General Q&A about the great outdoors and outdoor pursuits.
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Twice now I have been summitting peaks in Rocky Mountain National Park while getting really early starts to avoid the afternoon thunderstorms. However in both cases I could still see lighting in t...
Recently I was camping in the local mountains and while showering a storm blew in so I took a shower in a thunderstorm. Some people said it was very dangerous. The showers were basic structures out...
If I'm hiking in the wilderness and my shoelace breaks, what's the best way to go about fixing it assuming I have no spare?
I use a regular hydration pack. I had given to a friend of mine to use it as she had her pack leaking. I guess she filled it with some sort of refreshment/flavored sports drink, and that has caused...
I'm a beginning climber and am trying to resolve conflicting instruction related to tying into my harness. During a recent outing a friend (an experienced climber, but not an instructor) was show...
American signal crayfish are a delicious invasive species in the UK. I'd love to catch and eat some but I'm unsure how to go about this. Where/how can I catch American signal crayfish in the UK? ...
I'm looking for a 5-7 days hike. Or something around that, more or less, I'm flexible. The idea would be to stay away from hordes of tourists. We don't mind people, but we don't like queuing up on...
I asked this question in the Hunting BC forum but so far it hasn't received much attention. I'm very interested in the answer(s) and will cross-post any useful information. Over the last three wee...
My girlfriend and I are going camping in Europe this summer and are starting off in Spain. We have this tent, and are looking into sleeping bags. We have also been keeping an eye on the weather in ...
What are your chances of getting struck by lightning in a canoe? I've done a lot of canoeing on stormy lakes before, but when the thunder comes what is the real risk of getting struck by lighting? ...
I will be car camping in Western Europe (Portugal & Spain) from Nov. 14-Dec. 22nd this year. I will be camping in a wide range of environments, ranging from the mountainous Asturias Province of...
We have a couple of questions showing that in dry times a flare can start forest fires. Is there a safer way to use a flare in a wooded area? What is the risk of starting a forest or wildland fir...
We have a question about desalinating water while stranded at sea, and another that asks if you can get desalinated water from eating fish. However, even if you could get desalinated water from fi...
The general internet knowledge says. If there is two puncture wounds it means you got bitten by the fangs of a venomous snake.
I'm currently looking at using colored see-through water bottles. Mold is green because it reflects green light, so I have a theory that a green bottle would grow the least amount of mold because i...
I am making up emergency kits. What is the min I can survive on if the only source of water is what I am carrying?
I've only just started bouldering, and we have been using the easiest to grades VB-V1. I find V1 are moderately challenging but the next step up, V2, I just entirely struggle with. What can I do to...
While this has happened about 22 years ago, I never really stopped thinking about it and still regard it as unsolved mystery. While I asked plenty outdoormen, nobody had this experience. Having rec...
Whenever I surf with wetsuit booties on, either the boots themselves become waterlogged or the leg of the wetsuit fills with water. I've seen people use tape. Is this an effective method? What tape...
I took a surf lesson and got the following: Splash/ sand in the eye in an abrasive way that put me out for 20 minutes and was bothering me for few more days Bright tropical sun Pros / cons of h...
What product or combination of products best protects your hands while kayaking in winter? I’m interested in a system which provides comfort for extended paddling but also the peripheral activitie...
Disclaimer first: The brake-hand principle (always hold the braking strand of the rope) always applies to assisted braking belay devices, including the Grigri. This question is in no way targeted a...
I am going for four day hike in Western Ghats. The terrain is rocky humid and It is one of the eight "hottest hotspots" of biological diversity in the world. I am trying to pack my rucksac...
One of my flashlights that has a black anodized aluminum housing has a couple of scratches on it, all of the way through the anodized coating. How can I cover up the scratches so that its complet...
I've noticed when climbing and bouldering I have a tendency to get occasional flappers on my palm. A flapper being a callus or blister that has peeled back and hangs on like a flap of skin. I trim ...
Very recently I had been to a climb where I learnt about an alternate route that requires a huge crack to be climbed. It is of about a 100-120 ft roughly. Though I have experience in climbing open...
Recently, I heard of three tourists from Germany drowning in a lake in Alaska. Their boat overturned and they ended up in the water. All three of them were wearing life jackets. This is what I don'...
The Reverso 4, ATC Guide, and others all have a keeper wire loop for carrying. However, the wire seems unnecessary -- one could simply cut it off and carry the device using the large hanging eye or...
I’m adapting to long-term lifestyle of outdoor living, and getting constantly assaulted by this or that type of bug has been a major issue. Sleeping in a tent has thwarted most my opposition at th...
I live near the ocean (South Shore MA) and am new to kayaking. So far, I've paddled in streams and rivers that connect to that ocean. My last kayaking adventure involved me being oblivious to boate...
Some background links to Aravona's question here. Basically I am her other half and over the course of the night the tent was opened many times. As people will know opening a tent in the wee hours ...
Suggestions on how to backpack with urinary incontinence? Not a fun topic, but I’m headed out on a 5-day backpacking trip and am concerned how to pack out any used products without attracting bears.
Is it okay to throw away the non-edible part of the apple - the apple core / or in general fruit waste? Does it decompose on the rock (maybe with the help of animals) and temperature, or does it in...
I have a subscription service from komoot for maps. Is there any GPS device that supports offline maps and GPX, preferably with android OS integration. Example scenario would be: Use an android bas...
Thanks to @Ken Graham, I just heard of an activity called rail biking. It involves riding a certain type of bike along sections of abandoned railroad tracks. It sounds like a lot of fun, and my hus...
A recent answer said: Any mains electric (100-240V) going to a tent needs to be GFCI-protected (Europe: RCD) since you will be mixing electricity and water in close quarters. Source I know I ...
Location: UK East Midlands, suburban garden. Bird: possible marsh tits, something in that size range with a black cap. Time: late July. Two similar-looking birds were observed making high-pitched,...
How should I heat that tent? Is heating It with a heater okay? Are there any safe devices designed for electric heating? Is it safe to heat a tent 24 hours? Do you recommend heating while sleep, o...
Sadly after many years my trusted Helsport tunnel tent1 took some damage in a storm that I'm not sure will be repairable. I'm therefore looking into the possibility of getting a new tent. When I l...
Long story short, I got a huge oily stain on my raincoat. More precisely butter, on the shoulders part. It looks bad, it smells like butter, and I am really not comfortable having it on my clothes ...
I'm looking for a multi-purpose rope for camping with the following specs: Synthetic Preferably 7/16" dia or less 750-1000lb test break strength I don't plan on climbing with this rope but it w...
Bears are mostly attracted by smell of food. That is why we are supposed to keep the food items in airtight and sealed packs or preferably finish up all the food (cooking and consuming) far away fr...
There are many, many articles and web sites that will tell you what to do if you develop a hot spot or blister while on the trail, and need to perform some field treatment to allow you to get back ...
When birds gather into groups, they fly in a variety of different formations and patterns. Some birds fly in a formation that looks like the letter "V". Several species of geese, pelicans, and ib...
Once a year I go on a backpacking trip with a friend of mine who lives near Sacramento, California. He likes to bring his dog. The trip lengths typically range from 2-5 days (including car travel),...
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...
We just bought a tandem kayak, we took it to the water and we can’t make it go straight. My husband is bigger than me so he sits on the back. We rented kayaks before, so we are wondering if it cou...
I was given a St. Croix Avid AS60MLF, and I have no idea why this top guide is on the opposite side. The rest of the guides are on the same side as the lower one in the picture. Only the top one ...
I'm currently hitchhiking in South East Asia where it's of course always hot. I'm getting a rash around my ankles that I've had in the past but never looked into. (The same rash, but on a differe...
I'm considering stand up paddling as a sport for rest periods for my legs (running, hiking, cycling) and a way to train upper body muscles. I've checked the prices, of course the cheapest are the...
