Activity for Charlie Brumbaughâ€
| Type | On... | Excerpt | Status | Date |
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A: Do chipmunks hibernate in woodpiles, and, if so, how do I avoid disturbing them when taking wood from the pile? If animals like chipmunks or packrats nest in woodpiles, it's much more typical for them to be down low, closer to the ground. It would also depend on how it is stacked, if its bigger logs with bigger holes between the logs, then they are less likely to be there. Just taking off the top should be f... (more) |
— | over 5 years ago |
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A: Is burning cow pies (dried cow manure) safe? It is apparently not safe, among the poor today who have to use it as they have no alternatives, it leads to all sorts of health problems. It is also a worse polutant than burning wood. On the reverse side of the environmental equation, raw biomass is known to emit a number of particulates as we... (more) |
— | over 5 years ago |
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A: Why is doubling up with plugs and muffs when shooting not more effective? As in the article linked by @topshot, it is because of two factors, Sound is being conducted by your bones around the hearing the protection. They don't act as two separate devices. The principal reason is the bone-conduction (BC) limits to attenuation, which are also illustrated in Figure 1. ... (more) |
— | over 5 years ago |
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Why is doubling up with plugs and muffs when shooting not more effective? I keep looking for better ways of protecting my hearing when shooting, and it looks like wearing both plugs and muffs is recommended for indoor shooting (centerfire gunshots range from 160-170 decibels). However, if you look at the OSHA recommendations, one will notice that they say that doing so on... (more) |
— | over 5 years ago |
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A: Should I travel through freezing areas with hot or cold water in my RV tank? This seems like a contradiction, if you are worried about freezing, then it would be better not to have any water in the tank/pipes where it could freeze and cause problems, and if not then it really doesn't matter whether or not it was hot or cold to start with. Also, as long as the journey is, it ... (more) |
— | over 5 years ago |
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How to isolate a strong magnet from things it could damage in a small backpack? I have a pretty strong magnet for magnet fishing. The problem that I am running into when taking it places is that I need a way to isolate it from my wallet/phone/compass inside my backpack as otherwise they could be damaged by the magnetic field. My current solution is to roll it up inside several ... (more) |
— | over 5 years ago |
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A: How do breathable fabrics like Gore-tex and DWR (Durable Water Repellent) work? In the absence of the DWR, it would still be waterproof, but not breathable. The DWR coating is to keep the rain off of the layer of Gore-tex but does not provide the waterproofing. Once the DWR coating wears off, the Gore-tex is no longer able to work and then the person's sweat starts building up ... (more) |
— | over 5 years ago |
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A: Given limited space and weight what should I carry to get a fire going with damp wood? What I have always carried is cotton balls mixed with petroleum jelly stored in a film canister. It's small and light, the cotton makes it easy to light and the petroleum jelly gives it quite a bit of heat. Just be careful not to get the jelly on your fingers when doing this, as otherwise, you can bu... (more) |
— | over 5 years ago |
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A: When should I report a potentially injured-looking animal to authorities in a large, monitored, wildlife area? In a National Park, unless the animal was harmed by a human, it seems like the park service isn't going to do anything. “The rule of thumb is that if human activity causes an animal to become injured or orphaned, we may intervene. If not—if it’s something that happened natura... (more) |
— | over 5 years ago |
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A: How much cooler space is required for transporting an elk? Your going to want to debone it to pack it most efficiently into the coolers, otherwise the quarters are going to be too big and awkward to fit into the coolers and they are really heavy. Once deboned, place 20-25 lbs of meat into double bagged garbage bags for easier handling. From experience, som... (more) |
— | over 5 years ago |
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A: When should I avoid geotagging? It seems likes this is mostly an issue of scale, in well-traveled areas where lots of people go it's not going to make a lot of difference, while remote areas that could possibly see lots of sudden traffic, it would not be a good thing. Also was one to be an "outdoor influencer" with thousands and t... (more) |
— | over 5 years ago |
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A: Will I be warmer in my sleeping bag inside or outside of my tent, when winter camping? The tent will definitely be warmer because it keeps the wind away. As you are sleeping your body produces heat and a tent helps keep that warmer air around instead of it blowing away in the wind. With that said, tents don't provide a huge amount of insulation, and so perhaps a better sleeping bag is... (more) |
— | over 5 years ago |
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A: Does “Pay attention to the ounces, and the pounds take care of themselves” make sense when planning backpacking gear? It does make sense to watch the weight of your gear and go for lighter gear when possible. A few ounces here and there will add up to pounds. On the other hand, it is also possible to be penny wise and pound foolish and in my experience at least, this is far more common, you will see overweight hike... (more) |
— | over 5 years ago |
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A: How to tie nylon straps to trees of unknown diameter The straps I have multiple places to hook the carabiner on one end, You take the other end loop around the tree and then use the end with all of the places to hook to connect to the hammock. (more) |
— | over 5 years ago |
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A: Best practices for physical and inventory management of a ready pack/bug out bag In my experience when people are trying to inventory personal gear with a checklist or spreadsheet it comes from inexperience with using the gear. It you use it enough you will know which gear you need and which is just extra weight and what gear you might need. At the start a checklist can be usef... (more) |
— | over 5 years ago |
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A: Can a van be used for sleeping in National Park campgrounds in the US? The prohibition on sleeping in a car is to prevent people from parking in the parking lots or pull outs and sleeping there and in effect camping outside of designated camp sites. If you park at a designated campsite that you pay for, nobody is going to care if you sleep in your car or outside or how... (more) |
— | over 5 years ago |
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What are the pros and cons of single vs double sided magnets for magnet fishing? There are two types of magnets sold for magnet fishing, Single sided with an eyelet on the top and the magnet directly below, and double sided with the eyelet on top of the circle and the magnets facing both directions. What are the pros and cons of each type of magnet for magnet fishing? (more) |
— | over 5 years ago |
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A: What are the pros and cons of cotton vs mesh filters for making cold brew coffee in a Nalgene water bottle? From left to right, Nalgene 1 liter bottle, mesh filter, cotton sock filter. Cotton coffee sock, Lighter Folds up really small Harder to clean as the grounds will stick to it and get stuck inside. Can be used with fine coffee grounds. Metal mesh filter Heavier Takes up more room, the easiest... (more) |
— | over 5 years ago |
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A: How strong of a magnet is needed for magnet fishing for assorted metal objects? After doing more research, If you look for fishing magnets that have an attachment for rope (usually an eyebolt) they start from approximately 100 lbs (45kg) and go all the way up to 1,200 lbs (544kg) with values around 3-400 lbs being the most common from what I could see. The other thing mentione... (more) |
— | over 5 years ago |
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How strong of a magnet is needed for magnet fishing for assorted metal objects? Magnet fishing is where you take a magnet and go fishing for metal objects (usually trash) in ponds, canals or lakes. I think this would be fun and would a good way to clear out some of the garbage from the canals, How strong of a magnet would one need? (more) |
— | over 5 years ago |
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A: What type of boat is this with a single mast and a square sail? That is a cog, A cog is a type of ship that first appeared in the 10th century, and was widely used from around the 12th century on. Cogs were clinker-built, generally of oak, which was an abundant timber in the Baltic region of Prussia. This vessel was fitted with a single mast and a square-rigg... (more) |
— | over 5 years ago |
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Under optimal conditions, how far could an emergency whistle be heard? Whistles are often used for emergency signalling, it would be good to know how far that signal can travel and still be recognized. There are plenty of factors that would affect the distance, so how far would it travel under optimal conditions and then one could figure that real world conditions woul... (more) |
— | over 5 years ago |
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A: Why should a good tent be UV resistant? It's because the sunlight will damage the tents fabric over time. UV damage occurs when long term exposure to the sun damages the fabric and thread of your tent or rain fly. The fabric will become thin and brittle. If you tent or rain fly seems to rip for no reason or with very light pressure, th... (more) |
— | over 5 years ago |
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A: How can a Common Kingfisher bird balance on a tiny swaying reed without moving its head? This is called gaze stabilization and birds do it to keep one thing in focus even while their body is moving. What is head stabilization in birds? When the body of a bird is held in the hand and rotated or moved in different directions the head often appears ‘locked in space’... (more) |
— | over 5 years ago |
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A: Where can I test an emergency whistle? You just need a place where blowing a whistle wouldn't be out of the ordinary. Perhaps a city soccer/football field would work as people blow whistles there. Or if you could find an outdoor area where you know there won't be people around within hearing distance. A distress signal is given in 3s, ... (more) |
— | over 5 years ago |
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A: What is "catskiing"? Cat skiing is a type of guided skiing where the skiers go up the mountain in a snowcat, which is a tracked vehicle with an enclosed cabin. Also see, What is cat skiing Mustang Power Cat Skiing (more) |
— | over 5 years ago |
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When filming wild animals with a drone, how far away does the drone need to be? There is a video of a cub trying to follow the mother bear up a steep snowbank and then rolling back down at first. People are saying that it's a cute video but that the drone that filmed it got too close the bears. There are guidelines for how close one can get to an animal to prevent harassment, ... (more) |
— | over 5 years ago |
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A: How do you take field notes at below 0 °C, without freezing fingers? When I worked at a salebarn in the winter we had this problem and the solution was multiple pens inside your shirt pocket under your coat. Pens will work for a while then get too cold at which point you switch it out for a new warm one. You might also look into the mittens that have gloved fingers... (more) |
— | over 5 years ago |
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Is 5R barrel rifling more accurate than 4 or 6 groove rifling? I am looking for a new hunting rifle, and one of the features I keep seeing advertised is 5R rifling where there are 5 lands and grooves instead of 4 or 6. Supposedly this makes the barrel more accurate because the lands oppose a groove instead of each other thus deforming the bullet less. I have y... (more) |
— | over 5 years ago |
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A: I am lost, I found a trail, which way do I go? Trails show less use the farther from the trailhead one goes because fewer people walk the trail all of the way to the end and most turn around far more quickly. The odds are that going downhill will lead one back to civilization, but in the odd exceptions where this is not true such as when one nee... (more) |
— | over 5 years ago |
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A: How predictable are the doldrums? The latitudes in which they occur is predictable, the effects which range from calm to storms are not, Known to sailors around the world as the doldrums, the Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone, (ITCZ, pronounced and sometimes referred to as the “itch”), is a belt around the Earth exten... (more) |
— | over 5 years ago |
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Can wild rabbits be eaten in the summer or is the risk of disease too high? I have heard that rabbits shouldn't be eaten in the summer because they have ticks and parasites on them at that time and that one should wait till after it freezes. Of course, you have to abide by hunting seasons, but some like jackrabbits can be hunted all year long. One can get diseases from rab... (more) |
— | over 5 years ago |
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A: What diseases can be transmitted through skin contact with a dead rabbit? To answer the title question, there are a number of diseases you can get from wild rabbits, Zoonotic diseases specifically associated with rabbits include pasteurellosis, ringworm, mycobacteriosis, cryptosporidiosis and external parasites. Rabbits can transmit bacteria through bites and scra... (more) |
— | over 5 years ago |
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How much food is needed for three months of food when rowing across an ocean? Related to this question, if one were to go on a three-month rowing trip across an ocean, is there an estimate of how much the food would be needed? It's certainly possible to give an estimate when backpacking, but rowing would be different and while I am sure that it would depend on the person, it ... (more) |
— | over 5 years ago |
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A: How to tell the difference between a pika and a cottontail rabbit? Pika Source Rounded ears No tail Short limbs Lives at high elevations, commonly above or around treeline Makes chirping noises. Protected species Eastern cottontail Source Large hind feet Long ears Powerful rear legs White underpatch underneath of the body Lives in meadows and forests Com... (more) |
— | over 5 years ago |
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How to tell the difference between a pika and a cottontail rabbit? Some users here seem to think that the animal in question is a pika and not a cottontail rabbit. How would one tell the difference between a pika and a cottontail rabbit? (more) |
— | over 5 years ago |
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A: Figure-8 Followthrough Question Yes, regardless of how as you dress it, that is still a figure 8 knot. It's not going to matter either, because once the knot is weighted, it will be pulled into the same configuration regardless of the angle the loop is dressed to. In other words, the top picture will look like the bottom once fo... (more) |
— | over 5 years ago |
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A: What behaviors in bees change just before, during and after a solar eclipse? There was a study that found that during totality, the bees stopped buzzing suddenly without any gradual slowdown. The researchers found that while the insects were happily buzzing throughout the day and during the partial phases of the eclipse, the bees went quiet the instant that the total ecli... (more) |
— | over 5 years ago |
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A: How to follow an existing angle when sharpening? What you want is a guide in a knife sharpening kit that will hold the knife in place and the stones at the correct angle. Mine looks like this, you can see the angle marking on the left side of the holder (they are on both sides). The way it works is like so (pictured without the knife for clari... (more) |
— | over 5 years ago |
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A: How can I safely use a candle lantern inside a tent? Okay after some more research, Don't leave it unattended (this would include sleeping). Don't let it touch flammable materials. Be careful touching it when its burning as you could burn yourself. Suspending it looks like a good way to go, just remember not to bump it with your head. (more) |
— | over 5 years ago |
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How and when to sharpen ice screws? Ice screws need to be sharp to be placed into the ice, and just like anything with an edge they will get dull over time. How would one know when to sharpen an ice screw, and once they do need to be sharpened, what is the correct technique to do so? (more) |
— | over 5 years ago |
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A: What rockfall protection equipment are there other than helmets? There are two things you can do, Before climbing, look up the glacier and see which areas have had rockfall in the recent past and then avoid them. Rockfall will leave some rocks in the area that didn't make it all the way down, and vertical streaks caused by the rocking rolling down the glacier. S... (more) |
— | over 5 years ago |
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A: At what angle should an ice screw be screwed into the ice? All of the resources that I can find say that it should be done with the screw tip pointing up and the hanger below with up to a twenty-degree angle from horizontal. Contrary to what you might think, the best angle for the screws is slightly upward, meaning the hanger is slightly lower than... (more) |
— | over 5 years ago |
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A: What is an alternative sleep system if I don't want to use a down mummy bag for winter camping? If you need extra insulation with a regular sleeping bag you can, Wear long johns, a sweatshirt and a stocking cap to bed. Hot water bottle in your sleeping bag. Put your extra clothes inside the sleeping bag so there isn't any empty space. Go to bed earlier before it gets real cold and stay in lon... (more) |
— | over 5 years ago |
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A: Did a bear knock all my bird feeders down? Bears will definitely go smashing bird feeders to get to the seed and they are the only thing big enough to pull your feeders over. Yes, bears (and other wildlife) are readily attracted to back yards because of the presence of bird feeders. Bear nuisance complaint records reveal that at certain t... (more) |
— | over 5 years ago |
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A: What are directional, height, and distance guidelines for marking trails? Here is the National Park Guidelines to your questions, Blazes are placed on trees or posts, slightly above eye level so that hikers can see them easily when traveling in either direction. In areas where the trail receives winter use, blazes are placed higher so they are visible above the sno... (more) |
— | over 5 years ago |
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What is the estimated cost for through hiking the Pacific Crest Trail? We have a question about the cost of through-hiking the AT and another about the cost of through hiking the CDT but not one about the PCT which is the other big trail in the United States. What is the estimated cost of through-hiking the Pacific Crest Trail (it's going to vary, but even ranges would... (more) |
— | over 5 years ago |
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What are some good foods for recovering from calorie debt? Calorie debt is when you are using more calories than you are eating and making up the difference from stored reserves of body fat. Sometimes people will do this to save on the amount of weight carried and then replenish when back at civilization. What are some good foods for recovering from calori... (more) |
— | over 5 years ago |
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How is Chubby the alligators weight estimated? There is a massive alligator in Florida that lives near a golf course, and he is estimated to be the largest alligator in Florida history assuming the estimations of his size are correct. Estimating his length seems fairly easy, but how would they estimate his weight? (more) |
— | over 5 years ago |
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A: Are grizzly bears attracted by human urine? TLDR: Yes A bear’s sense of smell is seven times stronger than a bloodhound. If you’ve ever smelled coffee, alcohol, or yesterday’s beetroot salad in your urine, bears can smell every donut and drip of hot sauce you’ve eaten from miles away. There’s no understan... (more) |
— | over 5 years ago |