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Activity for furtiveā€­

Type On... Excerpt Status Date
Answer A: How do I remove mildew from a tent?
The famous mildew cleaner: Add 1 quart of liquid chlorine bleach to 3 quarts of warm water. Add 1/3 cup of powdered laundry detergent. Mix thoroughly and place in a spray bottle. Spray the mixture onto the mildewed area. Let it sit until the black mildew turns white. Rinse and scrub with fresh wate...
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over 12 years ago
Answer A: The outdoors, solitude and dealing with loneliness
I enjoy being alone, but I'll bring a book and some music for when I'm in my tent. You'll definitely get the "gee I wish someone was here to see this with me" moments, but you also get to avoid waiting or being waited upon by others. Setting your own pace is a great way to get to know yourself. If...
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over 12 years ago
Answer A: What is the most suitable cooking equipment to use for a long duration in central asia countries?
A stove that handles multiple forms of fuel is well suited for this sort of travel. I think the go-to one is the MSR Dragonfly which works with white gas (aka naphtha), kerosene, unleaded auto fuel, diesel, and even jet fuel. Another advantage of this setup is you don't have to worry about finding ...
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over 12 years ago
Answer A: What to look for when purchasing a fixed blade knife
A lot of it depends on the purpose of the knife, whether it will be primarily used for hunting, survival, or self-defence. What should you be looking for? Size, weight, but more importantly feel, how does it hold in your hand with an overhand grip (most common grip), and what about underhand grip...
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over 12 years ago
Answer A: How can I tell when pemmican has spoiled?
Lard/fat can last a long time without going bad if stored in a cool dry place, but it can still go rancid. The smell test is usually the easiest way of knowing if things have gone bad.
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over 12 years ago
Answer A: Do I need to break in double plastic mountaineering boots?
The boots remain stiff, but the liner inside and the footbed all adjust to your feet. You can definitely get away with not breaking them in, but if you're going to be wearing them for a prolonged period of time the first time you use them you might consider breaking them in a bit or bringing along so...
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over 12 years ago
Answer A: What are the key differences between Mountaineering and Rock Climbing?
Mountaineering refers to ascending a natural feature, although it doesn't necessarily imply summitting, nor must it be rock, as the same can be applied to the ascension of glaciers. Mountaineering has a subset of various skills which include climbing, skiing, hiking and scrambling. You can hike, ski...
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over 12 years ago
Answer A: Training to prepare for oxygen deficiency in the high mountains
Acclimatization is the most common technique. Altitude sickness occurs at 2,400 m, so you go to a base camp (for example Cuzco if you're doing the Incan trail, or the South/North Base camps for Everest) and you let your body adjust to the altitude over a few days although it can easily take a week. ...
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over 12 years ago
Answer A: How can you prevent kids getting lost at night while camping?
If it's a large number of kids or if they aren't your own kids then yes, parents should work in shifts. You're responsible for them and you can't be certain of their behaviour. Otherwise, kids should follow the same discipline as at home, which is that you don't leave your room/tent after you go to...
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over 12 years ago
Answer A: Selecting backpacking cooking pot &#x2013; teflon, aluminum, steel, titanium, or cast iron?
One advantage teflon brings to the wilderness is how easy it is to clean. The heat on backpacker stoves can be hard to regulate, it's not uncommon for hot spots that get food stuck to the bottom of the pot or worse, burnt to the bottom (I'm looking at you pasta + sauce packets!). Teflon makes it les...
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over 12 years ago
Answer A: What qualities to look for in a good emergency whistle?
The best whistle is one you don't forget. The last two packs I've had included whistles built right into the chest strap clip.
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over 12 years ago
Answer A: How is "pack weight" measured
From Hikingwebsite.com: Base Pack Weight - Weight of pack and gear carried in the pack, but no consumables Total Base Weight - Base pack weight plus weight of clothes worn and gear not carried in the pack Total Pack Weight - Base pack weight plus the weight of consumables (food, w...
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over 12 years ago
Answer A: Best way to illuminate a tent?
My own preferred method is to use a UCO candle lantern attached to the loop in the ceiling, it generates light that radiates outward, and also generates enough heat to make the tent enjoyable when you're settling in for the night. I combine the above with a headlamp for personal reading.
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over 12 years ago
Answer A: Are carabiners useful tools to have in the wilderness? If so, what would they be used for?
If you want to store your hiking poles on the outside of your pack I find a carabiner works quite well as a stirrup for holding the lower parts of the poles. I also put a lot of my loose items on one in the top pouch of my pack including, headlamp, lighter (on a keychain ring), multi-tool, flashligh...
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over 12 years ago
Answer A: Is it better to wear one pair or two pairs of socks while hiking?
FWIW Ten years ago everyone in the Canadian Forces were issued wool socks. Now they are all issued two-pair sock systems. Personally I never once got blisters with wool socks but I always kept my boots tight.
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over 12 years ago
Answer A: How to store fuel tablets for travel
I keep mine in a small freezer bag, which I replace each trip. I keep individual tablets in foil so they don't crumble as much. The foil also helps avoid touching them. If you're worried about the freezer bag wearing out you could double it up but I haven't found the need.
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over 12 years ago
Answer A: What to look for in a quality tarp?
Most tarps have a coating applied to them. DWR should be avoided, it's only water resistant and will eventually drip. Silicone impregnated (aka silnylon or sil-nylon) is lighter than polyurethane-coated, and is supposed to be equally waterproof, but some people say silnylon can mist during heavy ra...
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over 12 years ago
Answer A: How could I treat scrapes outdoors without a first aid kit?
I keep a few wet naps (like you get to wipe your fingers at a chicken &amp; ribs joint) mainly to wash my hands (do you know how hard it is to wash your hands in the bush?), and have used them to wipe some pretty serious scratched (they are also excellent fire starters). Hand sanitizer would be anoth...
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over 12 years ago
Question How do you punch out toes in ski-touring boots?
I've got a pair of custom moulded Scarpa Spirit 4 touring boots where the big toes are bit too tight (I've lost the nails after a day or two of touring more than once). What is the proper technique for punch out the toe liners without damaging the liner or overall functionality of the boot?
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almost 13 years ago
Answer A: What clothing would be appropriate for hiking in -18&#xB0;C with up to 30 km/hr wind?
A pant or snow pant that stops wind, like the Patagonia Guide Pants or goretex shell pants would be good. I'd say the same for the top, and outer shell that cuts wind, with the fleece underneath, and then pop on the down jacket when you've stopped for breaks. You could probably get away with just t...
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almost 13 years ago
Answer A: How to get started skiing?
Skiing is a sport where taking lessons pays off very quickly. Skiing is not an inexpensive sport: a lift ticket, lessons and rentals will cost you several hundred, but if you set aside about 3-5 days, with half day lessons for at least 3 days you should be pretty satisfied that you've cover all of th...
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almost 13 years ago
Answer A: What precautions should I take when hiking among herds of elk?
The rule of thumb in Banff National Park is to keep three bus lengths away from elk. Having said that it's easy to accidentally be within a few feet an an elk. Don't panic if it happens, it's very unlikely the elk will charge you (in Banff we see elk every day but there hasn't been a contact inciden...
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almost 13 years ago
Answer A: Handling feminine hygiene on multiple-month treks?
Try a menstrual cup. The advantage being that you only need one (maybe having two is a good idea) and that it can be washed.
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almost 13 years ago
Answer A: Should a hiker be concerned about wolves in the back-country?
Here's the Wolf Safety guidelines and procedures for British Columbia Parks, and here's backcountry advice around wolves from the Predator Conservation Alliance, they basically say that wolves don't normally pose a threat, keep 100m distance, use bear spray if necessary.
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almost 13 years ago
Answer A: First time camping, need advice
Others will tell you exactly what to bring, maybe even recommend brands. I'm going to cover things at a much higher level, with a few specific tips. The basic requirements of camping match the basics of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs: Physiological needs (food, clothing and shelter) Safety needs (ho...
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almost 13 years ago
Answer A: What can I do about those obnoxious biting flies?
One trick is to avoid them. A breeze is often enough to keep the bugs away, as are the cooler temperatures of May, June, September and October (for Canada at least). Combine the two by sticking to mountains. A hat, long sleeves, and long pants all help, as do thin gloves (Helly Hansen makes a grea...
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almost 13 years ago
Answer A: What equipment is recommended when camping with a baby?
If you're breastfeeding then you don't have to worry about food. Your child will need something to sleep in, we've used everything from a car seat liner to a sleeping bag folded in half, but the best is probably one of those sleeping bag style jumps that have should straps. A hat is always a good t...
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almost 13 years ago
Answer A: Sky map for tropics
Skymaps.com offers free rotational style sky maps to print out in PDF form each month, including equatorial editions (scroll down half way) that are drawn for 0&#xB0; but good to &#xB1;15&#xB0;.
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almost 13 years ago
Answer A: Do I need skins to drag a pulk on skis?
Yes, you can get away with just grip wax on flatter sections, assuming the weight of the pull is not too much. I regularly pull an infant in a similar configuration using just grip wax, even climbing small hills (legs akimbo), total weight is probably about 30lbs, but I know others with older kids t...
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almost 13 years ago
Answer A: How much fuel to carry for melting snow?
10 inches of snow will give you 1 inch of water. Lets say you need to fill your container half way full to get a cup of water, well that means you're going to have to fill it full 5 times to get that cup, melting it each time. I usually budget about 4-5 times the fuel in the winter than I use in th...
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almost 13 years ago