Activity for Charlie Brumbaughâ€
| Type | On... | Excerpt | Status | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Question | — |
In orienteering/navigation, what is a handrail feature? One of the terms in orienteering/navigation is "handrail feature". What exactly does this term mean? (more) |
— | over 6 years ago |
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A: Minimum draw weight for a target practice only crossbow? You are comparing apples to oranges here. You can have a much much higher pull weight on a crossbow, simply because it is easier and you can use mechanical advantage. If you look at history, the advantages of a crossbow is that the archers didn't need to have the same amount of physical strength re... (more) |
— | over 6 years ago |
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A: Is there any evidence that attaching a biner to both seat and leg loops results in a 3-way load? Consider this Black Diamond Harness, Image Source as you will notice, there is no belay loop at all. This is how the directions show one belaying with it. However, this type of harness is designed to be used this way, most other harnesses are not. For data on how hard it would be to break a t... (more) |
— | over 6 years ago |
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A: What is the meaning and proper usage of the term "irruption" in bird behavior? TLDR: Its when a massive amount of birds suddenly migrate all at once to a area they aren't usually found in. An irruption is a dramatic, irregular migration of large numbers of birds to areas where they aren’t typically found, possibly at a great distance from their normal ranges. Th... (more) |
— | over 6 years ago |
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A: Can a dog thru-hike 2500 miles in 6 months? People have taken dogs on long thru hikes in about that time. This summer my dog was (I’m fairly certain) the first to complete a thru-hike of the Continental Divide Trail. We began our adventure June 20th at Chief Mountain in Glacier National Park on the Canada/Montana border. We hik... (more) |
— | over 6 years ago |
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A: Sports tape to prevent blisters while backpacking? I have used sports tape before and it does work to prevent blisters. Sometimes people will also use ductape Personally other ways of preventing blisters are better because you have to peal the tape off after. (more) |
— | over 6 years ago |
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A: Why are large/pear shaped locking carabiners called HMS carabiners? These types of carabiners are designed to be used with a Munter Hitch. The Munter Hitch was created by a Swiss mountain guide named Werner Munter who called it, Halbmastwurfsicherung, meaning half clove hitch belay. Source The abbreviation for Halbmastwurfsicherung is HMS and that is why the l... (more) |
— | over 6 years ago |
| Question | — |
Why are large/pear shaped locking carabiners called HMS carabiners? Carabiners like this one, Image Source are called HMS carabiners. Why are they called that and what does HMS stand for? (more) |
— | over 6 years ago |
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Are there any non-legal advantages of a non-locking knife? In lots of places around the world, locking folding knives are illegal for everyday carry while non-locking folding knives are much less restricted. Almost everyone I know who carries a knife daily has a locking and my biggest concern would be the blade closing when I don't want it to and cutting me... (more) |
— | over 6 years ago |
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A: How to get up for an alpine start without an alarm? There are some things that will help in getting up early without an alarm. Drink more water than normal before bed , this ensures that you won't sleep all of the way through the night. Try to sleep so that the rising moon/early twilight will shine on you earlier (don't sleep on the west side of a b... (more) |
— | over 6 years ago |
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How to get up for an alpine start without an alarm? Sometimes, one needs to get up for an alpine start i.e. really, really early, and yet not have a functioning alarm. Cell phones have a tendency to lose the correct time when shut off and then turned back on in an area with no service and watches can break or run out of batteries. Are there any tips ... (more) |
— | over 6 years ago |
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A: What are the different techniques to jam in a crack? To start with, Tips Fingers Ringlock Handjams (thumbs up, thumbs down, cupped hand) Fistjams Hand & Fist stack Fist stack "Chicken wing" Arm bar whole body (chimney): frog (feet against back wall, knees aginst front wall) sitting (back against back wall, feet against front wall) stemming (l... (more) |
— | over 6 years ago |
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A: How to painlessly remove gunk left by tape gloves? After looking around the internet, it seems that oils can be used to remove tape residue. So things like, Olive Oil Coconut Oil would be possibilities for removing the gunk and shouldn't hurt if it gets into cuts. They should also be good for your hands, especially if they are dry. (more) |
— | over 6 years ago |
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A: Can I eat raw acorns? It looks like eating raw acorns won't kill you but its not likely to be pleasant and can harm you. That said, even “sweet” acorns should be leached to remove what tannins exist in them because several studies show that unleached acorns can make you constipated and can harm your teet... (more) |
— | over 6 years ago |
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A: What features should I look for in gear to support front wheels of wheelchairs for travel on snowy paths? I think what you are looking for is these attachments called Wheelblades, Image Source essentially mini skis that lock onto the front wheels of a wheelchair, Wheelblades are designed as an easy-to-use solution that aid traction and give a little extra oomph through snow, ice and slush. ..... (more) |
— | over 6 years ago |
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A: In what situations is it irresponsible not to carry a PLB or satellite messenger device? TLDR: You can be irresponsible with or without a PLB The most basic principle of responsibility in the wilderness is that YOU are ultimately responsible for your own safety. With that being the case there are few things more irresponsible than than the idea that you can take risks, and if anything... (more) |
— | over 6 years ago |
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A: Camping on top of a mountain You can sleep up high on top of peaks but there are a couple of reasons it isn't usually done, You have to haul all of your heavy gear (sleeping bags, bivy/tent etc) instead of leaving that at a base camp and taking a light day pack. There is usually less water higher up, so you have to haul that t... (more) |
— | over 6 years ago |
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A: How to "store" excess rope in a running belay? The way I have always done that is wrap the extra rope around my self. It goes over one shoulder and then under the the arm on the other side. Then, in addition to tying it at the end of the rope with a figure-eight like normal, you tie another figure-of-eight on a byte and clip that to your belay l... (more) |
— | over 6 years ago |
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A: What do classifications of belays (like "4th class belay") mean? A better description for 4th class belay would be simul-climbing or running belays. That is when you are roped together with intermediate protection. I described such a scenario here. Its typically done on easier climbs when the risk of falling is much lower. 5th class is actual rock climbing with b... (more) |
— | over 6 years ago |
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A: How to describe a trail well for others in a systematic way? At a minimum a trail description should include, Start End Distance/Elevation Change Estimated Time For describing the actual trail you would want to include, The general direction. What the elevation trend is, uphill vs downhill or mixed. The type of terrain, rolling, forested, flat, lots of s... (more) |
— | over 6 years ago |
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A: Possible snowy owl seen in the trees As the Sherlock Holmes would say, How often have I said to you that when you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth? If you look through the list of owls in Idaho, or the list of owls in North America you will notice that the only white owl is th... (more) |
— | over 6 years ago |
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A: What is a nose-hooked carabiner and why is it dangerous? To put it simply, it is when the nose of the carabiner gets hooked onto something, which reduces its strength dramatically. This happens by preventing the carabiner gate from closing and keeping it in a position that results in a catastrophic load pattern. This can happen for instance when sport c... (more) |
— | over 6 years ago |
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What is a nose-hooked carabiner and why is it dangerous? In rock climbing a carabiner can get nose-hooked and it is a very dangerous situation. What exactly is a nose-hooked carabiner and why is it dangerous? (more) |
— | over 6 years ago |
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A: What to do if someone gets impaled in the stomach? To quote from the Wilderness First Responder manual, Large objects found impaled in a wound should be left in place if you can get to a medical facility with relative ease. Yanking on an object can stimulate serious bleeding and damage underlying structures, especially if the object is impaled in... (more) |
— | over 6 years ago |
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A: Can you get permanent brain damage by spending a day at 10,000ft (~3000m) altitude? TLDR: Yes, it can happen at that altitude, but the odds are extremely low. Long answer High-altitude cerebral edema has happened at lower than 10,000 ft. The condition is seldom seen below 3,000 metres (9,800 ft),2 but in some rare cases it has developed as low as 2,500 metres (8,200 ft). Sou... (more) |
— | over 6 years ago |
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A: Why is there a cock vane/feather? Actually, it is done to minimize the possibility that the feathers will contact the arrow rest. Since there are different types of arrow rests, the direction pointed will depend on the type of rest. The nock of your arrows should be adjusted so that when placed on the string (nocked) the cock fea... (more) |
— | over 6 years ago |
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A: Can a click-up belay tool cause rope wear? Any belay device will cause wear and tear on the rope since they work by applying friction to the rope. There is a lot more friction when lowering a person than when belaying them so wear on that part of the rope is to be expected. It’s pretty normal for the sheath to look fuzzy or have s... (more) |
— | over 6 years ago |
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A: Can horses ford deeper/faster rivers than humans? Horses are bigger and stronger and than humans and because of the square cube law, they have more mass to surface area which makes them better suited to fording deeper/faster rivers. As to whether or not you could cross where the horses do, that will depend on the individual crossing. You probably c... (more) |
— | over 6 years ago |
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A: Is there a smartwatch/activity tracker lasting 20 days for a trek to Everest Base Camp? There is at least one, the Vector Luna Smart Watch. Vector Watch’s tagline is “The smartwatch with a 30-day battery life” and they really put the battery lifetime in the front line. It is really hard to find a smartwatch these days which will hold the charge for a whole month... (more) |
— | over 6 years ago |
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Is this rock I found on the Toiyabe Crest Trail an arrowhead? I found this arrowhead-shaped rock on the Toiyabe Crest trail in Nevada, USA. I'm wondering if it actually is an arrowhead. It's about 1.5 inches long. The reasons that I think it could be is that it's about the right shape and the edges looked like it had been sharpened. It also has what looks li... (more) |
— | over 6 years ago |
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A: Eye safety when starting a fire with a magnifying glass I would just use eclipse glasses. As they are safe to look directly at the sun with, then they should be fine to look at the bright spot caused by the magnifying glass. Just make certain that they are certified and not rip-offs and then you should be good to go. They meet all of your requirements an... (more) |
— | over 6 years ago |
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A: What's the best or easiest way to attach a loop tag onto canvas? If I was going to do this, I would use a Speedy Stitcher or similar tool, to stitch the loop to the tent and then cover the stitches with a canvas seam sealer. I wouldn't trust glue as there is going to be a lot of pull on the loop tag (the whole point of adding the loop tag is to be able to exer... (more) |
— | over 6 years ago |
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A: What is a good R value for a four-season sleeping pad? It looks like there is not a consensus on what the minimum R value should be, but that the higher the R value the better. It will also depend on how you sleep and what your comfort level is. If it would be possible to borrow one to try it out before going I would suggest doing that. Its worth trying... (more) |
— | over 6 years ago |
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A: Can I use solar showers when camping at Department of Conservation or other campsites in New Zealand? It looks like the answer is yes as they are one of the recommended items to bring as a camp host. Solar shower – there are cold water showers available Camp host information for Kenepuru Head Beyond that, solar showers are mentioned by several reviews of the campgrounds. The showers... (more) |
— | over 6 years ago |
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A: What exactly do the 2 knobs on my Zeiss 10 × 25B binoculars do? The knob on the left is for adjusting the focus to the distance, the knob on the right is for diopter adjustment. Beside the center focusing wheel, there usually is a separate diopter adjustment that serves to compensate for unequal vision that might exist between the viewer's two eyes. The diopt... (more) |
— | over 6 years ago |
| Question | — |
How to decore a retired climbing rope? One of the things you can do with a retired climbing rope is to decore it (remove the main center section), and turn the sheath into rope bracelets. The last time I decored a rope I cut it into approximately 4 ft sections and then pulled the center strands out before cutting it into smaller pieces.... (more) |
— | over 6 years ago |
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Do mountain lions play with their food? House cats will play with their food i.e. catch a mouse then let it go and then recatch it over and over again before finally eating it. Do mountain lions exhibit similar behavior? (more) |
— | over 6 years ago |
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A: How to estimate the time between direct sunlight and sunrise? The solution is the same as for estimating the time until sunset. What you do is hold your arms straight out in front of you and then stack them up from level until you reach the horizon. Each hand is equal to approximately one hour. This can be useful in situations where you have the option of cam... (more) |
— | over 6 years ago |
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How to estimate the time between direct sunlight and sunrise? Sometimes due to a high ridge or other land feature, the time that the sun comes over the horizon and gives direct sunlight is different from the time calculated by a sunrise table. From personal experience it can be up to several hours later. Is there a way to at least estimate the time of direct... (more) |
— | over 6 years ago |
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A: How to compactify the long straps on a tent or tarp when not in use? For my tarp I just fold the tarp and then wrap the strings around it. For a tent you can wrap the cords as described in these answers so that it looks something like this, I wouldn't worry too much about it, the more you camp and use it, the better you will get at it. (more) |
— | over 6 years ago |
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A: When calling in elk during bow season, where should the caller be in relation to the hunter? The caller should be at least 50 yards downwind of of the hunter. The reason is that elk have a good sense where a call is coming from and won't get very close (usually around 50 yards) to that spot unless they see another elk. If the caller is right next to the hunter, the elk will usually stay j... (more) |
— | over 6 years ago |
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When calling in elk during bow season, where should the caller be in relation to the hunter? If you are hunting elk in a team of two people with one attempting to call it in and the other to kill it, where should the caller be in relation to the hunter? (more) |
— | over 6 years ago |
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A: How do forest fires affect rock climbing? A forest fire can definitely affect the rocks and cause hazards (in addition to the hazards in the forest). Hot burning fires destabilize rock. This can result in removal of rock coatings, flaking, scaling, and/or abrasion. Source Spall is flakes of a material that are broken off a large... (more) |
— | over 6 years ago |
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A: What is a lava tube, as a place to see bats? Are there any in the United States? Basically, a lava tube is formed when a underground lava flow stops flowing, leaving behind a long tubular cave. A lava tube is a natural conduit formed by flowing lava which moves beneath the hardened surface of a lava flow. Tubes can be draining lava from a volcano during an eruption, or can be... (more) |
— | over 6 years ago |
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A: How does a European Robin differ from an American Robin? American Robin, Source European Robin Source They are from different families of birds, The American robin (Turdus migratorius) is a migratory songbird of the thrush family. It is named after the European robin3 because of its reddish-orange breast, though the two species are not closely ... (more) |
— | over 6 years ago |
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Are there any studies showing that being in good aerobic shape will lessen the risk of altitude sickness? This answer mentions, The single most effective thing you can do to improve your acclimatization rate is to get in good aerobic shape before starting your trip. It seems plausible that being in good aerobic shape would help one acclimatize, are there there any studies to back this up? (more) |
— | over 6 years ago |
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A: How long after a forest fire can you safely re-enter a forest? As far as the danger from hotspots, it looks like it could be a while, A municipal leader in British Columbia's central Interior says he wouldn't be surprised if wildfires that have chewed through more than 10,600 square kilometres of woodland smoulder until 2018. Chairman Al Richmond of the... (more) |
— | over 6 years ago |
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A: How to tell the difference between elk and hunters using elk calls? The tricks are, Humans carry both bugle (bull) and cow calls, while a bull elk won't make cow noises. So hearing a bugle and then a cow call from the same place is almost guaranteed to be a human. Humans can be over eager to respond and will bugle back very quickly while elk will take a while. Elk ... (more) |
— | over 6 years ago |
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How to tell the difference between elk and hunters using elk calls? Sometimes when hunting elk, especially archery, you will hear elk calls and be unsure whether it is an elk or a human using an elk call. How could one tell the difference? (more) |
— | over 6 years ago |
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A: What is the Origin of the Word "Sendtember" in Rock Climbing? It's a combination of Send and September. Sendtember – according to climbing folklore – is blessed with perfect cool, dry, stable spring conditions in which climbers can harvest the gains made in a long winter of hard training. September, they say, is the most sendingest month of th... (more) |
— | over 6 years ago |