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Q&A

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

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What's the difference between defined Forest areas and laws with respect to hiking/camping through them in India?

While Planning a hike in Western Ghats, India by studying Satellite Images, I came through various identifications for a forest area like National Park, Wildlife Sanctuary, etc. On studying furthe...

1 answer  ·  posted 6y ago by Captain‭  ·  last activity 6y ago by System‭

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Are there Takedown Compound Bows?

A recent question got me wondering if there are Takedown Compound Bows. I Googled around and found several longbows, (recurves, etc) that can be taken down for travel. But I did not find any comp...

3 answers  ·  posted 6y ago by James Jenkins‭  ·  last activity 6y ago by System‭

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How can I photograph a kingfisher in the United Kingdom?

I want to take some photographs of Kingfishers in the United Kingdom. How do I find them, get close to them, etc? Image Source

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

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Formula for rough amount of water to carry on hike?

Is there a formula which can be used (I'm thinking one that gives amount of water needed factoring in time or distance covered and temperature) to roughly work out the amount of water that needs to...

4 answers  ·  posted 12y ago by berry120‭  ·  last activity 6y ago by System‭

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Can I preserve a freshly caught fish with a soft bag cooler?

I am currently in Denmark without access to a car. During the weekend I use the bus to go to some remote coastal place in order to fish. It takes 1 hour to reach that place. I carry one rod with me...

3 answers  ·  posted 6y ago by ksm001‭  ·  last activity 6y ago by System‭

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Would a gunshot echo in a cave?

I'm writing a story in which someone is shot in a cave system. Another character is an adjoining tunnel some distance and at least a few tunnel intersections away. Would the sound of the shot reach...

4 answers  ·  posted 7y ago by Tammy‭  ·  last activity 6y ago by System‭

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Good places to go potholing in the UK

A long time ago when I was about 10 I went potholing on a school trip in Devon, and despite mild claustrophobia I found myself eventually enjoying it - egged on brilliantly by my friends. I hadn't ...

2 answers  ·  posted 10y ago by Aravona‭  ·  last activity 6y ago by System‭

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What is a kassak&#xE5;ta?

Within the mountains (and other wilderness areas) of Västerbotten and Norrbotten in Sweden, there is a lot of cultural heritage, with Sami huts ("kåta") like Måskåsj-gammen or like this one between...

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

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What route does the E1 European Long Distance Path take through B&#xF8;rgefjell National Park?

Wikipedia notes that the E1 is marked from Okstindan to Børgefjell National Park, but is ambiguous about the national park itself. Indeed, Norgeskart has a route northward from the park boundary (...

1 answer  ·  posted 7y ago by gerrit‭  ·  last activity 6y ago by System‭

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Guidelines to reduce risk of exposure to, or infection from Naegleria fowleri? (brain-eating amoeba)

Deaths from the "brain eating amoeba" Naegleria fowleri are fairly rare but each is highlighted in the press, as headlines containing brain eating beget clicks. While it's not yet understood why t...

1 answer  ·  posted 6y ago by uhoh‭  ·  last activity 6y ago by System‭

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No Stop Limit for Recreational Scuba Diving

No decompression diving (No stop diving) refers to "diving that you can always ascend directly to the surface without stopping, yet without significant risk of decompression sickness" (according to...

3 answers  ·  posted 6y ago by JetLag‭  ·  last activity 6y ago by System‭

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How reliably can you assess the condition of a reverse-osmosis desalinator?

Handheld desalinators operating on the principle of reverse osmosis are available for emergency use in lifeboats. Sometimes they appear for sale unused in their original packaging at a very steep ...

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

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Are these yellow orange hawthorns edible?

I have lots of these hawthorns in my neighborhood (Mount Lebanon) but I am afraid to eat from them. Are they safe ?

1 answer  ·  posted 6y ago by alim1990‭  ·  last activity 6y ago by System‭

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What's the best way to avoid slipping on ice?

Where I live, winter is still a good bit away, but last year I slipped on ice and ended up with a black eye and a broken wrist. This year I sincerely want to reduce the chances of that recurring. ...

15 answers  ·  posted 9y ago by CountTo10‭  ·  last activity 6y ago by System‭

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Who gets the bill if you activate a PLB to help someone else?

Locally Search and Rescue doesn't charge but what happens if you're in an area where they do? They obviously have your name and address but it doesn't seem fair to bill the person who was prepared...

1 answer  ·  posted 6y ago by Loren Pechtel‭  ·  last activity 6y ago by System‭

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Titanic survival, ice cold water?

When the RMS Titanic sank, there were not enough life boats, many hundreds of people went into the cold water and many died from hypothermia. The water temperature in the area where Titanic san...

2 answers  ·  posted 6y ago by James Jenkins‭  ·  last activity 6y ago by System‭

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To activate PLB if you know search and rescure are looking for you but there is no emergency?

If you are held back a few days by bad weather or some other unforeseen natural circumstance and you know emergency services are looking for you because you can hear the helicopters but you know yo...

3 answers  ·  posted 8y ago by AnonDCX‭  ·  last activity 6y ago by System‭

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How common are tandem kayaks?

A recent comment said: For kayak I’d say “usually 1-2 person” as tandem kayaks are very common. 3 person kayaks are rare but not unheard of, example Pamlico 160T has a third mini-seat for a chi...

1 answer  ·  posted 6y ago by James Jenkins‭  ·  last activity 6y ago by System‭

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Why would a seal be flinging an octopus around above the water and then slapping a kayaker with it?

There is a video of a seal sucker punching a kayaker with an octopus, Source I suppose the seal wasn't exactly trying to hit the kayaker, but why would it be flinging the octopus around above t...

1 answer  ·  posted 6y ago by Charlie Brumbaugh‭  ·  last activity 6y ago by System‭

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Ways to desalinate water when "lost at sea"?

In recent news reports that all seem to be saying the same things: Jakarta Post Indonesian teenager survives 49 days adrift in Guam waters NPR: 19-Year-Old Survives 49 Days At Sea After Floating ...

4 answers  ·  posted 6y ago by uhoh‭  ·  last activity 6y ago by System‭

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How sophisticated a dust mask can one hope to improvise?

A common improvised dust mask is taking a bandana and tying it over your nose and mouth. I'm asking this question because I'm wondering what else one could add to this set up if anything. First, I'...

3 answers  ·  posted 6y ago by Arash Howaida‭  ·  last activity 6y ago by System‭

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What do the numbers on a sail boats sail represent?

Many but not all sailboats have numbers displayed on their sail, what do those numbers mean? I am looking for a general answer, not one specific to the random example image below. example image f...

1 answer  ·  posted 6y ago by James Jenkins‭  ·  last activity 6y ago by System‭

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What are the differences between boats and "ice yachts"?

A comment on a different question suggests that an ice yacht (or iceboat), a boat made for going over ice instead of through water, is not merely a water boat with skates strapped on for ice, but t...

1 answer  ·  posted 6y ago by Loduwijk‭  ·  last activity 6y ago by System‭

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How much fish can a saltwater angler catch per day?

If a saltwater angler goes out on a boat, how much could we expect that person to catch during a typical day? I would like to set some personal expectations. Obviously if the variables are against...

1 answer  ·  posted 6y ago by Loduwijk‭  ·  last activity 6y ago by System‭

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Can you start a wood fire with a Spark Bunsen Burner/Laboratory Lighter?

Someone suggested using a Safety Spark Bunsen Burner/Laboratory Lighter with 5 Flints to start tinder for an emergency fire. I don't currently own one so can't try it. I have used them to light f...

1 answer  ·  posted 6y ago by James Jenkins‭  ·  last activity 6y ago by System‭

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What is the life expectancy of Propane/CO detector?

NOTE the following is while the camper is unoccupied and stored in my back yard. The Propane/CO detector in my camper started going off randomly a few weeks ago. I thought it was from some random ...

2 answers  ·  posted 6y ago by James Jenkins‭  ·  last activity 6y ago by System‭

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Water filters: is there always a tradeoff between longevity and safety

My research thus far has acquainted me with a kind of trade-off: one can try to minimize the amount of contamination (from bacteria/parasites) or one can try to minimize the amount of particulates ...

2 answers  ·  posted 6y ago by Arash Howaida‭  ·  last activity 6y ago by System‭

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Can I sleep in my canoe with it adrift on a commonly used lake?

I want to go out in a canoe onto a large lake and stay out for the entire weekend. I have checked the whether and determined that it will definitely be excellent weather and very calm all weekend l...

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

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Can I get fresh water from ocean plants?

In the answer to Can I get fresh water from ocean fish flesh? I learned that the water I can get from eating fish has a low enough salt content that it will hydrate me, BUT the high protein count w...

1 answer  ·  posted 6y ago by James Jenkins‭  ·  last activity 6y ago by System‭

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Portable desalination hand pump filter life?

I was looking into portable desalination hand pumps. and I found this one one Amazon for $959 it says the Katadyn Survivor 06 is the world's smallest hand-operated desalinator and can easily fi...

2 answers  ·  posted 6y ago by James Jenkins‭  ·  last activity 6y ago by System‭

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Can I eat Rabbit Poop?

I know that rabbits eat their droppings (cecotropes) and I have heard of feeding rabbit droppings to pigs. Rabbits are vegetarians. There droppings do not have the same consistency or negative sec...

1 answer  ·  posted 6y ago by James Jenkins‭  ·  last activity 6y ago by System‭

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How do some of the materials in the clothing we wear endanger marine life and the undersea environment?

I was recently told that many of the clothes we wear are made up of materials that are dangerous to marine wildlife, and the undersea environment. I'm curious as to whether or not it's true. I kn...

1 answer  ·  posted 6y ago by Sue Saddest Farewell TGO GL‭  ·  last activity 6y ago by System‭

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Are there any natural materials that can be used as a magnifying lens (or to craft one)?

I am currently stuck in the wilderness, and I have been out here for a while. I want to focus light. There are various reasons for wanting to do this, with the two biggest reasons being for vision ...

8 answers  ·  posted 6y ago by Loduwijk‭  ·  last activity 6y ago by System‭

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How is elevation gain and change measured for hiking trails?

If a trail is listed as 1500m of elevation change, what exactly does that mean? For example, if the trail goes up 500m, then down 200m, then up 100m, then down 300m, then up 400m, is that consider...

3 answers  ·  posted 6y ago by RockPaperLizard‭  ·  last activity 6y ago by System‭

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What is a good way to clean the inside of a water bottle straw while on a multi-day backpacking trip?

When coming back from a day of hiking and eating I often notice that the top of the straw of my water bottle is dirty on the inside. I've come across quite a few options to clean the inside of the...

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

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Why is there no Wilderness Area within Grand Canyon National Park?

This 1998 Draft Wilderness Management Plan proposes to set aside large parts of Grand Canyon National Park as wilderness. However, despite large areas being declared "Wild" in the park backcountry...

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

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Is it dangerous to go to Mountains when snow is melting?

This year beginning of May 2018 we with my friend visited Valle Grande in Italian Alps. Begging from 1500 meters there was snow, on the high of 1900m there was pretty deep snow and it was actively ...

3 answers  ·  posted 6y ago by Rudziankoŭ‭  ·  last activity 6y ago by System‭

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What do you do if you see a cougar?

Hiking on the west coast of British Columbia, there are likely to be cougars around the trails. What do you do if you see one?

3 answers  ·  posted 13y ago by Ross‭  ·  last activity 6y ago by System‭

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How do I reseal a tent bottom with many pinprick holes

Our tent pan has a LOT of very tiny holes in it. We've never had to use a footprint, and our tent has always kept water out, but that is no longer the case. I don't want to carry a footprint due ...

2 answers  ·  posted 12y ago by Russell Steen‭  ·  last activity 6y ago by System‭

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What could I keep in rucksack hip pocket?

My rucksack has a small pocket on the hip belt, but I can’t think of anything useful to keep in it while day hiking. What types of things is such a pocket intended for? If there is no common purpos...

7 answers  ·  posted 6y ago by Andy‭  ·  last activity 6y ago by System‭

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Is bear spray effective against other animals?

Is bear spray (pepper spray specially formulated to be effective against bear attacks) effective against other animals, especially mountain lions or wolves? Or is there something in it specifically...

3 answers  ·  posted 13y ago by jrdioko‭  ·  last activity 6y ago by System‭

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Is there a way to light a fire in the wild using rocks?

Just for fun, how would I go about lighting a fire with naturally shaped rocks by striking sparks? It might be useful if I were to camp in the far north, where there are no trees. What should I use...

2 answers  ·  posted 12y ago by J. Musser‭  ·  last activity 6y ago by System‭

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How to determine the length of poles for a tent

This tent appears to need just 2 diagonal poles. How do I figure out what length diagonal poles I need for an 8 foot x 10 foot (footprint) tent, taking into account the radius of curvature?

1 answer  ·  posted 8y ago by carma‭  ·  last activity 6y ago by System‭

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How to find new poles for old tent?

I have a nice and small tent I really like that is around 30 years old. It is from Sierra West, but I don't remember the model name. Here is a picture so that you can see the size and general con...

5 answers  ·  posted 11y ago by Olin Lathrop‭  ·  last activity 6y ago by System‭

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Hiking and camping with medium size dog and keeping safe from mountain lions

For some reason I have had multiple encounters with mountain lions. In my 20's while camping in a somewhat remote campground near the continental divide in CO I woke to a large mountain lion layin...

3 answers  ·  posted 6y ago by Jan‭  ·  last activity 6y ago by System‭

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Start a fire with nail clippers?

My inexpensive nail clippers are chrome plated steel. All the keys on my key ring are brass or some other non-ferrous metal (I checked with a magnet). The nail clippers have that small nail file ...

2 answers  ·  posted 6y ago by James Jenkins‭  ·  last activity 6y ago by System‭

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How can I carry my compound bow in a backpack without showing any parts of it?

I’m looking for a bag to help carry my bow. Not that hard in huge forums to find some good suggestions but the think is I’m looking specifically to carry a compound bow without exposing any of the ...

3 answers  ·  posted 6y ago by Noelle‭  ·  last activity 6y ago by System‭

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What to look for in (trail-)running shoes for various terrain?

I'm (trail-)running quite often and I'm used to wear lightweight standard running sneakers. However, I feel like they are made for the gym or flawless asphalt. The pitty is that I like to run on va...

2 answers  ·  posted 8y ago by OddDeer‭  ·  last activity 6y ago by System‭

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Primaloft vs Advanced Skin Warm

I am looking to purchase a ski jacket. I want it to be warm in the temperature range of -5ºC to -13ºC and have decent impermeability characteristics. I am female, my height is 163cm, my weight is 5...

1 answer  ·  posted 7y ago by oxy‭  ·  last activity 6y ago by System‭

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Plant Identification: White Mushroom or Fungus found in Indiana

I believe it to be a polypore, but was unable to identify the exact type.

1 answer  ·  posted 6y ago by Jayson H‭  ·  last activity 6y ago by System‭