General Q&A about the great outdoors and outdoor pursuits.
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While in the Wind River Mountains, I found a bronze plaque that marked the spot where a person's ashes where scattered, and while that was done in the early 1930s, it made me wonder if it would sti...
I am in the process of building a Moonboard or basically a home climbing wall which is used for bouldering training. However, because I am not a fan of overhangs, I have built it vertically (the bu...
I've already experienced this twice. The first time was a year ago, on a hiking camp: on the first day I recklessly went out with one of the best groups there, and while I didn't lag behind, this ...
I am a side sleeper. I use a v2 Klymite pad but my hip still hurts during the night because there isn't enough vertical room. I'm considering: Sleeping curled up a bit (so the angle from my hip ...
There are two trails leading to a beautiful spot in a nearby park. One of them has a steady climb all the way (trail A) while the other has some sharp climbs followed by relative level segments (tr...
How can I determine whether a shotgun fits (or can be easily adapted to fit) me without having the chance to test fire it? (And without spending thousands of dollars for customization?) Whether f...
We've (had) a harsh mosquito (Culicidae) year. Normally they already start to disappear around September but this year it's still getting even worse! Which climate do I have to hope for?
I bought them a few days ago and took them for a long walk and then a short hike to try them out. They were fine with the walk, they felt great, but with the hike, problems problems problems. A sea...
There seems to be an ongoing holy war with "boots people" vs "shoes people". A comment on this question caught my eye: ...Ankle support is a myth for most folks.... Now I've always worn boots...
I was watching one of those Discovery Channel wilderness survival shows last night and one of the "survivors" made a compass from a piece of wire tie and an earbud's magnet. He stripped the plasti...
This time of year, you see a lot of canoes and kayaks going down the road tied to the top of cars. Some of them not as smartly anchored as others. One of the configurations that I see a lot is t...
When you're up in the tree stand and need to urinate, is it okay to do it just from above or should one seek another solution? So, does your game somehow smell the urine and will stay away? Any oth...
If I am trying to find out which way is north at night, and I can see stars, but not the North Star or the Southern cross or other recognizable constellations, because the terrain is limiting my vi...
I need some help designing a diet for extended multi-day treks which is sustainable, provides high-energy but still remains somehow portable. For some reason my efforts so far were not very success...
My general question is as such: If I use a 30°F (-1°C) under quilt with my hammock, would I be fine using a 50°F (10°C; or higher) sleeping bag as a "top quit" during 30°F (-1°C) winter nights? My ...
Aiders/Etriers are standard equipment for aid climbing, what qualities should I look for when purchasing a pair? I have used them before, but they were always borrowed from other people and I am l...
This question asks whether the bowline knot is better with the tail inside or outside the loop. When climbing and tying in with a bowline on a bight, does it make a difference whether one starts ...
I was staying in the spectacular free and open Ragohytte in magnificent Rago Nasjonalpark, and used some of the provided firewood and coal to heat up the stove in order to dry my gear and enjoy a b...
I believe the 3 main options for portable GPS currently are: Dedicated GPS unit Smart Phone GPS Watch They all have somethings in common, and each have other considerations also. For this que...
Getting back in a canoe is not as easy as I thought it was going to be. I also learned that Extra Flotation might be needed So if I am alone in the middle of a body of water, how do I get back in...
I am going to South East Asia for quite some time, and was looking for appropriate clothing. Quite a few websites recommend linen clothes, and almost all of them recommend UV protective gear due to...
Out of all my dive gear, the item that is the hardest to dry is the BCD. If the weather is nice then it is not an issue, just put it outside. The issue is drying my BCD when the weather is rather i...
I have Lowa leather hiking boots with a rubber toe cap and sidewalls which I bought around 5 years ago. I've gotten great use out of them and the leather is still in great shape, but the rubber is ...
From all the tents I saw, including the two I have, most of them had black floors. Sometimes, the older tents have differently colored floors, but all the new ones are all one color (usually bright...
Gasoline generators are notoriously noisy (some are more quiet) and smelly. Many areas like US national parks have restrictions on the use of generators. Fuel cells are used in many space applica...
For packaging dehydrated foods for backpacking, the two options that I can think of are mylar bags and vacuum-sealed bags. What are the pros and cons of each method?
Generators, fuel cells, solar panels and other power supplies tend to be sold with Watts as the energy value. Some of my electrical devices list amps, how do I convert amps to watts?
Outdoor adventure activities seems like a mouthful, so I was wondering if there was a more appropriate term for such activities? Wikipedia suggests 'Outdoor Recreation' but that implies these to b...
If I made a noose with this knot and lifted a heavy object by putting it inside the noose / knot: the knot should slip and hold the object tightly automatically it should be difficult to untie th...
On some backpacking trips a car could be left for a couple of weeks, what can I do to ensure that when I return the mice aren't inside and the squirrels are leaving the wiring alone?
I want to build a simple DIY foot pump based camping sink. I can't seem to understand what kind of foot pump should I be buying. I don't know what is the exact term for this kind of foot pump: ht...
Is it legal to tap trees on public land in the UK? I'm thinking of tapping sycamore trees in a local wood on an overnight trip in the spring. Also, am I correct in the assumption that the last we...
Related to this quetsion Tree tapping in the UK - Time and legalities. I have never tapped a tree. How do you do this? What equipment is involved, etc?
How do I process the fruit of the wild service tree? I know the berries need to be subjected to frost before they can be dried and consumed. Can I harvest them early and stick them in the freez...
We have a couple of questions about the legality of and how to tap trees to get sap. Tree sap is the source of sugary syrups like Maple or Sycamore. The sap can then be evaporated over a fire to ...
In addition to getting a trigger with a lighter pull weight, I also have the option of switching from a single stage to a two stage trigger. What would the pros and cons of doing so be?
I cant decide whether to use a wash-in or spray-on DWR treatment to my Gore-Tex jacket (Arcteryx ZETA AR). I would rather use the NikWax TX Direct Wash-In because it'll get spread evenly throughou...
REI's web page for the Gregory Whitney backpack lists its volume as 87 / 95 / 103 liter What do you think this exactly mean? Does the backpack have three different ways to use with these diff...
I currently own the most basic closed cell sleeping pad that one could buy. I'd like to upgrade to a better self inflating pad. I've narrowed it down to about two options: REI AirRail 1.5 REI Trek...
It seems pretty clear but I would like to make sure that I don't need a license or permit to Catch and Release in Florida, in the county that I live in. According to Florida Fish and Wildlife Conse...
I'm new to sewing and new to pack-making. Trying to build a lightweight pannier, since most panniers are made out of heavy cordura. I've ordered 2 yards of a 210d Dyneema X Gridstop; (specs here...
My standard procedure when hunting is to hunt with a round in the chamber, safety on and as soon as the day is over or while getting into a vehicle to remove the bullet from the chamber. This can ...
Which color of these Swim Goggles would be easiest to spot in/ on warm coastal ocean water? Aqua Sphere Kayenne Swim Goggles PS: This is not a shopping question (I'm already planning to buy, j...
Sometimes while camping in forests, there will be dead trees around, or in forests where there was a fire, a high percentage of the trees will be dead. While it is not extremely likely that a tree ...
I have a pair of Lowa Tibet Pro GTX (Nubuk leather and Gore-Tex Lined) and am wondering what conditioning creme I should use besides the stuff that Lowa sells as I generally like to buy from dedica...
Why are climbing shoes a slightly tighter than the regular mountaineering shoes?
I have bought a ultralight travel hammock and now I need to buy a rope to hang it. My weight is about 200 pounds (90 kg) and I want to have the lightest ropes to support my weight, but I'm confused...
I need a new mainsheet (the rope that controls the boom on the main sail) for my sunfish. Many of the online sailboat stores, are selling 8mm FSE Orion for the job. My local Hardware store does ...
As pointed out in a comment by cobaltduck in the question What type of rope to use for the mainsheet of sunfish? the proper name for rope when used on a boat is line. If I go to the store and buy ...
First: I am not a sailor. Sail boats usually have a lot of lines, block, cleats, jams, travelers and what not on their decks to control the boat and sail system. This looks like a cluttering mess o...
