General Q&A about the great outdoors and outdoor pursuits.
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I hike a few trails in the lower Appalachians which are very infrequently traveled. Maintenance when it happens, is performed by hikers. I much prefer to just clear smaller blowdowns as I come to...
I plan on driving to Alaska via the Stewart-Cassiar Highway (Highway 37) in British Columbia, Canada. Where can I legally camp along or near the highway?
This is not a shopping question just to preface that issue. I'm not looking for a specific brand or model of trekking pole. Also to add some background information, I have borrowed trekking poles o...
If I get lost in the wilderness, what is the very first thing I should do?
We're semi-frequent visitors to Rendlesham Forest, in Suffolk, England. A few years ago (probably 2008-2009), whilst walking not too far from the main car park we came across a large wooden struct...
I was watching Top Gear last night and Richard Hammond was (supposedly) trapped on a mountain in British Columbia and had to "survive". At one point he laid a snare for rabbits on a track and said...
I have an 18 ft. fiberglass sea-kayak, which I mount to the roof-rack of my junky old station wagon with Yakima "Sweetroll" saddles - ratchet straps around the saddles and bow and stern to the bump...
Actively participating in a couple of adventure (AKA extreme) sports, I have had my share of accidents/carnage/trauma. Anyone who participates in such pastimes knows that we're all in between acci...
I own a pair of Adidas Elevation Climacool eyeglasses which served me quite well for about ten years and whose sun lenses now need replacement. Those glasses allow to use a visual defect correctio...
I normally climb with a single 10 mm x 60 m rope. On some multipitch trad climbs, I don't expect to have to rappel off, but I might have to in an emergency. Many people carry a special-purpose 6 mm...
I will have a work trip in Whistler, British Columbia, Canada early June, and I'm seeing if I can combine this with a backpacking trip in the nearby coast mountains for 2–3 nights. However, it's v...
When hunting small game in a hot climate, is it advisable to field dress the game where it falls, or wait until the carcass can be refrigerated? Searching has turned up plenty of conflicting answe...
If I was out on a long hike, and I wanted to shoot a bird for supper, is there a way to find out in a very short time whether or not that species is legally protected? Sometimes you can get in trou...
I've never skied before, but I'd like to try it out. What sort of gear should I buy (as opposed to renting) before hand? What would be a good strategy to learn to ski?
I am looking at the things that I should have with me when I am climbing higher altitudes. I came across this meds one should always have along: Dexamethasone. Dexamethasone is used in the treat...
I hear that because down feathers are so delicate, a down sleeping bag that has gotten a ton of use or rough use has significantly less insulating performance -- the feathers are broken down into b...
I've read a lot on the many running sites about training. The consensus seems to be that you should have a mix of: tempo runs (20-40 mins at e.g. 20 sec/mile slower than 10k race pace) long slow...
The last weeks I observed couple times that I am getting stiffness/muscle ache in the upper arms after a boulder session. What's special about this is that it is very delayed. For example I went to...
We were abseiling into a cave (about 15 metres height) using a rope hanged by its middle from an anchor: _ /o\ | | | | | | | | | | My experience on abseiling is mostly from climbing, where I de...
My wife are around 30 years old. We are experienced trekkers (South America, Israel and Nepal), but in average-or-less physical shape - we're working in offices most of the time. We have booked th...
I have heard that a fire in a cave or under an overhang can cause a rock collapse, potentially injuring the occupant. Is this a real risk?
I totally need one of these This helps you estimate the slope angle on a contour map by measureing the gaps between the contour lines. This is to help you avoid avoid avalanche areas. I'm sure ...
In Sweden, I've cycled a lot of logging roads. But Sweden has the Right to Roam and it doesn't really matter who owns the land. When cycling on logging roads in Ontario, is any permission or permit...
Related: What size dry bag is best for keeping and washing clothes? Washing clothes on long hikes After reading the first question above, I'm wondering to myself, is there an effective "bag method...
I've recently been using figure 8 follow through on anchor webbing, and although it takes more time to dress properly and setup than a water knot, it's easier to untie at the end of the day and I f...
I was wondering if it is safe to put snow in water filtration and then just wait until it melts down if the temperature is right. Of course, carefully picked, clean looking snow.
I finally got to demo backcountry skis this past weekend and generally liked them better than regular skinny skate skis like they use for competitions because I like exploring off trail. However, ...
We already have topics on fuels here and here which give quite an overview. Also REI gives some info how to choose your stove and fuel properly. Still I would like to know what are the best option...
I've got a tent with a hole in it. I've bought some ripstop waterproof nylon fabric. What glue will stick it on?
So I've had the complete and utter luck of never having had to pitch my tent in the rain. However, with needing to pitch it this weekend and the high probability of rain and potential thunderstorm...
I'm looking for a down jacket. They all seem to come with numbers but I'm not sure what they mean. For example : 90/10 Down Fill Power 700 What do they mean?
I wanted to emulate old sap gum but it seems I have chewed some sap that was premature. Now it has covered my gums and teeth. How on earth do I remove this stuff? What I have tried: Brushing (sl...
I've noticed a lot of similar looking packable down jackets this year, and I don't know if this is a new style or if I haven't been paying attention, but I'm wondering if there's a big difference t...
I'm wondering what the difference in performance is between the Paradox Rain Jacket and the Paradox 2.5 Layer Rain Jacket. http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-Mens-Paradox-Performance-Beyond-Limits-Waterp...
I just discovered there is a way to rapell (e.g. for crevasse rescue) without any equipment building a snow bollard: How is this done in the best possible manner? What do I have to look for in ...
I know that the leather part (if any) of ski gloves should be treated with some grease such as Hestra Balm or Sno Seal. But should the cloth (non-leather) part of the glove (again, if any), like m...
What are the advantages/disadvantages and typical use cases for different sizes of locking carabiners? For example, a Black Diamond RockLock Screwgate vs a Mini Pearabiner Screwgate (or the differ...
I was wondering if there was a website where I could find the different kinds of statistics of accidents in the mountains. I know that Dragon 06 (rescue service of Alpes-Maritimes) posted some numb...
I am getting ready for a Colorado snowboarding trip in a couple of weeks... YAAAY !! I have been all over the country and I generally like CO resorts best (Keystone and A-Basin being my favorite)...
At what pitch does it become more effective to zig-zag up and/or lose the skis entirely?
I have only skied couple times and with the lesson plan I am getting ski pass next weekend! I obviously don't want to rent Ski equipment all the time so I am looking to own one. After doing some...
I haven't serviced my snowboard for a couple of years but then again I haven't used it much in that time unfortunately either. I went a couple of days ago and did fine, did double black diamonds w...
I went kayaking for the first time this weekend, and it was a blast! Unfortunately, I also ended up with some abraded skin on my hands, where the paddle shaft had chaffed the skin. I've done other ...
What do you think is the correct way to grade a single pitch route (about 10 to 30 meters)? I know climbing grade are affected by subjectivity. However is there a list of objective elements to tak...
Might be a silly question, but if the place I want to travel to has 35 degree F highs and 27 degree F lows, and the ideal temperature for a refrigerator is 35 degrees F ... can't I just loosely pac...
During some Urbex explorations sometimes I'll encounter a building with an asbestos warning. Is there any way that I can safely explore these buildings? Would Just something like a surgical mask an...
I live in the Arizona desert, and during the summer, despite my best intentions, I always seem to end up doing some hiking in the summer heat. What is a good formula to figure out how much water ...
I was trying to make a sling the other day to entertain my kids (yes this is a terrible idea) and although the finished product worked (sort of) it occurred to me that this, like all ancient handi-...
I'm looking to get some B2 boots, but am having difficulty getting a good fit. I tried Scarpa Manta's but my heel kept lifting. I think the issue is that my ankles are quite narrow. Does anyone hav...
I'm reading a very good novel, called "Smilla's sense of snow". A minor figure tells this story from the time he was a frogman with the marines: Going down, I glide through a cold belt [...] I...
