Posts by 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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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, ...
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 ...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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....
