General Q&A about the great outdoors and outdoor pursuits.
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Hearing someone above you yell ROCK when climbing is a scary experience because that means that an object (usually a rock) is plummeting down to the route towards you. Hopefully you are wearing yo...
Excited for an upcoming ski mountaineering trip to the Fuhrer Finger in May. I've seen many guided groups (e.g. IMG) recommend two ice-axes. This left me wondering, what is the ideal tool combo f...
I would like to visit Mongolia next year and organize a trek with my girlfriend. We are skilled trekkers and we would prefer to avoid to hire a guide. We both experienced treks with guide in Nepal,...
I'm tying buzzer/chironomid flies to use when fishing under a slow retrieve in lakes. I thought that by chironomid we meant midges, and expected flies in sizes 18 to 26, but a lot of the patterns t...
There is a technique for navigation known as dead reckoning, what is this technique exactly and when would it be useful?
I'm heading to Quepos, Costa Rica with 4 teenagers. We'd like to do some things like whitewater rafting, hiking, viewing waterfalls, and seeing nature and wildlife.
Imagine you are sitting around ready to begin; you have your gear spread out, and your helmets are off. How should you place your helmet so that it doesn't wander off?
I'm obviously not a fisherman... If I like the flavors, is there any problem with cooking and eating a fish that hasn't been gutted? Any particular species? In other words, what are all the reas...
In honor of National Ice Cream Month, does anyone have a good back-country ice cream recipe they could share? Bonus points for ones that don't require ice (ice field, glacier, etc.)
I learned to ice-skate on a lake in Connecticut. My father built a warming fire in an old barrel (oil barrel?) and a group of us would skate, warm up, skate, warm up and repeat, for hours. How do...
I've walked barefoot practically all summer for every summer I can remember. However now that I'm a teenager my Mum is saying I need to wear shoes because of glass, needles, worms and diseases. I h...
I'm a Hiker who recently moved to Boston, MA. I'm interested in hiking within a 2 hour drive of the city, and I really would love alpine hiking (above the tree line), on trails that are 4 to 8 mile...
If I am in a survival situation with a knife as my only cutting implement, and I need an axe to chop trees (because I know burning through them is not practical) how would I make one? What attri...
The Skytop area at the Gunks has a number of stellar climbs including Foops (5.11) and Super Crack (5.12+). From what I can piece together, climbing there requires a guide and buying a meal/pass at...
I just started rock climbing recently. I don't have any gear of my own and the first thing I wanted to get was a rope. There are various ropes of different prices. What should I look for when buyin...
My husband and I are planning to drive from Kansas City, through Nevada (stop and see the arches) then to the top of California (to see the redwoods), see a few waterfalls in Oregon, travel through...
I have sees this lacing a few times now and was wondering why people are doing it. Is there any difference to the ordinary lacing and if so, what is that difference?
Open 60 sailboats have a pedal-looking control in the middle of the cockpit. Does anyone know what it does and how it works? Image source: https://feelinknotty.files.wordpress.com/2011/08/dsc_07...
Does anyone know if standard climbing harnesses (not chest harnesses) are actually rated (e.g. tested and certified) for use in upside down falls? Obviously falling upside down is a bad idea, and ...
Is it feasible to hike trails to at least some overlooks around Zion National Park and Bryce Canyon in Utah in mid-May? If yes, do we need a 4x4, or will a sedan do? We are only interested in day ...
I recently started backpacking in the Olympic Mountains. While camping, I usually bring along a trade paperback for light reading before bed or during a lunch break on a day-long hike. Up until now...
I'm working my way into ultralight backpacking (Knee problems) and have taken interest in hammock camping to drop weight during the summer months. I've hung and slept in hammocks before and found t...
Which bird species migrate between Europe and the Americas? I know there are some species which migrate over vast distances, such as the Bar-tailed godwit (Limosa lapponica), which flies through A...
When I was searching for boat inspection plates amazon example I saw a review where someone had bought one to install in the top of their RV fresh water tank to make cleaning inside easy. I though...
My wrist watch has a barometer, measures atmospheric pressure in mb (millibar). What role does information about atmospheric pressure play from an outdoor perspective? Lets stick to caving, hikin...
I was reading all of the answers to Are there any situations while backpacking that would require a watch? and surprised at the number of answers that said you need a watch so you would know how lo...
One of my favorite things about backpacking is the absence of time constraints, you eat when hungry, sleep when tired and sort of track how much time is left until dark. Would there be any situati...
Snowboards are often described with the term "Rocker". It seems like a kind of shape or something. What exactly is meant by a "Rocker" snowboard and what are the advantages or disadvantages?
I bought a down sleeping bag years ago and have been storing it in the stuff sack in came with. I recently learned that storing it this way is really bad for the sleeping bag. Is there any way to...
It is good practice on a hiking or backpacking trip to leave a written plan behind with someone. Then if you fail to return by your estimated date Search and Rescue will have an idea of where to lo...
Many years ago, while hiking with a friend, we came across a particular point in the trail which was rather dangerous. If one slipped, the fall would surely be fatal. What struck me most is the fa...
Whenever I make a large bonfire I normally use leather work gloves while I'm tending the fire with my fire rake or if I have to move a partially burning log by hand (within reason of course). I've ...
I have heard and hence used the term 'Mittens' for those that I use while rappelling. But, the ones that I use for bike-riding are referred as 'Gloves'. Is there a difference between Gloves and ...
Are there any recommended methods for disposing of ash from fire pits while primitive camping? I have run into several fire pits in National and State forest camping areas where the fire pit or fir...
Context: I'm writing a story that will have two people forced to spend the winter (late November to mid-February) in the middle of a forest (Alberta, Canada). They'll have food but it'll be mostly ...
This is my first bow - it's a low-end recurve with a draw weight of 14kg nominal. At the shop they told me not to string it by bracing it against my foot, because the limbs get twisted sideways. Th...
I have been using a pair of lightweight desert combat boots for hiking for the past couple of years, but they are finally falling apart and the brand/model has been discontinued. I am a large guy w...
What and where will I find the builder's plate and CE marking on a boat in Europe? The CE marking obviously does not apply outside of Europe, but has anyone seen one of these and if so, where shou...
Carabiners like this, are marked with the force rating. The one in this picture is rated, 20kn the long way 8kn the short way 5kn with the gate open Why are carabiners so much weaker when ...
Let's say that you are out backpacking and a bear spray canister accidentally goes off and gets on your skin or in your eyes or onto your clothing? It can't be a pleasant experience as it is meant...
As, I have been using a Double Fisherman's knot to join the two ropes. With some physics that I know, in Double Fisherman's knot the same amount of pressure (stress) is applied over the two turns o...
I plan to go hiking in Hokkaido next spring. I'd like to hike two weeks and to keep away from the cities during this time. I'd like to visit Daisetsuzan Park and Shiretoko Park. I've read about Da...
I had a sailing test a few weeks ago and in it I was presented with the B flag and was asked what it means and what would be the applicable light at night. I know the answer is "carrying dangerous...
For our little baby's merino wool overtrousers-diapers we use Lanolin, which is absolutely recommendes by all producers of this kind of overtrousers. My question has two parts: I have googled thi...
I am surprised at how many people I see doing this wrongly (my experience being an ex-horse owner and now hiker in the UK). What is the correct way to traverse a field containing horses? Let's ex...
My question is prompted by the answer of @WedaPashi to this question, which is about rattlesnakes, specifically: • Remain calm and first move beyond the snake's striking distance. • Keep c...
This weekend, on a 3-night hiking trip, we decided to head for the Pieggaluoppal wind shelter for the final night. When we arrived (at 23:15 and after 13½ hours of hiking) we were a bit disappoint...
I want to go backpacking with a couple friends, but I'm the only one of us with any experience, and I mostly day hike. I've only done a couple of backpacking trips. They've never backpacked, and on...
I've seen ads touting tactical flashlights, and at least one such flashlight was claimed to be capable of "blind[ing] a bear". I wanted a reality check, and not specifically whether a sufficiently...
I was just looking at a product my friend was bragging about, a headlamp with 2000 lumen intensity. When and why would I be needing such a powerful headlamp? I usually trek in jungles and forests ...
