Activity for Charlie Brumbaughâ€
| Type | On... | Excerpt | Status | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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How does dental floss compare to fishing line in a survival situation? It is possible to catch fish with a hook and dental floss, and the flies can just be stored stuck in the brim of a hat or very small tin and then one improvises a rod from a stick. The advantage of taking dental floss is that it could be used for flossing in addition to catching fish but how does it... (more) |
— | over 5 years ago |
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If you are canoeing on a lake when whitecaps start happening, what is the best direction to get off the lake? If you are canoeing on a lake and the wind suddenly starts blowing to the point where there are whitecaps, what is the best direction to head to get off the lake? Would it be the shortest way back to the shore or would one take the direction of the wind into account? (more) |
— | over 5 years ago |
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Are there US Forest Service maps of historical logging? Some forests in the Western United States will have been logged at different times and by different methods i.e. clearcut vs selective logging. As time goes by, the trees will grow back but this results in different environments and amount of wildlife as well as some areas being easier to hike with ... (more) |
— | over 5 years ago |
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A: Why is it undesirable for the New Forest to convert to a mature forest? It seems like it would be a combination of loss of the way it has been and of the beneficial effects of grazing. Grazing can have both positive and negative effects, and can benefit certain species at the expense of others so its all a balancing effect. Cattle are thought to provide biodiversity... (more) |
— | over 5 years ago |
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A: What is a 'Whitecap' and why should I be concerned about boating in them? White caps are named for the white caps at the top of waves. White caps are sign that the wind is picking up and that the weather conditions are getting worse and look like this at low wind levels. Source By the Beaufort scale these start happening at between 7-10 knots. Its even more dangerous... (more) |
— | over 5 years ago |
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Will mountain lions eat wild horses? If I remember correctly, someone proposed that the problem of wild horses over populating in the western United States would be to let the mountain lions control the populations. Would mountain lions actually eat the wild horses, and if so, would this be enough to control the wild horse population? ... (more) |
— | over 5 years ago |
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How stuffed is a sleeping bag stuffed in its recommended stuff sack size? Sleeping bags often have a recommended stuff sack size given either in dimensions or volume i.e. 6 x 11 inches or 5 liters. Is the recommended size for how small it can get for backpacking or is it more the size of what one could store the bag in? To put it another way, does the recommended stuff s... (more) |
— | over 5 years ago |
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If you are starting to tie your own fly fishing flies, what types would be the easiest to start with? The are two main types of fly fishing flies, wet (sink underneath) and dry (float on top). If one were trying to learn how to how tie the flies yourself instead of buying them, would one type be easier to start with rather than the other? (more) |
— | over 5 years ago |
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What to look for in a rifle bipod? I am planning on getting a bipod for my rifle, in the hope of being more accurate and able to hit targets at longer ranges. What features should I look for in a rifle bipod? (more) |
— | over 5 years ago |
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A: What group of people call themselves "Outdoor Influencers", and what do they do regarding natural areas of land? Basically it's people with large social media followings who use their influence on those platforms, especially Instagram, to influence people to visit outdoor places, buy outdoor things and support outdoor causes. Their Instagrams of beautiful vistas have brought attention to environmental issues &#... (more) |
— | over 5 years ago |
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A: What constitutes mountain exposure when hiking or scrambling? Exposure is more a feeling that there is nothing below you in the event of a fall rather than a steepness. A trail that was level as it winds its way around a mountain but has a 1500 ft drop off on one side would be considered exposed, while Class 3 moves up a slope might not be depending on the per... (more) |
— | over 5 years ago |
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A: Safest way to carry ebooks outdoors? I would just get a waterproof case for whatever electronic device you have the books on and then a waterproof/impact resistant USB flash drive for the books. SD cards are more breakable and prone to getting lost or misplaced than USB flash drives. A quick price checks says you can get a Water p... (more) |
— | over 5 years ago |
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A: Are there any credible estimates of how much of the US National Park System does not have cell phone reception? If so, what do they conclude? I believe what you are looking for can be found here, Cellular Coverage in National Parks which has cell phone coverage maps for a number of National Parks in the US. It depends on the park and has no percentages, but its probably the best one can get. I will note that based on my experience in RMN... (more) |
— | over 5 years ago |
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A: How to tie a Purcell Prusik from a single end? Note: This knot works better in smaller diameter cords, but its easier to demonstrate with larger ones so that is what is in the pictures. To start with you go over the top of the rope and then do 2-3 coils back towards the what will be the closed loop before bring it back over where you started. ... (more) |
— | over 5 years ago |
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How to tie a Purcell Prusik from a single end? There is the regular Purcell Prusik, which can be used for adjustable tethers or create foot loops for ascending a rope, but it is also useful to know how to tie it with only one end of the rope instead of a loop. This knot is useful for tightening lines holding tarps out for example, how would one ... (more) |
— | over 5 years ago |
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A: Is there a backpacker's guide to edible plants that is very light? There are multiple guides to edible foods, it looks like you would be most interested in would cover all of North America and if you are wanting to go light, there are pocket guides. I found quite a few including, Edible Wild Plants and Herbs: A Pocket Guide Edible Wild Plants: A North American F... (more) |
— | over 5 years ago |
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A: Is there any effective repellent against deer flies (Lipoptena cervi)? It looks like lemon eucalyptus extract has some effect, It is concluded that the use of a repellent based on lemon eucalyptus extract (tested in 2004-2005) will protect humans from Deer ked bites, but just on those parts of the skin where the repellent has been applied. The smell of lemon eucalyp... (more) |
— | over 5 years ago |
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A: Is it possible get a rash from poison ivy but not poison oak? According to the American Academy of Dermatology its the same oil in both poison ivy and poison oak along with sumac, What you see and feel on your skin is caused by urushiol (you-ROO-shee-all). Urushiol is the oil in poison ivy, oak, and sumac. You find this oil in all parts of the plants ȁ... (more) |
— | over 5 years ago |
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A: What's this backpack part called and how can I get a replacement? It looks like this piece goes by 3 different names, Sternum Slider Image source Piping Clip Image Source Wing Clip You could also try contacting the manufacture, since these parts don't seem to be extremely common. (more) |
— | over 5 years ago |
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A: How use a nylon cordelette as an adjustable tether for rock climbing? The solution to this is a Purcell Prussik, that looks like this, It's a cordelette tied into a loop with a double fisherman's, and then looped back with a prussik to itself. See here for how to tie one. If I need more slack, I reach up and pull the prussik towards myself, if I need to go shorter ... (more) |
— | over 5 years ago |
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How use a nylon cordelette as an adjustable tether for rock climbing? Sometimes when clipping in people who are rappelling, or setting up anchors in some places from above or showing people how to get onto a fixed line, I need an adjustable tether. I often carry a nylon cordelette for just such a purpose, what knot should I use? (more) |
— | over 5 years ago |
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A: How to tie a Purcell prusik? Note: You want to keep the double fisherman's knot close to the opposite end, but offset slightly, this gives you maximum adjustability while being able to use the far end as a prusik as well if necessary. There are two ways I have done this, Tie a normal prusik (described here) around something ... (more) |
— | over 5 years ago |
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How to tie a Purcell prusik? One of the more useful knots for climbing is the Purcell prusik (related to but not a regular prussik), which can be used as an adjustable tether or for ascending a rope among other things. How would one tie it? (more) |
— | over 5 years ago |
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How are backpacking quotas per trailhead in US national parks determined? Trailheads at some national parks like Yosemite or some wilderness areas will have quotas, with a certain number of permits per trailhead available per day. Usually, the permits are split between those that can be reserved in advance and those that are available at the ranger stations for people to ... (more) |
— | over 5 years ago |
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A: SERE Surival Kit includes velcro finger lights, but why? The point of the velcro is to hold the light onto your finger, and the extra length makes it possible to use with gloves. These have several advantages, Originally designed for pilots, the popularity of these simple-to-use lights have made them required tools for ground forces, battle tank, medi... (more) |
— | over 5 years ago |
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A: What does contouring mean in the context of navigation/orienteering? Contouring means to follow the contours of the land to your destination, trying to stay at the same elevation as you work your way around the hill. In this example you would walk up the hill, and upon reaching the given height, stay at that level while walking towards the destination. Sometimes, ... (more) |
— | over 5 years ago |
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What does contouring mean in the context of navigation/orienteering? One of the techniques while navigating in the outdoors is known as contouring, what does this mean and when would it be useful? (more) |
— | over 5 years ago |
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A: Will the Trailhead Registry burn in a forest fire? They probably will burn, see this one for example, Image Source Also wood has a higher ignition temperature. Sometimes they are in metal boxes on metal posts, but quite often they are wood or metal boxes on top of wood posts. Also, They don't always have paper. The paper doesn't always have s... (more) |
— | over 5 years ago |
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A: What to do if you are above timberline and your descent is cut off by a large forest fire? Option 2 is better, as activating your PLB will divert resources that could be used to fight the forest fire, and put other people in unnecessary danger (PLBs aren't a get out of danger free card). Fires rarely go above tree line, Alpine tundra areas in the [Colorado] San Juans rarely burn becau... (more) |
— | over 5 years ago |
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A: Are there any large knife/saw multitools for pocket or belt use? You for large saws that also fit in a pocket, it looks like the best solution is a "pocket chainsaw" which is basically a chainsaw blade that you pull back and forth with your hands. Image Source There are dedicated folding saws, Image Source and also large folding saws, some that are the sam... (more) |
— | over 5 years ago |
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How common is it for a mother duck to adopt ducklings? There is a recent story of how one mother duck kept adopting more ducklings that weren't hers and eventually ended up with 76 ducklings. This is called "brood amalgamation", how common is it among ducks? (more) |
— | over 5 years ago |
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A: What makes some of the lakes in the Himalayas saline? In all of these cases it's because they are Endorheic, which is a fancy way of saying that they have inputs but no outputs. The salt that is carried down by the precipitation is trapped in the lake with no where to go and so over time, the lakes become saline. Endorheic lakes are usually in the i... (more) |
— | over 5 years ago |
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A: How can I distinguish between rock pile types cairn, duck, and natural? In short, Cairn -> many rocks piled up Duck -> 3-4 rocks stacked on top of each other. Natural -> Small rocks don't stack directly on top of each other, gravity tends to spread them out. In any case, they usually aren't necessary, except in places with lots of fog such as the White Mountains of N... (more) |
— | almost 6 years ago |
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A: When is improvised water filtration warranted for survival? It depends on the timeframe, Dehydration will kill you within days, giardia takes much longer to develop and can be treated once you are out of the backcountry. People have died because they didn't want to drink muddy water. If you are going to be a long time out from getting back, keeping healthy ... (more) |
— | almost 6 years ago |
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A: Relative risks of various outdoor activities? There is some data on this but mostly it's the really broad type that aren't particularly useful, and its scattered all over the place. It also depends on what type of data you look at, rock climbing has a lower rate of injuries per hour spend climbing than Nordic skiing, but a higher fatality rate ... (more) |
— | almost 6 years ago |
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Does listening with an ear to the ground actually work? In movies, sometimes the character will put an ear to the ground and then hear people moving a long ways away example. Does this actually work in the wild at all or is it just insufficient for anything short of a horde of orcs herd of buffalo? (more) |
— | almost 6 years ago |
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A: Which is bigger, as in longer, Omura's whale or Blue whale? Blue whales are larger by quite a large margin so it looks like whatever you read was wrong. In fact, the Blue whale is the largest recorded mammal, and the Omura's is one of the smallest whales. Interestingly, Omura's was not established as its own breed until between 2003 and 2006. Previously it wa... (more) |
— | almost 6 years ago |
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When slacklining between trees, how big should the tree trunks be? Often times in city parks people will use the trees for slacklining, the problem comes when they use trees that are not big enough, and given enough time and users this can be unhealthy for the trees. I realize that there are different kinds of trees, but a general rule of thumb would still be helpf... (more) |
— | almost 6 years ago |
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What are the pros and cons of cotton vs mesh filters for making cold brew coffee in a Nalgene water bottle? From my research so far into making cold brew coffee in a Nalgene while backpacking, I have found there to be two types of filters, cotton ones called "coffee socks" and mesh ones that screw onto the top of the bottle. I like the idea of cold brewing because I fairly often don't bring a stove, and I... (more) |
— | almost 6 years ago |
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Is there an actual advantage of switchblade folding knives over any other method of opening a folding blade with one hand? More states in the US are decriminalizing switchblades, yet there are many other methods of opening a folding knife with one hand such as studs on the blade or groove to make it easier to open. I am not talking about the ones that have double edged blades but rather standard folding knives such as t... (more) |
— | almost 6 years ago |
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A: Is it generally safe to hike a pass in a thunderstorm? The pass is safer than the peaks on either side of it, but less safe than not hiking over the pass. When I did my Instructors course for Summit Adventure, hiking over a pass during a thunderstorm would have been considered extremely unwise, and the procedure would have been to either not cross or t... (more) |
— | almost 6 years ago |
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How is the maximum legal altitude for campfires determined? In most national parks in the United States, campfires are prohibited above certain elevations (9,600 ft for Yosemite,10,000 ft for Ansel Adams with exceptions). This is a good thing because after a certain height the trees don't grow fast enough for campfires to be sustainable. Do note that this a... (more) |
— | almost 6 years ago |
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Would dry or wet flies be easier for a beginner fly fisherman? Inspired by this question, if someone was just starting out fly fishing, would dry flies (float on top of the water) or wet flies (sink below) be easier for a beginner to use? My experience is that wet flies are easier, but it has been a while, and I haven't showed a new person in a long time. Woul... (more) |
— | almost 6 years ago |
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What is the survival rate for fish restocked via airplane? In some places in the western United States, game fish are stocked into lakes via planes for fishing (every so often lakes will freeze to the point that it kills the fish). I have heard stories of backpackers coming upon lakes where the planes missed and there being lots of bear food fish on the sho... (more) |
— | almost 6 years ago |
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A: How do fly fishing lures work? For fly fishing, there are two types of flies, wet and dry. The wet flies are designed to sink and bitten by the fish underwater, while the dry lures are designed to sit on top and the fish will come up and bite them. If you are really lucky the fish will leap out of the water to do so. The short v... (more) |
— | almost 6 years ago |
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A: How do forest fires affect rain run-off? Basically it increases the runoff in a number of ways, less soil cover in the form of vegetation, ash blocking the water from being absorbed, and in some cases a hydrophobic water coating can be left behind. Loss of vegetation exposes soil to erosion; water runoff may increase and cause flooding;... (more) |
— | almost 6 years ago |
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A: Reusing disposable water bottles vs. buying dedicated bottles The problem with using the cheap bottles is that if they break, you can be in serious trouble. A quick price check says that 32 oz nalgenes go for around 10 bucks and 2 liter hydration bladders for around the same, so are you really saving that much money for the extra trouble? I have seen Nalgene 3... (more) |
— | almost 6 years ago |
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A: Fittings to connect together two hydration bladders No, pretty sure there isn't one but you do have a couple of options, Just bring two bladders and switch to the other when empty. There are 6 liter MSR dromedaries that I have used for when you need to pack water in larger amounts. There are double hydration bladders with two chambers, but it seems ... (more) |
— | almost 6 years ago |
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A: What is the defintion of a "unisex tent"? This looks like a combination of keyword stuffing and people in the UK apparently wanting unisex products. It might be like labeling things that don't normally contain gluten as gluten-free for the extra exposure. For example of keyword stuffing in titles consider, Coleman Water Repellent Instant... (more) |
— | almost 6 years ago |
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A: How do I weave the backpack shoulder straps when there are two strap adjusters? You would only want to use one of them at a time. With that said there are a couple of possibilities here, There is another strap that you have missed that goes to the second point (this is the most likely option) There was a strap that used to go there but was cut off. I would double check the b... (more) |
— | almost 6 years ago |