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Q&A

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

Filters (None)
66%
+2 −0
What would minks be looking for next to a seasonal irrigation canal after dark?

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...

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

animal-behaviour minks
66%
+2 −0
What is the survival rate for baby cottontail rabbits between spring and winter?

As the summer goes on, the cottontail rabbits are getting bigger and at the same time I am seeing fewer of them, presumably as predators whittle their numbers down. What percentage of baby cottonta...

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

rabbits
71%
+3 −0
What is this small winged bug with a black spot on its back and dusky colored wings

I just saw this small winged bug out in a prairie would anyone know what kind it is? Top view Side view

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

united-states bug-identification
81%
+7 −0
How do you train a barn sour horse?

Sometimes a horse will become what is known as barn sour where all they want to do is hang around the stable/corrals and not go on rides. While on rides, they will keep trying to turn back and once...

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

horses
55%
+3 −2
How do you become a New Forest commoner?

Exactly that... I've done some searching and it looks like a catch-22 situation: To be able to move there you need to do commoning already. But to do commoning, you need live there already. (Hmm.....

1 answer  ·  posted 6y ago by Heimdall‭  ·  edited 5y ago by Charlie Brumbaugh‭

animals uk legality forests
50%
+1 −1
Climbing Kilimanjaro for a newbie

It looks like I'm going to be living in Nairobi for a few years. Along with all of the other amazing opportunities for adventure around here, there's this giant mountain just over the border. Since...

4 answers  ·  posted 10y ago by Gnagn‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by luap42‭

hiking kilimanjaro africa
66%
+2 −0
Winter boots for -40°C that are snowshoe and crampon compatible?

One should never let middle age men sit around drinking and reliving the glory days of their youth on a holiday weekend. I think I may have agreed to a mid January Presidential traverse in the Whit...

4 answers  ·  posted 5y ago by StrongBad‭  ·  edited 5y ago by Charlie Brumbaugh‭

winter boots new-england
66%
+2 −0
Akita as my hunting buddy

I thought about trying unconventional breeds for hunting. I stumbled across the "Akita", which was initially cultured to hunt. However, it seems that it's pretty much a common house/pet dog nowaday...

1 answer  ·  posted 9y ago by OddDeer‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by Canina‭

dogs hunting
66%
+2 −0
Are there any tricks to get a fish to commit to biting a fly?

The last time I went fishing, there were numerous times where I could tell that the fish were nibbling on the fly because it would move the strike indicator ever so slightly, but they wouldn't actu...

1 answer  ·  posted 5y ago by Charlie Brumbaugh‭  ·  edited 5y ago by Mithical‭

fishing
75%
+4 −0
At what temperature does rain gear become a liability?

At what temperature does rain gear become a liability? If it is a couple of degrees above freezing and you are wearing rain gear to stay dry. It helps keep hypothermia (too cold) away. If the temp...

1 answer  ·  posted 5y ago by James Jenkins‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by Olin Lathrop‭

safety rain-gear
77%
+5 −0
What makes pants "tactical"?

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...

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

pants
66%
+2 −0
How far per record will a stationary GPS unit "travel"?

If you have tracking set on your GPS device and you forget to turn it off overnight, for instance, the track distance will continue to increase even though the device is not moving. What is happeni...

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

gps
50%
+2 −2
Would an Ursack stop marmots?

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 ...

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

food
77%
+5 −0
In the United States, how steep can a handicap-accessible trail be?

Once in Yosemite Vally, I saw a sign that one fork of a paved trail was marked as handicap accessible because it was less steep than the other fork that led to the same destination. How steep/what ...

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

united-states disability-options
75%
+4 −0
Why aren't birds using these feeders?

I've been hanging these fat balls for a good while and they're intact. Previously I was hanging a feeder filled with seeds (for birds) in front of the window and that was also intact for a while; s...

2 answers  ·  posted 6y ago by Neeku‭  ·  edited 5y ago by Charlie Brumbaugh‭

birds bird-behaviour bird-watching bird-feeding
71%
+3 −0
Adjusting derailleur with bike upside down, is it ok?

I need to adjust the derailleur on my bike, I don't have a bike stand because I am on the bike trail. I have three options for pedaling while adjusting the the derailleur. Turn the bike upside dow...

3 answers  ·  posted 5y ago by James Jenkins‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by Mithical‭

maintenance bikes
80%
+6 −0
How to keep gloves from getting sweaty?

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?

2 answers  ·  posted 5y ago by James Jenkins‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by Olin Lathrop‭

exercise winter snow gloves
71%
+3 −0
Equipment for driving off road in the Northeast United States

What equipment is necessary for driving on 4x4 trails and rougher forest roads in the Northeast United States? This would include safety equipment, recovery equipment and any other equipment neede...

2 answers  ·  posted 5y ago by Yossarian‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by Olin Lathrop‭

safety new-england mountains off-road-driving
66%
+2 −0
At what point does a solar charger become more efficient weight wise than batteries?

For short trips, lithium-ion batteries to recharge your camera/phone/GPS make more sense. For something like the Appalachian Trail where batteries aren't going to last the whole trip, a solar charg...

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

electronic-gear
71%
+3 −0
Why would a skunk be chasing a human?

There is a video on reddit where a skunk is chasing a woman around. It's not spraying or even threatening to spray, but it's sure trying to keep up with her. Why would a skunk be doing that?

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

skunks
66%
+2 −0
How long does canned chicken repackaged into a ziplock last?

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 ...

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

food
62%
+3 −1
How stay fit enough to make moderately hard rides a couple times a month?

When I have time I like to get my bike and canoe out and do a day trip. Doing a mile or two is not hard but a good day trip is between 8 and 14 miles. When I started at the beginning of the year 6...

0 answers  ·  posted 5y ago by James Jenkins‭

exercise biking
71%
+3 −0
How should I support a droopy basil seedling?

Last year one of my CSA boxes contained a basil seedling in a 4" starter pot. I'd never grown herbs before, but I transplanted it to a pot, took care of it, and had a tasty bounty all summer. Thi...

1 answer  ·  posted 5y ago by Monica Cellio‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by Natalia‭

garden
60%
+1 −0
How to improvise baskets for trekking poles?

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?

0 answers  ·  posted 5y ago by Charlie Brumbaugh‭

trekking-poles
71%
+3 −0
What would the temperature rating of a space blanket/reflective tarp be?

Sleeping bags have temperature ratings that tell you the aproximate temperature that will be comfortable at. Reflective tarps do not have such ratings, probably because most people don't use them ...

0 answers  ·  posted 5y ago by Charlie Brumbaugh‭

sleeping
66%
+2 −0
Trailer connection, off the shelf parts and proven performer

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...

1 answer  ·  posted 5y ago by James Jenkins‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by James Jenkins‭

bikes
66%
+2 −0
How to build surge brakes on bike trailer?

There are a couple of pretty good answers in How to make a cargo trailer?. After looking at those, at the answer to What are the safety concerns of a high vs a low mount trailer hitch? and doing s...

0 answers  ·  posted 5y ago by James Jenkins‭

bikes
71%
+3 −0
What are these small plants with red berries at around 9,000 ft in Colorado

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.

1 answer  ·  posted 5y ago by Charlie Brumbaugh‭

plant-identification colorado
81%
+7 −0
What causes these big gathering of ants on a sidewalk?

Here is a whole bunch of ants gathered on a sidewalk around dusk, I have seen this before so its not totally uncommon. What would lead to ants doing this?

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

ants
75%
+4 −0
How do you train a horse that bites humans not to?

Sometimes a horse/pony will bite humans. They bite each other to establish dominance and sometimes they will bite humans too. How do you train a horse to stop biting humans?

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

horses
66%
+2 −0
Boat Septic Pump Out?

I am very familiar with dumping septic holding tanks in a camper on land. I do it regularly and safely, either at the camp ground or at home. I am considering a boat trip on the Ohio and Mississi...

1 answer  ·  posted 5y ago by James Jenkins‭  ·  edited 5y ago by James Jenkins‭

boats
75%
+4 −0
What are the consequences of — illegally — using a 446 MHz PMR in the North American wilderness?

I've recently bought a pair of PMR446 walkie-talkies with some 5–10 km range, operating at 446 MHz. We've happily used them in Sareks Nationalpark in Sweden. Now I'm moving to Canada, where this ...

4 answers  ·  posted 11y ago by gerrit‭  ·  edited 5y ago by ArtOfCode‭

united-states canada legality communication radios
66%
+2 −0
What is a place in the U.S.A that is between 40°F - 60°F (5°C - 15°C) year round and doesn't get a ton of rain?

I just wanted to know what place in america has forest, temperature ranges from 40°F - 60°F (5°C - 15°C) year round, does NOT rain for days on end, and rarely gets snow. I tried looking around on...

5 answers  ·  posted 11y ago by System‭  ·  edited 5y ago by ArtOfCode‭

united-states temperature weather
60%
+1 −0
Is Salmon caught in the seawater or freshwater? Which is the preferred way, and the most ecological way?

Salmon is an anadromous fish, that means it is born in fresh water, it spends most of its life in the sea and it returns to fresh water to spawn. I was wondering when fishermen fish salmon. I guess...

2 answers  ·  posted 6y ago by Millemila‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by James Jenkins‭

fishing fish
75%
+4 −0
Trekking with a donkey

I've just seen a documentary in which a guy trekks through some rugged terrain while he has his cargo on a donkey. It's a pretty cool and versatile animal overall. What are some pros and cons of t...

2 answers  ·  posted 6y ago by amphibient‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by James Jenkins‭

trekking pack-animals
71%
+3 −0
When should I report a potentially injured-looking animal to authorities in a large, monitored, wildlife area?

We prefer watching animals from a distance, to try and cause them the least disruption. Every so often I've seen an animal in a distant part of a large area that doesn't appear to feel right. For i...

3 answers  ·  posted 6y ago by Sue Saddest Farewell TGO GL‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by James Jenkins‭

animals animal-behaviour conservation etiquette
66%
+2 −0
Flat bottom boat trolling motor power

I am wondering how to estimate the needed motor power for boating upstream on big rivers like, for example, Danube. (mean the bottom to middle part, i.e. where the Danube is wide and "slow"?). To ...

2 answers  ·  posted 6y ago by jm666‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by James Jenkins‭

boats rivers
60%
+1 −0
Portable power generator ballpark fuel consumption

tl;dr What is a likely value for fuel consumption for a small portable 4-stroke gasoline-powered inverter power generator in, say, litre / ( kilowatt * hour )? At times I attend music festivals wh...

1 answer  ·  posted 6y ago by eomanis‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by James Jenkins‭

camping electronic-gear fuel car-camping preparation
60%
+1 −0
Are there statistics on how often CPR on someone who has been struck by lighting works?

In all of my Wilderness First Responder classes and books, they have said that people who have been struck by lightning and need CPR have the best chance of it working (in general save rates with C...

3 answers  ·  posted 6y ago by Charlie Brumbaugh‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by James Jenkins‭

first-aid lightning
71%
+3 −0
Hiking with a mule or two?

For an older guy (say 65+) who likes to hike alone - are a mule or two a help or a hindrance? Maybe a mule for the pack, and a second mule to ride when I get really old? Historically people prefer...

6 answers  ·  posted 5y ago by Censored to protect the guilty‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by James Jenkins‭

hiking pack-animals
66%
+2 −0
Camping site suggestions

My friend and I are planning to go camping for three days next week. Since it's winter here in the US, we're targeting the south east side (FL, SC, etc.) I am looking for suggestions on camping sit...

2 answers  ·  posted 5y ago by Actuary‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by James Jenkins‭

camping fire fishing
66%
+2 −0
What's the best way to preserve a skull, without bleaching?

My grandpa found this deer skull way out in the back of a golf course (he works there) and brought it home for me. I don't mind leaving the color the way it is, I just wonder, what is the best way...

2 answers  ·  posted 5y ago by Melanie‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by James Jenkins‭

animals bones
71%
+3 −0
Nails in an emergency/survival kit

After reading this question about emergency kits, I noticed that no one mentioned nails. Why shouldn't we include 10 or 12, common 6d (2", 6 penny) nails in the kit? Ten 6d nails weigh about an o...

2 answers  ·  posted 5y ago by B540Glenn‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by James Jenkins‭

gear survival emergencies
71%
+3 −0
What can I do to be more visible to other ship's radar when traveling in a sea kayak?

I've seen small radar reflectors for sale. Should I carry one when kayaking? What else can I do such that boats can use their radar to be aware of my location when they can't see me due to poor v...

2 answers  ·  posted 6y ago by mmcc‭  ·  edited 5y ago by Charlie Brumbaugh‭

sea diy kayaks radios
75%
+4 −0
When hiking up a steep hill without a trail, how do you determine the angle to switch back and forth?

On trails that go up steep hills, there are usually switchbacks where the trail goes first one way and then other, resulting in an overall less steep path. In the complete absence of a trail, how ...

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

hiking
66%
+2 −0
When building a trail how is the length of the leg of a switchback decided?

I have done lots of hiking on trails with switchbacks and one thing I have noticed is that the length of the legs (how long you walk in one direction before switching back to the other) can vary w...

0 answers  ·  posted 5y ago by Charlie Brumbaugh‭  ·  edited 5y ago by Charlie Brumbaugh‭

hiking
60%
+1 −0
How to do a prussik with end of cordellete only? [duplicate]

Doing a Prussik with a small cordellete that is tied together in a O is relatively easy. Now some maneuvers require to do a Prussik/blocking knot with only one side of a long cordelete... how do yo...

0 answers  ·  posted 6y ago by Matifou‭  ·  closed as duplicate 5y ago by Charlie Brumbaugh‭

knots prusik
77%
+5 −0
How to cut and seal backpack straps?

My backpack has straps that are way too long and I would like to shorten them, both to save weight and to make it more organized. How can I cut the straps and then seal them so the ends don't come...

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

backpacks
75%
+4 −0
How much flotation does a canoe need?

Yesterday for the first time I turned my canoe over, then I tried to get back in it. I have been thinking about adding a sail to my canoe and now that I know a bit about sailing, I know I need to ...

4 answers  ·  posted 8y ago by James Jenkins‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by Charlie Brumbaugh‭

canoes emergencies
66%
+2 −0
How do I protect necessary glasses while kayaking or rafting?

My team at work has occasional outings and one of the activities we've talked about for the future is kayaking or whitewater rafting. I've never done either and am also dependent on expensive pres...

1 answer  ·  posted 5y ago by Monica Cellio‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by ArtOfCode‭

gear kayaks whitewater-rafting