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Q&A

General Q&A about the great outdoors and outdoor pursuits.

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What kind of bird in Michigan looks like a cardinal with black wings?

I have been seeing a bird that looks like a cardinal but has black wings and has an orange-red color. Closest photo I've found is the hooded oriole, but this is Michigan and early March. Any ideas ...

2 answers  ·  posted 5y ago by Liz‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

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How can I take duct tape with me backpacking?

I'm going on a backpacking trip later this summer and on the list of things to bring is 3 yards of duct tape. I don't want to bring an entire roll of duct tape because it would be heavy and cumbers...

15 answers  ·  posted 10y ago by User1996‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

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What does it take to become a wilderness skills guide as a business?

I see lots of schools around different states and countries that teach wilderness skills and they seem to vary a lot in their basis (that is, what qualifies them to do what they do). Some are led b...

3 answers  ·  posted 5y ago by cr0‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

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What is this type of lure or where can I find more?

Can anyone help me find more of these lures? I love them so much but can’t find them anywhere. Does anyone know where to get these or what they are called. It has a paddle tail and a ribbon tail ...

0 answers  ·  posted 5y ago by Meorta‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

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What animal could entirely strip the bark of a birch like this?

I was snowshoeing in Quebec and saw these birch trees completely removed. There were fine what appeared to be teeth marks. The was moss that was left trees.

1 answer  ·  posted 5y ago by Shane Drown‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

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Are bears more attracted to menstruating females?

People have speculated that women hiking in bear country during their menstrual cycle might increase their chances of a bear encounter. Is this true? What can be done to minimize risk? Related que...

1 answer  ·  posted 11y ago by Lost‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

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What are the benefits of saving bats?

I'm fascinated by bats. I love to watch them fly around, although I've never seen more than a few at a time where I live in a suburban area in Massachusetts, Northeastern Unites States. I'd love ...

5 answers  ·  posted 6y ago by Sue Saddest Farewell TGO GL‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

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How are mountain lion populations estimated?

Knowing how many mountain lions are in an area is important for conservation, as it would be important to know if the population was in decline or to set the number that can be taken by hunters in ...

1 answer  ·  posted 5y ago by Charlie Brumbaugh‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

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What are survival tools I should have when in the wilderness?

When venturing out into the wilderness, what are crucial things I should bring?

1 answer  ·  posted 13y ago by wyocalboy‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

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What's a good back-up wood and alcohol stove?

I am looking for a back-up stove capable of burning wood and alcohol. Can you suggest one? I would like it to burn alcohol and wood (most important) be cheap be small be robust be light (least im...

5 answers  ·  posted 10y ago by Paul Paulsen‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

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How can I take keys with me while swimming?

I was recently crossing a lake that is commonly used for swimming and recreation. When I was swimming back to the shore, I was constantly nervous that my bag would be stolen, along with the keys in...

15 answers  ·  posted 7y ago by Bruder Lustig‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

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Restoring a deformed kayak hull

I have a Venture Kayak Easty 15 and it has developed a flat spot on the bottom center just below the foot rests. What is the best method to return the bottom of this kayak back to its original conv...

2 answers  ·  posted 6y ago by System‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

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What sort of glue (if any) to use to fix replacement tips onto carbon fibre trekking poles?

I have a pair of quite old Black Diamond Alpine Carbon Cork Flicklock trekking poles. After much use and abuse the tip on one of them has finally gotten bashed in (the carbide tip has either broke...

4 answers  ·  posted 6y ago by timday‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

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The outdoors, solitude and dealing with loneliness

I have been out camping a few times, once with a group, the other times with my girlfriend. Although I enjoyed those times very much, I often wondered what would it feel like to enjoy the complete ...

9 answers  ·  posted 12y ago by Victor123‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

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What are the Pros and Cons of Trekking Solo?

I was going through this amazing post here at TGO which talks of trekking solo. As far as I know of TGO culture, this question here might sound a really opinion-based question, or rather a too broa...

2 answers  ·  posted 10y ago by WedaPashi‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

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How to detect significant sun damage in a plastic molded kayak?

Molded kayaks are usually made of polyethylene, an otherwise extremely durable material which can be damaged by the sun. The used market is full of kayaks manufactured ten or twenty years ago whic...

1 answer  ·  posted 5y ago by mmcc‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

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Ski setup for skijoring

I was born on ski's and switched to snowboarding and now on the return to skiing. However I intend to do both downhill and skijoring in the next season (skiing with my dogs) I am having trouble de...

2 answers  ·  posted 7y ago by kait‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

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How to harden feet for walking barefoot on harsh surfaces?

In the past I was only occasionally walking barefoot, on relatively short distances, on the earthy surfaces. But I'd like to train my feet to be able to do much more - including walking on harsh su...

9 answers  ·  posted 11y ago by Danubian Sailor‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

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Best type of rope for glacier travel?

What sort of rope would be ideal for glacier travel? I have a 10mm 60m rope, but this is quite heavy. Would a 9mm 50m rope be suitable for a team of three, crossing glaciers in the Swiss Alps?

2 answers  ·  posted 11y ago by Simon Hodgson‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

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Stuck at high camps, what do climbers do to deter boredom?

What do climbers do when stuck at high camps because of weather? Example Everest C2, C3 etc. when stuck for multiple days. Is this time spent inside the tents exclusively? I assume because of weigh...

1 answer  ·  posted 5y ago by mxmissile‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

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What are lawful wilderness activities in Canada?

I am in process of immigrating from Russia to Canada. While I've fallen out of... Well, everything that includes movement... I have plans to resume wilderness trips after I finish immigration proce...

4 answers  ·  posted 6y ago by Misamoto‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

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Where to buy ethanol in Canada?

I have recently moved from Sweden to Canada. In Sweden, I always bought ethanol for my trangia ethanol stove at petrol stations. Where can I buy such ethanol in Canada? Is it sold at petrol stat...

4 answers  ·  posted 10y ago by gerrit‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

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Is it possible to make a slingshot from "Natural" resources?

According to Wikipedia, slingshots did not exist prior to the invention of vulcanized rubber. Slingshots depend on strong elastic materials, typically vulcanized natural rubber or the equivalen...

0 answers  ·  posted 5y ago by James Jenkins‭

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What's the easiest to release, though solid, knot "on a bight"?

I am practicing falls with a self belay device indoors and I am tying the rope to the anchors so to fall on a single strand of rope as I would in real life. I used the figure eight on a bight but ...

2 answers  ·  posted 9y ago by Dakatine‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

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At what temperature should one switch from gloves to mittens?

Given comparable contstuction and insulation betwwen a pair of gloves and pair of mittens that are designed for winter / below 0C conditions, at what temperature range would mittens be preferable t...

1 answer  ·  posted 5y ago by murungu‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

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Skis versus snow shoes - when to choose which for travelling the backcountry?

When travelling the backcountry in high snow, do snow shoes or skis perform better? By "perform better" I mean how tiring and fast travel is. Is there a general answer, or does it depend on the co...

4 answers  ·  posted 5y ago by Paul Paulsen‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

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What is the best bait to catch sargo fish?

I am from Morocco where we use something called Sardine paste to catch sargo. It's a dough that contains sardine and flour and beach sand. it's very effective but it doesn't work in all conditions,...

2 answers  ·  posted 7y ago by Azed S‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

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Wet vs dry glacier

What exactly is meant by the terms "wet" or "dry" glacier? This link here seems to point to the existence or absence of a film of melt-water below the glacier. This has an impact on how the glacie...

1 answer  ·  posted 5y ago by fgysin reinstate Monica‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

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Specific Chinese carabiner QA?

Several offshore sailors are considering the use of specific Chinese locking carabiners with personal tethers, to keep us attached in violent conditions. Specifically... https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/...

3 answers  ·  posted 5y ago by wil bailey‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

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Flying insects enjoying broccoli flowers

Do you recognize these flying insects that seem to enjoy broccoli flowers? I have several almond trees around, and bees are busy these days but I'm not sure these particular insects are of any ben...

1 answer  ·  posted 5y ago by ammoun‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

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Is there a way to find out the age of climbing ropes?

I have two half ropes from Camp that are basically unused, but are slowly getting old, and I would like to know their age. Is there a way to do that? I know the name of the model: Camp Plekton 8....

2 answers  ·  posted 5y ago by april rain‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

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Why would cottontail rabbits be hanging out in a gravel parking lot?

There is a gravel parking lot with trees on either side that I pass on my way to work and there are always a couple of cottontail rabbits hanging out under and next to the cars parked there. Why a...

1 answer  ·  posted 5y ago by Charlie Brumbaugh‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

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What woods have been used to build primitive shelters in northern climates, especially around the Adirondacks Mountains?

I'm exploring primitive shelter building in northern cool temperate climates. I mean primitive as a compliment: the prime, first, original, indigenous, low-tech/base-tech. Things like the Haudenosa...

1 answer  ·  posted 5y ago by cr0‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

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What foods attract mosquitoes to your body, and what can you eat that will repel them?

I know that eating bananas is one way to turn yourself in to a mosquito magnet. The potassium in the bananas apparently attracts them to whomever eats them. Whenever I meet someone who says they al...

2 answers  ·  posted 6y ago by ShemSeger‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

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Can you eat pine needles in an emergency?

If you are in a survival situation in the woods and really hungry, and you are unsure about which plants are edible, can you eat pine needles?

5 answers  ·  posted 13y ago by wyocalboy‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

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"Official" providers of topographic maps per country

If I want to go to some contry, with no specific region in mind yet, I often have trouble to get good topographical information for hiking beforehand. I usually find it rather difficult to discove...

3 answers  ·  posted 6y ago by phipsgabler‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

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Why would one choose to use a Harvey map rather than an Ordnance Survey map?

My wife is due to under take her Lowland Leader course in then next couple of months and she has been advised to gain experience using Harvey Maps as well as the more familiar Ordnance Survey maps....

4 answers  ·  posted 7y ago by BWFC‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

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Will I be warmer in my sleeping bag inside or outside of my tent, when winter camping?

I spent one night outside, at -28 degrees F, in an -40 arctic bag. I had no tent, only a small poly tarp between the snow and my bag. I stayed fully clothed but barely slept due to being so cold al...

7 answers  ·  posted 6y ago by G.Bourne‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

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What are uses of red spruce (picea rubens) by humans in a wilderness, primitive, or frontier setting?

What are uses for red spruce (picea rubens) by humans in wilderness settings (e.g. in primitive technologies, bushcraft, wilderness survival, low-tech rural livelihoods, frontier homesteading)? Whi...

1 answer  ·  posted 5y ago by cr0‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

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What to do when one point in a climbing anchor breaks?

Climbing anchors usually have 2-3 redundant protection points, which distribute weight. So if one point breaks, this will not be a catastrophic failure. However, what should I do in practice if th...

3 answers  ·  posted 6y ago by anatolyg‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

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Should I use one or two trekking poles?

I am preparing for a Himalayan Expedition which requires trekking pole.Trekking altitude 16000 ft and melting snow. I haven't used any aluminium/carbon fiber poles yet. I usually find a wooden hik...

2 answers  ·  posted 7y ago by eirenaios‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

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What is the Chincoteague Pony Swim on Assateague Island in Virginia and Maryland?

Ever since I read a book called Misty of Chincoteague as a child, I've wanted to see the Wild Chincoteague Ponies, on the Eastern shore of the United States. I believe there are two herds on Assat...

1 answer  ·  posted 8y ago by Sue Saddest Farewell TGO GL‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

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Why would a polar bear give away his kill?

I am reading Three Among the Wolves by Helen Thayer, who is best known for walking and skiing to the North Magnetic Pole accompanied only by her husky, Charlie. In a subsequent trip, she and her ...

0 answers  ·  posted 6y ago by ab2 MonicaNotForgotten‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

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How does zinc oxide work?

I am a big fan of zinc oxide products for minor outdoor injuries, e.g. zinc oxide tape for blisters on feet, or products like Sudocrem for sunburn and so on. They certainly seem to help the healing...

1 answer  ·  posted 6y ago by gaius‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

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Are there any modern advantages of a fire piston?

A fire piston is a very old way of starting fires, predating friction matches and works on the same principle as a diesel engine. Basically, you use it to light a piece of tinder and then start t...

2 answers  ·  posted 5y ago by Charlie Brumbaugh‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

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How should latex socks be fitted to a drysuit?

I've picked up a surplus used aircrew Beaufort Mk 10 Immersion Suit (for aviation use, but I think there's more likely knowledge among watersports enthusiasts). It needs latex socks adding to the b...

2 answers  ·  posted 8y ago by Mat‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

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Damaged Gore-tex boots

I bought Aku Slope boots with Gore-tex at a good price and as it turned out they have punctures in one place, which are probably minimal when I check them inside the shoe. I do not want to use the ...

1 answer  ·  posted 5y ago by snowboi‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

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What does it mean for a caliber to be flat shooting?

Certain calibers such as the 300 Winchester Magnum are often called flat shooting. What does that mean and why would a hunter care that the caliber is flat shooting when selecting a rifle to go h...

1 answer  ·  posted 5y ago by Charlie Brumbaugh‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

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What is a cartridge&#x2019;s point-blank-range?

Related to the idea of a flatter shooting cartridge, and the reason why a flatter cartridge makes it easier to hit the animal within the vital area, is the concept of point-blank-range. What is po...

1 answer  ·  posted 5y ago by Charlie Brumbaugh‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

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What's meant by F.O.C.in archery?

When it comes to arrows, a term which is often mentioned is "F.O.C.". What does it mean? Why is it so important? How can I measure/calculate it?

0 answers  ·  posted 8y ago by OddDeer‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭