 10 to 15 foot intervals. At the end of the climb a sp... (more) |
— | about 11 years ago |
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A: How can I practice Climbing without the actual wall and/or equipment? The best practice for climbing is to actually go climbing. I have wasted both time and money experimenting with training setups at home for practicing climbing, and I have mostly been disappointed. Since then I have transitioned my efforts at home to staying in shape for climbing (slightly different ... (more) |
— | about 11 years ago |
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A: Refillable camping stoves for use in the UK Upfront I would like to mention that I don't live in the UK, but I hope my answer is still relevant. The most commonly used stove brand in the US is Coleman, and I looked on amazon.co.uk, and it looks like they are common in the UK as well. For Coleman camping stoves you can buy adapter cables to c... (more) |
— | about 11 years ago |
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Alternatives to retreating quickly when caught in a lightning storm when rock climbing? The general advice I have heard for surprise lightning storms when climbing is to retreat. Since retreating quickly is not without danger itself and often is not even all that quick (I personally have spent two hours plus retreating), I was wondering if there are any other well tested strategies. I w... (more) |
— | about 11 years ago |
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A: Backup prusik for Abseiling: Where does it go? This answer is purely complementary and does not attempt to answer the question directly. Another option for securing a rappel is the fireman's belay. This works on single pitch climbs when someone is at the base of the cliff, or on multi-pitch routs when someone is already at the next, lower anchor... (more) |
— | about 11 years ago |
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A: Tie in to harness, top to bottom or bottom to top Figure eight-knots are not directional. Once the knot is properly tied and dressed, it doesn't matter if you passed the rope through from the top or the bottom, it is purely a matter of preference. Things to watch out for when tying your figure-eight: Does the rope go through both tie-in points, a... (more) |
— | about 11 years ago |
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To stuff or not to stuff (the rain-fly of a tent) I have friends who say stuffing your rainfly prolongs the life of the tent, because folding waterproof material over and over is going to make it leak. I have other friends who say folding and rolling the rainfly prolongs the life of the tent, because stuffing waterproof material over and over is goi... (more) |
— | about 11 years ago |
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Can I upgrade my MSR Wisperlite International to also be able to burn propane? I used someone else's Wisperlite Universal for the duration of a trip and it looks like the only functional difference is a jet that can be attached for burning propane. Can I purchase just that jet and burn propane with my Wisperlite International? (more) |
— | about 11 years ago |
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Sustainable systems for carrying out human waste I am looking for sustainable alternatives for carrying out human waste. WAG bags, though convenient, sadly have to end up in land-fills. I am looking for a system where the non-biodegrading components can be reused hygienically, and the biodegrading substances can be disposed of in pit toilets or com... (more) |
— | over 11 years ago |
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Light-weight emergency overnight-gear What is a good emergency-overnight-sleeping-setup when every ounce counts, like on long technical routes (grade V or VI) where the goal is to do it in one day (without hauling), but one wants to prepare for the unexpected? Building a fire is not an option. I am interested in answers for all seasons,... (more) |
— | over 11 years ago |
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Identifying named peaks from the summit of a north-american peak Is there a good resource for quickly identifying peaks that are visible on the summit of a north-american peak? Currently I use a topographical map and painstakingly identify each individual peak. I was hoping someone knew about a resource where there is a panoramic picture taken from the summit wit... (more) |
— | over 11 years ago |
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A: What's the best way to swap lead when climbing in a group of three using a pair of half ropes? I love doing routes with 3 people. Once you are efficient at it, those don't take much longer than going with 2 people, you have someone to talk to when the leader is taking forever, and you have an additional hand, if you need it (for taking pictures, dealing with rope tangle, keeping an eye out on ... (more) |
— | over 11 years ago |
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A: How do I properly use the cinch-straps that came with my daypack? I have a small summit pack that has loops on each side of the backpack, which your's seems to have as well. My pack advertised those for "securing overloads," meaning you can drape stuff that doesn't fit inside (like a rope), over the pack before you close the lid and secure it with the straps to eac... (more) |
— | over 11 years ago |
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A: How tight should the line be kept for toproping? Like with most climbing related questions, I personally find it hard to give a definitive rule that applies to all circumstances. There are a couple of safety factors to consider, as well as the perception of the climber. Don't venture out on your own if any of the following doesn't seem intuitive to... (more) |
— | over 11 years ago |
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Toproping with two ropes joined by a double fisherman's The other day we were waiting in line for a popular 200 foot single pitch climb in the valley and the party in front of us was using two 70 meter ropes they had joined together with a double fisherman's as a top-rope. I had never seen or heard of this being done before and I can think of a couple of ... (more) |
— | over 11 years ago |
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A: If an autoblock inteferes with a belay device will a fireman belay have any effect? I know I am answering a slightly different, more general question, but I think it is quite crucial to learn how to unjam a rappel device without relying on anybody else's help before embarking on any kind of outdoor-rappelling adventures. I have gotten my ATC stuck more times than I'd like to admit... (more) |
— | over 11 years ago |