Activity for Charlie Brumbaughâ€
| Type | On... | Excerpt | Status | Date |
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How do you remove a bullet from a cartridge? While reloading some cartridges, I was on the last step of crimping the bullet into the brass case, and made and mistake and the brass was compressed wrong. The other reason for removing a bullet is if one missed a step and didn't put the powder in first. If a cartridge without powder is put into a ... (more) |
— | about 8 years ago |
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A: What does the three different volume specifications mean for the Gregory Whitney backpack? It looks like those the backpack comes in three sizes, Small, Medium and Large and what you are seeing is the volume for each size. (more) |
— | about 8 years ago |
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How would you help a snapping turtle cross the road? Regardless of why they would want to cross the road, doing so is dangerous for turtles, especially since a certain percentage of the population will try to run them over. However, snapping turtles are dangerous enough that I am certainly not going to try and pick one up, so how would I help one get ... (more) |
— | about 8 years ago |
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How can you tell if roadkill is safe to eat? In some places in the US, it is legal to take roadkill home and eat it while in other places the meat is donated. If it was legal where you are, how would you tell if the meat is still good? (more) |
— | about 8 years ago |
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What are the pro and cons of two stage vs single stage triggers for hunting? In addition to getting a trigger with a lighter pull weight, I also have the option of switching from a single stage to a two stage trigger. What would the pros and cons of doing so be? (more) |
— | about 8 years ago |
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Will a lighter trigger pull help me be more accurate? The trigger on my hunting rifle has a rather heavy pull and doesn't break very well, will getting a trigger with a lighter pull weight help me be more accurate? (more) |
— | about 8 years ago |
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How do you keep rodents out of your vehicle when it's parked at the trailhead? On some backpacking trips a car could be left for a couple of weeks, what can I do to ensure that when I return the mice aren't inside and the squirrels are leaving the wiring alone? (more) |
— | about 8 years ago |
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What are the pro and cons of vacuum sealed vs mylar bags for DIY dehydrated foods? For packaging dehydrated foods for backpacking, the two options that I can think of are mylar bags and vacuum-sealed bags. What are the pros and cons of each method? (more) |
— | about 8 years ago |
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A: What breed is this very large, black, turtle/tortoise found in the Northeast United States? Based on this list of turtles in Massachusetts, and this one as well as the pointed nose and the jagged back shell, I am going to say that this is a common snapping turtle. For more information I would suggest Wikipedia. It a good thing that you husband didn't touch it, because they are capable of... (more) |
— | about 8 years ago |
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What qualities should I look for when purchasing aiders/etriers? Aiders/Etriers are standard equipment for aid climbing, what qualities should I look for when purchasing a pair? I have used them before, but they were always borrowed from other people and I am looking to get my own. (more) |
— | about 8 years ago |
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A: Can a cooler (warm weather) sleeping bag be used when combined with a warmer (cold weather) under quilt for hammock camping? It all depends on your tolerance for being miserable if it turns out to be too cold. I have personally gone without a sleeping bag at all at around 40 degrees Fahrenheit (4°C), and survived, but it wasn't particular comfortable. The odds are you aren't going to freeze to death with your setup, ... (more) |
— | about 8 years ago |
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A: How can I find north from the stars without recognizable constellations? What you will want to do is to find which way a star is moving. The way to do this, is to line up two objects pointing towards where the star is currently at, like so. Then wait 15-20 minutes for the star to move and compare its new position to the old one marked by your sticks. As illustrated abov... (more) |
— | about 8 years ago |
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How can I find north from the stars without recognizable constellations? If I am trying to find out which way is north at night, and I can see stars, but not the North Star or the Southern cross or other recognizable constellations, because the terrain is limiting my view, how can I do so? (more) |
— | about 8 years ago |
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A: Making a compass from magnet and needle -- which end is north? What you would have to know beforehand, is which way is generally north, by other methods, like the North Star, or from the direction of the sun. I don't mean that you could tell which way is north precisely without a compass or gps, but one of the ends should be obviously wrong. For instance in the ... (more) |
— | about 8 years ago |
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A: Is it within Leave No Trace to spread someone's ashes in a wilderness area? It is, however there are some guidelines to follow, and if it happens inside a national park in the United States, a permit may be required. The guidelines are, The ashes should be scattered and not buried. They should be scattered away from water sources and developed areas. No marker should be ... (more) |
— | about 8 years ago |
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Is it within Leave No Trace to spread someone's ashes in a wilderness area? While in the Wind River Mountains, I found a bronze plaque that marked the spot where a person's ashes where scattered, and while that was done in the early 1930s, it made me wonder if it would still be considered acceptable today (the spreading of ashes, not the plaque)? (more) |
— | about 8 years ago |
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A: Is it effective to use mosquito repellent under clothes? Hopefully, if your clothes are thick enough, the mosquitos won't be able to bite through. Also as DEET apparently works by messing with the mosquitos sense of smell, it won't be as effective because it would first have to go through your clothes. If they are biting through your clothes, it would be ... (more) |
— | about 8 years ago |
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A: Using Gri Gri 2 as a Self Belaying Device I have done this before, and it not all that different from jugging up a rope. What you will want to do it to attach the knots (typically a figure eight on a bight) to your belay loop with a locking carbiner. That way, if the gri gri was to fail, you would only fall until you the rope went tight. Ty... (more) |
— | about 8 years ago |
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A: A method to retrieve a carabiner I believe that what you are referring to is called the "Texas Rope Trick". I hope that it's obvious that this is an incredibly risky idea and that you are better off just leaving the carabiner. (more) |
— | about 8 years ago |
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A: Is Off Trail Travel Between Lakes in the Humphreys Basin, CA Feasible I have done a good bit of exploring in the Ansel Adams Wilderness north there, and nothing on that map would cause me any concern as the steep parts look avoidable. Just stick to the flatter parts and remember that, If the map and the terrain disagree, trust the terrain. Swiss Army Aphorism ... (more) |
— | about 8 years ago |
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A: What Suction Cups Were Used To Climb Trump Tower? It looks like they were four NV11 Fairs Air Powered Suction Cups as pointed out by this article. (more) |
— | about 8 years ago |
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What should you do if your sleeping bag gets soaking wet at night? I spent one really miserable night because I found out during the rainstorm that my bivy sack wasn't waterproof. Drying it out wasn't an option because of the rain and moving some where else also wasn't an option because of the terrain. My temporary solution was to sleep in my rain gear (pants and ... (more) |
— | about 8 years ago |
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Would it hurt anything to leave a canister stove attached overnight? If I cook a hot dinner on a canister stove and plan on cooking a hot breakfast in the morning, can I leave the stove on the canister overnight or would it be better to take it off and reattach in the morning? (more) |
— | about 8 years ago |
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A: What is the working range of TRUBLUE auto belay? Its not that it won't catch you, its that if you are outside of your lane it will cause a pendulum fall and you might swing into someone else or the wall. As it is their gear and climbing outside your lane will cause extra wear and tear, in addition to causing risk to other people, the courteous thi... (more) |
— | about 8 years ago |
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How much insulation does a wet synthetic sleeping bag provide? One of the selling points of a synthetic sleeping bag is that it retains its thermal properties even when wet. However, one of the most miserable nights I have ever had was in a wet synthetic sleeping bag in a rainstorm. Would there be a percentage reduction of the temperature rating or another way... (more) |
— | about 8 years ago |
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How would a dragonfly get to above 13,400 ft (4000m)? I found this dragonfly, here, at around 13,400 ft. The coordinates are 43°10'52.96"N, 109°39'17.74"W if anyone would like to check the location themselves. It didn't look like it was moving and as it was probably around 40 degrees Fahrenheit (4°C), I wouldn't have expected it t... (more) |
— | about 8 years ago |
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How to safely store a propane/butane/isobutane canister in a vehicle? The canisters that I have purchased so far have included a warning not to let the canister get above 120 degrees Fahrenheit. It looks like the inside of car can get well above that, hot enough to bake cookies. I would prefer not to leave on a backpacking trip with an extra canister left in my vehic... (more) |
— | about 8 years ago |
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A: Alternatives for sealing Mylar food packs? It looks like what you need is something hot enough to melt the sides of the Mylar bag together to seal it. Two DIY options are a clothing iron or a hair straightening iron. If using the clothing iron, a flat reflective metal surface underneath would probably help. In either case it would probably... (more) |
— | about 8 years ago |
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How would you protect yourself from Rocky Mountain Goats? After finding out that Rocky Mountain Goats have killed one person and have been known to harass hikers, how would you protect yourself from an aggressive goat? In most cases I would guess that simply staying a good distance away would be enough, but what if the goat decides to try and gore you? (more) |
— | about 8 years ago |
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A: Will a Rocky Mountain Goat attack a person? The only case I kind find of a human being killed by a mountain goat happened in Olympic National Park in 2010. It seems that attacks extremely rare but have happened. It that particular case the mountain goat was known to harass hikers and had been around humans before. As far as why a mountain goa... (more) |
— | about 8 years ago |
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What are good ways of predicting incoming weather from the downwind side of a mountain? There are a lot of mountaineering routes that go up the downwind side of a mountain. Like the CMC route on Mt. Moran in the Tetons or the Gooseneck Glacier route on Gannet Peak. The added danger of a route like this is that weather could build up on the upwind side, out of sight and then roll in wit... (more) |
— | about 8 years ago |
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How would one assess the safety of a wooden bridge? While backpacking in the Wind River Range in Wyoming, I had to cross this bridge. The piece of paper on the left support said, Due to recent high water events, this bridge may be damaged. Assess and cross at your own risk. I think the warning was aimed more at people who were using horses an... (more) |
— | about 8 years ago |
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How to keep a llama from being eaten by a bear? I am pretty sure that from a bear's point of view a llama counts as food, but as its not possible to put a llama into a bear can or suspend it from a tree branch, how would I keep it from being eaten on a backpacking trip? (more) |
— | over 8 years ago |
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A: What are the best methods to clean out a fire pits and dispose of the ash? The practice recommended by the Forest Service here, and here is, When the ashes are COLD and DEAD OUT, the ashes can simply be scattered outside of the campsite. I would say that the more widely spread the better, as that decreases the visual impact. I would certainly commend you if you chos... (more) |
— | over 8 years ago |
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A: What can I do to discourage people from littering in the back country? Make certain that you are part of the solution and not the problem, never leave any of your own garbage behind. As people are less likely to litter a clean area, remove as much of other people's trash as you can. Document and report violators to the authorities. (more) |
— | over 8 years ago |
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What can I do to discourage people from littering in the back country? There are few feelings worse than hiking deep into an area that should be pristine and finding garbage. What are some steps that I could take to help prevent or lessen this? (more) |
— | over 8 years ago |
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How to scuba dive safely in waters that have Great White Sharks? This is something I have been thinking about since answering this question about guessing the size of a shark. What precautions would a scuba diver take or is this something that is simply avoided? (more) |
— | over 8 years ago |
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A: Can I guess the size of a shark by the size of its dorsal fin? I don't think there is a general guideline, however I did find a guide by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations that has the calculations. The calculations for a Great White are on page 38, and the directions for the calculations start at page 13. I wish I could find a simple r... (more) |
— | over 8 years ago |
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A: How do you make an emergency water filter and purifier? Here is what I have found for a very basic set up with a cheap water bottle. The water will be pored through the top through gravel, sand, charcoal and finally either a screen or another mechanism like a hankerchief to prevent the filtering substances from getting into the water. Like this, | |... (more) |
— | over 8 years ago |
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A: Is dryer lint worth using as a fire starter even if it's also a pollutant? I think that this is one of those things that has to be left to an individual's judgment. Some people would consider just starting the fire to be polluting even if it was done in accordance with Leave no Trace principles. If this is something that bothers you, why not simply err on the conservative ... (more) |
— | over 8 years ago |
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A: How can I tie my laces so they don't come undone? Instead of a knot, how about a shoelace buckle? Simply pull the laces through with the button pushed in, and then release and let it hold them. To take the shoes off, push the button and pull the laces through to create enough slack to remove. (more) |
— | over 8 years ago |
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A: Is there a M1A1 carbine replica production? There are 3 different manufacturers currently making these. Auto Ordance Inland Manufacturing Fulton Armory There is also a stock for 10-22 rifles that make it look like an m1 carbine but still fires 22 ammo. Of course, you can also still buy the originals. (more) |
— | over 8 years ago |
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Is it an acceptable Leave no Trace practice to bury ruined food? I am only considering those situations where human waste can be buried, since if that has to be carried out in a wag bag, then the food should be as well. If someone burns the oatmeal to a crisp, or drops the flour into a muddy stream or otherwise completely ruins food, can it be buried in a cat hol... (more) |
— | over 8 years ago |
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What are the pros and cons of ice axe leashes? My ice ax came with a leash already on it and I have never had any problems with it, but almost all of the other ice axes that I have seen in use lacked one. One obvious pro is in case of dropping the ice ax, a leash will prevent it from sliding down the mountain and a con is the constant switching... (more) |
— | over 8 years ago |
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A: How can I tell if a wild animal has rabies? From the Humane Society Nocturnal animals active in the daytime or vice versa. Excessive drooling Lack of fear of humans Aggressive behavior It does note that there is both a "furious" form where they may act agitated and a "dumb" form where they may act drunk. From the Merck Veterinary Manual ... (more) |
— | over 8 years ago |
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A: What proven alternatives are there to DEET? Here is what I have found from REI Picaridin Permethrin Oil of lemon eucalyptus Various Plant Oils Another option is to protect all exposed skin with a head net, long pants, long sleeved shirt, and gloves. For ticks wearing long pants and preventing things from crawling up them with duck tape or... (more) |
— | over 8 years ago |
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How should one properly dispose of a rabid animal carcass? If while hunting I come across a rabid animal and I kill it, both to end its suffering and to prevent it from spreading rabies, what should I do with the body? I wouldn't want another animal to eat the carcass and get infected, and I don't want to put myself at risk either. (more) |
— | over 8 years ago |
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A: How do you stabilize a sextant for use on a boat in rough water? Here is what I have found for taking sights in rough seas. Practice Get a feel for how the vessel is rolling so that sights can be timed to when the vessel is at its most stable which will most often be at the top of a wave. Heaving-to can reduce the motion. Take multiple good sightings and average... (more) |
— | over 8 years ago |
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A: What to be aware of if lightning strikes close to me? Close enough to shock i.e. an indirect strike According to the National Lightning Safety Institute lightning has been observed to arc out 40 meters and how far it conducts varies. Possible outcomes Death Concussive injury Burns Lichtenberg figures Blunt force trauma Cardiac Arrhythmias Kidney dam... (more) |
— | over 8 years ago |
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A: Any tips to prevent theft while tent camping alone in a caravan park? Here are a couple of tips. Make it harder for them to steal anything, roll up your vehicle's windows and lock its doors. Make your stuff less attractive to thieves, cover valuables with a blanket and don't flash expensive gear or jewelry. Exude confidence, look people in the eye, walk with a confid... (more) |
— | over 8 years ago |