General Q&A about the great outdoors and outdoor pursuits.
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And what situations should I try and avoid in regards to wildlife and areas prone to hazards in the UK? Edited my question to cover the other answers more as they were very good additions to the w...
I'm in the slow process of acquiring all of the gear I think I will need to do a week-long backpacking trip somewhere in the Midwest. Many of the more experienced backpackers I've spoken with or re...
For canoe camping with a large group (say 10-15 people) for 3 days, what/how much should we pack for cooking equipment/supplies (minus the actual food) and eating utensils? The group is relatively...
I recently brought a buoyancy aid to use when kayaking. One thing I noticed when purchasing it though was the 50N rating. All buoyancy aids I looked at seemed to have a 50N rating and I vaguely rem...
I taking a bunch of scouts camping next week. While we are staying at a Scout campsite with facilities and some organised activities. We have decided we want to have a bit more of back to basics/s...
I have a few questions concerning bouldering in California (Mickey's beach and Castle rock) during the month of August. We have two crash pads and a guide book for bouldering in the area. I have ha...
I have some common knowledge about knots used for Climbing and Rope-care. There was an incident last week, where I needed a Seat-Harness which I didn't have with me. I needed one for tying up a fr...
When you're following a pitch on a trad climb, what is a good method for racking and handling the nut tool? My goals are to be efficient but not to drop the tool. My current system, which I'm not ...
Looking for an idea of the characteristics for a rod (length, action...) before I go shopping. Using small lures, commonly 2-4g bladed spinners or 12 g Toby, going after small brown trout and Arct...
Reading this answer and especially the comments leads me to questions: Should one use Aspirin in high altitudes? Should one use it as a precaution or only when actually getting headache or othe...
I am considering climbing Mt. Triglav in late September and am torn between the Via Ferrata routes or the less strenuous hiking trails. Can anyone provide advice on the following - Accomodation...
I have seen a number of hammock posts which replace the traditional tent structure by incorporating a waterproof bivi as top cover. Have any Outdoors.SE used a system of that description and can...
I am planning on purchasing a kayak for next year, and am trying to strategize on how to transport my boat. I have a small 4 door car no rack and my wife has a slightly larger 4 door crossover styl...
How can detect, in the outdoors with minimal equipment, if I am dehydrated or need electrolytes? Update Some background: I get overheated very easily, possibly because I don't sweat as much as mo...
I'm going to go camping soon and would like to have a dependable knife that I can use when I'm there. What do you guys recommend? Not to be that guy or anything, but I'd prefer if it was American ...
I'm finally going to take the plunge and trim all the excess cordage and belting off of my pack. How much strap material should I leave to allow for adjustments in gear (adding layers for cold, ...
I have a 5 year old Haglöfs Para M5. I've used it for on average 30 nights per year, perhaps 150 nights in total, with one long trip and some 8 short trips per year. I store it uncompressed in a ...
I have an MSR Elixir 2 tent with footprint that is great for my spring/summer/fall rock trips and is made of quite durable fabric. It has worked quite well at very cold temps and has very effectiv...
I'm looking at buying some B2 rated alpine/winter boots for use with Crampons, etc. I'm trying to avoid paying full price for them (searching ebay, looking for special offers, etc.) as they are pro...
Somebody told me that Gore-Tex products would be hazardous waste. Is this true? If I want to dispose of them, what should I do? What are the dangerous substances? Is this true for other breathable...
According to leave-no-trace principles, one should bury human waste (poo). But burying damages plants and roots. Is this really always better than not burying it and pooing on the surface? (Of c...
I was wondering if you guys knew about some good websites to find canyons on with the necessary information ? Necessary information being: Longest abseil French level (V.A.I.) Wether the canyon i...
If I want to ascend a rope with minimal equipment, I use 2 Prusiks: one tied to my harness, and the second one for my foot. However, there are two ways to arrange the Prusiks on the rope - the foo...
Simple question, which has been prompted from this answer. What is a bloquers? I'm guessing it's some kind of prussik and it's a French term. But I'm not familiar with it. A quick google search ...
I purchased a Personal Locator Beacon (PLB) and followed the link printed on its back side (beaconregistration.noaa.gov). Following the instructions on the page, I am somewhat put off by the messag...
This question reffers to "single" alpine climbing boots used for mountaineering with a stiff 3/4 to full shank, not heavy duty backpacking boots or "double" (plastic) boots. I have owned two pairs ...
What are the most common plants that can cause rashes when touched in North America? What are the most important ones to be aware of and avoid? Before coming to the US I was only familiar with th...
I was camping recently and someone was complaining that they were finding it hard to sleep, as their new self inflating mat was much more slippery than their old foam one. Is this a real effect, a...
I am planning on camping on the beach in Florida. Since I will be on an island I have to pack what I can carry. I do not have a tent yet, and was wondering what I should look for in a tent for a Fl...
So roughly a month ago my other half and I brought ourselves each a SOT plastic kayak, we've been out on the water for maybe 2 hours total paddling time, but mine filled up with water. We found a ...
I make heavy use of my MSR Whisperlite Internationale, the version from 2010 or so. Virtually always I use unleaded gasoline in the small 11 fl oz (325 mL) bottle. I carry a larger bottle for ca...
I've recently started sport climbing outdoors and was looking for some definitive safety information published by some reputable organization (i.e. American Mountain Guides Assocation, AMGA), but I...
Let's imagine for a moment that you're solo hiking somewhere you've never been before and take a fall off the edge of a trail, injure yourself (to the point of limited mobility), and become entirel...
I'm joining a rock climbing club that requires an evaluation test in order to become a member. (I think this is a great idea.) They have a detailed handout listing exactly what you need to know for...
I was doing a sport climb recently where there was a pretty good distance between bolts, resulting in long rope runouts. Falling before the next bolt could easily cause a person to deck on a ledge....
My friends and I went camping this weekend and I bought a package of Johnsonville brats to cook over the fire. Many a person said that one should 'never bring raw brats to cook over a campfire', th...
The Swedish skärgård located just west of Gothenburg is a beautiful place. I have travelled there a couple of times, taking the bus-ferries around between the islands. There are quite a lot of uni...
What is recommended after finishing a sport climb--lowering off from the anchors or rappelling ? Rappelling preserves the hardware better, but is usually thought to be more dangerous since you take...
We all have discussed and read Hypothermia quite a lot of times and are aware of general concepts about it. What made me wonder the most was an incident about a mountaineer on Mt. Everest. With the...
I'm considering buying a personal locator beacon. As I understand it they should only be activated in case of dire emergency. What happens if it is set off accidentally while at home? What about s...
I'm toying with the idea of collecting water from tree leaf transpiration, while hiking: Obviously, vegetation with larger leaf surface area (and certain types) would be better than others. But...
I have been trekking nearly for a decade now and all those years I have never had a tent with me. It was roughly a couple of years ago, I bought my first tent. :-) I had always relied on natural ca...
Rock climbing and bouldering tours are classified e.g. Sierra from 5.2 to 5.15c or Fontainbleau 2 to 8c+. As you advance in your climbing experience you achieve higher grades and learn new move...
I marked my single rope so I can find the middle when rappelling and also to give my belayer a warning when I'm on a route of unknown length. I am going to purchase a set of half ropes soon for so...
For trad climbing, I normally carry shoulder-length slings racked on my harness, set up in Alpine draws at 1/3 their full length. When I'm leading and need to extend my protection, I either use the...
If you're lost in the wilderness (and you've foolishly left behind your handy dandy water purification tablets and water filter), what are some of the best and safest ways to purify water? What do ...
I am planning for a trek in coming winters. Thats not a regular or a trodden trail, its more of an optimistic approach onto a mountain. All the information that I have says that I was never a route...
I am not a very good swimmer. I don't swim regularly either. When I swim and relax for an less than an hour, I start getting cramps, specifically in Toes. What could be the reason?
During a long expedition, how to safely pack, place and carry a portable gas filled stove? It looks something like this: http://www.climbing.com/gear/multifuel-stoves/
Recently my girlfriend and I were invited to go camping with our friends at a cabin in Flagstaff, Arizona. My buddies have already left and we're supposed to leave tomorrow to go and meet them up ...
