General Q&A about the great outdoors and outdoor pursuits.
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Is it possible to recycle or refill small (disposable ) propane cannisters?
Recently I saw an arborist climbing up a single rope with an unbelievable speed, as if it was just a ladder. Of course he was using all kinds of specialized gear including foot/chest ascenders and ...
I'm just curious how feasible it is to install a rock climbing wall on the side of a regular, balloon framed house (modern standard in the U.S. and Canada). Would something like that require constr...
When searching for a light and low-cost backpacking tent dome tents accounted for about 90% of my search results and the rest were primarily pop-up, pup, or tiny one-man tube style tents. I was su...
What are the risks of climbing a via ferrata alone? Would going through very easy via ferratas still pose high risks? Are well visited and easy climbing via ferratas necessarily a great danger? I...
I have been watching this climbing video of Alex Honnold. In this video his friend goes ahead of him and cleans the wall of any debris or slippery rocks. What are these people who clean the walls...
In windsurfing there exist many different moves. Apart from the very basic techniques (like uphauling the sail), which moves are considered essential for windsurfing? Which order is good for learni...
I was reflecting on how different disciplines of climbing help you become a stronger climber in other disciplines. Like how bouldering makes you a better sport climber, because it teaches you beta ...
According to esquif, Royalite is a multi-laminate similar to Royalex but distinguished by its lightness. [...] The result is a weight reduction of 15% with a minimum loss of material streng...
I am wondering if there is a best time to buy used surfing equipment. Is there any time when the offered variety will be greatest or when the prices will be lowest? Would that be just after season ...
When do I know that I need to sharpen my crampons? In documentaries, I have seen people filing their crampons.
I often take a slice of bread to the beach when I go on my beachcombing ramblings, and throw pieces of it to the shore birds that are, like me, combing the beach but, unlike my search for "jewels" ...
I'm trying to visualise how to setup my first hammock and what kit I will need (excluding tarp and underlay) can you check my sketch below (excuse the simplistic style) and confirm that I have cove...
Most torches have their brightness specified in lumen, sometimes one also sees a lux number, at times both. While the technical meaning of these units are clear (lumen is luminous intensity per ste...
I just moved into a travel trailer with my pets (two cats and a bunny). I have a built-in garage and there is no place to run to if there is a tornado. I was wanting to know if it would be safe to ...
As a keen hiker with some time off I am considering a self-supported walk across Scotland. Which route/locations would encompass the most self-sufficiency (wild camping/hammock locations) whilst b...
I have an all natural bug spray that uses distilled water and a combination of four essential oils, and NOT containing DEET. If I spray it on my body and clothing before climbing will these essenti...
After my first wild camping experience, I found that my hand torch was really inefficient in the evening compared to other people's head torches - what are the features that make a good head torch?
I purchased a box of shotgun shells in the United States. On the box it says they are for pheasant. But it does not say if the shot is lead, steel or some other nontoxic material. We know from the ...
I currently work on a diy-target. I wan to fill a big cardboard box with stuff, that stops an arrow. However, I'm not able to get my hands on foil rests or textile waste. I just have a full paper b...
High on my list of places I want to visit one day in my life is Iceland, but I am worried by a warning I heard. One of two people who talked to me about Iceland experiences told me she was rather ...
It is almost summer here and me and my wife would like to get back to hiking after recently having a kid in September. He is almost 9 months old now and we would like to take him with us. I have a...
Do we know which is the world's largest 3D archery course and its stats? Depending on the trail length and the count of targets.
If a isobutane canister says 4 oz, does that mean it has 4oz of fuel or is that fuel+canister weight? And I assume that is 4oz of wheight, not volume, right?
What is the exact equipment I need for walking safely on glaciers? The route I will be taking is the Hvannadalshnukur ascend from the ring road and same path descend. From what I could find out the...
Assuming I don't have a watch or other time-telling device with me in the wilderness, is there a way to know what time it is? I don't necessarily want to know the exact minute of the day, but a gen...
I know that boiling does little to break down chemical contaminants or heavy metals. But I'm unsure if it kills all microbial life. Are there any waterborne illness-causing viruses/bacteria/protozo...
I've met often with the concept that rotten meat and carcass is inedible because of bacteria and toxins. The most harmful is the botulinum toxin. However, in the question Can any waterborne pathog...
I want to hang up a hammock. There are vertical square tubes made of galvanized steel of 10cm x 10cm. I want to hang up my hammock by using ropes (polyester, ⌀6mm, 9500N) and shackles. The rope sho...
Looking at the Vibram FiveFingers shoes, I find myself wondering why? What possible benefits do they bring as opposed to a traditional sole? Their web site seems to suggest that they are a more n...
On a day-to-day basis, I wear regular light-weight sport shoes, such as these: The footwear I saw people using in serious terrain in the USA looked similar, but this answer to my related questio...
I need to do paper tuning in a few days. Is there any recommendation on how to quickly setup a paper tuning jig? I'm in a shooting range, so I basically need the jig (frame holding the paper) only.
Nearly every outdoor shoe has this sling on its heel. No matter whether it's a hiking-boot, snowboard-boot or something else. In the left-hand side of this picture for example: What's the purpo...
I recently bought my first compass, a SUUNTO Spiegel- und Peilkompass MC-2/360/D CM/IN NH, black. I observed that the red orienting arrow and meridian lines are not parallel. They are forming an an...
I'm trying to figure out how many cannisters of isobutane to bring on a 5 day family backpacking trip. I figure we'll boil about 1.5 gallons of water per day (use this as a unit of measurement: ga...
I know that this has been debated for some time (whether it is better to sleep in a tent or a tarp) but recently this debate came up between my friends and me, and I am just feeling out this possib...
I have been looking into how strong of a bow would be required to bow hunt moose. I haven't been able to find a specific number as to how many fps you should be shooting to safely hunt moose.
What are the consequences of firing a gun in a US national park due to distress? (for instance, shooting at an attacking animal, or firing in the air to attract attention when stranded) There is a...
Let's say we have a liter of coke and liter of water. Both of them weight nearly the same. However, the coke contains a lot of calories whereas the water contains none. Despite other health-relat...
I am looking to setup dish and hand washing stations for a group of folks in a fairly-wild woodland, in a car-camping summertime setting, for 2-5 days (depending on the occasion). Is stream water f...
We're planning a 9 to 10 hour dive. We can't go that long without eating. What kind of 'food' could replace at least 2 meals of the day so we can 'survive' a long dive like that? We'll figure out...
So I was gifted two of those survival paracord bracelets. I untied one so to check the resistance of the cord. It holded my whole body weight (75kg) hanging from the ceiling, and I also bounced on...
Remote, private land with no 'improvements'. Dirt road access up to a small field with a campfire, stream down a hill nearby, surrounded by vast woodland. A group of ~20 people gathering on site f...
Letterboxing is a precursor to geocaching, wherein participants leave notes / stamps in boxes in the wild... It's helpful to have a list or guide to letterbox sites when embarking on a search, as ...
I have large feet, that can be difficult to find the correct size shoe. Typically, I've been wearing size 13, but I have found that I get too many blisters with this size, and I don't have much wig...
The blisters can be very painful. If you walk further, you should expect it won't be easy and pleasant. And the blisters may get worse. But what do you risk, except from pain and getting more blis...
As a Brit I've very little knowledge of American-style summer camps (none, in fact, beyond Addam's Family Values) however I'm attempting to help organise such an event this Summer. I've been told...
I would like to get into backpacking and make 2-3 day backpacking trips in moderate climatic conditions in mountainous terrains (mid-Atlantic U.S. or Central Europe, spring-fall). I am looking for...
It is imperative that climbing ropes are in excellent shape so they don't split while someone is climbing. How do I properly inspect the rope when I'm about to start a climb?
I'm not actually asking about the fashion items, the kind celebrities buy for their dogs... but actual outdoor designed dog boots. What is the purpose of dog boots? Why / when would you use them?
