General Q&A about the great outdoors and outdoor pursuits.
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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...
Are there any suggestions on what footwear to wear in a wet climate (specific: Vietnam in September)? The use case would be mostly walking on streets, with occasional hikes in easy but slippery te...
I heard the phrase "Dry Camping" while watching an American RV show. What does it mean? Are there similar but different terms for the same thing in other parts of the world?
Looking at the webcam, it looks like things are still pretty wintery in that area. Being Michiganders, some snow is not going to deter us (we love winter camping), but we at least want to be prepa...
In my ongoing effort to cut tent weight we have replaced stakes, changed ground pads, and we're looking at replacing the guylines (no really, it's amazing how much cordage weighs!). At what diamet...
I'm planning a backpacking trip to Juneau with some friends next summer and was interested in taking the North Ridge route to Bullard Mountain (see: https://www.summitpost.org/bullard-mountain/9303...
When sleeping in cold temperatures in a sleeping bag with the opening closed to the minimum — just your face — how to keep your nose from getting cold? I feel like the cold air coming in will alway...
Talking about the basic A-frame formation, where there is a higher up ridgeline going through the middle of a rectangular tarp (non-diagonally) e.g. from tree to tree, and the two sides are pegged ...
Can you pls elaborate on the 10 degrees and 15 degrees? I don't know geometry or math. How exactly do you hold out your arm against the sun? At what angle to the sun? Illustrations appreciated plea...
I am looking at buying a 22lr barrel liner, but the ones I have found online are longer than I want by about 6 inches. If I buy one of those, how difficult would it be to cut it shorter and then r...
There are two main kinds of railed mounting systems for rifle scopes and some other types of rifle attachments like bipods or lights known as Weaver and Picatinny. What is the compatibility betwee...
I just got a new hunting rifle, scope, and rings. The rifle has a picatinny rail so I am not limited in ring placement the way I would be with some of the other mounting systems. Is there any adva...
Wolves are going to be removed from the list of animals protected by the Endangered Species Act (pending litigation). They were already delisted in Montana and Idaho and had a hunting season in Wy...
If one were to go looking for cottontail rabbits, what time of day would be the best? I have noticed that it seems like there are more out and about in the afternoon than in the early morning.
Lately there has been so much wildfire smoke that it was unpleasant if not quite harmful to go outside. I was looking at the weather websites for a forecast to try and predict when it would be bett...
Looking at a new pair of earmuffs that a NRR (Noise Reduction Rating) or 34 DB. However the fine print says that said rating is for continous noise and not impulse (like gunfire). Why would they be...
Wag bags are used in areas where human waste has to be carried out. How many wag bags should a group pack per day given that plenty of people will try to avoid pooping in the outdoors and that numb...
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?
I had a near miss yesterday as I tried a strategy of a fellow surfer: I buried my mechanical car key in the sand, put my bag on top of it, and went surfing. A few dogs on the beach must have shifte...
In Glacier National Park (USA), there are 63 backcountry campgrounds. I looked at the backcountry campground website including the map and campsite information. Are there bear poles/boxes at back...
I asked a question about marking trails and one of the answers suggested nailing markers to the trees. Does this damage the trees? I'm mostly concerned about long-term infection or rot that will ev...
Interesting video I ran across. The high point are quotes from sugarbush's president. All the rest information is less important, except for statistics. I'm not sure where they got their stats. NSA...
While hiking Ryan Mountain (elevation 5457 feet) in Joshua Tree National Park last month, I saw several of these grayish plants near the top of the mountain. I did not see any at lower elevations. ...
I own a 1988 Malibu Skier, and one of the things I've been thinking about upgrading on it is the fuel gauge. Specifically, I want to be able to have some kind of digital reading of how much fuel I ...
I'm wondering how long before one needs to clean their personal water bladder/reservoir while on a thru-hike, extended backpacking trip, or survival scenario. I know it's advised to clean after ev...
I've been watching "A Line Across the Sky" which is a short-ish movie about Tommy Caldwell and Alex Honnold doing the Fitz Roy traverse. During which Tommy Caldwell mentions Alex doing a 1000 and ...
Yesterday I found a really old deer skull in a forest and I took it home in the hope to get it cleaned up. So I searched it up but I only saw how to clean up dead deer heads with skin on and those ...
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...
It's winter. I daydream of trips in various areas. Using Google/Apple/Bing maps is frustrating. Openstreet has trails if you are near civilization, but names are weak. None of them have coordin...
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)?
I'm looking for a decent source to know winter road conditions for various Adirondacks access roads. First level of interest would be just what is or isn't being maintained. A better yet answer w...
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 ...
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 ...
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...
I'm starting to go through the book "freedom of the hills". Somewhere in the initial pages, it states that a climbing party must consist of a minimum of three members. A bit later it states that du...
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. ...
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...
The campground I'm thinking of staying at has tenting spots, but they don't have power. I need to be able to charge my laptop, phone, and possibly a portable electric heater. They also offer RV spo...
I have a SOTO Triple Mix canister (Power Gas 250, SOD-725T) which is a mixture of Butane, Isobutane and Propane gas. I use it with my SOTO WindMaster but I have not used it in over 10 months. It ha...
My surfboard leash broke at one end and I'd rather repair it than buy a new one. How can I repair it?
In principle, it is known that full body harnesses are useful for situations where the center of gravity is higher - e.g. for children, or for Alpine situations involving carrying heavy loads. A fu...
In the case of a roped up team marching along a glacier with some hidden crevasses, the greatest risk is of a team member falling in and then dragging everyone else along before they can self-arres...
This is a very subjective question but the goal is to make a somewhat comprehensive Wiki-style list of, let's call it "mission abandon criteria", that should prompt a team to turn back. In a sieg...
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...
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...
I'm planning a camping trip in Yosemite with a group of friends for some time around mid-March. I know it can get cold at that time of year, but that's the only time we could all arrange the time o...
I have heard on this forum and others the difficulty of finding a suitable fuel since meths is illegal or hard to find, so im trying to think of alternatives, i know Americans use HEET and i have u...
I know that goose down is warmer than cattail down. But what are the R-values of each? How much warmer is the same weight/volume of goose down compared to cattail down? Is cattail down better than ...
I recently heard from a guy who decided to cut a cedar tree from a ditch line for a Christmas tree instead of buying one. He said that after getting it home and decorating it that it started to ha...
I have a Marmot Limelight tent that the see-through window needs reglued around the edge onto the tent. Is there a common household glue that can be used for this? And what is the best glue and/ or...
