Posts by Olin Lathrop
In the outdoors, the way to deal with cold is not to heat the environment, but to insulate yourself. You say "snow line", so it appears you aren't asking about anything particularly cold. Just ge...
It seems that insignia is for the Air National Guard as a whole, not a particular unit. The minuteman is the emblem of the National Guard, and is a stylized drawing of the minuteman statue in Conc...
This is aurora borealis, correct? No, that's the Milky Way. Its most of the rest of the galaxy we're in seen edge-on. It looks curved in the picture because a quite wide angle lens was used.
Obviously the left image can't be Wilcox Pass, so it was probably taken from Wilcox pass. This was easy to find in Google Earth: "Obviously the left image can't be Wilcox Pass" Why not? Beca...
I've seen this a few times, most recently today with this question. The question list says "last activity about 7 hours ago by Charlie Brumbaugh". But when I go into the question, I can't find a...
This isn't a direct answer, but something that should be cleared up. With a trike in general it would seem the end with two wheels is going to have half as much load per tire, with twice as much su...
The dead wood will certainly be dryer than it was when the tree was alive. However, whether it's dry enough is uncertain. Cut it and see. You could offer to cut the tree in return for the wood. ...
This isn't a direct answer, but keep in mind that the protections in a National Park or National Monument are already fairly strong. A Wilderness designation doesn't add as much there as it would ...
It sounds like you got near a wasp nest. These can be hard to spot, especially the ones that are in the ground. The best way to avoid getting stung more is to move away, than can mean up to 10 me...
It looks like a grindstone. The two halves would be different fineness. Your friend probably had this in his cooking kit to sharpen knives. This doesn't look like it has anything to do with star...
I don't know that trail, but check OpenStreetMaps. That database has become pretty good in recent years, even for trails. Paper maps are a good failsafe, and bringing a paper map and compass is a...
About the only real danger of the ones you mentioned is a scorpion under a rock you just picked up. They do hide in crevasses under rocks during the day. Just be aware that there might be a scorp...
Nalgene (probably a trademark, not sure what the generic plastic name is) is not a good material for a water bottle intended to be used in the back country. Nalgene gets brittle over time, even wi...
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...
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...
There are many reasons a trail takes the particular path it does. Probably the most common is historical, as you mention. Probably the least common is deliberate design. Most trails have evolved...
I don't know how rare resistance is, but it seems the real question is about resistance coming and going. Yes, resistance can come and go for individuals over their lifetime. Exposure, or long pe...
"Get out as fast as possible" doesn't make sense considering you are "hours or days" from a trailhead. If the allergic reaction is going to kill you, like swelling up your throat to the point you ...
Protecting against UV is usually done with a covering like fur, feathers, scales, a hard shell, etc, or pigment. Our own species is a great example of the latter. It seems we emerged on the plain...
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...
In my experience, hiking alone is definitely faster if the intent is to get to the destination quickly. I lead organized hikes often (roughly one/month) for the AMC (Appalachian Mountain Club) an...
That was almost certainly done by a porcupine. Like beavers, their primary food source is the cambium layer under the bark of trees. That's actually the only living part of the trunks and major...
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 ...
