Posts by Olin Lathrop
This is really up to you, but I think if postholing is enough of a issue it would be good to wear snowshoes. If nothing else, it just makes things easier. One problem of postholing can be sometim...
A backpack bounces around too much when running. You need something tight-fitting and light. A vest with a few pockets is a lot better at that than a pack.
The derailleur can be adjusted just fine with the bike upside down. Flipping the bike doesn't change the side to side alignment of how the chain is fed to the gear set. However, one thing to watc...
Non-expert guess here, but I think that's some type of robber fly. Those are predatory flys, generally have the shape you show, and are rather large for flys. There are many species. Even expert...
Millers River meets Connecticut River 6 Oct 2011, Erving/Gill Massachusetts. This picture was taken looking downriver (south) from the French King Bridge across the Connecticut River, between Ervi...
Brown Loaf in the fall A local hill named Brown Loaf in fall splendor, from the top of Scarlet Hill, Groton Massachusetts, 18 Oct 2014.
Seals appear at various times in various places on Cape Cod. There isn't a guaranteed time and place to see seals, but some spots are better than others. For example, this picture was taken at He...
Yes, increased exposure can reduce the ellergic reaction that results in the itching and swelling. The very first time we are bitten by a mosquito, nothing happens. That triggers the immune syste...
This isn't a direct answer, but a relevant anecdote. Many years ago in college I went with some friends to a nearby state park with a lake. After a while, we decided to walk around the lake a bit...
I live about 35 miles northwest of Boston, so I can answer this. The first thing you should do is join the Boston Chapter of the Appalachian Mountian Club (AMC). Once you are a member, you will h...
I have a self-inflating mat, and I think the foam serves three purposes. In order of importance: It sets the shape of the mat when inflated. Think of the foam as limiting how far the opposite wa...
Camping restrictions and permits to enter particular areas are actually very rare when you look at the total land area. I believe in every case these are done only to prevent degradation caused by...
The issue here isn't about mixing fuels since white gas basically is gasoline. The difference is that commonly available "gasoline" as used in cars for example, contains a lot of additives. These...
Think about whether it really matters if your feet stay dry. Will this be in warm enough weather when trenchfoot and frostbite are not problems? If so, the simplest answer may be to let the feet ...
The sun is currently in the more active part of its cycle, where solar flares and coronal mass ejections (CME) are more common. Auroras are caused when high-energy charged particles hit the vicini...
The missing context in this quote is apparently that you then use a part of your hand after the arm is extended to guage 10° in the sky. Look where you got that quote from, and it probably mention...
I can't prove a negative, but I don't think there is any such nation-wide historical record. Finding the history of various names will take different methods. For some, the history and motivation...
20-25 kg, or 45-55 pounds weight, is too much to expect to carry on your shoulders. That's especially true if only over one shoulder. Not only will that put a lot of stress on the shoulder straps...
It makes more sense to insulate you than the whole back of the truck. Get a foam pad to put under your sleeping bag. You say there is a plastic liner, but a real sleeping pad should insulate much...
Yes, the solar panel will be a little less efficient on the dashboard than outside because: Wavelengths absorbed by the windshield. The windshield absorbs most UV, which does still contribute to ...
Knowing why distance was included or omitted in any particular instance requires asking the people that decided on that particular sign. In other words, in the general case, you don't know why. I...
The cause of the itch can be quite different. For mosquito bites, the itch is due to a allergic reaction to the mosquito's saliva. The strength of this allergic reaction varies between people, an...
I go to Arizona and hike around the desert pretty much every summer. One thing I've noticed that makes a difference is to immerse yourself in the heat. Don't try to avoid it; embrace it. I have ...
Wood is not a simple chemical. It releases a number of different compounds when heated. Try distilling wood some time. Put a few slivers into a test tube and heat it. Pipe the result into anoth...
15 km (9.3 miles) is really long for the average 5 year old, especially when it's 65% longer and at higher altitude than what she's used to. This sounds like a bad idea to me. You say you can car...
