How to Blow a Snot Rocket, Nepali style
For a snot rocket to be truly effective, it's best to be at high altitudes (at least 3000 meters) and to be in cold climates (not above 5*).
1. Be patient. Let the snot build up. Consistency will vary from as runny as water to as viscous as a snail's trail. Let the booger build up until you feel that there is enough mass to fund a potentially lethal velocity.
2. Sniffle, inhale/exhale quickly, and do tiny breathing exercises to determine if the booger is ready to be catapulted out. If the booger is moving along your nasal canal with your breathing motions, it's prime shooting time.
3. With one finger (you don't have to remove that glove, or the second glove), close the nasal passage of the opposite nostril. Make sure that it's closed tightly.
4. Bend forward at the waist, not at the back, at an angle steep enough so that any waste falling from your nose vertically downwards will not land on any raingear, outer jacketwear, or shoes.
5. Aim.
6. Inhale deeply through the mouth.
7. Close your mouth, and tighten the closure of the opposite nostril.
8. Exhale violently through the nostril clogged with snot.
9. If there's any lingering "residue," let it hang until gravity brings it down. If it takes longer than 3 seconds, take your glove off, wipe that hanging snot from your nostril, and wipe it on the ground (preferably on a rock).
10. Make sure you have no leftovers by wiping your sleeve across the bottom of your nose.
11. Repeat as necessary.
Julia and I perfected these by day 8 on the Annapurna Circuit. Whenever I'd hear her blowing a snot rocket, I'd comment, "How big was it?" And whenever she heard me, she'd ask, "Did you get it all?" We saved a lot of tissues by adopting the Nepali style of cleaning your nose.
1. Be patient. Let the snot build up. Consistency will vary from as runny as water to as viscous as a snail's trail. Let the booger build up until you feel that there is enough mass to fund a potentially lethal velocity.
2. Sniffle, inhale/exhale quickly, and do tiny breathing exercises to determine if the booger is ready to be catapulted out. If the booger is moving along your nasal canal with your breathing motions, it's prime shooting time.
3. With one finger (you don't have to remove that glove, or the second glove), close the nasal passage of the opposite nostril. Make sure that it's closed tightly.
4. Bend forward at the waist, not at the back, at an angle steep enough so that any waste falling from your nose vertically downwards will not land on any raingear, outer jacketwear, or shoes.
5. Aim.
6. Inhale deeply through the mouth.
7. Close your mouth, and tighten the closure of the opposite nostril.
8. Exhale violently through the nostril clogged with snot.
9. If there's any lingering "residue," let it hang until gravity brings it down. If it takes longer than 3 seconds, take your glove off, wipe that hanging snot from your nostril, and wipe it on the ground (preferably on a rock).
10. Make sure you have no leftovers by wiping your sleeve across the bottom of your nose.
11. Repeat as necessary.
Julia and I perfected these by day 8 on the Annapurna Circuit. Whenever I'd hear her blowing a snot rocket, I'd comment, "How big was it?" And whenever she heard me, she'd ask, "Did you get it all?" We saved a lot of tissues by adopting the Nepali style of cleaning your nose.
