21
votes
Accepted
How much difference does wind chill make if you are inside a snow cave?
The concept of wind chill does not apply in this situation. Wind chill talks about perceived temperature due to additional heat loss due to convection. Meaning without wind, the "heated" air will stay ...
- 21.7k
14
votes
Accepted
Quick and easy winter shelter for kids to build
There are a few different styles of shelters that come to mind with differing levels of difficulty. A lot of it depends on if they will be making it to survive the night, or to survive for an ...
- 2,654
13
votes
Accepted
What is the best breathing holes strategy for a quinzee?
I'm somewhat of a claustrophobic sleeper when it comes to quinzhees, so I'm very particular about my ventilation.
How much ventilation you need is proportionate to the size of your quinzhee, and how ...
- 53.5k
13
votes
Accepted
Do emergency space blankets actually work?
Do they work? Yes...but you need to know why...
The Key, Like Most Things, Is Understanding How They Work
The material on “space” blankets was actually developed by NASA for the purpose of use in ...
- 338
8
votes
Accepted
What's the fastest way for a single person to setup a tarp umbrella/leantoo in the rain in a nothern temperate forest?
Lean-tos are hard-sided structures, and are not really meant to be set up quickly. As a hiker and scouter, I and my group carry tarps all the time, and expect rain to greet us wherever we decide to ...
- 2,343
8
votes
Sleeping in twos in one hammock
My husband and I backpacked around Europe for 3 months, sleeping in a hammock almost the entire time. At first we slept side by side with our heads on the same end. It was horrible. So we switched to ...
- 81
8
votes
Do emergency space blankets actually work?
Yes, they do. Their task is to reflect as much of the heat radiation of your body back to it, while also inhibiting heat convection and conduction as good as possible without becoming bulky. They are ...
- 4,329
8
votes
How real is the danger of suffocation in an Igloo?
Not as real as the danger of death by exposure and hypothermia while outside the igloo.
Your risk of asphyxiation in a snow shelter depends largely on its size, and the number of people inside it. ...
- 53.5k
7
votes
Sleeping in twos in one hammock
Tried this for two separate trips with my boyfriend. We each have a double nest of our own. They are great because with so much extra fabric you can wrap it around yourself or even sit with your ...
- 71
7
votes
How real is the danger of suffocation in an Igloo?
The danger is not only suffocation due to lack of oxygen, but also poisoning due to too much carbon dioxide in the air.
Normal air has 21% oxygen; humans will safely survive down to ~15%. Maybe 10% ...
- 111
7
votes
How to lash a corner of a bamboo pergola?
To connect two poles (of roughly equivalent size) in a square angle you should be using the square lashing, as you already suggested.
Here is a good animated tutorial showing how to tie it:
https://...
- 12.7k
6
votes
Under what circumstances would I wish to extend the handle length of a snow saw?
The main reason that I found is for cutting a cornice, sometimes referred to as the bombs of the backcountry.
Extending the handle allows one to cut it without being too close, and as for why one ...
- 69.2k
6
votes
Without rain/snow/wind would it be significantly warmer to sleep under a tarp?
A tarp is significantly warmer.
On a clear night the surface of your bag is radiating into interstellar space. Not much radiation back. With a tarp, you have one absorb/reradiate layer which will ...
6
votes
Without rain/snow/wind would it be significantly warmer to sleep under a tarp?
I have spent many nights sleeping in tents, tarps, and under the stars.
Tents are definitely your warmest option, and can be up to 10 degrees warmer than the outside - if you're using a rainfly. Just ...
- 161
5
votes
Accepted
When are the peak seasons for Appalachian Trail though hikers in western Maine?
Early October should not be overly busy. South bounders (SOBO) starts around July and will be out of Main by that time. North bounders (NOBO) must finish before October 15 and many of them will ...
- 8,051
5
votes
What sleeping gear should I use in a lean-to?
A hut like this should at least be dry and reasonably sheltered so you might get draughts but not direct driving winds. This means that you can afford to focus on warmth rather than more general ...
- 6,202
5
votes
Without rain/snow/wind would it be significantly warmer to sleep under a tarp?
Neglecting the wind (advection) the tarp shouldn't make any noticeable difference. I doubt you could measure even one Kelvin difference.
Even a tent isn't providing a lot of warmth during night but ...
- 12.2k
5
votes
What is a kassakåta?
You have actually quoted the right answer already. I missed it the first time I read your post.
same[-]byns gemensamma kassa
This means
collective funds of the Sami village
(My translation, ...
- 195
5
votes
Portable canopy leg weights, how heavy?
Sorry, but this is a 'how long is a piece of string' question. Variables:
Size and shape of the canopy. (Yes, sides will require greater weights)
Nature of the site (exposed, sheltered)
Speed of ...
5
votes
What woods have been used to build primitive shelters in northern climates, especially around the Adirondacks Mountains?
Here's an article about the Iroquois long house: https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/longhouse
Woodland Cree made log cabins, generally with shed roofs covered in layers of poles, dirt,...
4
votes
Are square or rectangular tarp shapes more versatile?
I have tarped for most of my outdoor experience. One year on a bet (be careful what you say at the pub...) I spend a full year under a tarp in the bush near my home. Right now I have a silicone ...
4
votes
Timing on building a small log cabin
A lot of timber gets harvested in the winter, especially now that you can harvest timber from the comfort of the heated cab of a harvester. Falling trees in the winter does the least amount of damage ...
- 53.5k
4
votes
Under what circumstances would I wish to extend the handle length of a snow saw?
Another reason for extending a snow saw handle is for preparing a snow stability test, for avalanche awareness. There are various such tests and most initially require digging a trench then isolating ...
- 4,088
4
votes
Accepted
What is a kassakåta?
I think a better translation would make the meaning obvious. "Kassa" here means "fund". ie a "kassakåta" is a hut funded by the village, not by an individual or a family.
- 1,952
4
votes
Accepted
How do I distinguish a dirt floor in a cave from a floor formed of very old coprolites?
No, there are no risks, assuming you're asking abput biohazards. This is poop so old it has petrified, become stone and/or sand. The only microorganisms that actively live in there are ones that can ...
- 1,923
4
votes
What sleeping gear should I use in a lean-to?
For a lean-to:
Sleeping bag - And other sleeping items for warmth.
Ground pad - The floor of the lean-to will chill you almost as quickly as the ground. Also it protects your sleeping bag from dirt, ...
- 32.1k
4
votes
Can I heat a shelter with fire?
Best rule of thumb... keep a fire 6 to 9 feet (2-3 metres) away, and put a barrier/wall of some sort on one side so that the heat bounces back into your shelter. However, I'm always asked... "what ...
4
votes
Do emergency space blankets actually work?
If you've got a (waterproof) outer layer, that can be used to retain the blanket, by wearing the blanket under the coat. If you don't have a waterproof layer, the foil blanket will keep the worst of ...
- 26.1k
4
votes
Do emergency space blankets actually work?
They have zero insulation value.
They have near perfect IR reflectivity and are vapour tight.
This is unlike most things you have used. Since they are dirt cheap (in the flimsy emergency form) use a ...
3
votes
Sleeping in twos in one hammock
I lived in Yucatán for a couple of years. Everyone sleeps in hammocks down there (cheaper and cooler than a bed, plus elevated so less chance of bugs, snakes, etc). I have seen a family of four in a ...
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