General Q&A about the great outdoors and outdoor pursuits.
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I'm considering heading to Kerlingarfjöll. I thought it was pretty barren, which would mean it doesn't matter much whether one travels in summer or autumn, but it looks like it does get some mosse...
Is there a way to dry the shoes out when they get wet? I am referring to situations specially when I can not hang them out to dry. Consider a situation wherein I am trekking in the night, and I nee...
In 2013 I visited Nuortakrågge: Nuortakrågge is located at 67.8084°N, 16.6203°E, above Vuodnabahta, Norway. It is open and free to use. It is not listed on official maps but there is a small s...
The "Lech Fall" in Austria is a huge waterfall with a small peninsula on its inflow. This picture gives a nice overview: From Wikimedia I was standing on that peninsula and experienced extremel...
I've got athlete's foot after having my feet in the same boots for extended periods of time. How can I disinfect my wool hiking socks to prevent this from spreading and reinfecting my feet?
I'm heading up for some walking to Scotland soon. I will need to cross multiple rivers. I have no interest in crossing wearing my walking boots as so many people like to do as wet feet are the wo...
I live about 45 degree north latitude. Other then at the Equinox, daylight is seldom 12 hours. Sometimes it is more sometimes less. The summer sun can last 16+ hours. I understand how and why th...
Something curious happened this weekend. One of my field-tips broke inside the shaft. The actual point and the thread of the tip got separated. The problem is that the thread is stilled screwed in ...
We visited Neuschwanstein lately and since we were with kids, picked the common tourist path up to the castle. The hike is extremely stressful (for me at least) because you wander on a tarred way w...
I have just got Grivel The Tech Machine Ice Axe. It comes with Ice blade by default. Mostly I am going to do Mix climbing on granite in Norway with Ice climbing occasionally. Do you recommend to g...
This summer I will be taking a rather inherently dangerous multi-day hike by myself. I was considering buying a flare gun since I will be out of cellular range unless there is something more moder...
I just got my first hammock and am eager to try it out! I don't have an underquilt, I was planning to use my current bag and foam pad. In a tent, they would be on the lower end of comfortable for t...
On a recent winter backpacking trip there was some confusion and danger of separation of the group. The group had not walked together before. Some members were not very experienced, while others w...
It seems like the back quiver has only disadvantages compared to a bow or side quiver. Yet many archers - including Byron Ferguson - choose to go with them. What advantages (besides looking aweso...
Sometimes while backpacking you have to cross streams, and from a weight point of view, it would be nicer to just cross in your bare feet, instead of bringing an extra pair of shoes along. These ...
Mattress in a conversion van width wise seems to be a close call. Typically you only get a measure between the wheel wells. After that the shape of the van makes it not so clear. For width wi...
When firing a flare gun in the air, what is the risk of accidentally starting a forest or wildland fire? Does the flare go out completely before it touches the ground?
This answer on another question says that there is a risk of causing a forest fire when using a flare. Is there a recommended/safer way to use flares that lessens this risk, in the event that some...
For the locking caribiner that connects the person's harness to their rappel device/ropes, should the locking caribiner's gate be toward the top or bottom of the setup when using a screwgate type l...
When wood is heated, the first thing to ignite are the "burnable gasses" released by the heating process (producing flames). Some time later, the combustion of these gasses heat the wood to the po...
I'm outdoors quite a bit. But the one thing that takes me out of action is sweat buildup and rubbing in my nether regions. It can literally take me out of action for a few days. I think it comes do...
I've gone camping for quite a bit, but when it comes to choosing between water resistant and waterproof gear, I always take the latter. I'm actually curious if there's a difference between these t...
Several years ago, the Washington Post had an article titled This remarkable new exoskeleton slips on like a boot and makes your walking more efficient. Engineers at Carnegie Mellon University ...
I am planning to do the Laugavegur Trek in Iceland this summer (rain and snow can be expected) and need to buy a tent. I read a few articles on what to consider while buying a tent and got confused...
Close to my home, there is only a bouldering gym, but no climbing gym that offers roped climbing. But my real goal in climbing is leading harder/longer routes. The bouldering really improves my str...
In the more than 30 years I have lived in northern Virginia, I have never seen a copperhead, although there have been several reliable copperhead sightings in my neighborhood, the most recent last ...
Explanation of why my question is not a duplicate of What is the best way to store my tent?. I am specifically asking about an aspect not addressed in the earlier question or any of its answers: ...
I'm part of a group of disabled people who'd like to learn, or at least experience, water skiing. Our disabilities vary, but none of us are able to support our legs enough to stand on water skis wi...
Since braided line floats and mono sinks slowly; do they sell a tapered leader braided line? This is my first-year fly fishing - so I may not know enough. My current setup is a #8 rod with a brai...
Apologies for the word problem. I'm sure there's a simple solution or two, but I'm trying to work out a real world scenario. We used to indoor top rope belay but that was years ago in boy Scouts so...
My yard gets overrun by mosquitoes every summer, due to there being a lot of woods and sitting water areas in the neighborhood. Unfortunately, many of these areas are outside of my yard, and/or pro...
What rope would be most helpful/versatile in a survival situation?
I have a home made snare that when tightened, causes a weight of 14.5LB to fall, pulling the snare loop closed and towards a chain link bolted to the ground so that the animal will be pushed agains...
We know left-footed football players, we know right-handed and left-handed batmen and bowlers, we know left-handed or right-handed tennis players, and so on.. I know being a right handed guy I co...
Usually I have a walking stick with me. But this time around I didn't have one along. With the hot and humid weather adding to the woes, we were going up a seemingly unending ascent. The constant ...
This question made me wonder how one should be pulled up in a rescue situation, e.g. when lowering is not an option. This answer explains a Z-pulley when in an alpine/glacier environment. I'm mor...
In sport and trad climbing, a sit harness is widely used (except for children). However, I wondered if there is the possibility to fall out of it? One situation where I could see this happen is in...
For health reasons, I usually try to keep my sodium intake fairly low. However, most freeze dried dinners offered in camping stores contain an more sodium than I'm looking for. I consider 800mg a s...
I want to have a campfire on Southport beach in a few weeks as a small birthday celebration with some friends. I was wondering who I should contact to request permission to do so, as I know it's il...
I am going to do a climb that has a long lateral traverse I drew up three options, and Option #2 seems to me to be preferable to the other options. What do you think the best option is for this ...
It's been a beautiful Sunday here in the UK today and I went by the river (Thames) with my girlfriend to get some sunlight and fresh air. (We rarely do that, so that might be why I'm writing a ques...
I am going to Friendship, Maine, USA, 04547, for the first week of August 2014. I am thinking about kayak fishing. Are they any good spots? What kind of fish species should I expect to find there?
Some of you may remember 35mm film** and the black cases it came in. I have a few lying around, and have seen people use them as backpacking salt and pepper shakers. I have also heard that's a good...
On a recent walk my girlfriend and I discovered a decomposed horse carcass, nothing but bones left. We took some photos and moved on. She's now decided that the bones would make great ornaments and...
Long story short, I want to abseil down from my balcony. The guard rail of my balcony feels sturdy, is bolted into multiple different bricks and uses big screws which makes me think that they will ...
When tying my autoblock knot my cord keeps twisting, and it does not end up looking nearly this nice: I use a double-fisherman loop of cord that stays permanently tied, and it lays flat. How can...
