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Bootpathguy
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Joined: 18 Jun 2015
Posts: 1790 | TRs | Pics
Location: United States |
Scratching my head and I can't imagine what it could have been.
I have items in my overnight pack that could explode, but I can't imagine a scenario why I would try to use my stove to light a campfire.
A emergency flare?
"A hiker on the Appalachian Trail near the Hawk Mountain Sanctuary lost his left hand Wednesday night in an explosion that was set off as he tried to start a campfire"
"He was trying to start a fire and ended up grabbing the wrong thing out of his backpack," said Ethan Kunkel, deputy chief of the Kempton Fire Company. "What he grabbed was an explosive and it blew his hand off."
http://www.mcall.com/news/local/police/mc-hawk-mountain-search-and-rescue-20170316-story.html
Experience is what'cha get, when you get what'cha don't want
Experience is what'cha get, when you get what'cha don't want
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forest gnome
Forest nut...
Joined: 24 Apr 2003
Posts: 3520 | TRs | Pics
Location: north cascades!! |
AMETEUR!!....EVERYONE KNOWS you let a hiking partner do that....
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Malachai Constant
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Joined: 13 Jan 2002
Posts: 16092 | TRs | Pics
Location: Back Again Like A Bad Penny |
You obviously have never hiked the Appalachian Trail, stumps are a nuisance there and most hikers carry a couple sticks of 20% there. He simply mixed it up with his railroad flare fire starter 
"You do not laugh when you look at the mountains, or when you look at the sea." Lafcadio Hearn
"You do not laugh when you look at the mountains, or when you look at the sea." Lafcadio Hearn
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Pyrites
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Joined: 16 Sep 2014
Posts: 1884 | TRs | Pics
Location: South Sound |
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Pyrites
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 Fri Mar 17, 2017 8:53 am |
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This makes as little sense as any article I've ever read.
The reporter seems not to have focused on it.
Dynamite? Stumps? It takes more time me to blow a downfall than to walk around it.
Keep Calm and Carry On?
Heck No.
Stay Excited and Get Outside!
Keep Calm and Carry On?
Heck No.
Stay Excited and Get Outside!
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Randito
Snarky Member
Joined: 27 Jul 2008
Posts: 9512 | TRs | Pics
Location: Bellevue at the moment. |
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Randito
Snarky Member
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Fri Mar 17, 2017 11:43 am |
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Seems like "Darwin Award" Runner up material.
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christensent
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Joined: 05 Nov 2011
Posts: 658 | TRs | Pics
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I would guess, if the news article is accurate (which seems really quite unlikely), that the hiker was either on drugs or mentally ill. It's certainly not common to hike with explosives, but maybe we could stipulate that at least some people carry explosives when hiking. Of the population of sober rational hikers with explosives, I would bet anything that none of them would ever accidentally try to start a fire with their explosive.
Learning mountaineering: 10% technical knowledge, 90% learning how to eat
Learning mountaineering: 10% technical knowledge, 90% learning how to eat
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CC
cascade curmudgeon
Joined: 13 Sep 2006
Posts: 647 | TRs | Pics
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CC
cascade curmudgeon
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Fri Mar 17, 2017 8:19 pm |
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It happened in Pennsyltucky. No additional explanation necessary.
First your legs go, then you lose your reflexes, then you lose your friends. Willy Pep
First your legs go, then you lose your reflexes, then you lose your friends. Willy Pep
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Bird in Hand
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Joined: 30 Apr 2014
Posts: 165 | TRs | Pics
Location: seattle |
The only semi rational thing that comes to mind is he tried to use a propane cylinder for his stove. I'd guess, if I were being kind about it that maybe this poor slob was hypothermic and desperate.
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christensent
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Joined: 05 Nov 2011
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| Bird in Hand wrote: | | The only semi rational thing that comes to mind is he tried to use a propane cylinder for his stove. I'd guess, if I were being kind about it that maybe this poor slob was hypothermic and desperate. |
Problem is, it's actually near impossible to blow up a propane cylinder unless you already have a raging fire and just throw it in. You can put a pin in the valve and light it, you just get a flame thrower. There's no oxygen inside a fuel cylinder, so you can't actually blow up a cylinder unless you externally heat it to the bursting point of the metal.
Although I don't necessarily recommend doing so for no reason, it would be really quite safe to hold a lighter up to the opening of a camp stove fuel tank.
If the news story is accurate, where he was attempting to START a fire, I don't think any form of typical outdoor gear could do this. It would have to have actually been an explosive device.
Learning mountaineering: 10% technical knowledge, 90% learning how to eat
Learning mountaineering: 10% technical knowledge, 90% learning how to eat
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Bootpathguy
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Joined: 18 Jun 2015
Posts: 1790 | TRs | Pics
Location: United States |
The only thing I can think of is a "predator flash bang". I don't think there is such a thing, but I'm thinking a large firework explosive he was carrying to light and scare off predators but confused it with a candle???
Sounds ridiculous, I know.
Experience is what'cha get, when you get what'cha don't want
Experience is what'cha get, when you get what'cha don't want
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RumiDude
Marmota olympus
Joined: 26 Jul 2009
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Location: Port Angeles |
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RumiDude
Marmota olympus
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Fri Mar 17, 2017 11:21 pm |
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Or he was screwing around with a powerful firework device or similar, blew his hand off, and told a fib to the first responders so it would not seem like he was stupid. That may be why his explanation seems so strange. Nobody wants to admit they were fooling around and injured themselves like that. Anyway, just thinking out loud.
Rumi
"This is my Indian summer ... I'm far more dangerous now, because I don't care at all."
"This is my Indian summer ... I'm far more dangerous now, because I don't care at all."
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Seventy2002
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Joined: 19 Jul 2008
Posts: 512 | TRs | Pics
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| Bootpathguy wrote: | | a "predator flash bang" |
A seal bomb would meet that definition. Quite capable of shredding a hand beyond repair.
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Randito
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Joined: 27 Jul 2008
Posts: 9512 | TRs | Pics
Location: Bellevue at the moment. |
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Randito
Snarky Member
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Sat Mar 18, 2017 11:18 am |
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My guess is this knucklehead had a collection of fireworks and thought they were grabbing a roman candle, but instead grabbed a "Quarter Stick" firecracker. A "Quarter Stick" is much larger than a "M80" -- whose tendency to blow off people's fingers caused them and similar fireworks to be banned in the '60s -- The larger "quarter stick" could blow off a hand.
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ArcDome
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Joined: 30 Jun 2006
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ArcDome
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Sat Mar 18, 2017 12:50 pm |
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Bootpathguy
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Joined: 18 Jun 2015
Posts: 1790 | TRs | Pics
Location: United States |
I guess the 3 popular reality survivor shows, Bear Grylls, Dual Survivor, & Survivorman forgot the "don't try this at home" disclaimer / disclosure warning
Experience is what'cha get, when you get what'cha don't want
Experience is what'cha get, when you get what'cha don't want
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