General Q&A about the great outdoors and outdoor pursuits.
Filters (None)
At significant risk of tin foil hat jokes, I’ve read compelling evidence that a homemade hat incorporating angled and crumpled aluminum foil may slightly increase a kayaker’s visibility on radar — ...
String walking is, Having a 3-under allows for string walking. What this is, is basically the ability to pull the string at a different position hence changing the distance of your shot. Sou...
Sure you have to look out for crevasses which is nicely explained here: How to detect a crevasse on a glacier. But what else does one have to consider when trying to cross a glacier? Some glacie...
Where to I insert the slackline in this picture? Does the slackline wrap around a cylinder of the ratchet or just hang? I can't get the line to be locked in place. It'd be helpful if someone woul...
The impeller on my outboard motor (2002 2 stroke 75 HP Yamaha) was replace last year before I used it. It was fully serviced at that the time, but the motor hasn't been run in about 12 months. Does...
What are some slackline vendors or brick and mortar stores in the state of Maryland with people who actually know how to slackline? I agree that some vendors of slacklines from Amazon may be selli...
I live in the southern part of Zealand, in Denmark. I assembled a chicken coop yesterday, and found this feather on top of the egg-collection box lid this morning. I have been unable to find out wh...
I don’t know if shooting animals and eating them such as catch and cook in England is specified as poaching these days so anyone who gets what I’m actually trying to say I would appreciate if u do ...
This symbol appears on a forest in an OS 1:50,000 Landranger map at SO 24799 27221. It doesn't appear in the map legend. It does not appear at the same point on the equivalent 1:25,000 Explorer map...
This detailed paper https://www.aoa.org/Documents/CRG/Blue%20Light%20and%20Eye%20Damage.pdf from the American Optometric Association details the various types of short term (i.e. snow blindness) an...
I know that hundreds of black bears roam around Yosemite, however they are considered harmless and an attack towards humans has not been reported so far. However, are there any other possible dange...
Has anybody ever tried to use a cross-load protecting Black Diamond Gridlock carabiner with a Smart Alpine belay device? I do think the Smart Alpine does not go very well with the CRAG Smart HMS ...
My Daughter and I are considering hiking through Maryland on the AT in early October. Most of the trail I have done up to this point was in New England a Pennsylvania. Trail guides are indicating...
What is the thread size on the waste tank drain? I can’t find a female connector to dump at a RV dump (step on 3” cap). Looking to build my own. The research I have done indicates a Buttress thread...
I'm new to rope-climbing, I have made some slings to use as false-crotches/cambium-savers/friction-savers that act as my "canopy anchor" when climbing. These were all made with lengths of my 11.7 m...
I am going hiking for 2-3 weeks with no possibility of charging the battery again. Assuming I only turn the InReach on only once a day to send a "I'm ok"-message and then turn it off again, would t...
With sunblock it's relatively easy to know what to look for in terms of SPF, UV types etc, however with eco-friendly ones that aim to not put chemicals back in the ocean (used by surfers, swimmers,...
A few years ago I was on a cycling holiday - on my own - in remote mountainous countryside in the north of Greece. One day, I came across a dog lying by the side of the road. I had passed quite a f...
For my Trangia stove, I usually use denatured alcohol / ethanol / methyl alcohol. Bringing methyl alcohol into Russia is apparently prohibited, and bringing ethanol is subject to a 22€/litre duty....
Consider an ascension of a single rope with an ATC guide in locking mode and a foot loop with a friction hitch, as described in this answer: Quickest / most efficient way to ascend a hanging rope ...
I want to buy some sunglasses with a white frame and blue lenses because I like the look of the colors together, something like this (I also like the side protection of this particular model): Wh...
While hiking near Lake Chelan (Washington, USA), I noticed this item affixed to the tree located at 48.150978, -120.493732: The tree in question is a short hike from a boat landing and right off...
I started reading about an interesting plant that is common around here called Mimosa Pudica, known as "touch-me-not" because of its leaves that close upon touching. It seems to be a plant with va...
This question is related to my earlier question about when it is safe, from the young chipmunks' point of view, to relocate a burrow of chipmunks. To recap the background of the earlier question: ...
I've been looking into making an oilcloth tarp. All the sources I have read so far seem to consider linseed oil the only oil to use, and I'm wondering why that is. So, what, if anything, is it abo...
I just found this toad on a sidewalk near a lake the elevation was probably somewhere around 4800 ft (1500m). Does anybody know what kind it is?
Has anyone experience with attaching a hammock to roof rails of a regular car? I just bought a hammock for my next camping trip. I will be traveling mostly by car and sleep in a tent but wanted so...
I’m wondering does anyone know what this part of a Click Up is for: I’m taking about the rounded cutouts on each side of the device on the climber side. In the normal position I can’t see what t...
For some reason, once in a while I get confused if you add magnetic declination to magnetic bearings to get true bearings, or if you add magnetic declination to true bearings to get magnetic bearin...
Once a year I go on a backpacking trip with a friend of mine who lives near Sacramento, California. He likes to bring his dog. The trip lengths typically range from 2-5 days (including car travel),...
I was reading: “The larger the foot-holds, the more beginners tend to put as much of their shoes onto them. Instead, also when the foot-hold offers more space, we must still use only the forefo...
I am considering a solo three-day trip in the Uinta Mountains in Utah in August. I have lots of experience backpacking but I've never soloed before and so am thinking of ways to shed some weight. M...
In the United States, there are a couple of excise taxes on outdoor gear that goes towards conservation, Pittman–Robertson Act which taxes firearms, ammunition and archery equipment and the Dingell...
I'm planning on hiking the PCT next summer (April 2020-August 2020). I have nearly eleven months to prepare, physically and mentally, and nearly eleven months to read up on the PCT. I have a lot ...
Definitely not a duplicated question to this one... Rather a much more specific question... The situation arises when there are bolted anchors at foot level on the edge of the cliff: The issue ...
Which tree native to Florida produces these seeds? The pods are really long and the seeds inside are in the shape of little hearts.
I have been trying to find the "canonical" post on this topic without success - each post has its own take on the issue. And I understand that opinions and preferences abound - but I'm looking for ...
All of the butane gas cartridges I have seen have a screwable top for attaching your stove, however, there are apparently also pierceable cartridges without a screwable top. Source What would t...
Help me settle an argument. How big a patch of temperate wilderness terrain would you need to produce enough food to feed a family of four (two adults, two teens) indefinitely in an off the grid o...
In one of the gravel parking lots I pass on my way to work there are a number of cotton tail rabbits that hang out there. At one end of parking lot there is piled up gravel from all of the plowing...
In Grand Teton National Park they have Rocky Mountain Goats and Bighorn Sheep and because they are worried that the goats will spread diseases to the sheep, they want to mountain goats gone from th...
I have just tried using an automatic belay machine in an indoor climbing gym. I didn't receive any specific safety training, but it seems to be straightforward. So what safety concerns should I pay...
This question is inspired by the question of @Sue on the peripheral vision of squirrels. It is a much less appealing question, but I figure if we can ask about animal behavior at feeding stations,...
I'm looking to buy a new jacket for hiking/traveling during winter in Australia for temps between 8c to 15c and possibly in windy and rainy conditions. I noticed that snow jackets tend to be cheap...
While hiking in the Ruby Mountains of Nevada, I came around the corner and saw several mountain goats who had made several fairly large scrapes (3-4 ft long and a couple feet wide) in the ground. ...
In an answer on a question about bowlines the following statement is made by @MarkG: All 'Bowlines' have the advantage of being Post Eye Tiable (PET) and totally jam resistant. https://outdoo...
I found this abandoned building with what looked like some sort of radio gear while hiking near Mono Lake California. The shed on skids Close up of inside Does anyone know what this was or...
Apparently, there is a theory that says Hummingbirds can become hypothermic if they sit on a feeder perch and drink several cropfuls of cold sugar water early in the morning. The birds fall to...
Some time ago I bought Vango F10 Xenon UL 2 tent. Had no chance to use it yet as I had to cancel the trip I was planning on using it on. Now I'm planning something new, but as it's going to be in s...
