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Activity for Charlie Brumbaugh‭

Type On... Excerpt Status Date
Question What is the rather large bug with a green body, black stripe down the middle, 8 orange legs , two large antenna and large chompers?
I find this bug while hiking the Toiyabe Crest Trail in Nevada. It was probably 2 inches long and at an elevation of somewhere around 6,000 feet or so. I did decided that I didn't want to camp anywhere close to the thing. Does anyone know what kind of bug this is?
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about 6 years ago
Answer A: What is this raised, icy-looking structure, found at the edge of a partially frozen lake?
Its just the result of pressure on the ice pushing the slabs up like that. It could also have been a solid non melting object underneath like a rock, but I can't see one in the picture. Ice will do all sorts weird things under pressure like pressure ridges or ice shove/heaves or spring tectonic cr...
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about 6 years ago
Answer A: What does status R mean regarding trail permits on the Mt Whitney lottery calendar?
Yes, it means that you are out of luck for that day. After the Mt Whitney Lottery, any remaining dates may be reserved on the website www.recreation.gov beginning at 10:00am Eastern Time on April 1st. When searching for an available date, the letter "R" on the reservation calendar indicates that...
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about 6 years ago
Answer A: How to avoid trespassing in the United States?
This has been a problem for quite a while, it used to be that one needed really good paper maps to be able to tell. Now there are chips for GPS units that show the ownership of the land on the map (there are also apps for phones) with an overlay of the property types and boundaries. That way people ...
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about 6 years ago
Question How to avoid trespassing in the United States?
Sometimes in the United States private land won't be marked clearly or there won't fences along the lines or maybe there aren't any "no trespassing" signs. Especially in the western parts with big open spaces this can be a problem. Or sometimes the land can be public, but the rules can be different ...
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about 6 years ago
Answer A: Install a stove jack onto a canvas tent without one
The problem with using a a stove inside a tent that is not designed for one, is that it will lack the fire retardation treatment on the canvas, and therefore be more liable to catch on fire. A: These tents are not fire retardant and should you choose to install a stove Jack somebody could be seri...
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about 6 years ago
Answer A: Does the two sticks and a star method of finding north work the same way in both hemispheres?
TLDR: It's the same in both hemispheres. To keep the explanation simple consider someone driving south at night across the equator in Africa . The person sees a star ahead and it's moving to the right. As the person crosses the equator it will still be moving to the right, not suddenly stop and star...
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about 6 years ago
Question Does the two sticks and a star method of finding north work the same way in both hemispheres?
There is a method of finding north by aiming two sticks at a star and then tracking the star's movement to find which way is north. You can read the full description here. However, there is the a debate in the comments (with 6 upvotes) about whether or not it works the exact same way in both hemisph...
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about 6 years ago
Answer A: Tips for using a "wag bag" to pack out human waste
For making the bags, here is what I have done in the past when I worked for an outdoor organization. You need a sheet of wax paper, a brown paper lunch bag, a zip lock and baking soda. When putting the bags together you, Put a scoop of backing soda inside the lunch bag Fold up the wax paper and pl...
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about 6 years ago
Answer A: How to tie a super eight / double figure eight / bunny ear knot?
This one is almost identical to the figure eight on a bight, with one crucial difference. When you get to the final step of the figure eight on a bight, instead of pushing the end of the bight through the loop you take another bight of the bight and push that through the loop, then flip the end of t...
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about 6 years ago
Question How to tie a super eight / double figure eight / bunny ear knot?
Note, I am not asking how to tie three different types of knots, but rather one knot that goes by three different names. Its a knot that can be useful in building anchors especially at the top of fixed lines. How one would tie this knot?
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about 6 years ago
Answer A: How to tie a figure eight on a bight?
First you take the bight and bring the end down. Then you take the end and cross it over. Then bring it back around underneath the main strand. Finally take the end through the top loop. and there you have it. Before using you would want to dress it and tighten it down. If you want to se...
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about 6 years ago
Question How to tie a figure eight on a bight?
One of the more common knots in climbing is the figure eight on a bight (being tied on a bight means that it is tied without using the ends. How exactly would one tie this knot?
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about 6 years ago
Answer A: How can I clean my newly acquired (used) climbing shoes in order to avoid athlete's foot?
I would just spray them with Lysol disinfectant spray. That should take the care of both the smell and kill the fungus. This is the quick and simple solution. You are right that most people don't climb with socks mostly for better control, unless they are using rental shoes, in which case they use s...
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about 6 years ago
Answer A: Is it warmer to sleep in a car or in a tent?
The car, mostly because you can use the heater. You will want to make sure that the exhaust is clear to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning and only run it for a short periods at a time. This also helps keep the engine warm, as it is much harder to start an engine when it is really cold out. If the the ...
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about 6 years ago
Answer A: What are the white pvc pipes in the Nevada desert for?
These are mining claim markers that mark the edges of the claim. The ones in the picture are legal, because the tops are capped. If the tops were not capped, it would be legal to pull them out and set them on the ground. 8.&#x2002;&#x2002;After November 1, 2011, any durable plastic pipe that is n...
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about 6 years ago
Question What are the white pvc pipes in the Nevada desert for?
Sometimes in my travels in Nevada, I would come across white pvc pipes standing up in the middle of nowhere sticking out like sore thumbs. They looked like this (the red arrow points to another one further up the hill) What exactly are these posts marking?
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about 6 years ago
Answer A: Crossing small corners of a glacier when hiking in summer
I would say that it is going to depend on how steep the glacier is. If it is pretty flat, then you won't need the ice axe and crevasses are highly unlikely. This wouldn't be any harder than walking on a snowfield. If on the other hand the glacier is steep and parts of the glacier are moving at diffe...
(more)
about 6 years ago
Answer A: What is the relationship between altitude gain and temperature decrease when mountaineering?
The answer is that it depends on the moisture held in the air moist air changes at a rate of 3&deg; Fahrenheit per 1000 ft of vertical / 0.6&deg; Celsius per 100m. dry air changes at a rate of 5.4&deg; Fahrenheit per 1000 ft of vertical / 1&deg; Celsius per 100m. As moist air rises, it cools ...
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about 6 years ago
Question What is the relationship between altitude gain and temperature decrease when mountaineering?
In the absence of inversions, going up mountains will bring you into lower temperatures as you get higher. What is the rule of thumb for how the temperature decreases with altitude?
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about 6 years ago
Answer A: What skills should one learn before attempting paragliding?
The first steps before flying start with learning the gear and going over the procedures (Source). Then you start what is known as kiting or ground handling where the you get the wing up into the air and use the controls to steer it and learn how to handle it while staying on the ground. True m...
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about 6 years ago
Answer A: Is there a way to attract more birds to my yard without a bird feeder?
For what you could do to attract birds without a feeder, I would suggest a birdbath, and we have a few questions on them already. Yes, the concern of it being spread by rodents is valid. Density of infected nymphs&#x2014;the principal determinant of Lyme disease risk&#x2014;varied significantly ...
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about 6 years ago
Answer A: Titanic survival, ice cold water?
The US Coast Guard has done a number of studies too try and predict this and it looks like survival times can are highly dependent on the person and what they are wearing when all of the other factors are the same. ST was reduced to 5.3 hours if the body fat level of the victim changed to &#x20...
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about 6 years ago
Answer A: Are there bubble free handheld compasses?
The answer is yes, there are bubble free compasses. It seems that the trick to getting a compass to not have bubbles is to use a thermo-elastic capsule which flexes with the temperature changes. K&amp;R's thermo-elastic capsule is flexible, not brittle. This accomplishes two things: 1) the capsul...
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about 6 years ago
Question Are there bubble free handheld compasses?
We have one question asking where it is normal for a compass to have bubbles and another asking why compasses get bubbles, but we do not have a question clearly asking if handheld compasses exist that do not get bubbles. So are there handheld compasses that do not get bubbles?
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about 6 years ago
Answer A: Why do compasses develop bubbles?
Either small leaks or changes in atmospheric pressure. However if the bubble is less than 1/4 inch across it won't affect accuracy. Bubbles can form from high elevation or exposure to cold temperatures, which cause the liquid to contract, leaving an air bubble behind. Usually, the bubble will dis...
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about 6 years ago
Answer A: How do squirrels find buried nuts?
It looks like its a combination of smell and memory. Abstract. It has previously been assumed that grey squirrels, Sciurus cqrolinensis, cannot remember the locations of nuts they have buried, and hence must relocate nuts by their odour. This assumption was tested by measuring the accuracy of ca...
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about 6 years ago
Answer A: Are pounds of propane actual pounds of weight?
Yes, propane in pounds is measured in weight. Answer: Propane can be measured in a few manners. The most common way is by gallons. It can also be measured by pounds (one gallon = 4.2lbs). When measured in gallons, a meter at the pump is used to determine the amount of propane that has been filled...
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about 6 years ago
Answer A: What is an effective technique for plogging?
The most efficient way to run and pick up trash would probably be to know where the garbage cans along the route are so you can carry the trash for as little time as possible. At least according to this Fitness.SE answer , its not a good idea to run with hand weights, since there is little physical ...
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about 6 years ago
Answer A: Dialing an emergency number in a foreign country using a satellite phone
Here is what I found for most countries, If you have an Inmarsat satellite phone: You will need to obtain the full international access code, country code, and phone number for the local fire, police, or ambulance depending upon the nature of the emergency and store it in your contacts. ...
(more)
about 6 years ago
Answer A: Is it feasible that a black bear could kill a man with a single swat?
I am going to say yes, it is possible mostly because humans kill other humans with a single punch from time to time and black bears are certainly stronger. Cupido said there are &#x201C;hundreds&#x201D; of documented one-punch deaths nationwide. Source One-punch deaths fall even further do...
(more)
about 6 years ago
Answer A: What are the steps you would go through to teach someone how to split logs?
For teaching someone, I would probably demonstrate it once and then let them go at it while watching to make sure they don't hurt themselves. It's not all that hard and smaller logs are easier. The precautions are, Wear safety glasses to protect against the chips or other flying debris. Wear glo...
(more)
about 6 years ago
Question When a sailing ship is pursuing another upwind, why does the distance gained to windward matter so much?
In one of the Hornblower books, "We're weathering on her" said Hornblower; his eye was aching with staring through the glass, and his arms even were weary with holding the telescope to his eye, but in the excitement of the chase he could not relax. "Not as much as I'd like" growled Bolton. ...
(more)
about 6 years ago
Answer A: Do Eastern grey squirrels pretend to bury nuts in the ground?
It looks like the answer is yes, they do pretend to bury their food to keep other squirrels from getting at it. Dr Michael Steele of Wilkes University in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, and colleagues, whose research is highlighted in this week's New Scientist magazine, observed eastern grey squirrel...
(more)
about 6 years ago
Question Is there a point at which one is committed to a tack?
In the same Hornblower story that inspired this question, Hornblower tricks the French captain by acting as if to tack, but stopping and swinging back. When the French try to do the same they are unable to do so. 'He's coming about, sir!' reported Prowse. 'He's casting off the braces!' He mu...
(more)
about 6 years ago
Answer A: What ever happened to the proposals for no-rescue zones for backpackers?
It looks like it was most commonly proposed in the 1980s to around 1994 and has since been brought up at different times by different people but was never implemented. Here are the results I found and the dates, and I only quoted the ones that don't require typing out the passages by hand. 1983 19...
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about 6 years ago
Question How do you determine the optimum time to tack?
In one of the Hornblower novels, he is being pursued by a French frigate on the first day of war. During the chase, both the British and French ships are sailing upwind, and it is mentioned that the theoretically correct moment to tack is passing. Once settled on the new tack the Loire&#x2019;s...
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about 6 years ago
Answer A: What material is a good alternative to neoprene?
I would say that it would depend more on the air temperature. If you have cold water and rather warm temperatures, such as rafting on a cold river on a hot summer day, then synthetics like polyester or polypropylene would be the way to go since they will dry out quickly and not retain the water. Th...
(more)
about 6 years ago
Answer A: At what wind speed is hiking considered unsafe
By the Beaufort scale if would be over level 8, Level 7: 50-61 km/h, 32&#x2013;38 mph: Inconvenience felt when walking against the wind. Level 8: 62-74 km/h, 39&#x2013;46 mph: Twigs break off trees; generally impedes progress Source Or from the National Weather service levels, A Wind Advisor...
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about 6 years ago
Question What kind salamander is this black and grey one I found at around 11,000 feet near Mt Ritter in the Sierras?
I was making the last of my approach to Mt Ritter when I saw this salamander. It was probably 3-4 inches long and around 4:30 in the morning, I think the forecasted temperature was around 40&deg; Fahrenheit. Would anyone know what kind of salamander this is?
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about 6 years ago
Answer A: When did semiautomatic hunting rifles become commonly used in the United States?
The first mention I can find of a semi-auto rifle produced in the United States for hunting was the Remington Model 8. The Remington Model 8 rifle was the first commercially successful semiautomatic rifle offered for civilian sale in the United States ... The primary market for the Mode...
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about 6 years ago
Answer A: Can you use an Iridium phone with a SIM but with no active plan to place an emergency call?
I looked at some different plans and it looks like you could buy a prepaid plan and not activate it for up to 2 years. See the pricing here. However that seems like the really expensive option. Since you only want something for use in emergencys and want to be able to communicate with rescuers whi...
(more)
about 6 years ago
Answer A: In orienteering/navigation, what is an attack point?
To put it really simply, an attack point is something that you can aim towards, that is far more obvious and easy to navigate to than your actual destination. For examples consider navigating to a lava tube cave in a forest with bluffs around. While the cave won't be visible until you are really clo...
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about 6 years ago
Question In orienteering/navigation, what is an attack point?
Some features in orienteering or navigation are called attack points. What exactly does this refer to?
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about 6 years ago
Answer A: Is freezer bag cooking safe?
TLDR: It looks like the bigger risk is spilling the boiling water onto yourself. Here is what Ziplok has to say about their products, That&#x2019;s good news all around.Ziploc&#xAE; brand containers are made from polypropylene and can be recycled in a limited (but growing number) of communities....
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over 6 years ago
Answer A: What can I do if I have 24-hour warning of very strong wind gusts (45&#x2013;50 m/s), but I cannot reach a fixed shelter within this period?
What you are probably going to want to do is to build your own shelter out of rocks. Basically, you are going to want to pile them up into a wall a couple of feet high and get down behind that. If you know the direction the wind is coming from then you can make a horseshoe shaped shelter with the ope...
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over 6 years ago
Answer A: What are the steps in the PBUS method of belaying?
P for Pull One hand holds the rope above belay device and the other below. During this step the hand above pulls down while at the same time the lower hand pulls the rope through the belay device. B for Brake During the above step, it is not always possible to keep the lower hand behind the b...
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over 6 years ago
Question What are the steps in the PBUS method of belaying?
The more common way of belaying is called PBUS which stands for Pull, Under, Brake, Slide. What is the correct way to do this (including illustrations)?
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over 6 years ago
Answer A: How to make rock climbing more challenging without changing to a more difficult route?
Some of the ways to make a rock climb more difficult include, No hands touching the rock. Climbing blindfolded. Two climbers climbing as in a three legged race. Avoiding certain holds. Climbing really slowly. Climbing really fast. Different colored holds for different difficulties Added weight for ...
(more)
over 6 years ago
Question How to make rock climbing more challenging without changing to a more difficult route?
Sometimes when setting up rock climbs for people you will have climbers of various abilities and yet not have enough resources to set up enough climbs so that everyone has something that is hard enough to keep the interested. In a case like this, are there any ways to make a rock climb harder for th...
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over 6 years ago