General Q&A about the great outdoors and outdoor pursuits.
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When you're lead climbing, the most common way for the rope to hang naturally, if you don't do anything special, is usually between your legs. Is this OK on rock? On ice? Why or why not? On rock, ...
I have been practicing fly casting in my backyard using the same line that I use to fish. The question is: will my line get damaged from this? I reckon that these things are made to drag through wa...
What should I do if I'm stung by a scorpion? Is the venom harmful to humans?
In Switzerland, there is a avalanche forecast twice a day, at least during the winter months. This forecast reports about potential risky part regions, especially avalanche-prone expositions, and r...
Situation: Forest Clay Ground covered in pine needles Pacific Northwest Climate No River No Electricity Can provide purified water, and whatever building materials needed. Goal: Construct a c...
I tend not to use surface plugs in rough water, merely because I find them more difficult to fish. But are they less productive in choppy water than when the surface is calm?
I'm thinking about buying a new reel for my weight 8 rod (which I use for steelhead), but want also to use it for my weight 5 rod (which I use for trout). The reel is supposed to be used with lines...
I was reading this question about heating a shelter and it occurred to me: I've always been told to use a reflector and how it benefited me, but never told how to position it to maximize efficiency...
What method would I used to calculate the likely force placed on a piece of protection if I were to fall onto it. Using knowledge of my weight, distance between myself and the gear and the amount o...
I am trying to find a long trail in Michigan's upper peninsula for myself and 3 friends to hike. We plan on hiking for 7-9 days, and cannot seem to find a trail that is long enough to accommodate ...
Running injuries are very common, and runners have many different opinions about what causes them and how to prevent them. What is the actual scientific evidence?
I have just finished part of this http://www.peaksofthebalkans.com/index.php?lang=en and cannot recommend it highly enough. Aside from the beautiful mountains, another great aspect of the trip was ...
Background: The weather that day, as well as the week before, had been dry and warm. At about nine pm on August 2, 2014, I fell off of a log onto rocks. The fall was roughly twenty feet. The rocks ...
If you are in a survival situation in extreme heat (i. e. in the desert), which is the best clothing and footwear to use? It's better to cover yourself up entirely, like the tuaregs, or to go about...
We were up above the treeline below the final climb to a scarcely visited cave and discovered an old rusty piton with a length of weathered webbing tied to it. It was obviously there as a safety fo...
My husband and I are working on section hiking the GR5, a long-distance trail that goes from Rotterdam to Nice. We are going for two weeks with our 1.5-year-old daughter. I will be carrying her i...
I am an avid runner. I will be visiting British Columbia for the first time, soon. My trip will include a few weeks in the Rocky Mountains (Glacier, Banff, Yoho) and north of the Sushwap Lake. At l...
What's a good ratio for clothes to days on a long backpacking trip, or to Philmont? For instance, how many clothes should I bring for two weeks?
Yes, this is perhaps the most important question ever to be asked in this forum, touching as it does not merely upon matters of life and death but on questions of ... beer ... itself! I have hea...
I've got a winter sleeping bag rated down to -40c but its heavy and it won't get that cold where I am going. The coldest it will be is +5 to -5. I've another lightweight sleeping bag rated 5 degr...
Setting up a (sport) climb, requires a good cordless rotary hammer (SDS shank compatible). Besides the price-tag, things to consider, for selecting such a tool, are its weight, its shape and the h...
They both are waterproof but what are the differences and is one better?
I have a pair of knickers I use for bike commuting year round. Since it's the start of the rainy season on the east coast, I was wondering if a spray on waterproofing product such as nikwax spray o...
Following on from this question there was a map of the good areas in Northern America where there are significant dinosaur fossil formations. Where in the UK would this be the case? Just to ...
In strong wind (and bad tent placement) on the top of a hill, one of my tent poles snapped. I've subsequently replaced it. But the snapped pole has put a hole though one of the pole guides on the t...
I am looking for shoes that I can wear for all day long in moderate outdoor conditions, both in rainy and dry conditions, at +10°C..+15°C (50°F..60°F). My feet sweet quite a lot, so breathability s...
There has been handful discussions about How to fix a bolt on a climbing route. But there seldom any point made about How the one should go about when removing/replacing the bolts. When to decide...
My current harness has these single-piece buckles: (source: http://www.mountaineeringmethodology.com/harness/) It might be due for replacement in one or two years, and I really like these buckle...
We live at 27° latitude, about 200 metres above sea level and drink water from PET bottles laying around on the soil (SODIS method). They are filled with fresh water from a well and reused over and...
I am getting back into sport climbing and I am planning a trip to the NRG. I get very nervous about safety issues in regards to climbing, almost to the point where I don't want to start again. One...
Title says it all really, if I were out practice shooting on a boss, or if I were hunting, how could I tell if I can reuse the arrows I've just shot?
I've been walking for exercise for four years now, with no problems. Now I've moved to a hilly location, and I thought the inclines, up and down, would be a great addition to my flat land walking....
Back on my childhood nostalgia train... After thinking about Crabbing I began to wonder if there are any particular sea life that I might have to be wary of when going rock pooling along the coastl...
I know of Boar taint which describes an unpleasant taste in the meat of non-castrated pigs. Which left me wondering more broadly: Are there other animals whose meat (from an animal of the same age...
Several weeks ago (on Saturday 9th and Sunday 10th May, I believe) I did the practise weekend for an expedition with school - the practise weekend was a two day hike, covering about 25km-30km total...
When I bought my current pair of hiking boots, the brand/style I tried on and liked was out of stock in the womens version, so the storeperson offered me the mens ones instead. I tried them, liked ...
While I am moving more and more towards an ultralight approach to the outdoors, I am discovering that carrying less doesn't only lighten the load on your body; it also puts you closer to the enviro...
What is the correct way to store a bow after use? Is there any specific care that is needed pre and post storage?
When going camping on a multi-day trip, how do you clean metal pots, metal silverware and plates (for metal or ceramic)? The solution that came to mind was to bring dish soap and a sponge. However...
I know that a recurve bow should have its string removed when not shooting, so that it does not stretch and the limbs do not experience plastic deformation. On the other hand, the procedure to unst...
I have finally convinced my brother and our good friend to go hiking with me. I love hiking and being outside as much as possible, but they seem to hate it. How can I make our hiking trip fun and m...
I come from a family where outdoors activities include picknick baskets and a time limit of four hours tops. However, my girlfriends family loves taking me on outdoor holidays, the kind where you w...
I've been doing some research on what type of cord to use for resligning some hexes, and I found something very surprising here. Basically, the paper seems to suggest that while the tensile streng...
I have just pulled out a bag of old hiking gear to discover that the storage bin had a leak and floor had 2 inches of water. My sleeping bag, a Jungle Snugpack, had been partially submerged and ha...
I'd like to use natural malaria prevention. Insect repellent patch seems to be very promising. One patch contains 75 mg of B1 and covers 36 hours. However, it's not very cheap. Many other traveller...
I am planning for a trek at the Advance Base Camp or if possible up to Camp II of Saser Kangri. The region is so deserted of people and expeditionists/mountaineers that there are usually only two t...
The belay loop is the strongest part of the climbing harness, so why do so many climbers not trust it? It’s very common to see climbers backing up their belay loop with a separate piece of webbing ...
Basically, I am wanting my dog to retrieve birds, but also hunt rabbits and foxes. I may also want to use him to smell for blood trails from deer, elk, etc. Would this be possible, or would it just...
I would like to prepare myself for the climb in the high mountains (for now by "high mountains" I mean elevation 4000 m and more, but eventually eight-thousanders). What can I do to improve my ge...
Let's say I'm walking to the top of a really nice cliff. Take a look at this beauty: And there are some nice cracks to place some protection in, with the slings/rope coming off the cliff, kinda...
