General Q&A about the great outdoors and outdoor pursuits.
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Related to this question, there are people advocating that most of the Grand Canyon National park be designated as Wilderness. What exactly would change in the allowed activities (some say it woul...
Peanut butter can be good source of protein or useful for emergency rations, but it can be sticky and not finger friendly, how can you make it less sticky?
There are large areas of the ocean that are essentially lifeless, often called ocean deserts. If I am traveling the ocean, and not familiar with potential sea life in the area, can I tell from clu...
If you are fishing in the ocean off the United States Coast. At what distance from shore do US fishing laws no longer apply? The US Coast Guard listes, boundaries at 12, 24 and 200 Miles. Ma...
A recent question got me wondering if there are Takedown Compound Bows. I Googled around and found several longbows, (recurves, etc) that can be taken down for travel. But I did not find any comp...
When the RMS Titanic sank, there were not enough life boats, many hundreds of people went into the cold water and many died from hypothermia. The water temperature in the area where Titanic san...
A recent comment said: For kayak I’d say “usually 1-2 person” as tandem kayaks are very common. 3 person kayaks are rare but not unheard of, example Pamlico 160T has a third mini-seat for a chi...
There is a video of a seal sucker punching a kayaker with an octopus, Source I suppose the seal wasn't exactly trying to hit the kayaker, but why would it be flinging the octopus around above t...
Many but not all sailboats have numbers displayed on their sail, what do those numbers mean? I am looking for a general answer, not one specific to the random example image below. example image f...
Someone suggested using a Safety Spark Bunsen Burner/Laboratory Lighter with 5 Flints to start tinder for an emergency fire. I don't currently own one so can't try it. I have used them to light f...
NOTE the following is while the camper is unoccupied and stored in my back yard. The Propane/CO detector in my camper started going off randomly a few weeks ago. I thought it was from some random ...
In the answer to Can I get fresh water from ocean fish flesh? I learned that the water I can get from eating fish has a low enough salt content that it will hydrate me, BUT the high protein count w...
I was looking into portable desalination hand pumps. and I found this one one Amazon for $959 it says the Katadyn Survivor 06 is the world's smallest hand-operated desalinator and can easily fi...
I know that rabbits eat their droppings (cecotropes) and I have heard of feeding rabbit droppings to pigs. Rabbits are vegetarians. There droppings do not have the same consistency or negative sec...
I have a nice and small tent I really like that is around 30 years old. It is from Sierra West, but I don't remember the model name. Here is a picture so that you can see the size and general con...
My inexpensive nail clippers are chrome plated steel. All the keys on my key ring are brass or some other non-ferrous metal (I checked with a magnet). The nail clippers have that small nail file ...
I'm (trail-)running quite often and I'm used to wear lightweight standard running sneakers. However, I feel like they are made for the gym or flawless asphalt. The pitty is that I like to run on va...
After tying on a new fly when fly fishing, you need to trim the excess string. As this needs to happen every time, what tool(s) would make the job easier?
We know that you can start a fire with a battery. the better prepared you are the easier it is going to be. I am not prepared and all I have in my pockets is my car keys, which includes a keyless ...
This a question about the outdoor survival show Alone. The teams are allowed to choose 10 items from a list of 40. Currently season 5 has aired as of this writing, I have never seen the show, but...
I found these small corroded canisters on top of a mountain in Nevada, They were about 3 inches long and some had a metal post inside that has green corrosion on them. I think they are trash f...
Canoes and Kayaks have a lot in common, and for the most part I can look and say that is a Canoe and that is a Kayak. But I have been seeing some vessels that blur the line between them. It seems...
I was reading the answers at Can I place a Dutch oven directly into/next to a camp fire? and recalling a recent TV episode about forging iron (coal fire) where they said the coals were hotter then ...
Fingernail clippers are super helpful in outdoor situations. This is my number one always in my pocket survival tool. But they have a tendency to come apart, there are even videos showing how to p...
I found a pair of waterproof pants abandoned on the trail, they were fine except for several large rips that the previous owner had tried to fix with ductape. How can I patch these rips?
I was at an event this weekend and noticed that many of the portable canopies had weights on the legs. My Canopy has stakes and rope tie downs, but often the soil is not appropriate for these (to...
We have a question about how noodling compares to regular fishing for the effect on fish populations, but after reading about it, I am failing to see what the advantages to the humans are. Basical...
If you are canoeing on a lake and the wind suddenly starts blowing to the point where there are whitecaps, what is the best direction to head to get off the lake? Would it be the shortest way back...
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 ...
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...
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? ...
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 ...
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...
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...
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...
One of the techniques while navigating in the outdoors is known as contouring, what does this mean and when would it be useful?
I posted an answer for a recent question about a forest fire that started after your hike began, that said: Presumably you registered at the trailhead, and you have a friend who knows where you...
I like to run around lakes and through forests. But when the spring comes and it is wet with high humidity, many little flies and mosquitoes are flying in the air. Thus, sometimes some of these in...
One of the older fairy tales is The Ugly Duckling where the one oddball of the bunch is considered ugly by the other ducks but turns out to be a swan at the end of the story. From what I have read...
I have wood canoe paddles, currently after being out in the water, I bring them in the house and lean them against the wall in the corner. They actually look pretty nice and kind of add to the home...
I purchased a couple of used water-proof barrels for keeping things dry in the canoe. They are easy to open and close, so in theory they keep your stuff dry and they float. The lids clamp on (ima...
One of the downsides of an alcohol stove is that the alcohol is all but invisible when it burns, and so the danger is that you won't realize its going and burn yourself. I have heard that adding r...
