wallyk‭

Backpacking in rain is pretty normal in Oregon—especially along the coast and in the western Cascades. No matter the time of year, it is usually not more than a week until the next rain shower (ex...

posted 9y ago by wallyk‭

An arrow's fletching should balance between providing good spin and minimizing drag. See the video here. Feathers: Superior in-flight characteristics: recede well at high airspeed (decreases dr...

posted 8y ago by wallyk‭

I am a 25+ year scuba divemaster. Alas, poor fin kicking technique is very common, even among experienced scuba divers. First of all, selection of a fin which is too flexible is better than one w...

posted 8y ago by wallyk‭

So far, no one has stated the obvious: Don't step on ice! Walk on snow, bare pavement, rough ground, lawns, flowerbeds, or whatever alternatives there might be. When stepping on ice is unavoi...

posted 9y ago by wallyk‭

While gaiters might be useful for many hikers, for me that is too high maintenance. Instead, I choose where I hike to avoid the problem. Steep hills "encourage" me to walk slowly and to carefully...

posted 8y ago by wallyk‭

I scuba dive with dozens of divers who exclusively used Viking drysuits. The photo you have shows a similar drysuit, though not as heavy duty. After about a dozen or two dives, each one of the dr...

posted 8y ago by wallyk‭

If you hike in a group, ideally arrange the sequence so someone big and not-so-bright is first. Maybe they won't notice the webs. :-) I have not ever seen anyone wear a mosquito net. Not during...

posted 8y ago by wallyk‭

The standard emergency tinder in most places I have been is a lichen called Old Man's Beard. It can appear in several forms. Here are the first two from Wikipedia: Even if it is soaking wet, ...

posted 8y ago by wallyk‭  ·  last activity 8y ago by System‭

Years ago I was caught in a totally unexpected and sudden blizzard/snowstorm. I started out the trip at 85–95°F (30–35°C) in August so I was totally unprepared for cold weather in the days when I ...

posted 8y ago by wallyk‭  ·  last activity 8y ago by System‭

How can I tell which way is down wind? How do I know which way is down wind? I turn so the wind is coming around me from the back and is equal on both right and left sides. I feel it in my h...

posted 8y ago by wallyk‭  ·  last activity 8y ago by System‭

At The Wood Database is a table of 235 wood types—intended for woodworkers—which indicates the irritation reactions, type of irritations (skin, eyes, respiratory), and irritation potency. It shoul...

posted 8y ago by wallyk‭  ·  last activity 8y ago by System‭

If one were to discover a leaking section of fabric during a rainstorm, a highly effective solution is to rub wax (candle, ski wax, paraffin, etc.) on the fabric. No need to heat it: rubbing cold...

posted 7y ago by wallyk‭

I will be in the path of total darkness during the solar eclipse of August 21, 2017. I plan to be in alpine wilderness (Oregon Cascades), but will adjust my location as needed so that there are no...

1 answer  ·  posted 7y ago by wallyk‭  ·  last activity 7y ago by System‭

I live in western Oregon and frequently ski areas in the Cascades. One winter, a weather forecaster said the weather at a ski area was going to be warm and wet (mixed snow and rain) that day; anot...

posted 7y ago by wallyk‭

I was there in early January. While the valley was below freezing, upon the first 50 feet climb in elevation after sunrise, the air temperature was very agreeable (50+ °F/10+ °C) with lots of sun....

posted 6y ago by wallyk‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭