Activity for Chris H‭

Type	On...	Excerpt	Status	Date
Answer	—	A: Is the correct term Canada Goose or Canadian Goose? In British English there's no doubt. Sources including the prestigious Royal Society for the Protection of Birds use Canada Goose every time (often abbreviated to Canada in the field) . But bird names in common use do vary internationally (e.g. Diver vs. Loon), so I make no statement as to use west ... (more)	—	almost 7 years ago
Answer	—	A: Is it really a good workout to go to work by bike every day? Subject to advice from your physio and doctor, training on a (well-fitted) bike can be excellent, as your joints aren't under too much load or twisting. Cycling that sort of distance will make a huge difference to your cardiovascular fitness and weight (which may have suffered due to enforced rest... (more)	—	almost 7 years ago
Answer	—	A: Does firewood have to be stored inside or is storing it in a lean-to sufficient? Very simply, the drier the wood, the more efficiently it burns, and the easier it lights. A lean-to on the downwind side of the house is very common as a long-term wood store (there's generally a prevailing wind direction; this is often, but not always, the same as the direction the wind blows most... (more)	—	almost 7 years ago
Answer	—	A: Are there any non-legal advantages of a non-locking knife? Knives which are restricted in some places may still be threatening in others. Obviously this applies especially to large knives, but there are plenty of small vicious-looking knives (such as the one attached to my buoyancy aid when kayaking). The vast range of compact knives with features for dail... (more)	—	about 7 years ago
Answer	—	A: What are these concrete posts near the Gallow Hill water tower in Dundee, Scotland? They appear to be part of a water tank. I've found a 1954 OS map that describes buildings at that location as "tanks" -- a term also applied on the same map to the water tower itself. Earlier maps don't show them The current OS map only shows the tower itself. Without a scale so making very rough... (more)	—	about 7 years ago
Answer	—	A: Why is the European robin associated with winter? One unusual thing about robins is that they're territorial all year round. Combined with the way they sing from prominent spots to mark out their territory, this makes them really rather obvious in the winter, when other birds are quiet and inconspicuous. Robins, as well as being plentiful, are also... (more)	—	about 7 years ago
Answer	—	A: Tips for avoiding losing things when backpacking? An extension of the same things in same pockets approach is kits for specific purposes: a cook kit might include cutlery, lighter, stove tools, washing up necessities, penknife; a valuables or daily carry kit could include money, ID, keys, penknife. But wherever you choose to put the knife, that's it... (more)	—	about 7 years ago
Answer	—	A: What is the difference between a sac liner and a dry bag? The soft dry bags aren't as good as the stiffer sort anyway. My traditional plasticised dry bag can handle long periods in the water if it's been rolled down properly, but my nylon ones eventually let a little moisture in if squashed around in water. I think the roll seal isn't as good if they're too... (more)	—	over 7 years ago
Answer	—	A: Cell Phone Tower Location app This is a bit of a non-answer but is probably better than a string of comments. There are some ideas in here. The problem is that you need line of sight rather than to be near a tower. You could work that out from a contour map with the towers marked - get electronically or on paper. But tower loca... (more)	—	over 7 years ago
Answer	—	A: How can I take keys with me while swimming? You can get waterproof belt pouches. I used to use them when I wore a wetsuit for kayaking (a drysuit makes this simpler). They'll easily hold cash + phone +keys, and are nicer for swimming with than something that trails round your neck. As kayaking sometimes involves swimming in white water with tr... (more)	—	over 7 years ago
Answer	—	A: Do cars really hit 20 moose per day in Sweden? To address the follow-up, Sweden has four species of large carnivore: wolf, wolverine, brown bear and lynx. The first three are all willing to scavenge, as are some birds, and of course humans (plenty of people eat fresh roadkill). In other countries large roadkill is used as food for bears and zoo a... (more)	—	over 7 years ago
Answer	—	A: How can I tell how much, if any, rain is in an approaching cloud? Isolated clouds are going to be easier to judge than gradually thickening cloud cover, as cloud height is important. I assume you've already established that the cloud is approaching you, though you might still be lucky. Heavy rain is often visible as distortion of the view below clouds at some dis... (more)	—	over 7 years ago
Answer	—	A: Where should a person who can't hold a paddle sit in a tandem kayak? In addition to mattnz's answer (and my answer at your related question): I've paddled a tandem sea kayak (we were using it as a tourer that day) from the back while the front paddler was unable to paddle through cramp. I had plenty of control even though the rudder wasn't available (pedals jammed). ... (more)	—	over 7 years ago
Answer	—	A: Why should the heavier person sit in the back of a tandem kayak? It's along the lines of @stijn's comment but worse: if the nose digs in, not only do you lose speed, but your control suffers (and not just because many steering strokes require water speed). In even slightly choppy water the bow tends to dig in just when you don't want it to - when you want control.... (more)	—	over 7 years ago
Answer	—	A: Footwear for one month in wet climate Hiking boots for the hikes and flip flops for hard surfaces or while the boots dry out would seem to be a good compromise. The cost and weight of a pair of flip flops are negligible. Minimise the amount of water getting into the boots with gaiters. If they get really wet, stuff them with newspaper, r... (more)	—	over 7 years ago
Answer	—	A: What is the purpose of a valve on a dry bag? A further reason is to use the space in the bag for buoyancy and to squeeze the bag into a space securely, by adding air to the bag after it's in place. This generally means a valve on a tube. (more)	—	over 7 years ago
Answer	—	A: Obtaining drinking water from a glacier or icefield, in the absence of snow or reachable meltwater Quite often you'll have an ice axe with you in glacier country. That should be quite effective. If not, tent pegs, especially rock pegs or v pegs make decent chipping tools even for soft stone. You may need to hit them with a rock. Aluminium pegs are probably too soft; plastic ones definitely are. (more)	—	over 7 years ago
Answer	—	A: Is hiking alone always faster? There are a lot of variables: A minor effect on day hikes but a significant one in backpacking is kit sharing (1 stove/tent/guidebook/first aid kit per group). It's not just the weight but the bulk and finding things at stops. Some individuals are easily sidetracked, or tend not to get up if they ... (more)	—	over 7 years ago
Answer	—	A: Why do different kinds of bug bites itch in different ways? From what I remember, some biting insects deliver an anticoagulant . This may irritate, though it's not well studied. Others rely on not being detected, and deliver an anaesthetic. One effect that can affect how much a particular bite irritates, even for the same species, is if you knock it off lea... (more)	—	over 7 years ago
Answer	—	A: How does water depth affect swimming safety? Why do signs, especially in the UK, say "DANGER: deep water"? I'm always tempted to suggest that if they can put up a sign they can put up a life ring, and sometimes they do. But the rate of vandalism and theft of rescue equipment, while small, is real. Of course such equipment wouldn't be much use without someone capable of using it. So it's easier just to wa... (more)	—	over 7 years ago
Answer	—	A: How can I desalinate ocean water enough for cleaning or showering? The problem is that desalinating water is hard; nearly desalinating it isn't much easier (it would be possible to design a bad reverse osmosis system but there isn't much market for that). Instead if you need partially desalinated water you could get it by mixing drinking water with salt water. But... (more)	—	over 7 years ago
Answer	—	A: How to clean and refurbish a Victorinox Swiss Army Knife? When mine gets too bad I use WD40 to free it up, then clean with soapy water and a brush. Mine also goes through the dishwasher sometimes, with the blades partially open. If it gets gummed up with sugary stuff (your candy, or cutting up fruit) a good soak in hot water will free up the blades. After... (more)	—	over 7 years ago
Answer	—	A: What is this tent piece called? I haven't seen a part like that in a tent before, but you might try calling it a boss or a hub. It might be located at the apex and take on that name. (more)	—	over 7 years ago
Answer	—	A: Device with very accurate GPS location Over a small area you may be able to do something. I don't know if you have a small area to deal with, and 10ft might be pushing it even then. Basically you fix the position of a known point by some means (it might not even have to be fixed absolutely depending on your goal). Long term GPS averaging ... (more)	—	over 7 years ago
Answer	—	A: Strange river level changes (similar to tides) near the "Lech Fall" It looks a lot like there's a power station just downstream (photo), which can be seen on openstreetmap. I suspect that the power plant is being used to respond to peak loads for which hydro is very good. That whole stretch of river has several power stations and the flow through them will be coord... (more)	—	over 7 years ago
Answer	—	A: Camper van conversion sleeping width wise Putting a bed above the wheel arches is common, with storage underneath. The width you get is similar to the width behind the wheel arches, and that's often specified (it certainly could be found for the transit when we were looking). But I'm well over 6ft and when we bought our transit for conversio... (more)	—	over 7 years ago
Answer	—	A: What are "burnable gasses"? The gasifier probably produces a different mix than cooler processes in your other answer. Heat wood enough without oxygen and you get mainly hydrogen and carbon monoxide, leaving behind charcoal. The H2 and CO mix is a fuel. (more)	—	over 7 years ago
Answer	—	A: Are there any tips for preventing a vehicle from being broken into while parked at a trailhead? If you can't leave the car empty-looking, at least don't load the storage up at the trailhead. There was a spate of thefts a few years ago on Dartmoor where car parks were watched for signs of valuables being tucked away, then a window was smashed and the items stolen. This was the sort of place wh... (more)	—	over 7 years ago
Answer	—	A: Why does this blue tit bird desperately want to come inside? Two possibilities: There's something it thinks is food on the inside. Note that blue tits are quite clever at accessing food, to the extent of opening foil-topped milk-bottles (though the linked article illustrates this with a photo of a great tit!) At this time of year, more likely, it's not tryi... (more)	—	over 7 years ago
Answer	—	A: How to clean picked berries? The first thing is to pick them carefully in the first place, discarding any stems and most bugs. The more exposed berries are easier to pick cleanly, as of course are the largest ones. Then with blackberries (for example) putting them in a large container of clean water can get rid of leaves and oth... (more)	—	over 7 years ago
Answer	—	A: Are there types of compass other than the regular magnetic one and the gyrocompass? An analogue watch makes a useful compass combined with the sun. I've used this to good effect in cities as well as open country. This link is actually to a rather imprecise method. A more accurate way is given in a book I have, but requires a table of angles. Of course if you only have a digital w... (more)	—	almost 8 years ago
Answer	—	A: Is roadkill processed in the EU? You might want to read this article by someone who actually eats roadkill. I've also known a few people who check to see if deer, pheasants etc. are still OK (they get scavenged pretty quickly so if reasonably intact they're probably quite fresh). In that regard it's like eating game - you don't know... (more)	—	almost 8 years ago
Answer	—	A: How can I tell the difference between an American Crow, and a Common Raven that lives in America? Ravens spend a lot of time aloft, and fly steadily and sometimes quite high (also solo or in loose pairs most of the time). They call infrequently "cronk" or "cronk cronk" while airborne. They seem to need a good reason to take off but also to land. When they're perched (which they like to do from a ... (more)	—	almost 8 years ago
Answer	—	A: How to improvise a rescue 'throw bag' rope? A line that sinks would be an deadweight if you had to throw again, and hard to find. The throw bag also gives an obvious floating target and flies well (for a difficult throw with a long line current teaching is to clip on a carabiner as the added weight gives more distance and accuracy). Throwing ... (more)	—	almost 8 years ago
Answer	—	A: What is the most efficient strategy to melt snow using a stove? A small flame compared to the size of the pot means less heat escaping up the sides. This will of course slow things down. Further minimise this with a pot skirt if at all possible. I had a skirt for my MSR stove that was just very thick foil. If you have two pans you can put snow in the larger one... (more)	—	almost 8 years ago
Answer	—	A: What are differences between higher and lower shoes other than ankle support? Depending on the climate there are some significant differences. Boots are noticeably warmer than shoes. This is beneficial in the cold, though socks etc. provide warmth as well. In hot conditions the extra warmth isn't always welcome. Boots keep vegetation off your ankles, which is good if you're... (more)	—	almost 8 years ago
Answer	—	A: Letterboxing vs Treasure hunts The biggest difference between letterboxing (at least on Dartmoor, its original home) are: letterboxes are usually intended to be left out indefinitely. they're put out for anyone to find. It's quite common when looking for a specific box with a precise clue (or even GPS) to find another box. If ... (more)	—	almost 8 years ago
Answer	—	A: What is the correct technique for self arrest, with an ice axe, on a snow or ice slope? Having learnt this years ago, I can thoroughly recommend that when you're in a suitable spot with a group you practise. The rest of the group can observe your form, keep an eye out for hazards and generally stand around looking unconcerned. A suitable spot is reasonably deep snow that naturally fla... (more)	—	almost 8 years ago
Answer	—	A: Is it bad to rely on trekking poles? It's highly unlikely that using poles will make anything worse. You still have to place your feet as carefully and in the same sort of position (training for technique/precision). Your legs still do most of the work of lifting you up on an ascent, which is when they work the hardest (training for str... (more)	—	almost 8 years ago
Answer	—	A: When should I carry both a wind jacket and hard shell? When wind is guaranteed but rain is unlikely you might decide the extra weight is worth it. But good layering with a hard shell that is breathable and has underarm zips can be quite comfortable while saving you the weight of the soft shell. This is my preferred option as the times I get too hot are g... (more)	—	almost 8 years ago
Answer	—	A: Do flashlights (torches) with multi-color capabilities have any applications for usage in the great outdoors at night? If you find yourself hiking along a road at night, especially in a group, a red light towards oncoming traffic may be a good idea. There isn't always a verge to step onto when you notice a car approaching. And some roads can be narrow enough that there's no real correct side and the locals still driv... (more)	—	almost 8 years ago
Answer	—	A: Is there a fuel cell that would be clean and quiet enough for RV/Camper/Trailer use? There are fuel cells with 12V output designed for this application, at least considering it as a battery charging task (random internet example at 100W). Methanol cells are more expensive but the fuel is easier to store. Certainly they get much more expensive as the power output increases. (Includ... (more)	—	about 8 years ago
Answer	—	A: When considering GPS battery life where are the best options? A dedicated GPS is likely to have better signal as well as better battery life. The key is that you don't have to run it all the time - if it's had a fix within the last few hours it will pick up in a couple of minutes. It's rare to need constant GPS especially with a paper map and a compass (which... (more)	—	about 8 years ago
Answer	—	A: How much flotation does a canoe need? In most situations you should be prepared for a dunking, so you could hang around in the water and bail without getting too cold. Of course, if you're in danger (e.g. from hitting rocks) get yourself to safety with a swim line to the boat and recover it by swinging it into an eddy. If you're touring... (more)	—	about 8 years ago
Answer	—	A: I filled my Primus Powerlighter with the wrong kind of fuel. How to correct? It's unlikely to have much fuel in it, so you've got a chance. But you're going to have to be careful. The first step is to try to push the liquid out using the butane you would normally fill it with. Holding the lighter with the nozzle downwards and the trigger depressed to open the valve, all whi... (more)	—	about 8 years ago
Answer	—	A: How to safely store a propane/butane/isobutane canister in a vehicle? Keeping it low down against the bottom of the car and insulated is best. The spare wheel well is ideal (and used when you get a can of tyre foam instead of a wheel; they have similar limits) or those compartments you sometimes get under the boot floor. These places are much cooler than the rest of th... (more)	—	about 8 years ago
Answer	—	A: Which type of car rack will transport a tandem kayak on a car with no side rails? Inflatable racks are becoming quite popular for situations like yours. Everyone I've spoken to who's used them likes them. You'll only be able to carry 1-2 boasts on an inflatable rack. Unless I'm expecting to carry a lot of boats I don't bother fitting my uprights, instead putting the boat upside ... (more)	—	over 8 years ago
Answer	—	A: How does a carabiner handle make sense? One real advantage is that a metal carabiner will rattle against a metal mug. Build the carabiner into the handle and that can't happen. This rattling may be simply annoying most of the time, but if you're looking for wildlife (whether to watch it or shoot it) is going to disturb your quarry. If yo... (more)	—	over 8 years ago
Answer	—	A: How to walk on the hot beach or rather hot sand? Unless you're at high tide, walk just below the high tide line. The damp sand is firmer and easier to walk on as well as cooler. To get there, in sandals you can step vertically onto the sand and reduce contact with your toes. With bars feet, move quickly. Even if you don't have both feet off the g... (more)	—	over 8 years ago
Answer	—	A: Roof rack system suitable for both bicycle and kayak? Kayaks can easily be strapped down to cross bars. Sometimes J bars or uprights are used to put the boats on their sides allowing more to fit without stacking them. Bike racks for roof bars are quite quick to fit/remove but you shouldn't need to if you get them right and you car is wide enough. You ... (more)	—	over 8 years ago

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