General Q&A about the great outdoors and outdoor pursuits.
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How long do electric hand warmers last in comparison to other types, such those iron oxidizing pouches? Manufacturers' claims tend to be useless because they only advertise the max lifetime with m...
I keep seeing trail runners who instead of a small light backpack, have a running vest with small front pockets and then one on the back. What is the advantage of a running vest over a small backpa...
I have always been very careful while handling climbing gear. Last year while returning from an expedition, I met a group that was returning from a tough-looking climb. They were selling off a few ...
Are there any gender-specific climbing (or other) harnesses? For example a chest harness?
Whenever I browse knife shops or online stores I see many fixed-blade knives whose handles are essentially just a piece of paracord wrapped around the tang. From my anecdotal experience this also s...
I'm taking inventory on my tree farm. The temperature today is -7 °C with a light breeze. Windchill of -10 °C. I figure that there are lots of people who have this problem. Writing a journal, desc...
I had to tie down a tree last night since recent storms broke the guy lines I had placed when I planted it, and I used a tautline knot how-to I found online to tie it, since I was never a Scout. Af...
I live in a rural area around 59° north. When driving around I often see rodents darting across the roads during high winds (20-50mph), but very rarely see them when the weather is calm. Rain doesn...
I have a child who is still young and learning movement skills. How do I encourage balance building activities? I set up a 10cm beam just off the ground to walk across. Are there other things I sh...
I have an older tent, and it has some zip-down windows that can be completely closed, or opened for ventilation, with a rainfly that covers more or less just the top of the tent and leaves the wind...
I often camp in rainy or very humid weather, and I often have condensation forming inside my tent. What can I do to minimize this? My tent has vents, but I’m not sure how to make the best use of ...
Is there a good technique to warm up your boots in the morning? Should you just put them on and warm them up with your feet or is there a better alternative?
We all know when we get dehydrated. And hence we make sure it doesn't get worst. I was on a trek this weekend. A strong stray dog from a village chose to accompany me and being alone, I was happy ...
I have 20+ year old space heater that is nearing end of life. 120 volt, 1500 watts We use it in the camper when have electric hookup, and need a little extra heat. I started looking online for a...
My parents moved into a new house several years ago. In one of the gardens behind the house, we found this round metal object about the size of a bowling ball: Both my mom and I think that it ...
u/wadanohaaara comments After some research, I found out that this is located in Shelton, Connecticut But where exactly?
It is fairly common practice to drive to a trailhead, park your vehicle and then go backpacking for a while. It would be a real bummer to come back from a trip and find that your vehicle has been b...
My backpack of course has a rechargeable gas lighter. I am considering buying a good Zippo, as I feel it more resistant, and it does not need to be kept with your hands to stay on. Would you sugges...
I went camping last trip and my nice inflated pad... deflated. I always carry a patch kit but I discovered another issue: I couldn't find the leak. The leak was small. It took quite a while of me l...
A sleeping bag will eventually need a cleaning. How do you proceed, in particular according to the different materials?
I have an interest in sextants and how they work, mostly from reading the Horatio Hornblower novels. I know that sextants are still sold. While I am sure that are not nearly as precise as GPS is n...
Yesterday I was shopping for breathable waterproof boots* and this is what the salesperson explained to me. The shoe material does NOT matter. The damp air from the foot goes through the membrane (...
Hopefully this is acceptable. I figure this could be relevant as my bug out bag is essentially what I would bring on a camping trip (first aid, fire starters, some food, shelter materials, mess kit...
I was recently reading an article on UKClimbing by Andy Kirkpatrick about clothing in winter. It talks about vapour barriers: I’ve played around with vapour barrier socks over many years, and ...
I'm looking to purchase a " Weber Smokey Mountain," but wanted to get an enclosure for it so that during cold/rainy/windy weather I can smoke without issues, since I heard it isn't greatly insulate...
In really cold temperatures, it's often recommended to use a separate overbag made from a synthetic material over your main down sleeping bag. Supposedly this helps moisture (from your body) escape...
When sleeping in cold temperatures in a sleeping bag with the opening closed to the minimum — just your face — how to keep your nose from getting cold? I feel like the cold air coming in will alway...
Under a windproof shell mitten, is an insulating liner mitten significantly warmer than an insulating liner glove made of the same material and thickness? This is a different question from "Are mi...
Talking about the basic A-frame formation, where there is a higher up ridgeline going through the middle of a rectangular tarp (non-diagonally) e.g. from tree to tree, and the two sides are pegged ...
When camping in freezing conditions, does normal toothpaste freeze? I imagine it would be hopeless to get it out of the tube.. And in the event that it does indeed freeze, are there some non-freez...
While there have been some accomplished climbers who have done this in the Himalayan peaks, alpine style remains relatively rare in the Himalayas. Most climbing is done in the expedition style with...
I take my young children (0-7 years) outside to local trails. It's not remote, virgin wilderness, just a few dozen hectares of forest and stream. The kids enjoy it, and the youngest one is still le...
My younger brother (14 years old) has recently expressed interest in joining my outdoor escapades (hiking, camping, backpacking, etc). As part of this interest, he has asked me to teach him how to ...
I quite often go hiking in the evening after work and I have a good head torch but sometimes I wish I had some night vision goggles because often a headtorch will scare wildlife and cause farm anim...
A few friends and I regularly play board games and RPGs together. We are planning a casual hiking and camping trip. We will go by car to the trailhead and hike in with our gear, tent camp overnight...
I like to hike, and I have two large dogs (German Shepherd, Presa Canario). After a long hike I look reasonably homeless (long hair, unshaven, muddy). Combined with two large, potentially dangero...
Similar to Serrated vs flat-edge knives, I'm wondering what the strengths and weaknesses are of folding knives versus fixed blade knives? What are fixed blades good for? What are folding knives no...
I have heard that if you drink a lot of water as a habit, the body doesn't do much retention. Therefore, if you are preparing for a hiking in the desert where not much water will be available, is...
When you Google for images of "canoe & bike," you find two basic solutions to towing a canoe with a bike: A traditional axle mounted trailer is modified to have a tongue long enough to loa...
E.g. Nikwax has different DWR (Durable Water Repellent) treatment products for softshells and hardshells. Are these actually different products (other than in label)? Can one substitute one for t...
My girlfriend and I went for a walk on Sun. We climbed 3 peaks in Snowdonia. My girlfriend had one of them Nike tracking apps running on her phone all the while. In the end it gave us these stats: ...
I want to learn target practice inside my house. The goal is to eventually use these skills in The Great Outdoors. I'm looking for: a non-real (e.g. BB type) handgun or rifle that has realistic r...
My family lacks any firearms license or training whatsoever. To what degree can store-bought (Canadian Tire, Home Hardware) Air Pistols Air Rifles fend off wild dangerous animals? Pa...
I screen shot https://youtu.be/pLcqJ2DclEg?t=35.
My family wants to off-road. Due to COVID, we'll avoid other people to our best ability. The boondocks where we'll be driving won't have lights, let alone on roads. I've spoken to all rental RV an...
I wish to circumambulate around Mount Kailash on foot. This is roughly 33 miles of mountaineous terrain. Many people do this for spiritual reasons, i.e circumambulate once to wash away your sins, ...
I intend to go to Tibet in August. I play badminton,tabletennis or volleyball every week and my fitness is decent. But I have not been exposed to high altitudes like in Tibet (16000 ft; 4900 m). Ho...
What are the criteria used for grading a trek? One article that I came across provided the following set criteria for grading: Duration. Terrain (includes altitude). Exit routes. Weather/Climat...
What are some easy/moderate hikes in the Nepal Himalayas that do not span more than 6 days of walking? I looked at Jomsom trek but it is 8 days. I am looking for a trek that offers nice scenic beau...
My octogenarian grandma needs walking aids. She's physically unable to hike or rove. But she still pines to leaf peep — known in Japanese as momijigari (紅葉狩) — while seated in the car. Thus we are ...
