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Q&A

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

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When slacklining between trees, how big should the tree trunks be?

Often times in city parks people will use the trees for slacklining, the problem comes when they use trees that are not big enough, and given enough time and users this can be unhealthy for the tre...

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

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Is there an actual advantage of switchblade folding knives over any other method of opening a folding blade with one hand?

More states in the US are decriminalizing switchblades, yet there are many other methods of opening a folding knife with one hand such as studs on the blade or groove to make it easier to open. I ...

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

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How much of a difference in insulation will a reflective tarp make?

In addition to space blankets, you can get reusable tarps with a reflective coating on one side. For the most part, they are just like regular tarps with grommets for tie downs and are big enough t...

1 answer  ·  posted 6y ago by Charlie Brumbaugh‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

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Camp fire starting for the novice?

We have several posts about fire most of them are about specific challenges. A recent question had myself and others searching for fire starting basics. We don't seem to have a post about it. Wh...

4 answers  ·  posted 7y ago by James Jenkins‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

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Small Islands in Androscoggin river, Berlin NH

We were recently driving through Berlin Hew Hampshire, and saw these small islands in the river for several miles. There was not a good place to stop and take a picture of them, but they show clea...

1 answer  ·  posted 5y ago by James Jenkins‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

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Usability difference between 0.1 micron 0.2 micron filter bottles?

We have been using older water filter bottles with charcoal filters. These are easy to drink from a combination of squeeze the bottle and suck will quickly fill your mouth with a swallow of water. ...

1 answer  ·  posted 5y ago by James Jenkins‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

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What is the minimum amount of water per day to survive?

I am disabled in the wildness, there are no natural water sources available. I have 2 gallons (7.5 liters) of water. The only practical solution is to sit and wait for rescue. I will be resting i...

2 answers  ·  posted 6y ago by James Jenkins‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

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Can you put a tow truck stinger on a motorhome (RV)?

Some terms may not be global, inline descriptions for questionable terms A motorhome is RV with an engine (as opposed to a camp trailer that is pulled by another vehicle). Many people will tow a ...

1 answer  ·  posted 5y ago by James Jenkins‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

rv
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Is there a standard way of marking cooking alcohol containers?

The alcohol used for cooking is poisonous. Denatured alcohol, also called methylated spirit (methylated spirits in Australia and New Zealand) or denatured rectified spirit, is ethanol that has...

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

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What attributes should I look for in an inexpensive multi-purpose folding bike?

I have been considering a folding bike, it would be multipurpose, for short rides of 10 miles or less. I think I want multiple gears, as it may be used as part of Canoe Advventures My primary mot...

5 answers  ·  posted 6y ago by James Jenkins‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

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How accurate is the method of finding north with a watch?

There is a method of finding north with a watch described here So you point the hour hand of your watch at the sun. Halfway between your hour hand and the noon mark is south. How accurate is ...

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

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What should I look for in throwing knives?

Inspired mostly by this answer, if I were to decide to buy a set of throwing knives for just for fun, what exactly should I be looking for? I do realize that throwing knives are not legal everywhe...

1 answer  ·  posted 6y ago by Charlie Brumbaugh‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

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How much will the ceiling of a snow cave drop by during the night?

Every time I have slept in a snow cave, I have woken up to a ceiling that was noticeably lower than when I went to sleep. Is there a good rule of thumb for estimating how much lower it will get? ...

1 answer  ·  posted 7y ago by Charlie Brumbaugh‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

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How does one steer a two-person kayak?

My wife and I recently bought an inflatable, tandem kayak. I grew up canoeing and we've had many enjoyable outings on the water together, so I thought two-person kayaking would be relatively easy....

5 answers  ·  posted 12y ago by Jon Ericson‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

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How much difference does wind chill make if you are inside a snow cave?

From this answer, -148 °F has been survived inside a snow cave, and this question is asking for the unadjusted temperature, which leads me to wonder how much the wind chill would matter. If you ha...

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

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Is there a recommended type of can for building a penny stove?

Related to this question, I have had better luck with the smaller energy drink/V8 juice cans than standard 12 oz pop cans. The other question on the site mentions both beer and Redbull cans. Is th...

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

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What is the difference between AMO/AMA and ASTM spine declarations?

This question asks "Are the Goldtip and Easton spine declarations AMO/AMA or ASTM??", What exactly is the difference between AMO/AMA and ASTM spine declarations and what difference does it make?

0 answers  ·  posted 5y ago by Charlie Brumbaugh‭

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Any reason to prefer bow-fishing over rod-fishing?

Is there any reason to pick bow-fishing over rod-fishing. As far as I know it's extremely difficult to aim for fishes beneath the water surface. This makes me wonder if there is any rational reaso...

3 answers  ·  posted 8y ago by OddDeer‭  ·  last activity 6y ago by System‭

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What is the reasoning behind not disposing of fish guts in the water?

Quite a few fishing regulations say something similar to this, Don’t dispose of fish entrails or other byproducts into any body of water 2018 Colorda Fishing Fish die in the water all of t...

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

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What is the most effective means of melting snow with body heat for drinking?

The related question Is it safe to drink snow? tells us that in addtion to then normal considerations for any wild water source, you also need to consider how the snow may tip your metabolism into ...

5 answers  ·  posted 8y ago by James Jenkins‭  ·  last activity 6y ago by System‭

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What conditions would make a weather inversion likely?

An inversion in weather terminology is when the temperature actually rises with altitude, instead of decreasing like it usually does. As the lapse rate can be useful for calculating temperatures a...

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

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Why couldn't you eat frozen bait shrimp?

We have a question about how to store dead bait shrimp, both answers suggest that you can simply eat the bait shrimp, but one says, As for freezing them, they won't be alive anymore but they sh...

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

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What would make one brick wall harder than another?

Inspired mostly by this question, where a person was asking what the climbing rating of a brick wall was. Compared to all of the varied climbs in nature with the many different rock features and t...

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

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Does acid rain somehow directly harm human beings?

Hiking in the rain often left me with thoughts about acid rain. I wonder if I'm able to recognize it and if yes, how strong the recognizable symptoms are. Are there any direct (forest dieback etc...

1 answer  ·  posted 7y ago by OddDeer‭  ·  last activity 6y ago by System‭

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Do male mountain lions kill their own kittens?

Stallions will kill unrelated foals, but I have heard that male mountain lions will kill their own kittens, ostensibly to bring the females back into heat so they can breed again. (Bears will do th...

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

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Will a lighter trigger pull help me be more accurate?

The trigger on my hunting rifle has a rather heavy pull and doesn't break very well, will getting a trigger with a lighter pull weight help me be more accurate?

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

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How to calculate the energy of a slingshot projectile?

This answer made me wonder how a slingshot would compare in power to an airgun, especially as for that location, without a license you are limited to 12 ft-lbs of energy. For hunting with firearms,...

1 answer  ·  posted 6y ago by Charlie Brumbaugh‭

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Are there any statistics on how many mallard ducklings survive?

In addition to all of the ducklings currently around the area, one will also see mallard ducks without, (the mallards would run the duck with a red head off if they had ducklings). Lots of other...

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

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In shooting, what is a MOA (minute of angle)?

In hunting/shooting, you will often see the term MOA (which stands for minute of angle). What exactly is an (MOA) minute of angle when it comes to shooting?

1 answer  ·  posted 6y ago by Charlie Brumbaugh‭

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Keeping the hose on a hydration bladder from unscrewing?

I have a hydration bladder with a screw on the drinking hose, and the problem is that given enough time it will come unscrewed and then leak inside my backpack. I have tried tightening it as hard ...

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

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How to tie a super eight / double figure eight / bunny ear knot?

Note, I am not asking how to tie three different types of knots, but rather one knot that goes by three different names. Its a knot that can be useful in building anchors especially at the top of ...

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

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What are the pros and cons of clear vs yellow tinted shooting glasses?

When shooting it is a good idea to wear eye protection, most ranges and shooting competitions require them. There are two basic kinds, clear plastic, and amber/yellow tinted ones. From what I have...

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

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What is the difference between "shooting" and "safety" glasses?

The local shooting range requires eye protection, when I look on Amazon there are "shooting glasses" in the hunting section, and then there are "safety glasses" in other sections. From what I can ...

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

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How do you assess the weather when getting an alpine start?

When getting an early alpine start (3-5 am or earlier) it will probably be before the sun comes up. Hopefully, the weather will be better in the morning (that is often the point of an alpine start)...

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

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Electrical supply at camp site, what are the risks?

I parked my camper at a full hookup campsite, I plugged in my 30 Amp cord to the 30 amp plug but did not get power. The campground owner checked the plug with a simple polarity checker and everyt...

2 answers  ·  posted 6y ago by James Jenkins‭  ·  last activity 6y ago by System‭

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When stranded, how do I choose a place to camp on an island?

We are in a Robinson Crusoe situation where we're stranded on a tropical island (lonely or not). We've to setup our camp. How to determine the right piece of land? For example you might wanna hav...

3 answers  ·  posted 8y ago by OddDeer‭  ·  last activity 6y ago by System‭

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Are there any biodegrable freeze dried packages?

More and more I see discarded freeze dried packages abandoned in the woods. The ones I have seen are made out of plastic and are foil lined and so don't decompose the way that oatmeal packets would...

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

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How to permanently label Nalgene bottles?

It's pretty common to use 1 oz Nalgene bottles to hold the spices in a spice kit for backpacking as they are waterproof and the right size. Image Source The problem comes when trying to label t...

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

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What should you do if your crampons start balling up?

Balling up is when the snow starts sticking to the bottom of your crampons to the point that the crampon points are no longer touching the surface. As one can imagine this is a rather dangerous sit...

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

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What are good designs for volunteer-buildable trail bridges?

We have several places on local trails maintained by volunteers where the trail crosses a small stream or ditch. In these places the stream is a bit too wide and deep to expect people to jump accr...

4 answers  ·  posted 10y ago by Olin Lathrop‭  ·  last activity 6y ago by System‭

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How essential is the darkness/tint of a pair of sunglasses to protecting your eyes?

In addition to sunglasses, you can get clear safety glasses that claim "Blocks 99.9% of harmful UV rays". The advantage of clear safety glasses is that they can be worn both during dusk and after d...

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

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Hiking with kids - what are the right distances?

We're currently planning a tour in the alps. Nothing too big. Just going uphill with the cable-way and then doing 15 km on top. This is because we've a 2 year and a 5 year old girl with us. We can ...

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

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What are the reasons for prohibiting bow hunting in many countries?

Besides a few exceptions (Finland, France, Hungary etc.), it's generally prohibited to hunt with a bow in Europe. At least I'm sure for Germany, Austria, Sweden and Switzerland :). What were the ...

3 answers  ·  posted 7y ago by OddDeer‭  ·  last activity 6y ago by System‭

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Are there any non-legal advantages of a non-locking knife?

In lots of places around the world, locking folding knives are illegal for everyday carry while non-locking folding knives are much less restricted. Almost everyone I know who carries a knife dail...

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

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How do mallard mother ducks tell their ducklings from others?

Right now the irrigation ditches and ponds have lots and lots of mallard ducklings, sometimes multiple families to a single pond. The way to tell is that there will be too many ducklings for one fa...

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

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What additional equipment is needed for bowfishing?

As it is the time of year when carp spawn and are in close to shore, I have been seeing people along the lakeshore with archery equipment, bow fishing for carp. If one were to already have a bow ...

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

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Will bobcats climb cacti when not in fear of their lives?

There are pictures of bobcats climbing on top of really tall cacti, the one story I read says that the reason the bobcat climbed the tree was to get away from a mountian lion who was trying give it...

0 answers  ·  posted 6y ago by Charlie Brumbaugh‭

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How long is the carp mating season at Presque Isle?

I was on the canoe trail at Presque Isle today, and there were large fish splashing in the shallows all over the place. We learned from a passerby that it was carp mating season, and the splash w...

1 answer  ·  posted 6y ago by James Jenkins‭  ·  last activity 6y ago by System‭

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When using "Gap aiming method" do I leave both eyes open?

I want to have a look in other aiming methods and tried to start off with "gap shooting". However, I'm not quite sure whether to leave both eyes open or one eye closed. What is the right thing to d...

1 answer  ·  posted 6y ago by OddDeer‭  ·  last activity 6y ago by System‭

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Sticks leaning on a tree building a hut-like formation - what's the purpose of that?

We were in a central European forest last weekend and discovered a few places where a bunch of sticks were leaned against a tree. They build kind of a circle so that it looked like a small hut. How...

3 answers  ·  posted 8y ago by OddDeer‭  ·  last activity 6y ago by System‭