Clinometer Scales!

There are a number of different scales on the clinometers you'll find in our catalogs and on our Web site. Here is an overview:

1. First up, a 66 foot scale (Brunton) is the same as a Topographic scale (Suunto). This scale is going to give a direct reading of a height of the object being measured. By walking 66 feet (which is 1 chain) from the base of the tree the scale will give a direct reading in feet of the height of the object. Metric versions are basically the same, but rely on meters not chain lengths.

2. The Percent scale can be used to get the percent grade of a slope or to figure heights as well. This scale allows you to be any distance from the tree and still calculate the tree height. For example if you read to the top of the tree at 72% and at the bottom to -6% and you are 100 ft from the base of the tree. It would be (.72-(-.06)*100=78 feet tall.

3. The Degree scale simply gives the angle in degrees away from being level. This is very useful in geology when determining the strike and dip of land forms. It also greatly aids in maneuvering in a submarine, but I rarely speak to naval admirals about this.

4. The Secant scale has one major use—working on sloped terrain. Let's say you're at the bottom of a large hill, and you need the height of a tree growing at the top of that hill. The secant scale will allow you to do this without having to take several different measurements.

Vertical or Horizontal? Depends on the Water!

Water bottles can be either vertical, like Kemmerer bottles, or horizontal like Van Dorn bottles. Both are designed for grabbing a sample of water at a known depth in a body of water.




Vertical bottles (like the Kemmerer bottle pictured above) are best for sampling wells or other areas where you need a "narrow" sample. If you're sampling where the Yahara River empties into Lake Kegonsa, you would probably want to use a Kemmerer to take samples (1) where the river first enters the lake (2) where the river water mixes and (3) where there is only lake water.








Horizontal bottles (such as the Van Dorn bottle above) are best for very shallow water or if lakes are really stratified. You know how lakes develop a layer of warm water on top of cold water? Well, a horizontal Van Dorn bottle can get fairly accurate samples above, below and right at the line where the water mixes.

Information provided by Mr. Jack Schaffer

Forestry Terms You Should Know!!

Chain- one chain equals 66 feet. This distance was chosen because it can be worked into acres relatively easily. An acre is a measurement of area (feet squared) and 66 feet squared is 4,356 ft square. So 10 chains squared equals 43,560 ft square which is one acre. A convenient way to measure these distances is to use a hip chain like the one featured on the left.


Board Foot- is a measure of total volume. One board foot is 12 inches wide by 12 inches length by one inch thick. To calculate board feet take length x width x thickness and divide that number by 12. For example a 2 inch by 6 inch by 8 foot board has 8 board feet in it.


Basal Area- is a measure of tree crowding. The higher the number, the more crowded the forest is. Gauges and prisms (like the one on the left) help foresters calculate basal area. So if a forester tallies 10 trees with a 10 factor angle prism, the basal area will be 100 square feet.

Waterproof Hiking Boots

Has anyone ever used BOGS Boots?

I tried them during a hike in Lake Tahoe last summer and my feet sweat like crazy. Yeah, they're waterproof but the label also says "breathable". My feet didn't feel very breathable...is there a trick to stop your feet from overheating while hiking in these? Or maybe I should save them for colder weather hikes?