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One of the deciding factors for thieves with cars is whether they can see something they consider of value. If they have it fixed in their minds to breaking into your vehicle, they will do it.
Here is a few things I do to avoid such misfortunes:
Park your vehicle in the best open and visual spot possible so that thieves would be deterred from being ...
28
Invite them both on a day hike. That's a end onto itself, so no need to pretend anything else. You can watch the interaction between #2 and #3, and talk about experiences to find out what #3's qualifications are. If after that you still think #3 is a good fit with you and #2, then suggest to #2 to invite #3 along on your backpacking trip. If he agrees, ...
23
The existing answers by Ken and Liam offer good advice. But unfortunately there is nothing you can do to prevent break ins. Thieves can be surprisingly stupid.
True story...
A friend of mine drove her jeep wrangler with a soft top to the trail head and parked it before going on a hike. The roof is canvas and the back side window unzips FROM THE OUTSIDE. ...
18
I have lots of leeches in my (otherwise) lovely swimming hole which is in a creek just as it leaves a lake. I read up on possible leech deterrents and now I rub my exposed skin with just about any kind of skin cream and they all seem to work. Waterproof sunblock is my current favorite but I've also used Off (Eucalytus) and even ordinary moisturizer. I haven'...
17
Sulfur is often suggested for natural mosquito repellents. I've seen recommendations for taking sulfur pills, making sulfur creams, or applying sulfur powders. According to the Colorado State University Extension, the sulfur content of cloves is the science behind garlic-based repellents or recommendations to consume garlic.
That said, I would not think ...
15
Blisters are caused by friction. Your skin is not very slippery. Applying moleskin and duct-tape over a "hot-spot" adds a protective layer between your skin and shoe. Thus as your shoe slides, it rubs against the tape or mole-skin instead of your skin.
Pointers:
Use enough tape/mole-skin to cover an area larger than the hot-spot. If the hotspot is on the ...
14
Rather than try to answer the personal part of your question, which as Liam said needs a doctor's attention to answer properly, I shall reply to the more general title:
Can a Finger Pulley injury be predicted / anticipated?
In an absolute sense I do not believe it can be. In a relative sense it is caused high stress on these "pulleys" so avoiding hard use ...
13
Here's a lot more advice than you aked for:
Around 24000 people in the entire world are struck by lightning each year. Supposing you live to be 85, that's 2 million people in your lifetime. On 7 billion people alive today, that's a lifetime chance of 1 in 3500 -- your chances are pretty slim anyway :)
But, to be more elaborate: your chances of being ...
11
IMHO, up to a certain level in mountaineering, friends that you make in mountains or at a base camp are likely to be good/close friends for life. So, If I were the guy with the lesser experience in mountaineering and being set up in a meeting for an approval sort of a thing from a veteran, that might go wrong, because the veteran guy on the other end can ...
11
Basically, the same rules as elsewhere apply. I’d stick with those:
If possible, do not leave anything of value in the car. They can’t take what’s not there.
Also avoid leaving hints of something valuable being in the car. For example, a few years back in Milan, the general advice was not to leave a suction cup holder for a sat-nav on the windshield, as ...
10
Stop coating your wires with peanut butter!
In all seriousness though, squirrels can and will eat wires. However this is a very unlikely occurrence, as noted by ShemSeger in comments. I have known exactly ONE person it ever happened to and the car was at their house, not a trail head.
You could discourage most pests by putting mothballs in your engine ...
9
As said, prevention is better than cure. But, most importantly, don't attempt to thaw frostbitten areas if there's any chance of them re-freezing. This typically means don't try to treat it yourself in a back-country setting.
...And once you're in civilization, get a medical professional to handle it!
9
Whether it's hogwash or not is besides the point in my opinion - the fact of the matter is match heads aren't designed to be ingested and therefore while consuming them may increase your sulfur levels which may help keep the bugs off, there's also a good chance you'll be consuming random poisonous chemicals. Weighing it up, I think I'd take my chances with ...
9
One thing that has not been mentioned is to consider which trail head you park at. Some trails/areas have multiple trail heads. If you have a choice in trail head, it is worth talking to locals to determine if any are particularly problematic.
In my experience the most problematic trail heads are those with easy access. What this means is that often if the ...
9
If you can't leave the car empty-looking, at least don't load the storage up at the trailhead. There was a spate of thefts a few years ago on Dartmoor where car parks were watched for signs of valuables being tucked away, then a window was smashed and the items stolen. This was the sort of place where cars are parked for hours rather than days. In our ...
8
Heat illnesses are about heat, not light, and while the two are not unrelated, the hue of your clothing would be a very minor factor— red would not provide better or worse protection than green or blue or any other part of the visible spectrum.
The shade may have some impact: since darker clothing absorbs more energy than lighter clothing, it warms up and ...
8
So, like I said, I'm not a great expert on using duct tape and moleskin. I'm writing an answer because someone specifically asked. :)
My experiences:
First off - applying duct tape or moleskin to your feet is a skill you develop through trial and error. Make sure that you learn to do it BEFORE going on a major expedition. Whenever I have a big hiking ...
8
I know this is a bit late, but having had a lot of experience with leeches makes me believe I can add some value here.
Salt works for both avoiding and for removing leeches. The method to apply is take a good amount of salt onto your palm, add a few drops of water to just make it a bit of a paste, and then, marinate the sides of your shoes and the top ...
8
I try to address the situation you are asking about, even though I think you already did a good job so this may not be overly helpful/new. Additionally in one of your referenced answers that is actually about rescuing someone out of the water, there is already a great answer by D.Lambert on what to do after rescuing, so my answer will overlap greatly (I ...
7
Heat rashes are caused by excessive heat trapped under the skin.
As you specifically referred to ankles and shins, I'd suggest you considering using shorts instead of full pants, only if those tiny red rash-bums have not burst. If those are already burst then you should be going to a doctor in order to avoid any infection.
Try to avoid clothing with ...
6
I've always used Compeed blister plasters to treat a blister. It's like covering the blister with a second, more durable skin. You are supposed to leave the plaster on until it falls off naturally which, for me, is usually three or four days. They are a little expensive but your feet will thank you for them.
By the way, I am not affiliated with Compeed ...
6
If you ask civilians, you'll typically get responses along the lines of...
"No way, there are dangerous chemicals!"
"No way, it just doesn't work!"
"No way, you'll smell like ass for weeks!"
However, I (and many other military vets) can tell you that it does, in fact, work extremely well. Military men (and recently maybe women) have been using this trick ...
6
I've done several triathlons where I've had this problem. I bought BodyGlide, which is an anti-chafe stick. It works wonders and I've used it for hiking as well. Put this on there area where you typically get rashes and you'll be all set. It goes on invisible as well.
6
This sounds like exercise induced Vasculitis. This is tiny blood vessels which break due to heat & restriction due to socks & friction. Also known as a golfers rash. It tends to happen more in people over 50. It has nothing to do with being overweight either as someone commented on the web. Mine was as a result of hiking a minimum of 25km per ...
6
What kind of trip are you planning for? It makes a big difference if you are going for a multi-pitch climb on an alpine route, a long distance trekking trip maybe even in high altitude or a sporty one day hike.
For a simpler hiking trip I would say if you are used to each other already from work, just go for your trip and enjoy it. Requirements are small ...
6
The answer to this is going to be counter intuitive. Firstly, the most important thing to do is to avoid these dangers altogether. Firstly (yes another first) wear a good life jacket. I can't say how important both of those points are. If you get caught and especially without a life jacket, you will be very lucky if you get out on your own. You may not be ...
6
Hypothermia is likely the least of your problems after an involuntary dip into icy water. Drowning and cardiac arrest are the killers here.
Read these, and maybe watch the videos. It's all good stuff, and difficult to summarise.
http://beyondcoldwaterbootcamp.com/4-phases-of-cold-water-immersion
http://beyondcoldwaterbootcamp.com/en/rescue-a-treatment
...
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