General Q&A about the great outdoors and outdoor pursuits.
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I have seen a lot of trail signs and one thing I noticed is that sometimes they have the distance from one point to another like, Phelps Lake 4 miles Death Canyon Shelf 8 miles and somet...
My propane/butane/isobutane canister with stove top attached is about 6" tall. When I put a cookware filled with liquid on top of it, the center of gravity seems very high and the whole system seem...
For reasons of time-saving and avoiding retie figure 8 knots all the time, can I clip the figure 8 knot via two carabiners each clipped to either loop of the harness? This way there will be no cros...
My doctor just used sports tape on me for a hip injury. I had never used sports tape before and realized that it might work well for blister prevention on my feet while backpacking. It seems very s...
Sometimes when mountaineering, there may be an emergency situation which leaves you in bad weather with no or damaged shelter (such as returning from a summit attempt or after a wild and crazy stor...
My MSR Whisperlite has served me well for more than 10 years. It started leaking a few weeks ago, and I'm looking for a proper replacement. I've read some good reviews about dual fuel stoves (amaz...
Being a techie, I once came across this hilarious post on StackOVerflow: What is the best comment in the source code you have ever encountered? In the similar bar of questions, which one or many a...
Our town (Groton Massachusetts) formed a town committee a few months ago to concentrate on invasive species issues. Since we are new, we are trying to find our way and decide what exactly we shoul...
Post-monsoon we have lots of flies and insects in the forests. I was hiking up an easy trail last weekend. It got dark and I still had a couple of hours of walking distance to cover. With no light...
This answer mentions, The single most effective thing you can do to improve your acclimatization rate is to get in good aerobic shape before starting your trip. It seems plausible that being ...
Hop climbs up other plants or objects. It clasps its target always clockwise. What is the reason for this? Wouldn't it be more efficient to select the direction case by case?
Hop climbs up other plants or objects. It clasps its target always clockwise. What is the reason for this? Wouldn't it be more efficient to select the direction case by case?
I know that most maple trees flower in the spring and produce seeds in the fall. However, it seems to be the reverse for the maples near me. I see seeds fall off in the spring which makes me think ...
How frequent are thunderstorms in the Canadian Rockies in September? Canadian Climate Normals do not list thunderstorm frequency.
Why is the one-sided overhand bend also called the European death knot (EDK)? Is it safe for climbing and mountaineering purposes?
I broke my friend's ATC, and am trying to find a replacement, but I don't quite know what to look for. It was a somewhat unique unit, at least among those I've seen; it was a standard "basket" ATC...
About three years ago, I picked up a used "MSR Wisperlite" for a great price. At the time, I was not aware of the difference between the classic and the International versions of the stove. Since...
It's easy to get overwhelmed with all the different types and diameters of accessory cords. I usually always get 7mm for making my prusiks and cordalettes, but I've often wondered who uses the smal...
Is it a matter of personal preference, or are there advantages to using different front-point setups on your crampons specific to what you are climbing? For example, I'm still just getting into ic...
Why is a Deadman called so? Where does the name come from?
We are planning a hike that will have us above the tree line for several days. I am interested in recommendations regarding stove and fuel types under the reduced oxygen constraints as well as wei...
I was talking to a friend on my lunch today about visiting the Tatra mountains in Poland and he said that an issue was the lack of mountain rescue if you get into trouble. Is this true, there is n...
I'm planning a trip climbing in the Tatras this summer. I was planning on basing myself at Zakopane (seem's the be a good availability of accommodation, etc.). I mentioned this on a climbing forum ...
While browsing the DumbAnchors blog, I came across a post which points out the poor use of a single strand (not a loop) of webbing for building top rope anchors. The blogger doesn't say why these ...
I've got a pair of Keen hiking boots that, at their best when brand new, never had a particularly good grip, and now, a few years later, have simply lost any grip to speak of. They are so slippery ...
Earlier last month I witnessed someone fell a tree in the Eagles Nest Wilderness while I was on a backpack trip. Its quite obvious that you're not supposed to cut down trees in a national forest, i...
Is there a graphic representation of the terms used in mountaineering literature which narrates different aspects/parts of a mountain? While reading any expedition report, climbing detail we come ...
I was having a debate with my friend on the definition of "Sport Climbing". We both agree it means rock climbing with no pre-setup ropes on a bolted route. I think regardless of whether this rout...
Edward Whymper is most known for his sweeping ascent of the Matterhorn 150 years ago. You can read about the competition with J.A. Carrel and the struggle to find a path to the top in the famous bo...
I used someone else's Wisperlite Universal for the duration of a trip and it looks like the only functional difference is a jet that can be attached for burning propane. Can I purchase just that je...
During a long expedition, how to safely pack, place and carry a portable gas filled stove? It looks something like this: http://www.climbing.com/gear/multifuel-stoves/
How do you dry wet socks when camping/backpacking if it's raining and the socks cannot be hung to dry outside? I've been compiling a list of recommendations on this subject for a little while....
The canisters that I have purchased so far have included a warning not to let the canister get above 120 degrees Fahrenheit. It looks like the inside of car can get well above that, hot enough to b...
When in an emergency survival situation were you don't have access to clean or at least "okay" water but to wildlife (or it is at least easier to grab a snake for example than to gather water), is ...
When in an emergency survival situation were you don't have access to clean or at least "okay" water but to wildlife (or it is at least easier to grab a snake for example than to gather water), is ...
I have a bunch of partially-full Jetboil canisters from various trips, and I'm trying to figure out approximately how much fuel is left in each of them. How much does a full canister weigh (fuel +...
Last week, my husband was walking on a path beside a shallow brook in Rutland State Park, a wooded area in central Massachusetts, USA. He came across a bright yellow mushroom with a very short, whi...
I'm visiting Iceland this august, will be arriving in Reykjavik. Since it's not possible to bring gas cartridges with me, I'll need to buy them there. I'll be arriving on a sunday. Is it possible t...
I've enjoyed hiking my entire life but I have one huge problem. The skin on my feet is extremely soft and sensitive. I wear good wool socks with properly fitting boots and change socks during long ...
I have seen various grades for different climbs such as 5.14b, 8b+, 8b - 150m It seems there are different parts to the grade, e.g. the last one is it 8b for 150 metres? Do these grades only ...
Recently I came across the story of Bobbie the Wonder dog and it really got me wondering about the veracity of this. So, aside from the fact that the dog found the way on his own, if a person is ...
I was watching a YouTube video featuring clips from award winning kayaking films. One thing I immediately noticed was multiple instances of kayakers running waterfalls who seem to be intentionally...
Obviously, there is no limit when you talk about climbing or using alpine equipment, but what about maintaining a constant speed while walking, without crampons, and staying on feet, no scrambling?...
I have eagerly consumed many accounts of early mountaineering expeditions in which the mountaineers always eagerly consumed Kendal Mint Cake (KMC). I got the impression that they would have found i...
Are there any recommendations about how to use a poncho to get shelter from the wind? I was thinking about wrapping some cord around my waist to hold it in place, but maybe there are better option...
A pretty common trick when winter camping is to dry anything that gets damp/wet (e.g., base layers and socks) in your sleeping bag (cf. How do you dry wet socks when camping/backpacking if it's rai...
I live close to the Sacramento River in Rio Vista, CA, it's current is usually very heavy. I usually use anchovies for strippers and use a second rod to practice with lures. When I can afford it, I...
Thinking about getting a small packaway rain jacket to keep in the car for emergencies like this or this. However, I'm slightly worried at the amount of bad weather they could withstand going by ...
I am planning a homebuilt sailing craft that uses a sail similar to the Sunfish (image below) I have seen a few homebuilt sails that use metal electrical conduit for the mast and spars, and am work...
A recent comment Cows eat grass, doesn't mean you can! got me thinking. Corn, wheat, rice, etc are all grass that we eat regularly. I am not sure the human race could survive on the planet...
