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Q&A

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

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Any tips for landing fish on barbless hooks?

I have started to debarb all my flies a while ago (it is much better for the fish if you are doing catch and release), but have been loosing some hooked fish that I was otherwise able to net when I...

2 answers  ·  posted 8y ago by Kenji‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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How to get out of thicker wetsuits efficiently and quickly?

I've always had a problem getting out of thicker wetsuits (4/3 mm and above, chestzip with/without hoodies). I would like advice from anyone who has tips getting out of these types of thick wetsuit...

1 answer  ·  posted 4y ago by qxzsilver‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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What to look for when purchasing a ~70m rope for canyoneering?

I'm looking for a good longer rope (e.g. 70m or so) to use for rappeling during canyoneering trips. Most of the ropes on Amazon or REI are dynamic, and my understanding is that static ropes are gen...

1 answer  ·  posted 4y ago by mfeingol‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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What is the difference between SPF and UPF, if any?

I read on https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sun_protective_clothing&oldid=930941768: A relatively new rating designation for sun protective textiles and clothing is UPF (Ultraviole...

1 answer  ·  posted 4y ago by Franck Dernoncourt‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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How to empty bowels before a hike?

They say prevention is better than cure, so for beginner hikes, especially dayhikes, how can one try to ensure that their bowels are empty and they won't suddenly need to poo? Are there proven ways...

6 answers  ·  posted 7y ago by user19652‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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Behavior of crow pair, larger crow eats the food, not leaving any for smaller buddy

There are a couple of crows that come around regularly, they come as a pair. One is larger than the other. Perhaps a couple? or parent and youth? or adult and older parent? When providing nuts/see...

1 answer  ·  posted 4y ago by devlop‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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Post-hike shoe care

How do I get rid of bad smell of mountaineering boots / skiing boots which comes from sweaty feet? I know the best way is preventing that smell by putting them in a ventilated area, but sometimes ...

2 answers  ·  posted 4y ago by cerv21‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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Good canyon (or canyoning) websites

I was wondering if you guys knew about some good websites to find canyons on with the necessary information ? Necessary information being: Longest abseil French level (V.A.I.) Wether the canyon i...

1 answer  ·  posted 9y ago by Nick‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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Is Permethrin safe for cats after it dries?

I'm concerned about ticks and want to treat some of my outdoor gear with Permethrin, a spray-on very persistent treatment against ticks and mosquitoes, to reduce the chances that I'll bring home ti...

3 answers  ·  posted 7y ago by Benzo‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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California nutria hunting

Does anyone know of an area in california where I could hunt nutria? I've looked on the CDFW articles but there is not much.

1 answer  ·  posted 4y ago by user25300‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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What&#x2019;s the main appeal for climbing outdoors?

I am a long time gym climber, and I climbed outdoors for a couple of times. I fail to understand why climbing outdoors is more appealing than climbing indoors. If the goal is to climb harder, whi...

11 answers  ·  posted 4y ago by user3667089‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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How long can fresh water fish live on a stringer?

A fish stringer goes through the gill and mouth of a live fish, providing a way to keep them captive and alive in the lake or river they are caught from. I would imagine the key to survival is how...

3 answers  ·  posted 7y ago by James Jenkins‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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What advantage does the what3words coordinate system have over other, traditional systems?

I recently came across the what3words coordinate system in an outdoor magazine. The system divides the world into squares of 3 m x 3 m. Each square is then named with a combination of three (as far...

5 answers  ·  posted 4y ago by Snijderfrey‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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Are "fall-arrester" devices used in climbing/mountaineering?

I came across an interesting looking device on the Petzl website. As per the description, the mobile fall arresters follow the user automatically as he moves, whether on an inclined or vertic...

2 answers  ·  posted 4y ago by Yogesch‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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Would there be any practical uses of a geological map for a hiker/backpacker?

I just found that I can get free geological map overlays for Google Earth for all of the individual states in the United States from here. For instance, this is what a good deal of Yosemite Nation...

7 answers  ·  posted 7y ago by Charlie Brumbaugh‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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How can my neighbor encourage chipmunks to move away from her front-yard flower garden?

This question is related to my earlier question about when it is safe, from the young chipmunks' point of view, to relocate a burrow of chipmunks. To recap the background of the earlier question: ...

2 answers  ·  posted 5y ago by ab2 MonicaNotForgotten‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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What kind of toad is this 2.5 inch (6.5cm) one yellow with brown spots and a white back stripe?

I just found this toad on a sidewalk near a lake the elevation was probably somewhere around 4800 ft (1500m). Does anybody know what kind it is?

1 answer  ·  posted 5y ago by Charlie Brumbaugh‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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When building a penny stove how do you keep the cans from splitting?

Penny stoves are usually built from two soda cans and they look like this, Image source with some variations between the builder and so on. The basic idea is you have the bottoms of two soda ca...

1 answer  ·  posted 6y ago by Charlie Brumbaugh‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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Why do snowshoes have a hole in the front deck?

I just tried on some modern snowshoes for the first time in some fresh powder and I'm confused by why there's a big hole in the decking in front of where the toe of the boot sits: With my boots ...

4 answers  ·  posted 4y ago by feetwet‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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Is it possible to apply DWR to heavy cotton fleece hooded sweatshirt for water resistance?

I have an American Giant sweatshirt that is fantastic. Superb quality and fit. Heavy 10oz cotton. What would be the best way to add water resistance to a garment/fabric normally water resistan...

2 answers  ·  posted 4y ago by Velobuck‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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Is the correct term Canada Goose or Canadian Goose?

The author of a question on our site referred to a certain type of goose as a Canadian goose. Some people thought that the correct name is Canada goose, rather than Canadian. Wikipedia refers to t...

6 answers  ·  posted 6y ago by Charlie Brumbaugh‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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Can a regular backpack be worn on top of an avalanche airbag vest?

The majority of avalanche airbag makers seem to package their system in backpacks of varying sizes. If one doesn't wish to get locked-in to a specific backpack, or have multiple backpacks each with...

1 answer  ·  posted 4y ago by Yogesch‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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How to Shoo away a stubborn Stray Dog/Dogs who decides to tag along with you on a hike?

This happened on one of my hikes. It was a hike with two villages en route. Somehow a dog from the first village decided to stick with us. We were OK with it. Then he was followed by a small Puppy...

2 answers  ·  posted 8y ago by Captain‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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E-ink device with GPS for maps?

I've been using various map apps with offline storage on my smartphone(s) for several years now. The main problem with them is the battery drain. I've searched for e-ink devices with GPS but only f...

1 answer  ·  posted 4y ago by JollyJoker‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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Earliest in the year one could deep water solo in Majorca?

I'm planning to go deep water soloing in Majorca as soon as weather conditions will allow it, I don't mind cold water as long as it's reasonably warm outside (~20°C). Since I'll probably be travel...

1 answer  ·  posted 4y ago by Alberto Zaccagni‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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How do you overcome a preventative fear of dangerous wildlife

I live in Colorado and love hiking alone, it's quiet and peaceful. I want to be more 'free' to hike in early morning or late evening when it's dark or backpack in remote places, but at this point ...

3 answers  ·  posted 4y ago by binarylegit‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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Wild animals in Finland and Norway

Next summer I am planning to ride a bike from Belarus to the north of Norway through Finland. What measures should I take to be protected against wild animals (bears and wolves)?

1 answer  ·  posted 4y ago by Rudziankoŭ‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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Are there any general rules of thumb for route finding up a mountain without any trails?

Sometimes mountains won't have trails or recorded routes simply because they don't get enough traffic that a trail will be created. Not every mountain has recorded routes simply because people have...

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

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Are longer kayaks faster than shorter ones?

I've been researching which kayak I'd like to buy, and I keep coming across the notion that longer kayaks are faster than shorter ones. I can understand that shorter kayaks have a greater tendency ...

7 answers  ·  posted 7y ago by Jonathan Landrum‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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Why does a leader have to be tapered in fly fishing?

I wonder why fly fishing leaders have to be tapered? Is the most important reason to preserve flight dynamics when casting? Would a simple untapered leader not present a dry fly, for example, in th...

2 answers  ·  posted 8y ago by Matthias Wolf‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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How do fly fishing lures work?

I'm new to fishing and I don't know how these things work. Do I need to add some weight to make them sink or fishes will come at the top to bite them? I've seen some videos where they use some wei...

2 answers  ·  posted 5y ago by c0dew0rm‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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Can fire starting liquid be used in a kerosene lamp?

Supermarkets often have "fire starting liquid" on sale - that's usually transparent oil-like liquid looking much like kerosene. The label typically says the product it "mix of paraffins". It behave...

2 answers  ·  posted 9y ago by sharptooth‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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How strong are the individual internal strands in 550 parachute cord?

550 Parachute cord is a very small kermantle rope (has a core and an external sheath) as you can see in this image. The minimum breaking strength of the cord is 550 pounds, hence the name. It i...

1 answer  ·  posted 7y ago by Charlie Brumbaugh‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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What should go in an inflatable sleeping pad repair kit?

While backpacking with an inflatable or self-inflating sleeping pad one runs the risk of getting holes in it. This does happen fairly frequently, and while they do make kits, I would like to know ...

1 answer  ·  posted 7y ago by Charlie Brumbaugh‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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What are good locations to find wild strawberries?

Wild strawberries are very tasty, but I have only ever found them by accident. What locations would be good starting points to look for them?

5 answers  ·  posted 7y ago by Charlie Brumbaugh‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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Leaving a fire unattended for a few hours, then returning

What is the best way to leave a fire unattended for a short time and then to return to use it again? Here is my imagined scenario: arrive at a camp site and start a fire in a pre-made iron fire p...

1 answer  ·  posted 8y ago by gannawag‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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How can I reduce the pressure of backpack straps on my collarbone, perhaps by fixing padding to the strap?

As some of you who are also active on bicycles.se may know, I broke my collarbone in a bike crash last year, and it's now got a titanium plate in there. I'm not sure whether it's the plate or not,...

3 answers  ·  posted 4y ago by Chris H‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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How do I remove 22lr bullet that's stuck to the bolt from the rifle?

I have recently loaded a bullet --which didn't fire twice when I pulled the trigger of a bolt action western field m820a 22lr rifle. I have pulled the bolt all the way back but the bullet is stuc...

1 answer  ·  posted 4y ago by Michael Crivello‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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Would it be warmer to sleep at the bottom or on the side of a valley?

Given that temperature decreases with altitude, and yet inversions happen where cold air is below warmer air, as a general rule of thumb, where would the warmest place to sleep be? Here is one pl...

3 answers  ·  posted 7y ago by Charlie Brumbaugh‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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Carrying hardboiled eggs when hiking

I am planning to hardboil some eggs and immediately, while hot, wrap them in cling-film before stowing in my pack. How long will they last before going off? (I am in NZ so eggs are not washed like ...

4 answers  ·  posted 9y ago by quetzalito‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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Alternative to midshipman's / taut-line hitch for modern ropes

A taut-line hitch is used to tying tent ropes to a stake. It can be manually slid up/down the standing part of the rope, so as to adjust the tightness in the line, but it holds well under tension. ...

2 answers  ·  posted 4y ago by Yogesch‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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How to explain unexpected success following a bearing taken from an iPad

I live in northern British Columbia where the relevant declination values are currently Magnetic declination: 17° 45.30' East Grid declination (for Natural Resource Canada's NTS maps): 16° 17.04'...

2 answers  ·  posted 4y ago by tomfumb‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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Historical data about rock climbing / bouldering ascents

I am always interested in the history of rock climbing. Lately, I tried to collect data about male and female first ascents to visualize progression in rock climbing over time (I have a small blog ...

0 answers  ·  posted 4y ago by Arne‭

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Are kernmantle ropes more susceptible to damage than 3 ply twist or solid braid?

A comment on recent answer suggests that kernmantle ropes are more easily damaged than a conventional twisted rope. This is contrary to what I learned very long ago. So far I've been unable to f...

2 answers  ·  posted 4y ago by Sherwood Botsford‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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Are square or rectangular tarp shapes more versatile?

I'd like to try tarp camping. 3m x 3m (9ft x 9ft) and 3m x 4m (9ft x 12ft) tarps of differing material are plentiful and many are even affordable. Which tarp shape is more versatile in the number...

5 answers  ·  posted 6y ago by B540Glenn‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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How does Frogg Toggs Polypropylene measure up?

I saw a new product for rain protection the other day. Frogg Toggs makes a line of rain gear out of a polypropylene material that I have not previously seen used for rain gear. Does anyone know h...

1 answer  ·  posted 10y ago by Russell Steen‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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How to make it easier to untie a figure-8 knot after finishing a climb?

If you tie a figure-8 knot while rock climbing and fall a few times (especially if they're dynamic lead falls), the knots will become so difficult to untie that you sometimes have to use a carabine...

3 answers  ·  posted 4y ago by JonathanReez‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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Wild animal in Virginia that sounds like monkey cackling/laughing?

I'm here hunting turkey in Virginia and I keep hearing unidentifiable sounds that I'm pretty sure are not turkey. One of the most common one is something like a monkey (chimp) cackling/laughing. I...

2 answers  ·  posted 6y ago by amphibient‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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Cotton climbing pants with a zipper pocket (outdoor rock climbing use for small female climbers)

the "politicised" debate of female clothing not having pockets (it is especially about skirts and dresses) left aside, I wonder if there are any cotton climbing pants left on the market that have a...

0 answers  ·  posted 4y ago by canIchangethis‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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Are water purification tablets safe?

There are a few questions regarding safety of water purification, one regarding expiration date, another regarding iodine, but I know that there are more than one types of water purficiation tablet...

5 answers  ·  posted 10y ago by MarkE‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭