General Q&A about the great outdoors and outdoor pursuits.
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I am seam-sealing a tent made from silpoly with silicone sealant (generic 100% silicone, couln't find any silnet around me). The fabric is very slippery, much more than regular polyester fabric or...
How can I clean my hiking boots after any hike I made and how can I clean them after extended use e.g. multi day hike? How can i clean them back home and on the field?
Does rain (or moisture in general) harm a modern (hunting) recurvebow (including the string)? Let's talk about a "Bear Archery Grizzly" for example. A glass laminated, wooden recurve. Crown...
Rock climbing cams often have integrated slings. Like all webbing, these slings can be degraded by UV and wear out much sooner than the cam themselves. There are numerous companies that will "profe...
I "inherited" a two-burner Propane lantern for which I need a globe. Besides a warning label on the section just above the brass cylinder attaching body, it only has a small number (0597) stamped ...
From browsing this site, I have learned that US national parks and wilderness areas have restrictions and that campsites need reservations, sometimes months in advance. I've never seen anything lik...
For group hikes where we plan on having a fire, I carry a hand chain saw for dead wood. We've used ours for a while now and it is definitely getting dull. How do you sharpen this?
I bought my first set of cams and I've been curious about what happens when the slings start to wear out. Are they user-replaceable? The ones I purchased seem to be very un-user-replaceable: How...
My girlfriend keeps hanging my compass on the wall. Is this doing it any harm?
Coming up with emergency information for a recent trip got me thinking: What information should you leave with your emergency contact? I imagine the answer depends on the length of the trip, remot...
I've read that the summer months (June, July, and August) are the safest months to hike in Colorado because these are the least-likely times to run into ice patches that can't be crossed with norma...
From a pure safety standpoint is there a functional difference between a climbing helmet, cycling helmet, etc? Is a cycling helmet actually the safest solution for a cyclist, or would the greater ...
What are the advantages/disadvantages of climbing helmet design (foam or hardshell)? Foam Hardshell PS: I do not intend to compare them by how much they cost.
I used a regular curved helmet mount for my GoPro on my recent snowboarding trip, which comes self-adhesive. At one point I fell on my back and hit the back of my helmet, the shock of which unglue...
I have a Foam Helmet, made for climbing. Its kinda old and looks like it needs a wash. The Helmet is old, and so is the foam. Roughly a bit more than 3 years now. With other foam-made things that ...
I've got some leather boots that are showing some wear and tear. More importantly, the seam between the sole and boot is starting to crack and allow some water in. Do products like ShoeGoo or FreeS...
I have friends who say stuffing your rainfly prolongs the life of the tent, because folding waterproof material over and over is going to make it leak. I have other friends who say folding and roll...
I'm looking for a good solution for clothing (or clothes washing) on long hikes with the following considerations Southeastern United States, Appalachians We hike light 10+ day trips I don't wa...
Cotton retains moisture, thus cotton socks will not do the job properly. When would actually one want to wear exactly cotton socks? A few ideas come to mind, but they are just shooting in th...
Textbook advice for hiking footwear seems to be: wear cushioned socks!!! And make sure your boots fit!!! For me, it seems that wearing a cushioned sock ensures that a boot simply will not fit c...
As I put on my trekking-socks last weekend, I wondered what might be the differences between the left and the right sock (besides the "mirrored" design)?
How can I store my tent when I'm not using it for months at a time, so that it is still in good condition when I use it again?
So when I hike, usually I get a small pebble or two, or sand in my boots. How can I prevent this? I already wear pretty tight boots, and stopping every so often to take off a boot and get a rock ou...
I have a pair of Gore-Tex walking boots that I have used a fair bit now and want to make sure I keep them serviceable for as long as possible. What is the best way to maintain Gore-Tex walking boot...
My compass has become increasingly untrustworthy. Over the past couple years I had noticed that it often pointed pretty close to magnetic South, but it corrected after a light tap. In two recent t...
I have a pair of skis, let's pretend I use them as much as I want to. How often should I wax them? Once a season? Every few ski days? Before or after every ski day? Both? Does it matter what kind o...
Theses shoes are still good (picture have been removed), but the small missing part of the heel makes them painful to wear. I'm looking for the most efficient way to extend my shoes life (robust, c...
I have been using backpacks which did not have setting for Torso adjustment. This time around I have bought myself a backpack with such adjustment. Product Link: Quechua backpack Product I thin...
I have been trekking for years now, mostly in Scandinavia, Canada and Peru. For most of treks we had to be sustainable and carry food for 10-14 days at a time - so weight is always a big issue. Ob...
What are the best conditions to use a synthetic sleeping bag vs a down one? Can you always use a down sleeping bag as long as you keep it in a dry waterproof bag?
This question about how not to make anything touch the outer wall of the tent implies that doing so lets the outer tent leak water through. I never head this problem with my vango mirage tent durin...
I'm thinking of a single rope that it's safe to take long lead falls, but also light to carry around. I weight 75 kg and I might climb with heavier partners (80-90 kg)
When looking at buying climbing ropes, they are rated to a number of "UIAA falls". What does that mean?
There are quite a few countries where you aren't allowed to make open fires in the great outdoors (I'm sure for at least Austria and Germany). I wondered why nobody has yet thought about electric s...
There are quite a few countries where you aren't allowed to make open fires in the great outdoors (I'm sure for at least Austria and Germany). I wondered why nobody has yet thought about electric s...
I've always used any old shoes for hiking. Are there any real benefits to using specially made boots?
I've heard that storing a sleeping bag in its stuff sack for long periods of time will cause it to lose loft, and won't provide as much comfort or warmth when used again. If so, how should I store...
I want to rent a boat (not a pontoon, but one with a sleeping area, bathroom etc.) which I can use for an overnight stay in open ocean. I am an absolute beginner about boats and don't know anything...
What are the measures to take to ensure the safety of the person who is spotting a climber?
I take a Primus EtaExpress stove with me when camping, and am slowing accumulating a collection of canisters with only around ~20% gas in them. With this little gas, they don't have enough pressur...
When we rappel after a multi-pitch climb, we usually take up the rope (or both ropes when we use half ropes) so that we end up with one or two nicely lap-coiled ropes. Throwing the coiled ropes q...
People have put a lot of work into predicting tides. To a local, who knows the conditions of a certain area, are tide tables really necessary? How surprising are the tides ever going to be to som...
A friend and myself would like to do some gold panning this summer for the first time. We both live in southern British Columbia and have the intention of going into some known gold producing areas...
What is the best / easiest method for removing multiple layers of ablative bottom paint from a sailboat hull? I have acquired a sailboat which has 3-5 layers of different bottom paints. I want to ...
I have some gold pans and a portable shovel. I live in California and I am interested in places with camping grounds and nearby water to do some recreational gold panning. Know of any good places ...
Last night I had a nightmare that I was 5 pitches off the ground and it started to pour rain. When I woke up I realized I have no idea how to deal with this. Asking around, everyone says two thing...
I am currently endeavoring on an Antarctic expedition and wanted to know more about different repair options for our tents in down to -80 temperatures and in extreme high winds.
There is already the question Please Explain Rock Climbing Grades however I would like to know about aiding grades. StrongBad's answer to an aid/trad question mentions A0 and C1 grades. Are these t...
Is it possible to recycle or refill small (disposable ) propane cannisters?
