General Q&A about the great outdoors and outdoor pursuits.
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I've rendered my Sangean MMR-88 DAB radio (alias Sangean Survivor DAB+) unusable by selecting "System" -> "Software Upgrade". The display says "PC wizard.." and the radio is unresponsive. I've ...
Inspired by a recent question. If I want to cross the Atlantic Ocean in a boat, what are the shortest and longest possible crossing sites? Where crossing = going from one continent to another wh...
A stove jack allows you to safely extend a stovepipe through the roof or wall of your tent. Modern-day stove jacks appear to be made of silicone fiberglass. However, it's my guess tha...
A simple explanation would be great. I am reading a manual for digital compass and there is a paragraph with the following words: The SpeedPuck automatically detects when a sailor is trimmed t...
Some users here seem to think that the animal in question is a pika and not a cottontail rabbit. How would one tell the difference between a pika and a cottontail rabbit?
I'm hoping that this is the right place to put this. I'm going four wheel driving on a sand island for a couple of days this weekend. I drive a Ford Ranger truck (ute in Australia). My question i...
Small warning: This question comes from a germophobe point of view, so please keep this in mind while giving an answer. I love hiking, but I'm worried of what kind of germs (read virus, bacteria a...
Is it still considered a 'figure 8' knot when you dress it so the loop is perpendicular to the rest of the loop?
A stove jack allows you to safely extend a stovepipe through the roof or wall of your tent. Our stove jacks are constructed of fire proof 17-ounce [0.48 kg] silicone-coated glass material (1...
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...
If I'm using a natural feature such as a boulder or a lump of rock as part of an anchor by tying a static rope around it, what are the best knots to use? I'm thinking that there would be different ...
Hi there! First time poster here. 8 months ago I found a deer head in the woods. At the time it was less than 24 hours dead. So I put it in a tub and buried it in the woods. Dug it back up a few ...
I wish to get rid of these wasps. I am not sure what they are trying to do. Are these wasps creating a hive? Or is there something from the A/C they are collecting to create a hive somewhere else?
I've heard from a friend that some bees exhibit behavioral changes during a solar eclipse event. I'd like to know what the changes are. Apparently there's a cycle that starts as the eclipse begins...
I'm working on a setting for a tabletop RPG game. This place is located high on the mountains and it is cold. There is a village in this place and their is and inn who's only room is on the basemen...
This question was prompted by the advice to "follow the existing angles" in this answer on sharpening ice screws. I have heard the same advice when it comes to resharpening knives. Of course, there...
I have a candle lantern housed inside what I think is an aluminum frame. I'm concerned it will get hot enough to melt fabrics. How can I safely use it inside a tent? Should I suspend it from the...
Ice screws need to be sharp to be placed into the ice, and just like anything with an edge they will get dull over time. How would one know when to sharpen an ice screw, and once they do need to b...
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...
Recently we were climbing up a glacier with the ice at an angle of around 80°. We were placing the ice screws angling slightly upwards with respect to the slope of the ice wall. However, one from...
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...
We live in a suburban town in Massachusetts, Northeast United States. We keep a lot of bird feeders stocked all year with things birds and animals like, excluding meat and fruit. Yesterday, Oct...
Generally, I'm more used to methods described here for the US. Our task this past weekend was to use dots to remark a trail, but the method of placement was opposite to what I'm used to: the dots ...
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...
We have a question about the cost of through-hiking the AT and another about the cost of through hiking the CDT but not one about the PCT which is the other big trail in the United States. What is...
Many years ago, I was reading a book in which the Chamonix guides of the 1940s and 1950s were featured. It could have possibly been Annapurna by Maurice Herzog, but I just don't remember. Several...
Calorie debt is when you are using more calories than you are eating and making up the difference from stored reserves of body fat. Sometimes people will do this to save on the amount of weight ca...
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 was backcountry camping recently in the Canadian Rockies and there was a sign that said “please don’t urinate around the campsite, it is attracting bears”. Of course, following LNT principles, I ...
I have heard people suggesting to drink water when you are seated after a tiresome activity. They usually ask to avoid drinking water while standing upright. Does that have an actual scientific re...
Related to this question, firearms make different levels of noise depending on the firearm in question and the choice of ammunition. What factors cause one firearm to be louder than another?
My question is prompted by the answer of @Aaron to this question; his answer referenced Geraldine's Largay's death on the Appalachian Trail. Ms. Largay was hiking alone on the AT in Maine. She g...
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...
As I scuba dive a lot I tend to see a lot of people swimming in open water, some seem to choose to have a regular wetsuit, and some seem to use an apnea wetsuit. Fresh or salt water, I've seen a mi...
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...
Recently I moved to NY and I am finding hard time to get accustomed with the weather. I have never experienced temperature below 15℃ back home! So, its quite a challenge. Expectedly, the winter wea...
I'm very new to camping. In fact..I'm trying to prepare for my first camping. One thing that I can't find answer even after googling and searching this site is..how people travel with camping stove...
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 recently read Everest climbers worried about oxygen bottle theft which says: What can you do when thieves break the locks of the tent and take away oxygen bottles, food and even cooking gas...
A friend found this caterpillar while hiking in the woods on Wachusett Mountain, in Central Massachusetts, United States, in the first week of September. It was on a fallen log under the leaves of ...
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...
