General Q&A about the great outdoors and outdoor pursuits.
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Sometimes there are sources of water which are slightly contaminated with salt, such as coastal wells or pools of rainwater in rocks near the coast, or water containers with pinhole leaks which hav...
Handheld desalinators operating on the principle of reverse osmosis are available for emergency use in lifeboats. Sometimes they appear for sale unused in their original packaging at a very steep ...
Locally Search and Rescue doesn't charge but what happens if you're in an area where they do? They obviously have your name and address but it doesn't seem fair to bill the person who was prepared...
From slivers caused by chopping wood, thorns from plants, or bee stings there have been times when out in the woods when a pair of tweezers would come in handy and none where on hand. Are there ar...
I want to go out in a canoe onto a large lake and stay out for the entire weekend. I have checked the whether and determined that it will definitely be excellent weather and very calm all weekend l...
Related to this question, there are people advocating that most of the Grand Canyon National park be designated as Wilderness. What exactly would change in the allowed activities (some say it woul...
A recent question got me wondering if there are Takedown Compound Bows. I Googled around and found several longbows, (recurves, etc) that can be taken down for travel. But I did not find any comp...
It has the characteristics of lemon balm / mint, with square stems, but it doesn't have the lemon / mint smell. Also, its leaves seem to be more rounded, where lemon balm leaves have more of a poin...
I’m looking for a bag to help carry my bow. Not that hard in huge forums to find some good suggestions but the think is I’m looking specifically to carry a compound bow without exposing any of the ...
There are two types of rifle scopes when it comes to which focal plane the reticle is etched on and they are called first or second focal plane scopes. What is the difference between the two types...
Someone suggested using a Safety Spark Bunsen Burner/Laboratory Lighter with 5 Flints to start tinder for an emergency fire. I don't currently own one so can't try it. I have used them to light f...
My inexpensive nail clippers are chrome plated steel. All the keys on my key ring are brass or some other non-ferrous metal (I checked with a magnet). The nail clippers have that small nail file ...
I am aware that the statistics regarding a 40ft climbing fall, which result in "decking-out" are not favorable. I survived such a fall only recently. Major injuries seem to have only been a broken ...
I'm looking for hiking trails in Zion National Park in Utah, USA. Here are the criteria: 5-8 miles Moderate skill level (prefer not too easy, but not too strenuous) Prefer no more than 2000 feet...
I have raised cross bar on my SUV roof as the image shows: I also got a couple 15ft. long Thule ratchet straps for tie-down canoes. Now my question is, can I tie down ski and snowboards on the ...
I found these small corroded canisters on top of a mountain in Nevada, They were about 3 inches long and some had a metal post inside that has green corrosion on them. I think they are trash f...
Fingernail clippers are super helpful in outdoor situations. This is my number one always in my pocket survival tool. But they have a tendency to come apart, there are even videos showing how to p...
I understand how noodling for flathead catfish can be hazardous for the human. This activity has resulted in bloody knuckles, broken wrists and even death. These hazards do not even include those...
It is possible to catch fish with a hook and dental floss, and the flies can just be stored stuck in the brim of a hat or very small tin and then one improvises a rod from a stick. The advantage o...
I heard someone talking about whitecaps and how they could be dangerous for boating but I am not sure I understand, what they were talking about. What are whitecaps and why should I be concerned a...
I am planning on getting a bipod for my rifle, in the hope of being more accurate and able to hit targets at longer ranges. What features should I look for in a rifle bipod?
This plant was seen in Cyprus a few days ago and my girlfriend was wondering what it is. Is anyone able to identify it please?
I recently heard the term "Outdoor Influencers" relating to certain groups of people, including conservationists. Apparently some people have negative feelings about their activities, because they...
In this question, I focus on the fall exposure component. While I understand the perception of danger will vary from person to person, I'm having trouble characterizing mountain exposure. I can see...
Assume I am completely naïve of boating concerns, that I know the following: There are things that float and carry stuff across the water called boats. A boat needs something to make it move. Som...
I feed the local birds quite a lot, and am wondering about the possibility of contracting any avian-related illnessess. How often is it for us to come across a disease-ridden bird anywhere, as well...
We have found that almost any place that is interesting to hike, and especially backpack, does not have cell phone reception, or at best lousy cell phone reception. To which I say hallelujah! I d...
Several decades ago, we were three days from the trailhead with no food. Let's not get into why that happened, please. It is too embarrassing. We had to slog through snow for two days, but on th...
I have a 1963 12ft StarCraft boat, and one of my corner caps needs a replacement. I'd like to find one, either new or used. Does it affect the stability of the boat, or is it only for looks?
I would like to hike from Mt Moosilauke to Rumney NH. From the all trials map it looks like I can take the Carriage Road Trail almost all the way to some sort of extension to the Three Ponds Trail,...
Sometimes when clipping in people who are rappelling, or setting up anchors in some places from above or showing people how to get onto a fixed line, I need an adjustable tether. I often carry a n...
One of the more useful knots for climbing is the Purcell prusik (related to but not a regular prussik), which can be used as an adjustable tether or for ascending a rope among other things. How wo...
Trailheads at some national parks like Yosemite or some wilderness areas will have quotas, with a certain number of permits per trailhead available per day. Usually, the permits are split between ...
I would like to setup a solar charged/battery storage system for an RV/small camper environment. Initially with one solar panel, one matched battery pair; but also allow the battery(ies) to be cha...
We found a few things which we think are cocoons on a tree at Mass. Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary, on Mt. Wachusett, in Princeton, Central Massachusetts, USA. It was last week, mid-August. The tree st...
An entrepreneur is planning a campsite-hotel in Romania, with a full outdoor gourmet restaurant attached, with an outdoor kitchen. There will be no cabins or other living structures, only tents an...
The little pocket-knife multi-tools sometimes come with tiny saws on them. Those saws are somewhat useful but extremely limited in the size wood they can be used for. Are there any multi-tools ava...
I recently had a tour to Ladakh, a region in India's Jammu and Kashmir state. The plan included a visit to (and camping at) lakes Pangong Tso, Tso Moriri and Tso Kar. These lakes are saline. Is i...
I have several paper Ordnance Survey maps, but I don’t know how to easily access the back of the sheet without ripping or damaging my map while trying to unfold a very large area of paper. Are ther...
When we venture into the wilderness, we bury our solid human waste (or may even have to pack it out in some places). The basic guideline is to not leave faeces anywhere where it can be discovered ...
Bee hotels or houses are supposed to allow solitary bees the chance to lay eggs - however there seems to be some controversy, that they only attract pests? Considering the decline of bees globally...
I've seen cairns while hiking in mountains and they are usually easy to distinguish from natural rock piles. However, I am a bit confused by what makes a duck and what distinguishes it from a cair...
In movies, sometimes the character will put an ear to the ground and then hear people moving a long ways away example. Does this actually work in the wild at all or is it just insufficient for any...
Next month, my kids and I are enrolled in a canoe building workshop in the Lake District of the United Kingdom. At the end of the 4 days we will have a 17ft canoe weighing between 16 and 22 kilos...
I recently came across an article discussing Omura's whales, which I had never heard of, off the coast of Sri Lanka. I was positive I then read something saying they got up to 125 feet long, longer...
Often times in city parks people will use the trees for slacklining, the problem comes when they use trees that are not big enough, and given enough time and users this can be unhealthy for the tre...
More states in the US are decriminalizing switchblades, yet there are many other methods of opening a folding knife with one hand such as studs on the blade or groove to make it easier to open. I ...
What are the different names for camping stove alcohol and where can I get such a fuel? Note, this is not about white gas (aka "Coleman" fuel).
Friend and I had this discussion, and came to no conclusion: Hiking in the mountains. Crossing a range through a pass. Peaks on either side are a good thousand feet higher. Are you at serious r...
I've only seen parasols being used in movies, cartoons and other artistic media, but extremely rarely in real life. Somehow it feels like I would look ridiculous with one in hand walking around the...
