Activity for Charles E. Grant‭

Type	On...	Excerpt	Status	Date
Answer	—	A: Camping in Yosemite in March March in Yosemite is considered winter, so you need to be prepared for cold temperatures and for snow. A sunny but cold day in the snow can be gorgeous and fun, but you have to also be prepared, so if the weather turns, you won't find your self in a situation where you are struggling for survival. T... (more)	—	almost 5 years ago
Answer	—	A: Are snow shoes useful in mountaineering? Snowshoes are certainly useful in mountaineering and are widely used, at least in North America. Typically they are used on the approach and not so much on technical terrain. Many of the climbers I know own multiple pairs of snowshoes of varying sizes, to handle varying snow conditions. However, ma... (more)	—	about 5 years ago
Answer	—	A: Does mountaineering organization membership provide wilderness rescue/evacuation expense insurance? Not all search and rescue organizations charge for their services, even for air evacuation. It varies from state to state and even county by county. In the US clubs like the Sierra Club, the Mazamas, do not offer insurance, and in fact require that you sign waivers holding them not responsible if yo... (more)	—	over 5 years ago
Answer	—	A: What is the use case for non-breathable waterproof pants? The non-breathable pants are usually considerably cheaper than the breathable ones. That can make them a better choice for activities that stand a good chance of ripping holes in the material, glissading down icy slopes for example. Far better to rip your $25 non-breathable pants than your $125 Gore-... (more)	—	over 5 years ago
Answer	—	A: Why would you climb hard bigwall projects in Yosemite in winter? I just finished Caldwell's book Push. The big walls in Yosemite are essentially vertical deserts. Even in winter they're in the full sun much of the day. It would drop below freezing at night, but during the day temperatures would regularly get above 50 °F (10° C). In the summer the heat ca... (more)	—	almost 6 years ago
Answer	—	A: Is there proof that it's good for animals in captivity to do activities such as painting? There are certainly folks who would say that the entire idea of keeping marine animals in captivity and on exhibit is bad for the animals. However, if you are willing to accept keeping them in captivity, then providing them with enrichment activities is probably good for their mental health. Admitted... (more)	—	almost 6 years ago
Answer	—	A: Timberland classic 6 inch boots for mountain hiking/trekking This is really down to a matter of taste, fit, and comfort. These days through hikers doing long distance hikes like the Appalachian Trail or the Pacific Crest trail mostly go for light weight hiking shoes that are closer to running shoes. Other folks like the foot support provided by more substantia... (more)	—	almost 6 years ago
Answer	—	A: Why is the "alpine style" of climbing not as popular in the Himalayas? alpine style remains relatively rare in the Himalayas Actually, as far as I can tell from the current climbing literature, alpine style climbs in the Himalaya are relatively common these days. Expedition style climbs (at least the only ones that attract any attention) are now mostly for paying c... (more)	—	almost 6 years ago
Answer	—	A: Summitting Breithorn in the winter? I do not have much alpine experience Climbing the Breithorn in the winter is a much different matter than in the spring or summer. Any 4,000 meter peak in the alps is subject to arctic weather conditions with high winds and temperatures far below freezing. There is also going to be very deep sno... (more)	—	about 6 years ago
Answer	—	A: Trekking with a donkey Donkeys are not cars or bicycles. They have minds of their own, and they are considerably stronger than you. If you are going to use a donkey for trekking, you had better know enough about managing them so that you know what to do when they stop dead in the trail and refuse to proceed. Or, when they ... (more)	—	about 6 years ago
Answer	—	A: What are quality differences between Fleece? When you buy Patagonia or Arcteryx you are paying, at least in part, for a status signaling label. Patagonia is sometimes derisively referred to as Patagucci. That said, I do own some Patagonia clothing and I've found it to be durable and functional. They also arguably have sourcing arrangements that... (more)	—	about 6 years ago
Answer	—	A: What are some challenges to starting a small business that runs backpacking trips? A market definitely exists, but that also means you already have quite a bit of competition. There are both small local guide companies that do this, and big companies with a national, or even international scope. As in real estate, location is everything. To make a go of it you'll need a large base... (more)	—	about 6 years ago
Answer	—	A: How do some of the materials in the clothing we wear endanger marine life and the undersea environment? Much of our clothing, particularly outdoorsy technical clothing, is made of plastic (nylon is a plastic). The plastic in our clothing is largely inert, but it is subject to mechanical wear and tear. Every time you wash your plastic clothing small bits of bit are broken off, and are distributed throug... (more)	—	about 6 years ago
Answer	—	A: Do I still need to hang my food if I have two large dogs? You know, most black bears are probably going to be deterred by the presence of your dogs, but bears come in all sorts of personalities and degrees of desperation for food. Your dogs might be able to take a bear in a fight, but that doesn't mean they won't get seriously hurt in the process. Think abo... (more)	—	almost 7 years ago
Answer	—	A: Escaping tree well Really the key to escaping tree wells is to ski/board/snowshoe with a buddy. I have friends who have ended up head down in a tree well, completely unable to reach their bindings. With every movement more snow would fill in the well. If they hadn't been skiing with a partner, it would have been a dire... (more)	—	almost 7 years ago
Question	—	How to counter bindings getting loose on MSR Lightning Ascent snowshoes? This weekend I was out for the third time on my MSR Lightning Ascent snowshoes. I'm pretty happy with them, particularly the traction on ice or heavy crust. However, the bindings are driving me crazy! The bindings are rubber straps with eyelets. They wrap over your foot, and around a hook with a post... (more)	—	almost 7 years ago
Answer	—	A: Are statistics about the frequency of crime actually useful in determining how safe a trail is? Statistics is sometimes referred to as the study of decision making in the face of uncertainty. The XKCD comic is funny because the character is relying on a hopelessly broad statistic when there is actually a lot of relevant information staring them right in the face, which should obviously change t... (more)	—	almost 7 years ago
Answer	—	A: Using Camphor (Icy Hot) in the winter for warmth While a shot of liquor or an applications of camphor may make you feel warmer, neither is actually providing heat. They are chemically stimulating nerve endings and "tricking" your body into dilating the peripheral blood vessels. This makes your extremities feel warmer, but it also means that you are... (more)	—	almost 7 years ago
Answer	—	A: What accounts for the predominance of Kendall Mint Cake over York Peppermint Pattie in mountaineering expeditions? I've eaten both. They really don't have anything in common besides containing a lot of sugar and peppermint flavoring. There may be several variants of mint cake now, but the stuff I was eating in the 70s and that Edmund Hillary was eating on Everest was literally a block of sugar flavored with peppe... (more)	—	about 7 years ago
Question	—	How do I strengthen my ankles for long, steepish, snow and glacier routes? I had to turn around on a long (5000ft) glacier route last week because one of my ankles had really begun to hurt. The ankle was so fatigued after 1000ft that I doubted my ability to safely finish the remaining 4000ft, and the descent. I had decent double plastic boots, and had no problem kicking ste... (more)	—	over 7 years ago
Answer	—	A: Under what wilderness conditions is becoming infested with lice a possibility and what precautions should one take to avoid it? There are many different kinds of lice, but only three species can colonize humans. Lice are strongly adapted to a particular species and don't cross infect other species. They are also "obligate" parasites, meaning they can survive only a limited time away from a host. That means that you are less l... (more)	—	almost 8 years ago
Answer	—	A: Do I need a hard shell to ski in sunny weather conditions? As a beginning skier you will probably be falling down a lot. This means that you are likely to end up covered in snow even if the weather is nice. If you are wearing a soft shell, the snow melting from your body heat is more likely to penetrate the shell and make you cold and uncomfortable. Dependin... (more)	—	about 8 years ago
Answer	—	A: What are the pros and cons of ice axe leashes? Not dropping the ice axe is a pro in some circumstances and a con in others. If you drop into a crevasse it would be really nice to hang on to your ice axe to aid in your rescue and finishing or evacuating the climb. One the other hand, if you fall on a slope and lose control of your ice axe, then be... (more)	—	over 8 years ago
Answer	—	A: Swimming while in the high seas Yes. My wife is a geologist and has been on a couple of research cruises in the south Pacific and Indian oceans. It used to be quite common to have a "swim call" when the seas were calm. The vessel would stop, and the crew and scientific staff would go for a swim. In one case a student lost her leg t... (more)	—	over 8 years ago
Answer	—	A: When is the best time of year to find the North Pole? Ignoring the difficulties of travel (in summer you may need a boat, in winter, skis), then the current weather will make more difference then the season. Given the correct time and standard navigation tables, you can get the latitude by measuring the angle from the horizon to the limb of the sun, th... (more)	—	about 9 years ago