General Q&A about the great outdoors and outdoor pursuits.
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Is there any way to get wild meat inspected and graded in the same (or similar) way as domestic meats for parasites, contaminants, etc.? If so what are good starting resources or methods for findi...
In other words, could I purchase a 1 litre Trangia fuel bottle and the MSR Dragonfly liquid-fuel camp stove and use them together? Or would the smaller, slightly more expensive MSR fuel bottle be t...
According to esquif, Royalite is a multi-laminate similar to Royalex but distinguished by its lightness. [...] The result is a weight reduction of 15% with a minimum loss of material streng...
I tried pitching a tarp instead of a tent this weekend. In worked well, kept off the rain etc, except for the condensation. It was far worse than any condensation I've ever had in a tent. We had...
Cougar population is in decline. I wonder where the hunt for them is still possible in the US? Also what are the specific regulations for the hunt (especially in regards to the endangerment of the ...
Perhaps you've heard about Aimee Copeland, the 24-year-old adventurer who contracted a flesh-eating disease after getting injured in a zip line accident over the Tallapoosa River. She's already los...
I am a very large man - I am 6'4" and weigh 450 pounds (I've lost a 100 pounds in the last year). I bike or walk everyday, (and swim laps occasionally) but want to add another sport to my exercise...
I'm about to go on a 2 month trip from England to Mongolia via Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Kazakstan to mention a few far flung countries. Ideally I'd want a gas stove top such that refuelling th...
I'm planning on doing some back country canoe camping this summer. I would like to avoid bringing a hatchet if possible. I also find my folding knifes get full of gunk and I am a little bit afrai...
I have seen many specialty broadheads for turkey hunting, like the Magnus Bullheads. What are the benefits of specialty turkey broadheads and are they necessary or can I use normal broadheads I wo...
Possible Duplicate: What is the best way to store my sleeping bag for long periods of time? We're at the point where we have more than one set of gear. We use different gear for differe...
I take a Primus EtaExpress stove with me when camping, and am slowing accumulating a collection of canisters with only around ~20% gas in them. With this little gas, they don't have enough pressur...
As above really, is there a resource where I can find all the "off-road" style lanes in the UK where I could legally drive a 4x4?
I was looking for some good windproof matches - not for any specific use, but just because I considered they may come in useful in some environments. Has anyone any experience with any particular ...
I really enjoy surfing and would say that I am intermediate level or definitely over the beginner curve. Anyway I am looking at these 4 boards right now and need to know what experience you guys ha...
Related to this question, if I'm camping and hiking on my own, I'm obviously at more of a risk than if I were with someone, and some key tasks will definitely be harder with no-one to assist (such ...
I have been out camping a few times, once with a group, the other times with my girlfriend. Although I enjoyed those times very much, I often wondered what would it feel like to enjoy the complete ...
I'm not back packing in the wilderness. I hope that doesn't disqualify me from asking a question that I think is still relevant for back-packers in general. I have an MEI Travel Pack that I'm pret...
Similar to this question, but mildew tends to be very resistant to removal. I sadly failed to keep my tent dry enough, and now it has a couple of mildew spots. They're not bad, but I would rather...
My wife and I are trying to figure out if back country camping in Yellowstone is something we are prepared for. We've never done this before, so the planning is the hardest part for us right now. W...
It happend to me a couple of times now that I've cross-loaded my carabiner when belaying; the frequent change from slack to tension and back, moving the carabiner up and down and all that, can easi...
Fire steels, ferrocerium rods -- oversized versions of the "flint" in a lighter or torch starter, are an apparently popular survival/backwoods fire starting method. Why would one want one of thes...
The black waterproof rubber seal round my Garmin etrex h has just started to peel away, and while not a major issue at the moment I don't really want to use it in the rough when it's waterproofing ...
I've got some leather boots that are showing some wear and tear. More importantly, the seam between the sole and boot is starting to crack and allow some water in. Do products like ShoeGoo or FreeS...
Are there any edible wild berries in southern California? Are there any conventional berries (like wild strawberries or blueberries) and how far out of the city do I have to go to find them?
If I was out on a long hike, and I wanted to shoot a bird for supper, is there a way to find out in a very short time whether or not that species is legally protected? Sometimes you can get in trou...
Just for fun, how would I go about lighting a fire with naturally shaped rocks by striking sparks? It might be useful if I were to camp in the far north, where there are no trees. What should I use...
What are the important differences between a gas and electric trolling motor for fishing in a small jon boat? I'm primarily concerned on the impact the the actual fishing (as opposed to any discus...
I'm a beginning surfer, and I want a longboard. How do I select one? How much should I pay? What is good width and length, etc.?
Possible Duplicate: How to avoid exploding rocks If I build a campfire with damp rocks, is there any possibility of the rocks exploding? I had this happen once while burning trash, becau...
Even stainless-steel can rust, and I've seen axes and saws that were visibly rusted. I've been told that wrapping the metal parts of the tools in oiled paper will prevent this. Can oil really be u...
I know I could just carry a bottle, but scavenging is much more fun. What is a good source of vitamin C in the wild? Have spruce needles really got enough?
This summer I'm planning to mount my first 4000 m mountain in Switzerland. So far I only got around 3300 meters while hiking and had no problems. However 4000 meter an above is definitively a diffe...
I'm considering an ultralight (non-waterproof) shell and Nikwax wash-in waterproofing as a rain layer. I'd like it to be waterproof through several wearings (a week or more). Does this result...
Recently a friend suggested using gelled fuel in a cat can stove instead of liquid alcohol. Since a cat can stove works by using pressurization to create the "jets" it seems flawed, but has anyone...
I stumbled across this link the other day which seems rather ingenious and was wondering if anyone has tried such a contraption whilst hiking? If not, do you think it would be effective? I'm tempte...
Sometimes children find long hikes boring and tiring, but if you can turn it around to play some games along the way they can find things a lot more interesting. What are some good games to play i...
What does it mean to cross load a carabiner? I know it's bad, and not to do it, but I don't really know what exactly it is.
Is it safe for someone who doesn't react to poison ivy to eat the berries? I am not going to try it without authority from someone who knows. Is it like smoke from burning vines, that can affect ev...
The 161m (0.1mile) rule in Geocaching is a pretty infamous one. However, the rules also state this: Please don't hide a cache every 600 feet just because you can. The two main goals of the satu...
I realise that's a pretty big area, but we're going to be there for 6 days and we have a car so we can go prettty much wherever. We're not big on climbing - anything requiring equipment is out, we ...
We're planning a 9 to 10 hour dive. We can't go that long without eating. What kind of 'food' could replace at least 2 meals of the day so we can 'survive' a long dive like that? We'll figure out...
If I were to go mushroom hunting on a hike, Should I trust a field guide, or do a little research on it first? I've heard of too many deaths caused by mushroom eaters making a mistaken identificati...
I've grabbed some neodymium magnets as a cheap way of attaching small geocaches to metallic objects such as road signs and poles. However, I'm not sure of the best way of attaching the magnets - t...
If I build a campfire, but need to move on before it goes cold, how should I put it out? I wouldn't want to use my drinking water. Should I bring a covering to smother it with?
I need to select a pair of shoes for when I go out to Yosemite this weekend. The weather has been fluctuating like crazy - last we checked, there was a foot of snow on the ground, but now the lowl...
In spring, the grape vines are so full of watery sap that a cut from my pocket knife causes it to trickle out fairly fast, and it can be collected in a container. Someone told me that it is a good ...
I've had a 60 L backpack for almost seven years now. Nothing on it is broken and it fits my needs, so right now I don't have any thoughts about replacing it (Getting a light pack might be the only ...
After almost half a year working in a hostel in Tbilisi, spring has come and it is far warmer than anywhere further west in Europe so I'm going to hitchhike around Georgia with my tent in warm area...
Looking at the webcam, it looks like things are still pretty wintery in that area. Being Michiganders, some snow is not going to deter us (we love winter camping), but we at least want to be prepa...
