Activity for bmike‭

Type	On...	Excerpt	Status	Date
Answer	—	A: Does a cotton lined sleeping bag make sense? Cotton is the dominant bedding material choice worldwide for several reasons and as long as you aren't getting into the bag drenched and have adequate water control for your environment, I can't see the lining choice being a make or break factor in warmth. I can see it making the bag much more comfor... (more)	—	almost 11 years ago
Answer	—	A: Old Down Sleeping Bag performance Down is fairly easy to measure in terms of loft when you lay out the old bags. Basically, if the feathers are so crushed that after a proper wash and fluff you don't have a bag that holds up the fabric a couple of inches above the floor - you'll know to try sleeping in it with a backup blanket or pla... (more)	—	almost 11 years ago
Answer	—	A: Is there a way to light a fire in the wild using rocks? Flint is your best bet and it sparks much better with steel than with a rock like iron pyrite. The better rocks you find, the less the tinder matters, but you will need something like a cotton ball or similar fine material that is very dry in most cases when you don't have actual steel and pure flint... (more)	—	over 12 years ago
Answer	—	A: Which knot for climbing: figure eight, yosemite bowline, bowline on a bight? I would say, dismiss the bowline on a bight since it needs a backup stopper knot to prevent loosening over time so it's not a "complete" knot like the other candidates. The bends on the yosemite bowline are generally less tight than the figure eight. This bowline is less likely to jam, wears the the... (more)	—	almost 13 years ago
Answer	—	A: What are the advantages / disadvantages of a rock climbing hat made from hard plastic to one made out of carbon fiber? Since a high quality polycarbonate helmet is now so light, affordable and durable; the added cost and limited weight benefit of carbon fiber seems to be of limited use for all but the most weight conscious or sponsored mountaineers. Plastic fails in a much more human friendly manner without sharp edg... (more)	—	almost 13 years ago
Answer	—	A: Which will keep my food colder longer, draining the melted ice water, or leaving it in the cooler? Never remove cold water from a cooler so long as the water is cooler than the outside temperature. Opening the lid allows more warm air in, but assuming the lid is on the top and air disturbance minimal, this could be a small loss of cooling / small entry of heat. Opening a drain will have to let w... (more)	—	almost 13 years ago
Answer	—	A: Is there a functional safety difference in types of helmets I would argue that there is a wide functional gap in safety helmets for various sports. The design tradeoffs are easily summarized: Can this helmet be designed for a single use or does it need to work after repeated falls and knocks. How many sharp objects need to be deflected? How large and sharp ... (more)	—	almost 13 years ago
Answer	—	A: Are Ice grips worth buying? I have used both the Pro version of YakTrax as well as the normal version that lacks the velcro strap across the forefoot. They are amazingly well engineered, durable and perform as advertised. On ice, hard snow and frozen trails, they provide excellent footing. Of course - if you are walking on a d... (more)	—	almost 13 years ago
Answer	—	A: What are the rules for eating raw, wild meat? My rule is don't eat wild raw meat, cook it when you can't be sure both it and the preparation are sanitary. The only exception is fish caught from a line when I'm able to cleanly sashimi a species known to be generally safe when healthy. I'm looking at you toro and maguro (tuna), sake (salmon) and ... (more)	—	almost 13 years ago
Answer	—	A: Are there beaches on the East Coast (US) where one can camp without a permit? Private camping is both allowed and nice on Masonboro Island which is North of Carolina Beach, NC and south of Wrightsville Beach, NC. You are close to civilization but the island is only reachable by boat which cuts down on the population - especially on weekdays and during off season. I don't know ... (more)	—	almost 13 years ago
Answer	—	A: Raw meat on hikes It would say it varies to a high degree since the source of the meat and the cut of the meat will be the primary factors in determining how many bacteria (and which type) will be on the surface of the meat. I wouldn't want to trust hamburger or mass market ground meat for even a few hours not refrige... (more)	—	almost 13 years ago
Answer	—	A: Backpacking or hiking in areas open to hunting The most important thing is to know what is being hunted so you can know how the hunters should be approaching their prey. It's best to talk to several hunters to find out from them where they will be concentrating, but it's hard to control for any random person with their own ideas about how they wi... (more)	—	almost 13 years ago
Answer	—	A: How to carry water in freezing temperatures? For winter hiking, I prefer to wear a hydration bladder inside my coat and you can fill it with warm water if desired for an extra heat bonus when you start out. When camping in the very cold, you can often find / treat water and just heat up enough for a day or half day and carry that water closer... (more)	—	almost 13 years ago
Answer	—	A: How to keep water cold in hot weather? In dry climates you can take advantage of evaporative cooling - especially on a bike. In hot and humid places you are stuck with insulation and pre-cooled water and/or ice. Have you experimented to see if a cloth wrapper around your bottles is enough to cool things when damp? Of course, you're not g... (more)	—	almost 13 years ago
Answer	—	A: What can I do about those obnoxious biting flies? Physical barriers are my deterrent of choice. A good hat with mosquito netting is a northern Minnesota must have. Second best is traveling with someone more attractive to the insects than you. The amount of technical wear that is intended to shield you from biting insects is astounding and any decent... (more)	—	almost 13 years ago
Question	—	Should you pop a blister? When I'm home running or on a day hike, I prefer to pierce the skin as soon as a blister forms and drain all fluid from a blister to reduce the pain and further irritation/inflammation. In this case, I know I can get antibacterials and a thorough wash to ward off infection as well as stronger measure... (more)	—	almost 13 years ago
Answer	—	A: Is it warmer to sleep naked in a sleeping bag? Only in contrived or extreme examples does wearing less clothing about your body in fact make you warmer when camping. The areas where I might consider it warmer to not wear clothing inside a sleeping bag are: Insufficient ground insulation when sleeping on solid ice or where you have no other via... (more)	—	almost 13 years ago
Answer	—	A: How bad do circumstances need to be before activating a PLB? There are three criteria to be balanced in my thinking on the situation of when and if to activate a call for help to a rescue service: Do you have the skills and training to extract yourself safely from the current situation? Equally important is your assessment of what other means of communicatio... (more)	—	almost 13 years ago