General Q&A about the great outdoors and outdoor pursuits.
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Forest fires seem to be more numerous and larger, and the forest fire season is getting longer. Some of these fires are caused by arson. For example, from USA Today: The man suspected of ign...
Some people say it is just a term some people use for wilderness survival, but some people say it is not survival. What actually is bushcraft?
Do water shoes (not socks) expand some so when purchasing you should go down a size? I wear 8.5 shoe but water shoes do not come in half sizes so wandering if I should go down to an 8 since the sh...
When there is no snow cover on the glacier and crevasses are visible, no need to really worry about crevasses. But what about when there is a layer of snow on top of glacier, hiding crevasses, and ...
Assume I am completely naïve of boating concerns, that I know the following: There are things that float and carry stuff across the water called boats. A boat needs something to make it move. Som...
My boyfriend seems to think it’s OK to store his open container of roe on the top shelf of my refrigerator next to all of our food what do you think about this?
The source, Commoners of the New Forest referenced by @Liam in his answer to the question How do you become a New Forester Commoner? implies that for the New Forest to become a mature forest would ...
We will be in Peru visiting Machu Pichu (altitude 7,972 ft or 2,430 m). Then we'll go down to the jungle (essentially sea level) for 4 days and then to Cuzco (altitude 11,152 feet or 3,399 meters)....
The practice of tickling fish in an attempt catch and eat them has a long history, and is often mentioned in passing in some circles. If I was going to focus building a single skill, I wonder if ...
A kiteboat is essentially a boat that uses a kite instead of a sail for propulsion. This seems like an intriguing concept, and an interesting alternative to the traditional sailboat designs. As adv...
The inflatable sleeping pad I bought last year is leaking air and I'm debating the wisdom of taking a replacement to Alaska in September. When working, it's more comfortable than a foam pad. But I ...
Sleeping bags often have a recommended stuff sack size given either in dimensions or volume i.e. 6 x 11 inches or 5 liters. Is the recommended size for how small it can get for backpacking or is i...
It is said you not only need to keep food at least 30-100 meters away from the tent, which is easy do to, but you also can't sleep in the same clothing which was worn while eating, which can be ver...
Excluding hybrids it seems like there are eight species of bears. Which are most and least likely to injure or kill a human? Related Do black, brown/grizzly or polar bears ever prey on humans? ...
Are there backpack types/systems that would allow to both conveniently carry snowshoes and ice tools? I always find that packs with good ice tool attachment system simply have no place for snowsh...
I have always assumed that if my Canoe will float, and the waterway ultimately reaches an ocean it is legal to travel on. I looked around for documents that said it clearly one way or the other. ...
I have seen 'Single-oar sculling' on Gondola's and in crowded harbors (i.e Asia). From what I have seen on TV it looks like it is mostly an attempt to combine higher sight lines (paddle while stan...
If I remember correctly, someone proposed that the problem of wild horses over populating in the western United States would be to let the mountain lions control the populations. Would mountain li...
It is possible to catch fish with a hook and dental floss, and the flies can just be stored stuck in the brim of a hat or very small tin and then one improvises a rod from a stick. The advantage o...
It is often said that when using two carabiners at the same point, such as an anchor, they should be opposite and opposed. What exactly does this mean?
Would it be possible for a compass be affected by its surroundings, such as a large iron deposit or other rocks to the point where it is not working correctly? I am not talking about declination ...
I find this bug while hiking the Toiyabe Crest Trail in Nevada. It was probably 2 inches long and at an elevation of somewhere around 6,000 feet or so. I did decided that I didn't want to camp ...
Several people have talked about having single edge knife so that you can cut down small trees. What is the proper way to cut or carve wood with a knife?
We (a uni student club, mostly hiking) own a rope that is practically unknown. We know that it's a year since it was bought (presumably new) and that it has hardly ever been used (no dead hangs, et...
In most national parks in the United States, campfires are prohibited above certain elevations (9,600 ft for Yosemite,10,000 ft for Ansel Adams with exceptions). This is a good thing because after...
There are three main types of canoe paddle materials, Wooden paddles. Plastic paddles with aluminum handles. Newer composite materials (fiberglass, carbon) What would be the pros and cons of ea...
I am wondering what is the best way to progress from being a consistent V4 and on-sight/redpoint 5.11 climber? I seem to have hit a plateau in my progression and it is super frustrating. Indoors, ...
When reading or watching videos on about reading water for fishing in English, I often come across terms like riffle, run, pool, seam, among others. However, when I get o the river ready to float t...
In some places in the western United States, game fish are stocked into lakes via planes for fishing (every so often lakes will freeze to the point that it kills the fish). I have heard stories of...
I heard someone talking about whitecaps and how they could be dangerous for boating but I am not sure I understand, what they were talking about. What are whitecaps and why should I be concerned a...
Several decades ago, we were three days from the trailhead with no food. Let's not get into why that happened, please. It is too embarrassing. We had to slog through snow for two days, but on th...
This plant was seen in Cyprus a few days ago and my girlfriend was wondering what it is. Is anyone able to identify it please?
In this question, I focus on the fall exposure component. While I understand the perception of danger will vary from person to person, I'm having trouble characterizing mountain exposure. I can see...
Rock climbing and bouldering tours are classified e.g. Sierra from 5.2 to 5.15c or Fontainbleau 2 to 8c+. As you advance in your climbing experience you achieve higher grades and learn new move...
I have bought a down sleeping bag that comes with two bags: one for storage and one for packing. The packing bag is not as small as it could potentially be, and it is shaped like waterproof bags, w...
How does neoprene perform as a base layer for winter sports? Is it a way to be warm while remaining sweaty, as opposed to wicking sweat away? What are its disadvantages? What are best practices ...
There are a number of hazards that can kill electronic products (water, impact). We want to take a few ebooks with us (i.e. plant & animal identification, directions, trails info, etc). Assum...
In Biology SE I have just asked Could being exposed to excess UV in the arctic lead to a human eye color change? If so, what is the mechanism? but comments there questioned weather Arctic hiker Rob...
Tent vs bivvy bag - different camping experience, protection from the elements, comfort and weight? What are the pros and cons of both? Is it even a valid comparison - e.g. is it viable to rely on ...
Assume I am completely naïve of boating concerns, that I know the following: There are things that float and carry stuff across the water called boats. A boat needs something to make it move. Som...
My boyfriend and I are currently a month into a 3-4 month trip in Europe and are finding it quite challenging to find suitable gas refills for our van. The gas runs both the cooktop and the fridge....
I'm an American who moved to the UK 2.5 years ago but didn't start doing a lot of outdoor activities until early this year (here, specifically, as the job that moved me over was very demanding at f...
We have found that almost any place that is interesting to hike, and especially backpack, does not have cell phone reception, or at best lousy cell phone reception. To which I say hallelujah! I d...
I recently had a tour to Ladakh, a region in India's Jammu and Kashmir state. The plan included a visit to (and camping at) lakes Pangong Tso, Tso Moriri and Tso Kar. These lakes are saline. Is i...
There are animals such as pigs and elephants that wallow in mud which possibly serves as protection from sunburn. There are also some plants such as Aloe vera (Aloe vera) and Jewelweed (Impatiens...
One of the most debated issues concerning wilderness, in Italy, is the reintroduction (or bizarrely large increase in the population) of animals almost extinguished till recently. While in most c...
So, next week I will be leaving on a hiking trip, which was supposed to be in the middle of summer whilst it's at its hottest, but instead it will be raining all week. Luckily there are public use ...
I have a rather nice 1-2 person hiking tent from over 20 years ago. It's still made, with very few changes, and is a double wall design that pitches in one go. I thought it was nylon but the curren...
I have a 1963 12ft StarCraft boat, and one of my corner caps needs a replacement. I'd like to find one, either new or used. Does it affect the stability of the boat, or is it only for looks?
Last week I have been cycling through my home country (Netherlands), mostly camping on so called "nature camping sites" (natuurkampeerterreinen in Dutch). These are quite minimalistic camping sites...
