Water cools the fuel by absorbing heat, lowering the temperature of the combustion and preventing the fuel from reaching its ignition point. This cooling action makes it the primary extinguishing agent for fires involving ordinary combustibles like wood, paper, and textiles. For other fire types, water isn’t appropriate: flammable liquid fires can be spread by water, electrical fires pose shock risks (unless power is off or a non-conductive agent is used), and metal fires require specialized dry powders. So water is best suited for fires with ordinary combustibles.

Strong water currents act like a moving obstacle when you’re trying to move toward the upwind direction. The boat’s speed through the water combines with the water’s own speed to give progress over ground. When you head upwind, the current pushes back against you, so your net forward motion is reduced. With a strong current, a larger portion of your effort goes into fighting that flow, and you may need to aim the boat more into the current, which lowers the forward component of your movement. In contrast, moving downwind is helped by the current, making it easier. So the statement that you’ll have a harder time moving upwind with strong currents is the correct one.

The mesh netting on a Stokes litter is designed to keep the patient from moving or sliding off during transport. The net provides a secure surface that can be tightened with straps or lashings through its openings, stabilizing the patient as you lift, carry, or maneuver the litter in water or rough terrain. The mesh also allows water to drain and air to circulate, but its primary role is restraint to prevent injury from shifting positions. It’s not intended to provide flotation, warmth, or to serve as the main point for attaching equipment.

Creating a secure fixed loop at the rope end that won’t slip under load is achieved by tying a bowline. Its structure forms a loop around the standing part with the working end passed back through the loop and around the standing part to lock it in place. This configuration secures a steady, fixed-size loop when tension is applied, so the loop doesn’t tighten or slide along the rope. In contrast, a clove hitch relies on friction around an object and can creep or slip under load; it isn’t a true fixed end loop. A figure-eight stopper knot creates only a knot at the end to stop the rope from passing through a hole, not a looping end that remains fixed under tension. A reef knot (square knot) is used to join two ends and can slip or capsize if loaded unevenly, so it doesn’t provide a stable fixed loop at the rope’s end.