General Q&A about the great outdoors and outdoor pursuits.
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Dealing with water rescue, it is valuable to have an easily thrown rope nearby. There are specific items made for this, such as this throw bag with 50 ft. of high visibility MFP rope by Scotty. Ho...
After answering this question, I am wondering when it would be useful to cook with a solar stove. It certainly wouldn't make sense in an area that is constantly overcast or when speed is of the es...
I have a Mammut jacket that's made with their DRYtech 2-layer material. It's been used quite a bit but still appears to have a lot of life left in it. However it's acquired a weird smell, not unlik...
I saw the following - Filson Hats: Navy USA-Made 60198 NA Merino Wool Cuff Water-Resistant Cap The cap/hat is described as Filson hat. Is this a brand-name or the type of hat ? If it's not the...
Ferrata harnesses (FH) can be probably safely used also for climbing, as stated in another post. However, I am not sure how to use the reverso with FH. This is because in a usual FH, the belay ...
When you are in a sailboat, and you start getting gusts and choppy water, how do you describe what's happening to your boat? Can you say that it starts to "flounder," or is there a better word?
I recently moved to southern Virginia near the coast (about 15 miles in from it). All over the ground are these spiky balls that I assume contain seeds to the tree they fall off of. There are lit...
Tourist from Australia so bit clueless about these things, going to Canada and wondering if it's worth getting the snow shoe chains/springs/spikes that go over your shoe or boot ? Can't really aff...
If I am in a survival situation with a knife as my only cutting implement, and I need an axe to chop trees (because I know burning through them is not practical) how would I make one? What attri...
There are two (main) types of front points with crampons (that I am aware of): Vertical and horizontal ones. Usually vertical is used for technical mountaineering, ice and mixed climbing and horizo...
There was another report recently about a fox sneaking in a house and resting in its living room. Due to the news report it was caused by the extreme cold weather. The fox didn't even bother the ma...
What is the effect of sharpening ski edges at different angles (85-90) and with different grit diamond stones (150-1200+) or regular files? How does this relate to the level of the skier and the t...
I'm confused as to what separates "Vintage Ski Sweaters" from other sweaters. My initial thought was that is would be ski themed or that it would be designed to be light weight with good thermal...
These were in abundance throughout Germany and looks kinda strange.
Is there a graphic representation of the terms used in mountaineering literature which narrates different aspects/parts of a mountain? While reading any expedition report, climbing detail we come ...
I understand the basics of trek / hiking meals which are primarily freeze-dried, lightweight and carbohydrate rich. For those of us with access to a base camp who wish to consume mainly protein ...
Context: Rope, aka cordage, is useful in many bushcraft projects. Cordage can be useful to hang things up, and it is particularly valuable in constructing tools (e.g. bow drills for fire making, m...
Leeches have been known to fall and attach on the eyeballs of hapless hikers. Where I'm from, if a leech attaches itself to you, you just spray it with alcohol and it will shrink and fall off. Obvi...
Usually when I'm at the beach, especially at low tide, there are many pieces of open or broken shells of mollusks, including clams. They can't survive without their shells, so those broken pieces a...
There is a significant proportion of individuals who enjoy the Great Outdoors that also travel to the wilderness in vehicles converted for camping (RV, Vans, some boats etc). For those living an o...
My last question provided me with a very thorough answer and I'm hoping for the same thing with this one. Another kind of tree in my area (southeast Virginia) produces these long seed pods with se...
How do different ski characteristics relate to the skiing ability and snow conditions? Also how do these relate with ski durability in time? Ski characteristics: Front tip width Middle width Bac...
My husband recently lost a pair of ear warmers he got at North Face 15 years ago. North Face no longer sells them, so I'm looking for a high-quality replacement. I'm confused by the types of materi...
I love the idea of ski touring. However, I wonder what would be the best way to learn it. Should I focus on learning alpine and cross-country skiing and then combine the two, or should I rather jus...
There are a lot of videos and instructions out there on what to do when you fall through ice: You turn the direction you came from, pull and kick until you get out and roll yourself to safety. But...
If I were a couple of decades younger, I would seriously consider trying climbing in a climbing gym, but I doubt I have enough flexibility, and I would feel horribly out of place. The thing that a...
While navigating or orienteering with a map or compass one of the essential skills is the ability to find your position on the map with the aid of the compass. This can be important if you need to...
I am considering getting a used wet suit for sailing and canoeing in the early spring and next fall. What should I look for? Based on the related Q&A below, it looks like I will want 6-7mm (1...
I live in Denver, Colorado. Going above 10,000 ft. (3,000 metre) always results in an air bubble large enough for me to want to tilt the compass to prevent the bubble from interfering with the nee...
Can a compass have its polarity reversed so that the end marked "north" points south and vice versa? If so, what could one do to prevent and fix this problem?
This image has recently come under considerable criticism on social media for dangerous mountaineering practices. The location is unknown as the qualified mountain guide observer wanted to maint...
I have two pairs of collapsible poles made by Black Diamond (Traverse and Expedition 3). I tried using them for cross-country skiing on groomed trails, but the baskets I was using (the trekking and...
I love rock climbing and I try to go to my local gym and boulder as often as possible (usually 2-3 times a week). But it's really hard for me to climb for any extended period of time because my arm...
I have been told that climbing cracks is very much a methodical procedure. Especially in places like Yosemite and Indian creek, where the cracks can be the only feature of the rock that can be used...
Sometimes, one needs to get up for an alpine start i.e. really, really early, and yet not have a functioning alarm. Cell phones have a tendency to lose the correct time when shut off and then turne...
Carabiners like this one, Image Source are called HMS carabiners. Why are they called that and what does HMS stand for?
I have eagerly consumed many accounts of early mountaineering expeditions in which the mountaineers always eagerly consumed Kendal Mint Cake (KMC). I got the impression that they would have found i...
There are often town signs featuring another smaller sign reading "Wildtollwut! Gefährdeter Bezirk" in Germany. This directly translates into "Rabies! Endangered district". How to react to such...
In Treasure Of Khan by Clive Cussler, the main protagonist is lost in a desert and uses his watch to determine directions, here is the quote : An old survival trick, he knew that south must be...
In spring 2018, I intend to visit Bears Ears National Monument. Not any more; President Trump has declared to reduce the size of the monument. The area I intend to visit, around the Valley of the...
The Navajo National Monument website notes that Betatakin can only be visited on a ranger-guided tour. It states that groups leave daily between May 27 and September 3, and cliff dwellings are clo...
I've been some months reading as much as possible about walking biomechanics, and unfortunately I haven't found too much information or usually contradictory information. Usually everything is focu...
What is the most reliable way to start a friction fire using foraged materials? Not necessarily just the overall technique (ie: "drill" or "plow" or whatever); it's good to compare specific varia...
I have seen a few videos of people using an interesting friction-fire technique, and a couple of them called it a "fire roll." To do this, they fluffed up a cotton ball, put something in it such as...
I am planning to hike a section of the Bruce Trail next year with my German Shepherd. It's mostly low hills but every once in a while I run into vertical ladders. How can I carry my German Shepher...
A recent question asks about disassembling a multi tool pictured below. We have an existing question How do you fashion a spear with a fixed blade. All of the blades pictured are long handled an...
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 the last few years on rivers, the wooden skegs under my homemade houseboat have gotten chewed up. I will have to drydock and repair them this year. While it is out of the water, I thought I migh...
I'm planning to fly to Tromso in February with my friends. We'd like to stay for 3 - 4 days and have few questions, I'd be glad if someone could answer them. We are going to get a tent so we can ...
As an outdoor beginner, I was interested in some possible tool combinations for shorter outdoor hiking trips, say, 2-5 days. From what little experience I have, I reckon that the most common tasks...