General Q&A about the great outdoors and outdoor pursuits.
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I just had a thought after buying a couple of money belts for my girlfriend and I.. Where should we keep them when we are swimming for example? I know this seems like a simple problem but is there...
I am looking for a backpacking trip somewhere between two and four days long in Washington State that is possible to do under current conditions (May). Any recommendations?
My wife gets itchy hives if you stays out under the hot sun for too long. They go away within a day but is uncomfortable. I am wondering if anyone else who loves the outdoors experiences this and ...
While backpacking, I usually carry 50 feet of spectra cord (2mm) to be used as part of my bear bagging system. More often than I would like, I end up having to untangle the line before being able t...
My wife and I are thinking about sailing with our ~ 6 month old baby boy. We understand this is not something to take lightly, and we're planning either a canal/river sail or a sail in a very calm ...
On www.windfinder.com they changed the forecast map. now it looks like this: before, it had much more details, and you could zoom in it to find out the perfect spot for the forecasted wind direc...
I was climbing with someone recently and they complained that there was too much slack any time the line wasn't completely taut. By the same token when they were belaying me it was almost hard to ...
I'll have the good part of a Saturday to enjoy in Boulder, Colorado on 18 May. What is a suitable area for a day, loop hike close to the city? My criterion for "close" is that the start of the tr...
Of course, the best way is to prevent mold on a tent from occurring by airing, cleaning and storing it appropriately. When doing this I've never had any issues. However, there may well be cases wh...
In other words, it would be a site where you can "subscribe" to certain locations and then have the service email you if the weather forecast matches the kind of weather conditions you are looking ...
How do NNN bindings mounted on cross-country skis with NIS mounting plates compare with the screwed-in versions in terms of reliability (are they more likely to break) and performance (do I get any...
I see a lot of higher-end cross country skis now have an NIS mounting plate to enable the mounting of bindings without drilling any holes (and easy adjustment). But why are the only NIS compatible...
What should one look for in the specifications to determine whether a handheld purpose-built GPS receiver provides good navigational consistency under reasonably normal, low-speed conditions? Highl...
What are the advantages of hand sanitizer over soap on a backpacking trip? Do they fulfill the same purpose? What would you recommend for hand sanitization?
What are the relative advantages / dangers of different cooking wear? I'm a one-pot gourmet that has been using the same stainless steel pot for 15 years, but am considering an upgrade. Some thing...
I use a combination of an 18"x18" inflatable pillow and a Thermarest compressible one, the largest size (commonly seen at REI and similar stores). However, the inflatable often slips out and I just...
My hiking shoes starting having problems with the insoles, so I got replacements. However the replacements I have are "Trim to fit." How do I get the proper shape so that I don't end up with any ...
Is there anything that can be done to stop my insoles sliding? has a pretty good answer for semi-permanent solving of insole slippage. However, I switch my insoles between two pairs of shoes on ...
I'm starting to learn how to rock climb, and there seem to be two types of climbing, top-rope climbing and lead climbing. What's the difference between the two, and what would be better for a begin...
A group of friends would like to go camping in Northern Pakistan on their own. The only problem is to know some locals who can help us with food and a place to find where we can put up our camps. H...
I know the USGS and many others offer free downloadable raster topo maps for almost anywhere. But what if I want vector maps using GPS coords? I'm new to GIS but I would assume there is a de fac...
Once a leech is attached, what is the proper way to remove it? (I'm assuming that the method would generic for all leeches, but if there are special kinds, please note that).
We're planning on hiking the AT, and this question prompted me to ask: What gear should we expect to replace, and how often, on the Appalachian Trail? Assume that we know basic gear maintenance a...
As in the title, when going Geocaching what are some standard implements and tools I should carry with me to get started so I'm not caught out?
If carrying a three person tent when backpacking, what's the recommended way to split it up so that the weight is balanced out among all three people going?
In What do you do if the fire does get "out of control"?, someone asked a legitimate question, and @berry120 wrote detailed response, and ended with a "tl;dr" saying, " but if the proper precaution...
I was skinning into a yurt last weekend with my regular downhill (telemark) skis. On the way back out, I noticed a lot more snow sticking to my skis... Granted, the weather was hot, and snow was st...
Recently I went on a trek to a placed named "Har ki Doon". The trek took us around an altitude of 3500 meters(15000 ft). When we were there, our guide advised us not to cover up our ears. According...
These days, almost every sleeping bag sold is given a thermal insulation numeric "rating", either the USA version or the more accurate European version. But vintage bags did not have this industry...
Can anyone point to any commercial or DIY trekking poles whose end-piece can be swapped -- i.e. regular pole point, sharp spear, raft paddle, camera screw, etc?
Planning a camping trip for next weekend. It is looking like it may be the end of winter. We have about a foot of snow right now. What problems am I going to run into if the weather is above zer...
What's the difference between a sleeping bag liner and a travel sheet? Shape (are travel sheets only available in one shape)? Fabric? Resistance?
I have noticed that preparing a backpack for a 1-2-10 day trip can take up to 3 hours. I would like to cut this time way down. Concerning this, I have had several ideas: Have a the pack outfit...
So I know How to treat hypothermia. That question and answer, however, do not address the old recommendation I have heard a 100 times of strip them down and get in a sleeping bag with them. Is that...
I am taking up hiking again on weekends, and also trying to do more walking to get out of the house of an evening. I regularly see people doing Nordic Walking in my neighbourhood, and I also see t...
How far is a reasonable distance for someone to hike on their first trip? I understand this depends on a lot of variables, such as the person's fitness, the route they are planning to do, etc, but...
I am always uneasy at the idea of carrying around a fixed blade. For this reason, my backpack knife is a multitool (A fantastic Leatherman Blast, which saved the day already many times). I would li...
I'm a keen hiker, in South Africa. Or, I was... But then our delightful darling daughter was born 7 months ago, and my hiking hobby got replaced with a new hobby. Anyway, my wife and I are very kee...
I have been reading for a while about the altai ski "the Hok" . It is being promoted as : the Hok is a ski to be used whenever and wherever there is snow. With a partial climbing skin integrat...
We went out this weekend to try and catch a frozen waterfall such as the one. We had a great trip but it was clearly a misguided venture at our current tempuratures. At what temperature would we ...
I have a bag liner that claims to add 15 degrees to the "range" of a sleeping bag. Is it reasonable to assume that it would work the same for all bags? For instance, would it extend a 40 degree b...
I recently bought a new pair of cross-country skis that matched my weight (with or without a backpack), but when I tried them out for the first time (over a two-day period), I didn't have as much g...
I'm planning to head to the Alps this summer to walk the Haute Route from Chamonix to Zermatt. Does anyhow know how far in advance I need to book the huts? Months, weeks or just a few days? Also t...
I've recently learned about the U.S. national trails system, apparently akin to the European long-distance paths. I found an (incomplete?) table of U.S. national trails and a rather poorly layed ou...
How can I find a nice, secluded cabin to rent, somewhere in the U.S. wilderness? This almost seems like a word of mouth kind of endeavor, asking friends and friends of friends if they own or know o...
I bought a pair of Quechua Forclaz 500 boots from Decathlon 2 weeks ago, but just today I realized that each boot is manufatured 6 months apart (February and August 2012). Is there a problem with ...
I've recently heard an opinion (from a sailor that attempted to beat a 122 day, westward route, around the world sailing record) that freeze-dried food is actually very healthy, as it contains less...
If mountain rescue teams in the UK were searching for a walker or climbing caught in an avalanche, would they start with a transceiver search? given that transceivers are infrequently carried by wa...
After several trips with poor fitting hire ski boots, and having had no end of trouble finding suitable fitting hire boots at the current resort, I went and bought a fitting pair. The boots have be...
I'm looking for a decent fridge with a 12V-outlet to use in the car for car camping. When I say fridge, I mean something that can keep products cool at 4°C/39°F, regardless of outside temperatures,...
