General Q&A about the great outdoors and outdoor pursuits.
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UPDATE - 26 OCTOBER 2017 I just received an email from JanSport Customer Service (after I had sent them the pictures you see below). They still maintain that the subject backpack is a Cascade mod...
We encountered these guys in a small inland (freshwater) creek in southern WA. There were hundreds, covering low flat rocks in the water; every one carrying a shell made out of either tiny rocks,...
I found this insect under my shirt while working, it is the first time I ever see something like that and it is kind of too small for me to tell what it is. I do not have a property measuring t...
If animals eat each other daily and defecate, why don't rainforests and the natural world smell like rotten corpses and feces? Wild animals don't have recycling people.
Knee is basically one of the main joints that provides you the ability to walk. There are several ways to prevent or ease the knee pain (see Knee pain when descending a mountain), but I would like ...
I've been paddling three times (one week each) in rental (Canadian) canoes. My girlfriend and me brought all gear and food with us and there still was plenty of room for our dog in the boat. I kno...
My optometrist assures me that all polarized prescription lens will now also assure 100% UV protection. Is this true and if not how can I insure that I’m getting optimum UV protection from new pre...
I have been climbing for a short while and loving it. Now that I've gotten a fair bit of practice with indoor climbing I'm thinking about where this new love of mine can take me. The obvious answer...
Would it be possible to use canoe paddles - and eventually some cords and beach stakes - to hang a bug net such as this? Our paddles will be about 2 meters (6.5 feet) long and can be split in ha...
Sure you have to look out for crevasses which is nicely explained here: How to detect a crevasse on a glacier. But what else does one have to consider when trying to cross a glacier? Some glacie...
Assuming the cat-hole is the preferred protocol for waste disposal in the area you are backpacking, what should you do when the soil is buried below A LOT of snow, and/or frozen?
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 am looking to get a spinning 22lr target, the fun thing about these is that if you hit them the target spins and then resets so it's very clear that you either hit or missed. There are all diffe...
At significant risk of tin foil hat jokes, I’ve read compelling evidence that a homemade hat incorporating angled and crumpled aluminum foil may slightly increase a kayaker’s visibility on radar — ...
There are a number of ways to purify water, off the top of my head we have filters, iodine, and boiling. Clearly each has some advantage/disadvantage (iodine tastes terrible, boiling takes time). ...
I have been doing a lot of cave climbing recently. So I am not talking about your average tourist cave, I talk about real miles deep labyrinth like caves, where nature never thought of humans getti...
I know there is a degree of "gray" in this question but: I have a Beal Top gun II 10.5mm, I've had this rope for around 4 years now and I'm starting to think about retiring it. It's been used m...
What equipment should I carry in case of emergency on a coastal kayaking trip? I normally do short trips (1 week or less) around the islands of northwest Scotland. I tend to travel solo (sometimes...
I like to use a pot which is 8.9 cm wide (3.5 inches) - because anything bigger would be a waste of space and weight for my needs. It's identical to a Toaks 750ml titanium pot. Most of the stove s...
String walking is, Having a 3-under allows for string walking. What this is, is basically the ability to pull the string at a different position hence changing the distance of your shot. Sou...
Although not greater in number, our hummingbirds this summer seem to be larger than in the past. I think it may be because my husband started making our own nectar, so it's fresher, and might taste...
There is a wide variety of pre-cut firewood available when camping. In my experience, even wood that's been kept covered is often very wet and can be difficult to light. What are some techniques f...
I want to travel by canoe from Ohiopyle State Park to Cumberland, MD on the Youghiogheny, Casselman and Potomac Rivers What are the navigation considerations? Also I will have a bike and trailer ...
I hear it both ways some will say a feels like temperature or a heat index. I want to know if there is a difference between the two and if so what is it. Thanks in advance
In the Instinctive Bow Division of World Archery, you can either release in the Mediterranean style with one finger above the knock and two fingers below, or you can shoot 3 under, where all three ...
I live in Berlin, Germany and in the last couple of years it's been know as 'wild boar capital' since there are lots of wild boars in the surroundings. I wanted to start camping and bushcrafting an...
My wife and I are avid inland, freshwater kayakers - both on calm lakes and up/down rivers and streams. We have only done day trips. We are also moderately experienced backcountry campers. Now w...
Sure it is nice to carry around huge packs of fresh vegetables and some beef in order to prepare a proper dish. However, it takes up space and moreover lots of mass in your backpack. Also, a pound...
Is there any effective repellent against deer flies (Lipoptena cervi)? It should be safe for humans as well as dogs. All related information I could find is about a different deer fly (Chrysops).
We are heading for a trek in the Fann mountains and I've heard a lot of the water there is cloudy with very fine silt particles in it. I noticed most water filter manuals explicitly tell you not to...
The impeller on my outboard motor (2002 2 stroke 75 HP Yamaha) was replace last year before I used it. It was fully serviced at that the time, but the motor hasn't been run in about 12 months. Does...
Where to I insert the slackline in this picture? Does the slackline wrap around a cylinder of the ratchet or just hang? I can't get the line to be locked in place. It'd be helpful if someone woul...
So this happened the other day; shouldn't have happened if I had been taking my time and paying attention to what I was doing, but it did: I was cleaning several ropes from the top of a short cra...
When I'm rock climbing, I feel like I've got hand holds down as far as where to grab on and understand that the hands are mainly for balance. However, I can't seem to figure out my feet. There are ...
An entrepreneur is planning a campsite-hotel in Romania, with a full outdoor gourmet restaurant attached, with an outdoor kitchen. There will be no cabins or other living structures, only tents an...
As a relative newcomer to the shooting/hunting world, I am looking to buy my first big game rifle. Now, I know what rifle I want, just not what caliber to get it in. The two calibers that I am lef...
Let's say your plane crashes and you end up in a forest in a cold Russian winter miles away from civilization. You have lost all your clothing; completely butt naked. You manage to get fire and m...
I found this bug in my back yard and walls outside of my house. Can you help me identify? I was worried if this is a tick.
We have couple Coleman 5 gal. water carriers. They are nice sturdy canisters, but they have major weak spot: their taps are of poor quality and easily broken — both ours are, and seems like a lot o...
Photographed off the Western coast of India, Goa, to be precise. Not even sure this is a creature since I've never seen anything like it. It appeared to move by shooting tiny jets of water from its...
When you are within the three boat length circle in a race, do other rules of racing apply? So, if two boats are within the circle, one boat has overlap, is on the inside, and is on starboard tack...
All things being equal a lighter arrow will travel faster when shot from a bow. A faster arrow tends to drop less over a given distance. Both will have similar kinetic energy over a short distanc...
I plan to go on a hike with someone allergic to latex. Usually I would pack small plasters and leukotape, but this is not an option in this case. How can I replace these items with latex-free equ...
I'm new to slacklining and planning to buy a slack line kit from Amazon With the rope and ratchet and tree protector which will be used on trees. Is this enough to be able to tie the rope between ...
I know a training line + slackline would cost more than a slack-line itself, but I'm wondering if I didn't buy a slackline+training line I'd have to step on and fall off before I'm able to balance ...
I live in the southern part of Zealand, in Denmark. I assembled a chicken coop yesterday, and found this feather on top of the egg-collection box lid this morning. I have been unable to find out wh...
I just recently fletched new arrows and I decided to put them a little more downward than usual. I thought (with my particular fletching rig) I would get more helical twist into it. However, I end...
What are some slackline vendors or brick and mortar stores in the state of Maryland with people who actually know how to slackline? I agree that some vendors of slacklines from Amazon may be selli...
The classic advice given to backpackers trying to limit the weight they have to carry is “Pay attention to the ounces, and the pounds take care of themselves.” Brooks Landon M.A. Ph.D.. Build...
I'm assuming that if I bought a 15 meter slackline, I could actually tie it between two trees at any length less than 15 meters apart and use it. Please tell me if that assumption is wrong. So what...
