General Q&A about the great outdoors and outdoor pursuits.
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I have heard of people using powdered instead of regular peanut butter for backpacking, mostly on the theory that it is lighter. How does powdered peanut butter compare to regular peanut butter?
I am thinking about making some trekking pole baskets with my 3D printer in PLA, the originals having been worn out a long time ago. PLA has problems with heat, how does it do with cold? They won'...
There are two main kinds of railed mounting systems for rifle scopes and some other types of rifle attachments like bipods or lights known as Weaver and Picatinny. What is the compatibility betwee...
It's November, and in the Northern Hemisphere, winter is fast approaching - and with it, the rain. As a cyclist, I do occasionally enjoy taking my road bike out on the roads and just pedaling, wit...
I found the picture below in a stash of things that belonged to my father. My father served in the US army during WWII in the signal corps. He was referred to unofficially as a "radio repairman" ...
Seen in November in the Rincón de Ademuz, Valencian Community, Spain. I'm not sure whether the "tail" is a stinger or just wing cases, and I didn't want to find out! This was a pretty large insect...
My parents moved into a new house several years ago. In one of the gardens behind the house, we found this round metal object about the size of a bowling ball: Both my mom and I think that it ...
I scanned pp 214-5 of the 2000 book Canada A Visual Journey by Tanya Lloyd Kyi. The rocks at the bottom of this picture, hint that the photographer was standing on the edge of this mountain.
The photographer pinpointed Drumheller, Alberta.
I scanned pp 60-61 of the 2000 book Canada A Visual Journey by Tanya Lloyd Kyi. p 61 identifies this as "Wilcox Pass", but can somebody please ID this on Google Maps?
Looking at a new pair of earmuffs that a NRR (Noise Reduction Rating) or 34 DB. However the fine print says that said rating is for continous noise and not impulse (like gunfire). Why would they be...
I was hiking through the snow to a frozen alpine lake and it made me wonder if there were ice-skates that would strap directly to a mountaineering boot instead of being a completely separate boot? ...
I saw this from r/ontario for Ontario Canada. Can someone pinpoint this on Google Maps? The OP annunciated "Stouffville area", but someone else wrote I was going to guess Uxbridge. Open horizo...
I scanned pp 30-31 of the 2000 book Canada A Visual Journey by Tanya Lloyd Kyi. These pages are listed under British Columbia, but the book fails to detail anything further about this location. I'm...
With theis KML circular generator, and this STL generator it is possible to create round 3D printed maps like this one. However, the KML circle isn't perfectly round and that leeds to the bumps on...
This weekend I was sitting next to a pond and multiple times there was a crow who had something white in his mouth flying down from a tree to within several feet of the pond's surface, drop the whi...
A few nights ago I saw some minks in the grass right next to a seasonal irrigation canal that is dry most of the year shortly after dark. The irrigation canal has no fish or crawdads in it, because...
I have a camping trailer that we keep stocked with food and beverages. When we head out on an impulse trip, it stocked and ready to go. Most of the supplies are canned or dried, so we don't need to...
My family wants to off-road. Due to COVID, we'll avoid other people to our best ability. The boondocks where we'll be driving won't have lights, let alone on roads. I've spoken to all rental RV an...
In 1892-1896 Theodore Solomons took this picture of the in the Sierra Nevada mountains. That would put it on the east side of the Ritter Range and likely south of Mt Ritter. Does anyone recogni...
I scanned p 22 of the 2000 book Canada A Visual Journey by Tanya Lloyd Kyi. p 21 states "Tchesinkut Lake", but can someone please ID this on Google Maps?
Once in Nevada, I saw a sign on an old abandoned mine that said two things, Stay out, mines have noxious fumes. Stay out, bats live here. Both of those are good reasons to stay out, but it seem...
Two weeks ago I planted two small cherry-tomato seedlings ("tidy treats" variety; the description used words like "small" and "compact") into one 10" pot. I now know that's too close; I'm a beginn...
When shoveling snow in the winter, if my gloves are warm enough to keep my hands warm, they tend to sweat and get the gloves wet from the inside out. How can I prevent this?
I scanned pp 86-7 of the 2000 book Canada A Visual Journey by Tanya Lloyd Kyi. I'm asking about the image on the left.
There are basically two bear-resistant containers meant for storing food while backpacking, bear canisters and Ursacks. What are the pros and cons of each?
I found these plants while hiking in Colorado, they are pretty small and have red berries slightly larger than peas. The area was old growth that had been burned in a fire at least a few years ago.
I have an Ursack to keep my food safe from bears, but above treeline the problem isn't so much bears as it is marmots (who are unfortunately accustomed to people). Would an Ursack keep the marmots ...
Rather than take a can of chicken while backpacking, it's possible to open the can, drain the juice and stick the meat into a ziplock which makes it much lighter and a ziplock is much more compact ...
Wag bags are used in areas where human waste has to be carried out. How many wag bags should a group pack per day given that plenty of people will try to avoid pooping in the outdoors and that numb...
In Glacier National Park (USA), there are 63 backcountry campgrounds. I looked at the backcountry campground website including the map and campsite information. Are there bear poles/boxes at back...
This just crawled out of a houseplant I purchased last weekend. Can anyone help me identify it? I also need to know what to feed it because it probably hasn't eaten in a long time. It's about 4 inc...
I am planning a long bike and canoe trip (bike tows canoe, canoe carries bike and cart), There are a couple of purpose built products for towing a canoe with a bike dumb stick & woody hitch but...
I keep seeing trail runners who instead of a small light backpack, have a running vest with small front pockets and then one on the back. What is the advantage of a running vest over a small backpa...
From this question and it's answers it looks like a lot of gear sold online in UK is label as "unisex" when it wouldn't be in the United State. For some gear like climbing harness labeling a harn...
The baskets on trekking poles are very useful while hiking through snow, however, they have a tendency to break. How would one improvise a fix in the outdoors for this?
Wolves are going to be removed from the list of animals protected by the Endangered Species Act (pending litigation). They were already delisted in Montana and Idaho and had a hunting season in Wy...
The last time I was in looking for fishing gear, they also had a bunch of "tactical" pants. They seemed like they would be decent pants for outdoor activities. What exactly makes a pair of pants "t...
I just got a new hunting rifle, scope, and rings. The rifle has a picatinny rail so I am not limited in ring placement the way I would be with some of the other mounting systems. Is there any adva...
I'm currently trying to remark a trail that seems to be forgotten or had very little use in the past few years. The markers that remain (different types of ribbon) are fraying or crumbling dependin...
This has been photographed at least twice . Where is it? Can you drive right up to it? This was photographed back in early July, before it stopped raining completely. I hiked into the hill...
My 6 year old daughter was playing with ropes today and tied a knot of her own creation. I tried to demonstrate to her the importance of learning to tie good knots that don't slip, but when I went ...
Same factual background as this question, but now presume that my flashlight comes with a strap. Then how best to mount it temporarily to the rental car or RV?
As some of you who are also active on bicycles.se may know, I broke my collarbone in a bike crash last year, and it's now got a titanium plate in there. I'm not sure whether it's the plate or not,...
I've been experimenting with tight line nymphing and have had good success in murky/choppy water that allows me to get close to the trout without spooking them. However I'm reluctant to use these t...
I have a Marmot Limelight tent that the see-through window needs reglued around the edge onto the tent. Is there a common household glue that can be used for this? And what is the best glue and/ or...
I'm looking for easily obtained fuels for an open-cup stove, such as a Trangia, in case I need to top up while travelling. I have a small simple DIY open cup spirit stove, for boiling water when b...
I need to take either a WFR recert or a WFA before July and am wondering how Covid is affecting them. Both types of classes usually have close contact between participants but I do know they are st...
Was using a space blanket for warmth over the weekend and found it to be really crinkly, it was really noisy with any movement at all, even just breathing. Are there less noisy/crinkly space blanke...
I have a pair of nubuck leather mittens that are nice and warm but do not last very long when cycling in the rain in autumn/winter or when building snowmen and throwing snowballs. So now i'm looki...