General Q&A about the great outdoors and outdoor pursuits.
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Inspired by a space blanket being included in emergency winter kits, I wonder if there's any rigorous study about whether these things actually work and in what ways to best use them. In my own ex...
I'm currently looking for a couple of things for a Nepal trekking trip. Two things are a good hardshell and a thick fleece jacket. I once had a super cheap fleece + hardshell which I could "zip in"...
Are the stitches on Adidas shoes' foot (out sole) part for decor only, or do they have a purpose for more durability via sewing and gluing? (see on linked image, foot part with white stitches) I ...
I'm keen on learning more about different woods and how they burn in particular in the context of bushcraft. There is a lot of existing literature on all the different woods out there. I started to...
I keep looking for better ways of protecting my hearing when shooting, and it looks like wearing both plugs and muffs is recommended for indoor shooting (centerfire gunshots range from 160-170 deci...
Has anyone recorded animal sounds while trekking the Annapurna trail (Nepal) or in Ladakh (India)? If so, where are the richest acoustic areas?
I have a pretty strong magnet for magnet fishing. The problem that I am running into when taking it places is that I need a way to isolate it from my wallet/phone/compass inside my backpack as othe...
Wikipedia lists these common pack animals Camel Yak Reindeer Goats Water buffaloes Llama Equines including horses, donkeys, and mules Dogs (packing and sledding should have different values) E...
Gore-tex, and other waterproof breathable fabrics are often coated with a durable water repellent (DWR) finish that helps prevent the fabric from wetting out. It is not uncommon to hear people comp...
Assuming firewood can be found, but it's likely to be damp, how can I best be prepared for getting a fire going? This is for a light hiking situation, so I'm not going to carry a sack full of kindl...
Is there a good way or method of finding unpaved roads? Any map, where I can tell which road is asphalted, and which isn't? I have looked at wikiloc, and there are some trails for my country liste...
Salmon is an anadromous fish, that means it is born in fresh water, it spends most of its life in the sea and it returns to fresh water to spawn. I was wondering when fishermen fish salmon. I guess...
I have an MSR Elixir 2 tent bought 5 years ago and used three nights since (a shame I know). In any case, it was used for 4 nights camping in Spain in dry conditions and was an amazing tent. A few...
I have a medical bag together, which has a red cross velcro patch on the front of it. Anyone who looks at it will immediately know that the bag contains medical supplies. However, I'm making an add...
I am reading Escape Routes by David Roberts. This is a collection of 20 articles ranging from a winter ascent in Iceland to the first descent of a river in Ethiopia, the Tekeze, a major tributary ...
I did not use to think of geotagging photos as a leave-no-trace issue. In fact, one slogan says leave only footprints, take only photos. Yet the Leave No Trace Social Media Guidance states: T...
I’ve been seeing an increasing number of vacuum insulated water bottles and was wondering would a plastic(single walled) or a vacuum insulated water bottle be better for... Everyday (going from h...
When outdoors with my hammock, I prefer to set everything up with a pair of nylon tree straps. It gives things a more secure feeling and I've heard it's better for the trees too since the cordage w...
Magnet fishing is where you take a magnet and go fishing for metal objects (usually trash) in ponds, canals or lakes. I think this would be fun and would a good way to clear out some of the garbag...
I will be travelling for a couple of days to remote regions of Laos. I would like to take some kind of "emergency" food if nothing is around (or nothing trustworthy). People with a sweet tooth ha...
A question from August 13, 2018 asked what type of caterpillar was living in a cocoon on a tree at the Mass. Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary, on Mt. Wachusett, in Princeton, Central Massachusetts, USA. ...
Whistles are often used for emergency signalling, it would be good to know how far that signal can travel and still be recognized. There are plenty of factors that would affect the distance, so ho...
This is a one minute video of a Common Kingfisher bird standing on a tiny reed swaying in the wind. It's from the BBC Network in England. For much of the video, especially the beginning, the bi...
There is a video of a cub trying to follow the mother bear up a steep snowbank and then rolling back down at first. People are saying that it's a cute video but that the drone that filmed it got t...
What should I do if I am in a tent, have been sleeping, and was woken up by the sounds of some large animal quite close to the tent? Just hearing some branches broken by presumably something large....
I am looking for a new hunting rifle, and one of the features I keep seeing advertised is 5R rifling where there are 5 lands and grooves instead of 4 or 6. Supposedly this makes the barrel more ac...
I recently acquired a sailboat and noticed a small protrusion under the starboard side of the hull in front of the keel. Does anyone know what this is? The boat is a 1976 hunter 25. I have not put...
I was recently watching something on Outdoor television about survival in the woods. The only reason I am asking, is because I am planning on an excursion out there equally as far. Someone went int...
I have heard that rabbits shouldn't be eaten in the summer because they have ticks and parasites on them at that time and that one should wait till after it freezes. Of course, you have to abide b...
I want to tie both cables together, but without a knot, kind of "join" them as if glued together side by side, no knot in the cable. The cable is quite thin, and I'm using fishing line, the knot h...
I've heard of single track hiking/biking trails being "groomed" before to keep them in good condition for users. The use of shovels, rakes, and possibly chainsaws to keep the trails free of debris...
My cat gets a rabbit every other week or so. He usually eats the whole thing himself but I was wondering if I should try and cook it for myself. Is there even enough meat on them to make it worth t...
At the end of November we are going an a 3 day canoeing trip with multiple obstacles where we have to get the canoe out of the water. As it is really cold at this time, we don't want to get wet boo...
We went climbing on a glacier recently. There was one issue which I couldn't find a solution to. While belaying from below (on the first pitch), it was pretty much impossible to protect self from r...
I would like to winter camp in a 4-season tent but am interested in alternatives to mummy sleeping bags. I want to avoid that shape. What alternative sleep systems do people use that are appropri...
My wife and I just moved to Buena Vista, CO and want to know how necessary it is to have an SUV with AWD to get to trailheads. We’d prefer a sedan or hatchback for better fuel efficiency, but don’t...
I am considering a thru-hike next summer of the Continental Divide Trail. What is a reasonable budget for covering the time from starting to finishing the hike? This question has an answer for th...
I'm heading out this weekend, and the temperature is expected to drop below freezing, with a 20% chance of rain. I have two tents, a lightweight 2-person, which I primarily use for backpacking, an...
There is a massive alligator in Florida that lives near a golf course, and he is estimated to be the largest alligator in Florida history assuming the estimations of his size are correct. Estimati...
This morning when out on one of my usual walks I discovered an Amphibian / Lizard on the path - I did not take a picture as it had clearly been attacked at some point, it was not alive at this time...
I went and applied grangers DWR treatment to my waterproof cycling jacket and put it in the dryer for a few minutes to set it. After my first couple rides, it appears there are a few small spots wh...
Most hearing muffs/earplugs have a noise reduction rating of between 22 to 35 NRR. OSHA says, Impulse Noise: The standard states that exposure to impulsive or impact noise should not exceed 14...
In a survival situation is it actually efficient to eat edible plants? Assume late spring to early fall in a temperate climate. We have plenty of questions about where to find edible plants and h...
I am trying to connect 12lb leadline (lead removed for knot) to a 6lb flurocarbon leader but when I tie them with a double uni knot the flurocarbon breaks when pulling it tight. I have tried a cou...
I would like to try winter camping. What are some common mistakes first-timers make when trying to camp in the cold? I would be camping in temperatures between 0 and 32 Fahrenheit (-17 to 0 degree...
I have more than a decade of experience in outdoor recreation, environmental education, and backpacking. I am now thinking about starting a small business offering backpacking guide service to peop...
I find myself in possession of an extra set of everything Sunfish minus the hull. I was wondering if any of this gear would fit any other models of small craft, or if I absolutely need a bona fide...
I enjoy hiking, but I'm not very well-versed with the general expectations other people have about noise, especially serious hikers. I generally do trails that take between 3-6 hours, usually up hi...
Everesting is an activity where the goal is altitude gain of 8848 m or more by repeatedly going up and down a selected route. This is most often attempted by biking; however, hiking/running is pra...
I am currently in Denmark without access to a car. During the weekend I use the bus to go to some remote coastal place in order to fish. It takes 1 hour to reach that place. I carry one rod with me...
