General Q&A about the great outdoors and outdoor pursuits.
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Last weekend I've shot with a backpack for the very first time. I ordered one which is able to hold my quiver and my bow to hike'n'archer :) However, I suddenly shot like 250 points were I normal...
When trimming weight there are a lot of options. Lighter gear, less gear, etc. One of those options is to take an existing pack and trim off "unnecessary" extras. For instance, I have (no kiddin...
Heavy rain can soak all of your gear. There are some things that you don't ever want to get wet, like your camera. I've learned to protect those things with string bags, which are light and I alway...
During a recent backpacking trip, we hung the bear bag and got ready to set in for the night and I realized I wasn't sure what I should do with my backpack. Technically the backpack was carrying th...
I am looking to buy an axe for processing firewood. I don't require a head larger than a hatchet but, for safety, I would rather have a handle long enough to comfortably grip with both hands -- as ...
People used to tolerate a much wider range of temperatures. What techniques can I apply to widen my body's range of comfort? A few examples that may or may not help: Spend a lot of time slightly...
We car-camp regularly at Ontario provincial parks. The parks forbid bringing in our own wood (to help prevent foreign invasive species from entering the local ecosystem). We are supposed to buy l...
Foreword: I know there is a bicycle SE where this question may belong, but it is more about the training factor for other outdoor hobbies than about cycling itself. Cycling could theoretically be ...
My story I like to hike and pack light. Lately I have been experimenting with various setups for making a 2-3 day trek along the Appalachian Trail. I have tried a few different methods of carrying...
I often use CLO2 (for example this product) to treat drinking water when I’m backpacking and boiling is not convenient. The instructions for the product say that the dose should be tripled if the ...
If it snows, is it safe to drink the water when it melts? What sickness can I get from snow? I am in Europe and would like to know for here, but other places would be interesting too.
Are there any adverse effects of drinking distilled water (possibly obtained melting snow or using other survival techniques like a solar still)? Maybe dehydratation, diarrhea...? Some people even ...
I am investigating the feasibility of a hike looping around Hofsjökull. This will take me through several “deserts” such as Hofsafrétt and Sprengisandur. On photos, this looks pretty dry, but Ice...
I have a genuine full grain 1.3 mm cow hide motorcycle jacket that was caught in rain. It wasn't a downpour but I was in the rain long enough for the jacket to be pretty wet, not just the surface. ...
Saw a video on youtube where some guy made a water filter out of a bottle, charcoal, sand and little rocks. He commented that since the charcoal is very porous it's great for filtering. Then, after...
So I read this answer and I was wondering what contraption produce the most water when you don't have a water source? So what water trap produces the most water? Specifically, what should I do with...
We used a Katadyn Vario filter during our last hike in Scotland. It uses a ceramic filter when used in LONGER LIFE modus. The waters in Scotland however have a tendency to be brown (due to the pe...
I've heard that iodine water treatment tablets can have negative side effects. Is this true? If so, what are some healthier alternatives?
With fracking, chemical spills, and all sorts of environmental nonsense on the rise, water quality can be compromised in some areas. How can I tell when it's not safe to consume even after filterin...
Let's imagine I'm hiking and I find a water source - like a lake, a stream or a well, and I want to fill my water bottle with it. I have a bottle and a water filter. And a bandana. Since I can't ...
I know I shouldn't drink seawater (because of the salt it contains), but how can I desalinate it?
If you're lost in the wilderness (and you've foolishly left behind your handy dandy water purification tablets and water filter), what are some of the best and safest ways to purify water? What do ...
For years I used a product called Polar Pure for water purification when weekend backpacking. It was an iodine based solution, so not great for a thru-hike, but fine for a week or less. Specificall...
When you boil dirty water, how clean would it be? Is it drinkable?
Let's assume I hike in a region with a lot of streams, rivers and lakes (South-Germany etc.) not longer than for two days. Am I supposed to use a life-straw as my primary water-source or should it ...
If I am in a survival situation, is there any reason I shouldn't drink the available water? I am aware of Giardia and cholera. Are these worthy concerns, or are there good enough cures available th...
Is it safe to drink water from streams in Dartmoor using simple purification methods? I'm planning a trip and am looking to filter using a Millbank bag and then boil for four minutes to kill off a...
I am currently living in the Galápagos Islands. They have no drinking tap water, and the water they provide is not recommended to drink. I got an acute gastroenteritis from it. Here they told me it...
Everyone I have ever been camping with seems to have an unwritten rule never to drink from streams no matter how clear they might seem, for fear of Giardia. I have also heard people telling about h...
I have a Katadyn hiker pro. I used it for the last time was two years ago and then I stored it without following the procedure for long term storage. This procedure consists in using it with water ...
I have a new water filter, which removes bacteria and protozoa. It's tempting to imagine that I can now go around drinking from whatever revolting-looking puddles I come across, but I'm mindful th...
I was just reading this question What is the safest way to purify water? Now I walk a lot in Snowdonia in North Wales and on occasion I drink from mountain streams. I've even camped next to mounta...
We've all heard stories about how people saved their lives by drinking their urine. Is drinking urine safe when there are no other water sources available? Can I filter it with a water purifier?
Slight Introduction: A slow sand filter is a filter used to purify water. The original design is composed of a layer of gravel, then a layer of fine sand. Sometimes, however, there is an extra...
While viruses are not commonly encountered in the great outdoors there is no doubt that many areas of the world that we travel, or live within, that are contaminated with viruses (hepatitis A, noro...
Caries and other similar disease can be a painful threat. It even can be a danger to life if not threatened over several months. An abscess may result from a trapped piece of food, uncontrolle...
While camping with some friends in Anywhere National Forest, I found a deer tick on a friend. After removing it with tweezers, is there anything else I should do? Should we abandon our trip immedia...
If I find a tick on myself or a friend, what is the best way of removing it? I've heard some people say that singeing the tick with a match makes the tick detach and fall off. However I've also h...
Back in my hometown in Northeast Pennsylvania, I remembered that there was this tree down my road that had an extreme curvature to it. Now, I could see a branch of a tree growing like this, but th...
I have been to several locations where I have seen clearing similar to the one I am in currently? This was a clear cut logging area. There are what look like small trees that we cut down, though th...
We've (had) a harsh mosquito (Culicidae) year. Normally they already start to disappear around September but this year it's still getting even worse! Which climate do I have to hope for?
Over the years, when out walking and on my commute through the countryside I've noticed that, when it's intensely pouring with rain, Roe deer seems to come out of the forests into open fields to ea...
If you are hunting elk in a team of two people with one attempting to call it in and the other to kill it, where should the caller be in relation to the hunter?
During certain times of the year, some of the hiking trails near where I live wind through herds of elk standing on or near the trails. What precautions should you take when hiking among elk?
I slowly want to get prepared for my trip to the USA. I think about going for an elk. So I asked myself what may be the best way to quarter an elk in the field. What are the basic steps and techniq...
Sometimes when hunting elk, especially archery, you will hear elk calls and be unsure whether it is an elk or a human using an elk call. How could one tell the difference?
I enjoy hiking but I don't give away some gadgets like flashlight (if hiking at night) and a smartphone for the GPS. I recently took a long hike that went well into the night (about 18 hours hiking...
I recently came across a hiking boot maker with a front page photo showing someone walking off trail in ankle high boots that are untied. Source This seems to be a current fashion trend, and if...
I ask this question because I met them often in the forest. In the most cases they only run away but in one case the boar blocked our way through a valley. It only looked at us. It did not attack b...
I posted this on travel.stackexchange.com originally, but it was recommended that I post here as well. Let me know if the question is off-topic and I'll remove it. I am visiting Kauai shortly and ...
