Posts by James Jenkins
I am considering getting a used wet suit for sailing and canoeing in the early spring and next fall. What should I look for? Based on the related Q&A below, it looks like I will want 6-7mm (1...
In theory Styrofoam is a closed cell product meaning that is water proof. In practice it tends to absorb and hold water It can take months to dry out very saturated Styrofoam. As a rule Styrofoa...
If you are walking on trail, and a game trail heads off in an interesting direction is it ever a bad idea to follow it? If so how would you know when it is OK to follow a game trail? This questio...
When I was searching for boat inspection plates amazon example I saw a review where someone had bought one to install in the top of their RV fresh water tank to make cleaning inside easy. I though...
Cleaning the fire pit is a task I generally do on arrival. As mentioned in the question and existing answer, hot ashes can start forest fires. A full fire pit will contain 2 or 3 things. Char...
There are several places in the US that meet your requirement if you exclude the requirement for forest, and you are will to accept no snow, in place of rare snow. what place in america has for...
The existing answers by Ken and Liam offer good advice. But unfortunately there is nothing you can do to prevent break ins. Thieves can be surprisingly stupid. True story... A friend of mine d...
I was just reading this answer at Can you keep your feet warm in ski boots on a very cold day? Yes, add fat to your feet. I don't mean gain weight. Just slather it on before putting socks on. P...
Bill Irwin, author of Blind Courage found the Appalachian Trail to be a mostly enjoyable outdoors experience. While secluded with good opportunities for enjoying nature away from others. The App...
In the bellies of critters... Seriously, anything living in the area is going to know where the wild strawberries grow and will have made a habit of eating them when they get ripe. They grow cl...
I am hiking in the wilderness, a round trip to civilization and back is at least 24 hours. I know where I am and I can return to the same spot. If my hiking partner dies, how can/should I protec...
One of the surest ways of purifying water is distillation water is boiled and only things that evaporate at or below 100C are captured. This does lead to the potential issue of things like petrole...
According to a google search sulfur is widely available in nature. Volcanic regions and hot springs are common sources of it in elemental state. Less obvious sources are iron pyrites (iron sulfide...
First the Ursack is advertised as bear resistant not bear proof, nothing is bear proof FAQ, have there been any failures? We have sold bags in 50 states, Canada and assorted foreign countr...
If I am in a survival situation with a knife as my only cutting implement, and I need an axe to chop trees (because I know burning through them is not practical) how would I make one? What attri...
Put them on a go for a hike where it is wet or snowy and not salty. The post How much sea water can I safely drink? has a bunch of words about salt and water in a body. Leather is skin. The same p...
A Recent news event (Pioneer Cabin Tree in California felled by storms), brought drive through trees to mind. When I looked at the pictures, I realized it is not the same tree I drove through last...
It is called fog, and you are standing higher then it is thick. Clouds can form at many different altitudes. They can be as high as 12 miles above sea level or as low as the ground. Fog is a ki...
I don't ice skate and my main goals of working with ice are to get it gone. That said, if I did want to even out ice with the least amount of work and expense I would get a weed burner and a bottl...
As Rory states in his answer, hull weight is just the hull. But you need not worry, the mast, rudder, center board, sail, etc. Are usually loaded separately from the hull of the boat. For small t...
From reading the question, I suspect the OP understands "sealing" to be the verb described by the description "apply a nonporous coating to (a surface) to make it impervious.". When they talk abou...
I have a 1972ish sunfish I am planning to re-gelcoat the entire bottom of the hull. I made one fiber glass repair where there was a crack through the hull, I took that area down to bare fiberglass...
While researching my answer at In a boat repair, what would cause Gelcoat not to harden? I learned about amine blush. Amine blush is a waxy layer that forms as most marine epoxies cure. It can be...
I read the answer by Erik vanDoren then I cut inspection ports in my boat. What I learned helps validate the correctness of his answer. Quick history. I purchased the boat (1972ish sunfish) a few...
Gelcoat is available in 2 formulas, one has wax (finishing), one does not (layering). Both need to be mixed with an agent to cause it to harden. Gelcoat that is exposed to the air stays tacky, this...
