Activity for Charlie Brumbaughâ€
| Type | On... | Excerpt | Status | Date |
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A: Is it safe to take a shower outside during a thunderstorm? One of the basic principles of lightning safety is that you don't want to be the highest thing around and you don't want to be under something that is the highest thing around. For example only one group has ever been struck while floating the Colorado through the Grand Canyon, but multiple people h... (more) |
— | about 7 years ago |
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How warm does it need to be for bats to come out of their caves? Once, I was waiting for bats to come out of a cave (I knew there were some in the cave) and they never came out that I could see. While it was after hibernation and the bats were definitely awake (up and squeaking), it was kind of cold (too cold for short sleeves) and I wondered if that might have k... (more) |
— | about 7 years ago |
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A: Would a gunshot echo in a cave? It turns out that gunshots can be used to map caves, The decade-long search might have gone a little differently, though, if soldiers had access to a new system that can use sound waves from a gunshot to quickly map unknown caves and tunnels. The portable system, created by David Bowen of Acente... (more) |
— | about 7 years ago |
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Can I avoid dew by sleeping at higher elevations? On backpacking trips, I would like to avoid dew because it means either waiting till the sun has come up and dried my stuff off or packing wet things and drying them later. My experience is that dew is less likely at higher elevations, is this true or simply a coincidence? (more) |
— | about 7 years ago |
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A: Why do Old Town canoes have dramatically higher capacity than Osagian canoes? It could just be a difference between how the companies calculate it. From an article about kayak weight capacity, There's no industry standard for determining the maximum weight capacity of a fishing kayak. Every company approaches the question a little differently. The more you dive into the n... (more) |
— | about 7 years ago |
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A: Is belaying a lead more difficult than a top roped climber If a climber on top rope, takes a fall, there isn't much force at all compared with the forces that are generated when a lead climber falls. That force has the potential to pull the belayer into something or even off the ground and into the climber. There is also a risk, when the lead climber first ... (more) |
— | about 7 years ago |
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A: Can you float-treat a rope? No, because whether a rope floats or sinks is dependent on its specific gravity (which in turn is dependent on the materials used). [...] Those with SG [special gravity] greater than 1 are denser than water and will, disregarding surface tension effects, sink in it. Those with an SG less than 1 a... (more) |
— | about 7 years ago |
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A: Tips for avoiding losing things when backpacking? The tips that I can think of are, Keep your backpack organized and place things into the same pockets each time. Try to avoid pulling everything out of your backpack if you don't have to. If you have to pull stuff out of your backpack, place them onto a barren surface like a rock or tarp (avoid lon... (more) |
— | about 7 years ago |
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Tips for avoiding losing things when backpacking? It can be a real pain to lose or forget something when backpacking, especially if you have to backtrack miles to retrieve it. Are there any tips to avoid this? (more) |
— | about 7 years ago |
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How much less efficient is a solar charger when on a car's dashboard instead of in direct sunlight? When car camping, I use a solar charger to charge my electronics. Sometimes I can place it outside, and other times I will stick it on the dash to charge things. I can tell that putting it on the dash is less efficient, but I wonder by how much? (more) |
— | about 7 years ago |
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A: How to stop in the middle of a rappel without an autoblock? The simple solution is to take the rope (both strands if rappelling on a doubled rope) below the device and wrap the several times around your upper leg and hold your upper leg perpendicular to the ground (this keeps the rope from slipping off). It's not particularly comfortable and you don't want ... (more) |
— | about 7 years ago |
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How to stop in the middle of a rappel without an autoblock? Sometimes people rappel without a backup prussik, such as when canyoning and sometimes an auto block needs to be adjusted. In either of these situations, is there a way to stop yourself in the middle of the rappel? (more) |
— | about 7 years ago |
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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... (more) |
— | about 7 years ago |
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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? (more) |
— | about 7 years ago |
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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 ... (more) |
— | about 7 years ago |
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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? (more) |
— | about 7 years ago |
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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... (more) |
— | about 7 years ago |
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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 & 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: ... (more) |
— | about 7 years ago |
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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? (more) |
— | about 7 years ago |
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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... (more) |
— | about 7 years ago |
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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... (more) |
— | about 7 years ago |
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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... (more) |
— | about 7 years ago |
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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... (more) |
— | about 7 years ago |
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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 ↑ Round posts with Crest Trail incised into them I think that i... (more) |
— | about 7 years ago |
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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... (more) |
— | over 7 years ago |
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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 ... (more) |
— | over 7 years ago |
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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... (more) |
— | over 7 years ago |
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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 ... (more) |
— | over 7 years ago |
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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... (more) |
— | over 7 years ago |
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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.... (more) |
— | over 7 years ago |
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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 ... (more) |
— | over 7 years ago |
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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... (more) |
— | over 7 years ago |
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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 “sit ski,” which comes in a variety of sizes from wide, stable skis to narrow, competitive skis. “Probably 80 percent of our students use a sit-down water ... (more) |
— | over 7 years ago |
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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? (more) |
— | over 7 years ago |
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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 ... (more) |
— | over 7 years ago |
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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... (more) |
— | over 7 years ago |
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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 ... (more) |
— | over 7 years ago |
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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... (more) |
— | over 7 years ago |
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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 ... (more) |
— | over 7 years ago |
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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... (more) |
— | over 7 years ago |
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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... (more) |
— | over 7 years ago |
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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... (more) |
— | over 7 years ago |
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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... (more) |
— | over 7 years ago |
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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... (more) |
— | over 7 years ago |
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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." ... (more) |
— | over 7 years ago |
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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... (more) |
— | over 7 years ago |
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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 ... (more) |
— | over 7 years ago |
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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... (more) |
— | over 7 years ago |
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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? (more) |
— | over 7 years ago |
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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. ... (more) |
— | over 7 years ago |