General Q&A about the great outdoors and outdoor pursuits.
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Why is sunlight in mornings and evenings more intense in the temperate zones than in the tropics? It is more difficult to drive facing the sun at 7am for example in Auckland, NZ than at Singapore.
In many UK lakes, I see signs prohibiting swimming with the explanation DANGER: Deep water. This link contains an example. I don't understand those signs. Why is a 30 metre deep lake more danger...
In kayaking I've heard a term called the 'washing machine'. Apparently as a river is flowing over terrain it can create whirlpools and currents that swirl in all manner. Occasionally a condition ...
In January 2016, I was on a flight from London to San Francisco and photographed this prominent mountain (the large one, roughly in the centre of the horizon). Can anybody identify it? The photog...
If one were to hike during the night and sleep during the day, what differences in navigation would one have to take into account? In my experience you are more on instruments (such as a compass o...
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...
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?
While reloading some cartridges, I was on the last step of crimping the bullet into the brass case, and made and mistake and the brass was compressed wrong. The other reason for removing a bullet ...
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 ...
When car camping, I use a solar charger to charge my electronics. Sometimes I can place it outside, and other times I will stick it on the dash to charge things. I can tell that putting it on the ...
There seems to be conflicting information on the web about how to use a Munter hitch for belaying and rappelling while rock climbing. The way I learned decades ago is consistent with Nols Wildernes...
House cats will play with their food i.e. catch a mouse then let it go and then recatch it over and over again before finally eating it. Do mountain lions exhibit similar behavior?
As I am always looking for my next challenge I have decided that I want to reach the highest points in some of the European countries. I am a pretty fit person and I went on some 3-4 day trips in ...
I have been hiking/mountaineering for quite a few years now. But, I have never been into a deep cave as yet. We are planning to explore a natural cave that we'll have to rappel into. The cave is un...
Having a sense of community on a backpacking trip can mean the difference between enjoyment and misery. It can also be the difference between backpacking as a team instead of as random group of peo...
Suppose you don't have a pot or any other fire proof container to boil water in, but you need to boil it for safe drinking water. How else can you boil the water?
Today I went to paddle with a friend and he said that I should sit in the back because I'm heavier. But why is that? How does this help with the weight distribution or handling of the kayak?
If the leader has had to resort to pulling on a piece of gear to make it through a crux on a pitch how can the second pass this point while also cleaning the piece that was used for aid. Assuming t...
I recently got my new Osprey Atmos 65, and I really want to attach some patches that I bought online. Will normal iron patches work or can I sew them on instead? Will it damage the backpack?
Can I shoot a bear in self-defense? Will I face fines and jail time if I do?
If I want to create a 3D archery course in Germany on public land, which authorities do I have to contact? First of all I need to know which authority administrates the land but also if I have to t...
If I want to create a 3D archery course in Germany on public land, which authorities do I have to contact? First of all I need to know which authority administrates the land but also if I have to t...
I do laps at the pool quite often and when I do front crawl I breathe out with my face in the water. I tried to do the same at a lake (it was quite warm actually but choppy conditions) but found i...
The proverbial "Rule of 3" says you can live three weeks without food. Are there any documented cases of people actually living three weeks with no food in the wilderness and surviving? For tho...
Having read this good question I felt it covered mountainous regions very well however myself and my husband are big fans of the coast and he certainly has (with his ex-fisherman father) explored m...
hopefully this is not a duplicate as I've searched for an answer on here before posting. I found this but there seems to be conflicting views on certain aspects of the question. What I would like ...
There is a trail (Not really a "trail" as such), adjacent to my appartment I am lucky to be by a 100m x 500m patch of earth (not an official park), that is not built on. Swerving from the trail, wh...
Would it have been possible to sail a small boat from The Wash, Norfolk, UK to Dunkirk in WWII? Could it be done in one go? If not, where would you stop en route?
I have a lelievlet and want to add a bowsprit/lignite and a mizzen mast. Therefore I need to know how much I need to change the shrouds, anyone can help me by explaining how? edit: What data do I...
While hiking and backpacking, I often ponder how the trail came to be located where it is. Some trails, especially longer ones, seem like they could take several different routes to get to their de...
A crossbow I purchased (a Stryker 380) came with a drawing apparatus made of cord and a couple plastic parts. I haven't been using it since drawing with fingers works just fine. But now I'm wonderi...
I have hiked in years past up to 12,000 ft but normally topped out around 8,000 ft when doing day hikes. Problem is that I'm in my 60's, haven't hiked in 3 years and live at an altitude that tops ...
Some I've noticed: V0 – hanging by one's arms; shifting weight for balance; pushing with one's legs V1 – pinching, edging V2 – laybacking, pockets, backstepping, flagging V3 – 'more strength'? ...
I am going skiing shortly after Christmas and I have a thick canvas (65% polyester, 35% cotton, brushed) coat that I need to waterproof. Is a wax more efficient for waterproofing than a spray for ...
I know I shouldn't indulge in something like going on a beach while wearing shoes with breathable fabric. But, it happened the other day and now I still feel like there is some sand hidden somewhe...
I've used one of the trail apps and was satisfied, but am looking for something better. What are the features I should focus on for selecting an app? What bells and whistles are really useful on t...
Am I allowed to bivouac in the German Elbsandsteingebirge (Elbe Sandstone Mountains)? If no, is it considered as a peccadillo/unenforced law (Kavaliersdelikt)? In both countries ((Czech and Ge...
I want to go on a trip to Sweden next summer. However, the plan was to do a little roving in the untouched nature. Note: I'll bring my own field target with me to not harm any nature. Roving c...
Having watched several Bear Grylls shows, I was curious if anyone has any practical uses for a "commando rappel", as he calls it, or an "Australian rappel". It seems like they're only used for ente...
Several years ago I purchased an Exped down filled inflatable sleeping pad. It is a more comfortable pad than Thermarest pads I've used in the past, so I would still recommend it. That being said, ...
Some outdoors clothing have an inner mesh lining of polyester (or similar) fabric. What purpose does such a lining serve? Does it insulate or is it for transporting humidity from the body?
Does anyone know the origin of the word "Sendtember"? I'm trying to figure out what it means and Google isn't being helpful. I think it has something to do with temperatures in the month of Septemb...
On backpacking trips, I would like to avoid dew because it means either waiting till the sun has come up and dried my stuff off or packing wet things and drying them later. My experience is that d...
On a recent multi-pitch climb, we encountered a strange situation: The wall was basically divided into three parts: 200m of climbing, a large steep grassy part where you untie from the rope and wa...
This exchange of comments on English Language and Usage got me to wondering if outdoor ice-skating is or was ever a sport in Iran (or central Asia). Certainly it gets cold enough in parts of Iran. ...
It's been a couple of years since I last had bad shin splits but I can still recall how painful they can be. I was able to heal them before mostly with a couple weeks rest. If the pain came back ...
As part of an effort to be a responsible user of the world's waterways, I've been thinking about ways to reduce marine pollution. A friend told me that certain chemicals in common brands of sunscre...
There are a lot of caves around where I'm from in the Southern Canadian Rockies, including the largest cave, and the longest cave in Canada, as well as the Booming Ice Chasm. The caves around here ...
Once, I was waiting for bats to come out of a cave (I knew there were some in the cave) and they never came out that I could see. While it was after hibernation and the bats were definitely awake ...
