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Activity for Charlie Brumbaugh‭

Type On... Excerpt Status Date
Answer A: Lowering other members of a party on belay after rappelling
Here is what I don't like about your plan, the less experienced people will be tying themselves in without you present and the last person won't have a second pair of eyeballs to double check that they have everything set up right. However there is a way to have everyone set up ahead of time. What y...
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over 6 years ago
Question Are there reasons for not putting the mileage on trail signs or is it just a matter of style?
I have seen a lot of trail signs and one thing I noticed is that sometimes they have the distance from one point to another like, Phelps Lake 4 miles Death Canyon Shelf 8 miles and sometimes the mileage is simply omitted. Are there reasons for this or is it simply a matter of style?
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over 6 years ago
Answer A: What is an alpine start?
An alpine start is when one starts a climb really early in the morning (well before sunrise). Usually the goal is to make it to the top and back down before the conditions deteriorate. Getting too late of a start increases a number of risks including, Thunderstorms Rockfall Weakened snow bridges ...
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over 6 years ago
Question What is an alpine start?
Sometimes climbers/mountaineers will say that they are getting an alpine start. What does this mean and why would they want to do this?
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over 6 years ago
Question Are there any statistics on how many PLB (Personal Locator Beacon) activations are real as opposed to frivolous?
One of the arguments made against PLBs is that people will use them in non-emergencies and put rescuers in unnecessary peril. This definitely does happen from time to time as in this case in the Grand Canyon, Once again, nightfall prevented a response by park helicopter, so an Arizona DPS helico...
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over 6 years ago
Answer A: How often are missing people found?
From this article which is pulling statistics from "Dead Men Walking: Search and Rescue in U.S. National Parks", Wilderness &amp; Environmental Medicine (Volume 20, Number 3), 2009. Estimated number of SAR missions in US each year: 50,000 Percent of SAR operations aiding lost individuals: ...
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over 6 years ago
Question What species of dinosaur made these 3 toed 6 inch long tracks?
With some friends, I saw some dinosaur tracks in Wyoming that looked like this, Can anyone identify what type of dinosaur made these tracks?
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over 6 years ago
Question How much of a temperature difference does a reflective sleeping pad make?
There are foam sleeping pads with a reflective surface on one side like this one with instructions to use the reflective side for maximum warmth. I don't doubt that it is warmer, but I do wonder by how much especially since I used both sides of one this summer and couldn't really tell the differ...
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over 6 years ago
Question What are the arguments for and against allowing bicycles in wilderness areas in the US?
Currently bicycles are prohibited in federal wilderness areas in the United States. However there is a bill in the House of Representatives that would remove the prohibition. As one can imagine, this has stirred up a rather fierce debate on both sides of the proposal both for and against. Important...
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over 6 years ago
Answer A: Are square or rectangular tarp shapes more versatile?
After a lot of thought, I don't think that there are any shape configurations that would be limited to just a square or just a rectangular tarp. However, when you are sleeping under a tarp, either on the ground or in a hammock your body is in a rectangular shape. I use a 5ftx7ft tarp and if it was 7...
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over 6 years ago
Question What happens to the bear after being pepper sprayed?
If a bear kills a human, it is usually euthanized as in the case of a grizzly bear that partially ate a man in Yellowstone It also seems likely to end sadly for the bears. Park officials have captured the sow believed to have killed Crosby along with one of her two cubs. If DNA evidence matches h...
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over 6 years ago
Question What were the original trail signs on the Toiyabe Crest Trail?
This summer I did the Toiyabe Crest Trail and noticed that there are three different kinds of trail signs: Cheap plastic triangular ones that say Toiyabe Crest National Recreation Trail Square posts with small signs that say TCT &uarr; Round posts with Crest Trail incised into them I think that i...
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over 6 years ago
Answer A: What are the differences between black sheep merino wool and other merino wool?
There are two possible explanations that I can think of, The wool comes from rare actual black merino sheep. Do you have natural colored Merino sheep? Yes, we do. Black Merino sheep are quite rare and it took us many years to build up our flock to a sizeable number. Source This is market...
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about 7 years ago
Question How do you aim a signal mirror?
Say you are in the middle of a desert where there is lots of sunshine, and you are trying to signal for help with a signal mirror. Either in the distance there is a person, or there is an airplane overhead that you are trying to reach. How should one aim the signal mirror so that the light that is ...
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about 7 years ago
Answer A: Is there a safer way to use a flare in a wooded area?
I would say that the alternatives in the the answers to the linked question would be a better idea, but if you had to use a flare then there are a couple of things that could lessen but not eliminate the risk. Shoot the flare in such a way that when it comes down, it ends up in a body of water such...
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about 7 years ago
Question What are the risks of stream crossing with bare feet?
Sometimes while backpacking you have to cross streams, and from a weight point of view, it would be nicer to just cross in your bare feet, instead of bringing an extra pair of shoes along. These situations wouldn't be raging rivers but rather streams that can't be crossed without getting your feet ...
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about 7 years ago
Answer A: What is the risk of starting a forest or wildland fire with a flare gun?
There is a definitely a risk of starting a fire with a flare gun, for this reason they are discouraged by the National Park Service (at least in Grand Canyon-Parashant National Monument). Not Useful: Cell phones do not have service in the monument Flares are not always visible to pilots...
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about 7 years ago
Answer A: Modern equivalent of a flare gun?
In increasing order of complexity and price you have, Personal Locator Beacons Personal locator beacons are high-powered (typically, 5 watts) devices designed primarily to send out a personalized emergency distress signal. They generally require an open view of the sky to transmit successfully....
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about 7 years ago
Answer A: What should you do if your crampons start balling up?
The warning sign of balling up is that your boots will be noticeably heavier due to the snow sticking to them. Once that happens your options include Lift up one boot at a time and knock the side of the boot with your ice axe or trekking pole. Knock your boots together every so often to dislodge ...
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about 7 years ago
Question What should you do if your crampons start balling up?
Balling up is when the snow starts sticking to the bottom of your crampons to the point that the crampon points are no longer touching the surface. As one can imagine this is a rather dangerous situation. They do make anti-balling plates that are supposed to keep this from happening, but I have stil...
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about 7 years ago
Answer A: Where are some places for people who can't stand up to learn water skiing?
It looks like the gear you need is what is called a "sit ski" Individuals that are unable to stand will ski using a &#x201C;sit ski,&#x201D; which comes in a variety of sizes from wide, stable skis to narrow, competitive skis. &#x201C;Probably 80 percent of our students use a sit-down water ...
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about 7 years ago
Question What is the minimum amount of gear that would allow one to ascend a climbing rope?
If you had a climbing rope anchored above you on either a sheer cliff or a really steep incline, what is the minimum amount of gear that a person would need to ascend the rope without assistance from above?
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about 7 years ago
Answer A: Fisherman rescue, what gear is required?
The simplest way that I can think of is to have all of the fishermen carry a climbing harness and enough gear that they could ascend the rope. Have two climbing ropes in the truck, one for use and one for backup and if a a fisherman needs help getting up the cliff, anchor the rope, toss the end down ...
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about 7 years ago
Answer A: Is a .22 air-rifle powerful enough for a clean kill of a rabbit?
It looks like because you are in the UK, there is a power restriction, which means that you can either go high velocity, lightweight pellet or a low velocity heavy pellet. If that restriction wasn't there, more power would make for cleaner kills. Regardless of calibre, all standard air rifles are...
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about 7 years ago
Question If I have extra space in a backpack, am I better packing it short and fat or tall and thin?
Basically, I have one large backpack and if I end up going for a much shorter trip, say for 3 days instead of 2+ weeks, I am going to end up with empty space in the backpack. From a stability and comfort point of view, am I better off leaving the side compression straps completely undone until I am ...
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about 7 years ago
Answer A: How strong are the individual internal strands in 550 parachute cord?
It looks like for mil spec (military specification) 550 parachute cord, The paracord sheath is rated at about 300-pounds 14 inner strings, each of which has a rating of about 17.5 pounds 7 strands made up of two strings each for a rating of 35 pounds. Source Basically, if the cord in...
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about 7 years ago
Answer A: How to pull someone up in a rescue situation?
In an ideal situation where you are using a belay device in guide mode off of the anchor, I would use a z-pulley, mostly because it would be so fast to set up. Consider your position before setting it up, at this point all it takes to set up a 3:1 z-pulley is to attach a prussik onto the climber ...
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about 7 years ago
Answer A: Camp fire starting for the novice?
Basically, to start a fire you need to complete the fire triangle, At the very beginning you will need some kind of starter that can create heat, like a lighter or magnifying glass or matches to get the first spark/flame going. Then you begin with things that have a lower autoignition temperature...
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about 7 years ago
Answer A: Would there be any practical uses of a geological map for a hiker/backpacker?
One practical use is to get an idea of how stable/chossy the rocks in a particular area are. From experience the orange (volcanic) rock type is much more unstable and more broken up. That makes it much harder to scramble up the mountains in the volcanic areas as opposed to the granite mountains in t...
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about 7 years ago
Question Would there be any practical uses of a geological map for a hiker/backpacker?
I just found that I can get free geological map overlays for Google Earth for all of the individual states in the United States from here. For instance, this is what a good deal of Yosemite National Park looks like. To see what type of rocks a color represents, you simply have to click on it. For...
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about 7 years ago
Question How strong are the individual internal strands in 550 parachute cord?
550 Parachute cord is a very small kermantle rope (has a core and an external sheath) as you can see in this image. The minimum breaking strength of the cord is 550 pounds, hence the name. It is sometimes mentioned that in a survival situation, these strands could be used to create snares or as f...
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about 7 years ago
Answer A: Good resources for climbing
The Textbook/Bible of Mountaineering: The standard book is Mountaineering: The Freedom of the Hills. That book covers all of the basics for rock climbing and a lot more topics. From the chapter titles of the eighth edition, it covers a lot of topics and I have highlighted the relevant chapters. C...
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about 7 years ago
Question Have the climbing signals "take" and "safe" every been confused to the point of an accident?
There is a story I have heard about climbers who confused "take" and "safe" and I am wondering if it has actually happened. The story goes like this, The climber is out of sight of the belayer and gets to a hard spot. The climber yells down "TAKE" "Please pull in as much slack as possible." ...
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about 7 years ago
Answer A: Details on closure of Rte 120 into Yosemite? (Not normal snow closure.)
A dormant spring started up again due to the winter's snow and rain underneath the road and loosened up the underlying soil to the point that the road slid downhill. An underground seasonal spring that began flowing again after being dormant for years was the cause of a 200-foot long fissure rese...
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about 7 years ago
Answer A: When is it a bad idea to follow a game trail?
Traffic Jams The way that game trails are created is by animals walking on them and therefore you can have a higher chance of seeing them. Small animals will get out of your way but moose or bears would be a problem. There really isn't a good way to tell that animals haven't been on a trail, since ...
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about 7 years ago
Answer A: What is dead reckoning when navigating with a map and compass?
Basically, it is using compass headings and distance traveled to navigate to points without intermediate known locations. For instance if you were to start from camp and travel directly east for 4 hours in the middle of the night at a pace of 2 miles per hour, then you could look at a map and say th...
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about 7 years ago
Question What is dead reckoning when navigating with a map and compass?
There is a technique for navigation known as dead reckoning, what is this technique exactly and when would it be useful?
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about 7 years ago
Answer A: How would navigation be different while hiking at night?
There are a couple of differences. Visibility is reduced during the night which makes it harder to see landmarks or where you are in relation to them. This also makes it much harder to measure your progress. It is much harder to keep track of which direction you are going without a compass or GPS. ...
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about 7 years ago
Question How would navigation be different while hiking at night?
If one were to hike during the night and sleep during the day, what differences in navigation would one have to take into account? In my experience you are more on instruments (such as a compass or GPS) so to speak because of the lower visibility, but are there any other differences?
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about 7 years ago
Question Do regular lighters not work at high altitude?
Here is what I would consider a regular Bic butane lighter. However I have noticed that you can buy High Altitude lighters such as this one. Is that just marketing or would a regular lighter not work at high altitudes?
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about 7 years ago
Answer A: Is Permethrin safe for cats after it dries?
It looks like the answer is yes it is safe after it drys, Do not expose cats to wet permethrin as it affects their central nervous system. This is not true with dogs, horses, or cows. Cats can be around permethrin treated fabrics once the application has dried. Source If a product containin...
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about 7 years ago
Answer A: How should helmets be placed on the ground?
Basically, there are happy turtles and there are dead turtles and helmets should always be placed in the happy position. Happy helmets stick around, while dead helmets have a tendency to slide down the rock. Of course you could always clip the helmet to something, but it can be much easier to ju...
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about 7 years ago
Question How should helmets be placed on the ground?
Imagine you are sitting around ready to begin; you have your gear spread out, and your helmets are off. How should you place your helmet so that it doesn't wander off?
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about 7 years ago
Question Are there any advantages while backpacking to hike during the night and sleep during the day?
This is something I have pondered on multiple occasions, when the light of the full moon and the altitude induced insomnia kept me awake long into the night. I realize that this would be an unusual strategy, but I have heard of people doing it, such as Jedediah Smith while crossing a desert on his ...
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about 7 years ago
Question What should one do when climbing if someone above you yells ROCK?
Hearing someone above you yell ROCK when climbing is a scary experience because that means that an object (usually a rock) is plummeting down to the route towards you. Hopefully you are wearing your helmet, are there any actions/steps one should take in this situation?
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about 7 years ago
Question How to determine the needed volume size when purchasing a backpack?
In addition to sizes for different sizes of people, backpacks also have a volume size, usually given in liters or cubic inches, as a measure of how much stuff the backpack can hold. How can I determine what volume size I need, for a given time frame, from say a day hike to a multi-week backpacking t...
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about 7 years ago
Question How can I backpack further without resupplying?
There are a couple of long hikes that I am thinking of doing, both are 70 to 80 miles (110 to 130 km) long one way. I would like to do a yo-yo (140 to 160 miles, 230 to 260 km) without a resupply. I am not worried about running out of food, since I can just hike until half of the food is gone and th...
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about 7 years ago
Answer A: Do zebra mothers seek revenge?
This happens because stallions will kill foals that are not their own. This is where things can take a dark turn. If the females in the harem have recently given birth, the new dominant male may kill their foals to eliminate any traces of his predecessor, and to bring the females into oestrus in ...
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about 7 years ago
Answer A: Are there sound-based alternatives to whistle signals for group communication?
One alternative is to use animal calls. For instance, on a clear night an elk bugle call can be heard up to a mile away. There are also duck calls or push-to-call cow elk calls. These should not replace a whistle as an emergency signaling device, but as a way to hear where your team members are or s...
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about 7 years ago
Question Are there sound-based alternatives to whistle signals for group communication?
Whistles can be used to signal to group members, however the downside is that other people may think you are having an emergency. Are there any other devices that would allow you to signal with noise to other members of you team but would not cause other hikers to assume that you are in trouble?
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about 7 years ago