General Q&A about the great outdoors and outdoor pursuits.
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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...
When outdoors with my hammock, I prefer to set everything up with a pair of nylon tree straps. It gives things a more secure feeling and I've heard it's better for the trees too since the cordage w...
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...
I’ve been seeing an increasing number of vacuum insulated water bottles and was wondering would a plastic(single walled) or a vacuum insulated water bottle be better for... Everyday (going from h...
Can anyone explain the basic process of identifying plants. To assist I also am posting an unidentified plant photo. Can anyone identify it and explain the method and resources used? Thanks. Loc...
I have been considering adding a sail to my open 17 foot Coleman canoe. Browsing images on the internet show pretty much every imaginable configuration but they all share 3 or 4 combinations of ou...
I am looking to buy an ultralight sleeping bag, that would be warm enough for sleeping in the Alps in summer comfortably. I would be sleeping in a tent on a sleeping mat. I would probably be stayin...
I recently acquired a sailboat and noticed a small protrusion under the starboard side of the hull in front of the keel. Does anyone know what this is? The boat is a 1976 hunter 25. I have not put...
For a one week trip in a dry region I need to conserve water and weight. My idea is to bring precooked "instant rice" and pulverulent mashed potatoes. I´d warm a bit of water to about 40 - 50° C an...
A question from August 13, 2018 asked what type of caterpillar was living in a cocoon on a tree at the Mass. Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary, on Mt. Wachusett, in Princeton, Central Massachusetts, USA. ...
I'm going to be hiking for the first time, and it's going to be in a woody mountain in the backcountry, and I'd like to have some to-dos, not-to-dos, must-carries, and what precautions I should tak...
If I have an odyssey van with some minor changes (bed, cabinets, etc.) can I sleep in that in the same way I'd sleep in an RV at National Park Campgrounds (in the USA)? I.e., I know that many say ...
I want to rappel off of 10mm dynamic rope. The rope will be fed through both sides of the ATC device (parallel). Is it safe to use a 4mm cord for my French Prusik auto-block knot? There is a simil...
I'm considering to buy a light-weight backpacking tent. My current tent (Hilleberg Staika) is very solid, but also quite heavy (4 kg). I'm looking at various Big Agnes tent models, such as the Sl...
I'm toying with the idea of collecting water from tree leaf transpiration, while hiking: Obviously, vegetation with larger leaf surface area (and certain types) would be better than others. But...
I will be travelling for a couple of days to remote regions of Laos. I would like to take some kind of "emergency" food if nothing is around (or nothing trustworthy). People with a sweet tooth ha...
There are many folklore tales of animals being used to predict weather. Just a few examples from the Old Farmers Almanac: When cats sneeze, it is a sign of rain. If the mole digs its hole 2½ fee...
I have a cut in the ankle of my boot (see pic). I'm concerned that any glueing/patching will not hold due to movement and flexing while walking. What is the proper method of gluing and patching t...
What material – such as polyester, polypropylene or wool – or combination thereof, both works to keep you warm when wet and dries quickly, as an alternative to neoprene? I'm looking for something c...
The dark winter is approaching on the northern hemisphere. At my latitude (67½°N), the sun sets at 15:00 by now, and a little more than a month away the polar night will start. So far, I'm virtuall...
I realise this might be linked to this question, but hopefully is a little different. In updating my 'outdoor work' wardrobe to 'hiking' activities, I'm now looking at base layers and am a bit con...
What type of boat might this be? Or what category of boats would it fall under?
Anyone who has played in the ocean knows getting a little sea water in your mouth and swallowing it will not kill you. Seawater contains salt. When humans drink seawater, their cells are thus...
There is a video of a cub trying to follow the mother bear up a steep snowbank and then rolling back down at first. People are saying that it's a cute video but that the drone that filmed it got t...
If you are out and get a "clean" kill on a deer, meaning that you have hit only its vitals, how long do you have to field dress the deer? Also, beyond that how long do you have to get that deer ...
Why do climbers not use electrically heated suits to climb peaks like Mt. Everest? Or am I just mistaken and they already do it?
This answer has inspired me to a question: say you are a castaway on a desert island. There might be a plane flying casualy but you can miss it. So you want to create some pattern (e.g. put some br...
I live in Massachusetts, United States. A large number of backyard birds overwinter in our yard. Some of the smaller varieties include American Goldfinch, American Tree Sparrows, European Starling...
I recently bought a down jacket and noticed that some down is leaking, especially if I am wearing a wool sweater underneath. Everytime I wear my jacket with my (dark, which makes the down very vis...
From my experience, any tent gets hot when in plain sunlight, so I wouldn't stay in it (and can't imagine why anyone would) + I'd rather be outside my tent when the weather's nice. I don't really...
This is a one minute video of a Common Kingfisher bird standing on a tiny reed swaying in the wind. It's from the BBC Network in England. For much of the video, especially the beginning, the bi...
When using a flasher type fish finder, a hard bottom is displayed as a wide red band on the screen indicating a good return signal. The wide red band in the picture below covers between 10 and 12 f...
So I'm still learning about beach fishing and trying different rigs. Been using the pully rig on one rod with big baits (bluey, squid/worm wraps etc) and now and again on the cast the hook releases...
On a hiking trail recently, I overheard some people talking about going "catskiing" as part of a winter vacation from school. Obviously, that doesn't mean skiing with or by means of a cat. What...
I'm curious about some general guidelines, that may represent a probability although not necessarily certainty, especially when combined with other factors, about choosing the best source of emerge...
I've just 3d-printed what's supposed to be an ear-shatteringly loud emergency whistle (120 dB at one meter). However, it's apparently somewhat sensitive to printing conditions, because some people...
A thin, heat-reflective sheet (aka “space” blanket) is a popular outdoors emergency item, having a number of uses. See adventure.howstuffworks.com/survival/gear/space-blanket and gotimegear.com/blo...
Related to this question, if one were to go on a three-month rowing trip across an ocean, is there an estimate of how much the food would be needed? It's certainly possible to give an estimate whe...
If I am lost in the woods, and I find a trail or a road, how do I decide which way to go? Autumn Veatch was 16 years old in 2015, when her grandparents small plane crashed in the North Cascade Mo...
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 ...
When comparing dynamic ropes (single ropes) for climbing, which properties do really matter? I'm thinking about weight per meter and price, maybe diameter for very special belay devices. I'm goi...
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).
In this answer at; I am lost, I found a trail, which way do I go? It claims ...logging roads These may extend many miles into the forest, with multiple branches, all ending in dead ends. There...
I was recently watching something on Outdoor television about survival in the woods. The only reason I am asking, is because I am planning on an excursion out there equally as far. Someone went int...
I've seen this happen several times. The robin hops along, stops, tilts it's head slightly and then grabs the worm/grub, etc. What's the purpose of this gesture? I'm thinking it maybe helps them...
Last week we were walking at the Wachusett Reservoir in Central Massachusetts, USA. Next to the path was a group of mature trees, the largest of which was a maple, with various sizes of smaller tr...
Can anyone tell me which caterpillar this is? Its body looks black and it has hairs that are white and black, with a little bit of brown. It was on a utensil which was kept in a dark place. I wa...
I've heard of single track hiking/biking trails being "groomed" before to keep them in good condition for users. The use of shovels, rakes, and possibly chainsaws to keep the trails free of debris...
There have been a few Atlantic and Pacific row boat crossings. Poor weather is a significant risk. While it might be nice to row with the wind at your aft (back of boat), it might also be nice to...
