cobaltduck‭

You don't need a compass, nor any mechanical tool at all. You just need your fingers. I've linked an article with illustrations at the end, but here is the basic idea: Stand facing the sun, ext...

posted 7y ago by cobaltduck‭  ·  last activity 7y ago by System‭

What you are looking at is a vintage/ antique style of smudge pot. Although the top part held a wick which would be lit, the bottom part held slow-burning oil, not explosives, so you can relax. T...

posted 3y ago by cobaltduck‭  ·  edited 3y ago by cobaltduck‭

You need something else. You need a sextant and a marine chronometer (a fancy watch). The sextant measures the inclination of a star or the sun, and helps to determine latitude. Once you know tha...

posted 7y ago by cobaltduck‭  ·  last activity 7y ago by System‭

I agree with the prior answer that a rope should not be your permanent solution here, given that it will ultimately damage the tree. However, I think you can mitigate this for short-term use of ro...

posted 5y ago by cobaltduck‭

The other day, this question (Why did wetting down canvas sails increase the speed of a sailing ship?) was asked regarding the historical practice of wetting down sails. The current answer quotes ...

1 answer  ·  posted 7y ago by cobaltduck‭  ·  last activity 6y ago by System‭

I didn't intend to self-answer, but after hours of 'net searching I seem to have stumbled on the answer, provided by an Olympic Gold Medalist sailor from Australia, so I hope we can trust it. You ...

posted 7y ago by cobaltduck‭  ·  last activity 6y ago by System‭

Like you said, there are probably a hundred classes of adhesives available today, each one totally unsuitable for the things the others excel at. So we need to take a diagnostic approach here. Yo...

posted 6y ago by cobaltduck‭

I can't take any credit for already knowing this, all my information comes from an article from Penn State University, entitled Deer-Forest Study: The eyes have it! Some of the information in this...

posted 6y ago by cobaltduck‭

This knot appears to be one referred to as the tarbuck knot, named for its inventor, see for example: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tarbuck_knot or http://www.craigmarine.info/accessories/fishing_e...

posted 6y ago by cobaltduck‭

As one of the minority of the population that cannot use DEET (it makes my skin burn!) I use plant-based solutions. There are several options on the market that use either citronella or geraniol o...

posted 6y ago by cobaltduck‭  ·  last activity 6y ago by System‭

Try to slice a piece of paper. A good sharp knife makes a clean cut. A dull knife makes either a ragged cut, or worse, just pushes the paper to the side. I like this article: https://www.fieldan...

posted 5y ago by cobaltduck‭

Allow me to turn your question on its head a bit. Making yourself more visible to large vessels is a good idea, not being where they need you to be visible is a great idea. Stay away from channel...

posted 5y ago by cobaltduck‭

There are many, many articles and web sites that will tell you what to do if you develop a hot spot or blister while on the trail, and need to perform some field treatment to allow you to get back ...

1 answer  ·  posted 5y ago by cobaltduck‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

Inspired by several questions and answers here and also one at Biology SE, I have been looking around to try to find out whether this idea I heard constantly as a youth has any merit, or it just fo...

2 answers  ·  posted 5y ago by cobaltduck‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

Welcome back to good old chemistry class! Apologies if this gives you nightmares. First, the tablets used for water purification are not elemental iodine, but a crystal form called Tetraglycine H...

posted 5y ago by cobaltduck‭