Activity for Willeke‭

Type	On...	Excerpt	Status	Date
Answer	—	A: What should I do if I break a shoelace in the wilderness? The easiest is to just tie a knot in it and use it as is but treading it in the shoe so the knot is not going to interfere with the job. The easiest knot to use is an overhand knot, (also known by many other names and I have never met anybody who was not able to tie it.) Tie it in both ends at the s... (more)	—	over 4 years ago
Answer	—	A: What's an easy way to fasten/unfasten to bind two horizontal poles? If you can live with steps in the adjustments you can make a loop like the bracelet but with a series of balls or loops. Or you can put a moving knot to tighten the loop. This will not have steps but you may need to adjust before you apply. You can see samples of both on this page, (my own not co... (more)	—	almost 5 years ago
Answer	—	A: Using a Snow jacket for non snow conditions? I have been using a ski jacket for mild winter weather use this last winter. Our temperatures are not much lower than yours. I was comfy when not very active, during cycling (in which most of the build up heat is in my legs, not my upper body) and when out in the wind while moderately active (walkin... (more)	—	almost 5 years ago
Answer	—	A: How can I protect my dog from mosquitos? If your dog sleeps in a bench, you can sew mosquito netting around the outside of the bench and on its door, with an extra strip to cover the opening. For dogs who get more space to sleep you may make a cage with netting or you can even keep a part or your house mosquito free with netting. Windows, ... (more)	—	about 5 years ago
Answer	—	A: Does anyone recognise this knot? I checked the Ashley Book of Knots, and as #1044 I find your knot. A very compact loop tied with a bight, for use in the end only. It does not have a name in that book but may have been named by someone since the book was finished in 1939, or published in 1944. Or even before, as even as care... (more)	—	about 5 years ago
Answer	—	A: What foods attract mosquitoes to your body, and what can you eat that will repel them? BBC program The Twinstitute did a test on food to repel mosquitoes, alongside a test to repel mosquitoes by using a mobile phone app. The result of the test was that neither method did much if anything to repel mosquitoes. If you are in the UK you should be able to see the program in the first half... (more)	—	about 5 years ago
Answer	—	A: Timberland classic 6 inch boots for mountain hiking/trekking If you go with boots designed in the 1970's and 80's you get the comfort as was available in the 70's and 80's and if that is acceptable for you, why not. Many people still hike on shoes which were basically designed much earlier and which will still do the job, if with less comfort but more support... (more)	—	over 5 years ago
Answer	—	A: Why are Fjällräven sleeping bags so expensive? As with many brands you pay a premium for the name. Part of that is because the brand has a good reputation and will make sure that all they sell are up to brand standards, part is that they guaranty their products to perform as given for the products. Part of the extra money will go to special fea... (more)	—	over 5 years ago
Answer	—	A: Why is it undesirable for the New Forest to convert to a mature forest? As the English say, the New Forest is not new and it is not a forest. That is how it has been for centuries and that is how the locals and powers in the area want it to stay. And that is the whole reason it is undesirable to let it grow into a mature forest. The open parkland structure of the New F... (more)	—	over 5 years ago
Answer	—	A: Does 'Single-oar sculling' have any use in recreational boating? My brother learned it in sea scouts and used it then to bring in the small boat alone, while the others took care of the sail and tidying up. Later in life he used it in a boat which was too wide to row alone, in cases of outboard motor failing and some other cases where arrival time was improved ba... (more)	—	over 5 years ago
Answer	—	A: Safest way to carry ebooks outdoors? I own a waterproof smartphone and it works as an E-book reader. I think there are also waterproof tablets, which will give you a bigger screen. I do not know whether there are waterproof dedicated e-book readers, but there might be. Both phones and tablets usually take SD cards, although not all wil... (more)	—	over 5 years ago
Answer	—	A: How do you access the back of a large paper map? Unfold the map when you are home and then re-fold so the part you need is on the outside. If you need to access both sides while out on the one trip, you may find a way to fold so that both parts are easily accessible. For those trips where you have to use both sides of the map I would suggest to f... (more)	—	over 5 years ago
Answer	—	A: Reusing disposable water bottles vs. buying dedicated bottles My reason to not buy bottled water is that it often takes several times as much water to make the bottle as the water it contains. But when you buy a bottle of water, for whatever reason, you should at least re-use the bottle a few times to get the most out of the water used to make the bottle. Y... (more)	—	over 5 years ago
Answer	—	A: What are these fishing things called "Pre-rigged sets"? I have spend plenty an afternoon, sitting along the local shipping canal or one of the fishing ponds in the area, when I was a child. If I was lucky there was a three part cane fishing pole and if I was unlucky I got the use of a bamboo one piece 'pole' which was a bean stick if not in use for fishin... (more)	—	almost 6 years ago
Answer	—	A: How accurate is the method of finding north with a watch? In short: Not completely reliable but good enough for emergencies. It may give you north-east or north-west, but it will not give you south instead of north if you do it right. A compass used by an inexperienced person might send you 180 degrees off. See the last bit of this answer. While the watch ... (more)	—	almost 6 years ago
Answer	—	A: Is it realistic that a duck would raise a swan? I have seen on TV ducklings being 'raised' by cats, Cuckoos being raised by small singing birds and people in zoos using birds of some breeds to brood eggs of other species. So if a swans egg happens to be in between the eggs of a duck and she does not notice it when it is newly there, it is very li... (more)	—	almost 6 years ago
Answer	—	A: What attributes should I look for in an inexpensive multi-purpose folding bike? There are many different folding bikes out there, do an images search if you are not convinced yet. What you look for, besides availability and price, is size and fit, good fitting folding clasps and screws. And if your folding bike has several options to adjust it to your size that they do get to t... (more)	—	almost 6 years ago
Answer	—	A: Best rope for a rope swing My first reaction is Hempex, which looks like and feels like traditional hemp rope, but is made of polypropylene. Or of course the same kind of rope from other manufacturers. It is widely available in several sizes, not cheap but long lasting. It has the advantage of being easy to splice to get you... (more)	—	almost 6 years ago
Answer	—	A: How should I pack for a week of backpacking in the rain? Bring one change of dry clothes to change into when you are in your overnight cabin, all the way from top to toes and from the skin out, and make sure you have enough layers to be warm when there is no heating/fire in the cabin. Include slippers or other indoor shoes, so you can leave your wet boots ... (more)	—	almost 6 years ago
Answer	—	A: How to protect sunglasses without a case? Any sturdy box big enough to hold them would work, also when the box is a lot bigger. You can fill the empty space with something soft, like a piece of clothing you happen to have handy. The smaller (but still big enough) your box is, the more snug your pair of glasses will sit. In a sturdy box you... (more)	—	almost 6 years ago
Answer	—	A: How to design a semi-permanent campsite for short trips into the woods that won't attract vandals when we're not there? What to sleep in? Any building will be inviting vandals, so I would just level out a part of the plot with easy access for your car or a camper van. Instead of having a building you can bring a tent or a camper van, RV or a trailer that is ready to camp in. In (parts of) Europe it is also quite commo... (more)	—	about 6 years ago
Answer	—	A: What is the use of the saw blade on a swiss knife? My brother used to work as decorator, (which included placing new glass in windows) and his Swiss knife saw blade has helped him several times while working on scaffolding. No need to go down and get a proper saw to cut the wood to hold the new glass. And he has used it for many small jobs, just be... (more)	—	about 6 years ago
Answer	—	A: Are there gender-specific climbing harnesses? From a male friend I heard that a wrongly designed or wrongly adjusted harness did hurt his private parts when it came under stress the first time. In this case not permanent because he was wise enough to test the harness while still on the ground, but as he is likely to abseil it could have happened... (more)	—	about 6 years ago
Answer	—	A: How to prevent metal eyelets from rusting? When I bought my first pair of walking boots, I was told to buy a jar of vaseline and use that on the hooks of the boots. You can apply it very precisely and it is very likely not to run off and spread over the boot. (Not sure how it reacts when it gets hot.) (more)	—	about 6 years ago
Answer	—	A: How to compactify the long straps on a tent or tarp when not in use? While bunching up (see the answer by @Charlie Brumbaugh) works most times, it might be useful to have a method at hand that is less bulky for storing purposes. You can make a Chain Sinnet, which is a slip knot into which you pull a loop and repeat. When you fold your tarp or tent and find several li... (more)	—	about 6 years ago
Answer	—	A: Which type of rope is to be used to practice knots? If you have string or rope around which is handy, start with that. You can go out to buy lines when you are a bit more experienced and know what you want and need in them. The best string or rope I have ever found to try out knots is shoe and boot laces. They are easy to tie, relatively easy to unti... (more)	—	about 6 years ago
Answer	—	A: Which knot to use to hold a rope in a loop, tight, around a large object? I would use a Packers knot, also known under several other names. This is a Thump knot or Figure of Eight knot tied around the standing end, tighten the standing end and tie it in a half hitch around the end sticking out of the Thump knot. (I learned it with and extra thump knot in the end of the ... (more)	—	about 6 years ago
Answer	—	A: Should one buy a higher shoe size while buying hiking shoes? I prefer my hiking bootsto fit so perfectly that I can only wear thin socks inside. Tighten the laces and the feet do not move inside, also not going down hill. At work I have to wear (steel) toecap boots and because of the lack of available boots in my (smaller women) size I have had several which ... (more)	—	about 6 years ago
Answer	—	A: What is this raised, icy-looking structure, found at the edge of a partially frozen lake? To me it looks like the first bit or a small version of what we call in Dutch 'kruiend ijs' (stacked drift ice). The corresponding English Wikipedia page is 'Ice Shove' which seems the result rather than the action. This happens when there is a big surface of ice which gets broken up in strong wind... (more)	—	about 6 years ago
Answer	—	A: What's a good resource for learning to tie knots for climbing? (In this answer I concentrate mostly on practical knots to be used for situations where lives may depend on it. Decorative work has quite different sources and rules.) There is no one method that suits all. For me it is books, still pictures. Although I love the Animated Knots by Grog, they are not ... (more)	—	about 6 years ago
Answer	—	A: What makes shoelaces so special? Aglets, shoelaces being easy to find and in the right lengths, the smooth exterior and if you have the right kind, the ease of tying and staying in their knots. As a hobby knot tyer, (and member of the International Guild of Knot Tyers) I use mountain boot laces to try out the knots I am working wit... (more)	—	about 6 years ago
Answer	—	A: What to look for on the site of a geocache? My friend often goes out with her sister who is the geocasher. By looking in a different way, she often finds the ones her sister does not. Going down on her knees (even belly) to look from the bottom up. Standing on tip-toe or climbing on available higher points. Reaching in narrow openings (be c... (more)	—	about 6 years ago
Answer	—	A: Why are backpacks sized in liters? Luggage is usually chosen on its size, not on the weight it can transport. Liters are a measure of size, kilos are a measure of weight. To me it is harder to convert a given weight in a certain substance into a real size than it is to convert a given number in liters to a real size. If you want to ... (more)	—	about 6 years ago
Answer	—	A: What should I feed ravens/crows? As a teen I have helped to raise an orphan (European) crow, which was hand tame when it approached my parents in the local park. Clearly had been fed by humans and was not yet able to eat himself, played with the piece of bread it was offered and opened it bill when my mother had some bread soaked in... (more)	—	about 6 years ago
Answer	—	A: My car broke down in Siberia. What do I do now? I have always learned that when you go to remote areas you should have at least a basic knowledge of car repair and depending on the make of car and the area you go to your knowledge should be good to expert. So your first action should be looking whether you can repair it, with what you have and wh... (more)	—	about 6 years ago
Answer	—	A: Compass compatibility: Can I use my US compass in Australia? Having used my Europe compass in America as well as in Australia, I would say you do not need a new one. It will still point one end of the needle to the north and the other to the south, only the south pole is closer to you than when you are home. Edit As pointed out in the comments and the other ... (more)	—	about 7 years ago