General Q&A about the great outdoors and outdoor pursuits.
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During the summer, I always hear this sound. It's like a long "hissing" sound. I assume that it is some sort of insect that produces this, and it's usually during warmer days. It can be heard ...
Sometimes, people go into nature and go missing. A big search party is set up but they may be never found again. A morbid version of “leave no trace”. We probably all know examples: Joe Keller, ...
There are a couple of long hikes that I am thinking of doing, both are 70 to 80 miles (110 to 130 km) long one way. I would like to do a yo-yo (140 to 160 miles, 230 to 260 km) without a resupply. ...
I am interested in knowing if there are any military style obstacle course trails that exist in a completely forested setting for the military, police, search and rescue, and so on, yet are open to...
I've walked barefoot practically all summer for every summer I can remember. However now that I'm a teenager my Mum is saying I need to wear shoes because of glass, needles, worms and diseases. I h...
I have sees this lacing a few times now and was wondering why people are doing it. Is there any difference to the ordinary lacing and if so, what is that difference?
In the more than 30 years I have lived in northern Virginia, I have never seen a copperhead, although there have been several reliable copperhead sightings in my neighborhood, the most recent last ...
I'm heading to Quepos, Costa Rica with 4 teenagers. We'd like to do some things like whitewater rafting, hiking, viewing waterfalls, and seeing nature and wildlife.
Hearing someone above you yell ROCK when climbing is a scary experience because that means that an object (usually a rock) is plummeting down to the route towards you. Hopefully you are wearing yo...
This is something I have pondered on multiple occasions, when the light of the full moon and the altitude induced insomnia kept me awake long into the night. I realize that this would be an unusua...
Imagine you are sitting around ready to begin; you have your gear spread out, and your helmets are off. How should you place your helmet so that it doesn't wander off?
I know that this isn't the best stack exchange site for this question but was the best I could think of, if you think there is a better one please move the question / notify me. We are 2 friends w...
Among all of the cycling friendly trails in Michigan, do any of them offer the opportunity for rustic or dispersed camping? Preferably, every 20 to 40 miles or so.
Here is what I would consider a regular Bic butane lighter. However I have noticed that you can buy High Altitude lighters such as this one. Is that just marketing or would a regular lighter n...
Long story short, I want to abseil down from my balcony. The guard rail of my balcony feels sturdy, is bolted into multiple different bricks and uses big screws which makes me think that they will ...
If one were to hike during the night and sleep during the day, what differences in navigation would one have to take into account? In my experience you are more on instruments (such as a compass o...
There is a technique for navigation known as dead reckoning, what is this technique exactly and when would it be useful?
Recently a user mentioned something called Horse Boarding. At first I thought she was talking about boarding horses, like in a stable, but she was actually referring to an activity that's popular, ...
I have this binding with height of 39 mm. I like to freeride and do jumps. I would like to know what are pros and cons of high and low ski bindings and how particularly the height affects ability t...
If you imagine cutting a canoe or kayak along each axial plane, you get three shapes. If you cut along the waterline and look down from above, you get the plan. Cut thwart-wise at the widest poi...
If you are walking on trail, and a game trail heads off in an interesting direction is it ever a bad idea to follow it? If so how would you know when it is OK to follow a game trail? This questio...
If you read old books from cold areas, it's not infrequent to run across the idea of rubbing snow on one's feet when they got frozen or frostbitten. However, subjectively, it seems to me that this...
I was inspired by the question "What should one do when climbing if someone above you yells ROCK?" to ask what the equivalents are around the world. So, what would I shout to warn someone below me...
What are the differences between a shock absorber as it is used in professional rope access and a via ferrata set? As I found out that in my country shock absorbers have to fulfill EN 355 and via ...
In theory Styrofoam is a closed cell product meaning that is water proof. In practice it tends to absorb and hold water It can take months to dry out very saturated Styrofoam. As a rule Styrofoa...
We have a number of questions dealing with how start climbing, how to learn it (and how not to learn it) - e.g. Is it realistic to teach yourself rock climbing?, What to teach someone who wants to ...
It's been a beautiful Sunday here in the UK today and I went by the river (Thames) with my girlfriend to get some sunlight and fresh air. (We rarely do that, so that might be why I'm writing a ques...
Where: North-central Massachusetts When: 8 April 2017 Whenever I'm out and about, I look at wetlands as I go by to see their general state, how much the invasive phragmites is pushing out the nati...
550 Parachute cord is a very small kermantle rope (has a core and an external sheath) as you can see in this image. The minimum breaking strength of the cord is 550 pounds, hence the name. It i...
I want to have a campfire on Southport beach in a few weeks as a small birthday celebration with some friends. I was wondering who I should contact to request permission to do so, as I know it's il...
In sport and trad climbing, a sit harness is widely used (except for children). However, I wondered if there is the possibility to fall out of it? One situation where I could see this happen is in...
Recently on one of the jungle trails we came across a colony of termites and we went ahead and tasted them (Bear Grylls style?). We did the same with the weaver ants which are quite common in the S...
We have several posts about fire most of them are about specific challenges. A recent question had myself and others searching for fire starting basics. We don't seem to have a post about it. Wh...
My husband frequently walks at the Wachusett Reservoir, which spans a few towns in central Massachusetts. This past Sunday he was on his usual path, and saw something floating in the water which ...
I am planning to do the Laugavegur Trek in Iceland this summer (rain and snow can be expected) and need to buy a tent. I read a few articles on what to consider while buying a tent and got confused...
I have a home made snare that when tightened, causes a weight of 14.5LB to fall, pulling the snare loop closed and towards a chain link bolted to the ground so that the animal will be pushed agains...
Since braided line floats and mono sinks slowly; do they sell a tapered leader braided line? This is my first-year fly fishing - so I may not know enough. My current setup is a #8 rod with a brai...
If you had a climbing rope anchored above you on either a sheer cliff or a really steep incline, what is the minimum amount of gear that a person would need to ascend the rope without assistance fr...
Several years ago, the Washington Post had an article titled This remarkable new exoskeleton slips on like a boot and makes your walking more efficient. Engineers at Carnegie Mellon University ...
I'm outdoors quite a bit. But the one thing that takes me out of action is sweat buildup and rubbing in my nether regions. It can literally take me out of action for a few days. I think it comes do...
When firing a flare gun in the air, what is the risk of accidentally starting a forest or wildland fire? Does the flare go out completely before it touches the ground?
This answer on another question says that there is a risk of causing a forest fire when using a flare. Is there a recommended/safer way to use flares that lessens this risk, in the event that some...
Say you are in the middle of a desert where there is lots of sunshine, and you are trying to signal for help with a signal mirror. Either in the distance there is a person, or there is an airplane...
I just got my first hammock and am eager to try it out! I don't have an underquilt, I was planning to use my current bag and foam pad. In a tent, they would be on the lower end of comfortable for t...
I've noticed that some icebreaker clothing is labeled as "black sheep" merino wool and the same with other brands, so I am wondering if someone can explain or link to something that explains well w...
I live about 45 degree north latitude. Other then at the Equinox, daylight is seldom 12 hours. Sometimes it is more sometimes less. The summer sun can last 16+ hours. I understand how and why th...
Something curious happened this weekend. One of my field-tips broke inside the shaft. The actual point and the thread of the tip got separated. The problem is that the thread is stilled screwed in ...
In 2013 I visited Nuortakrågge: Nuortakrågge is located at 67.8084°N, 16.6203°E, above Vuodnabahta, Norway. It is open and free to use. It is not listed on official maps but there is a small s...