The Great Outdoors Stack Exchange
The Great Outdoors Stack Exchange

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1500 questions
56
votes
7 answers

Does cotton really kill?

For outdoor hiking, backpacking or camping trips, I always hear people saying Cotton Kills. That means don't wear cotton anywhere (underwear, shirts, pants), and no cotton blends. Usually it's given as a strict, no compromise rule if the temperature…
shimizu
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How do you know you have reached North or South Pole without GPS?

Having read about the recent foot traverse of Antarctica by Colin O'Brady I was wondering which means the polar explorers of former, pre-GPS times used to determine that they had reached the North or South Pole. Obviously, you cannot use a compass…
Benedikt Bauer
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4 answers

How long does water need to be boiled for to kill all bacteria / viruses?

This has come up a few times in a few other questions, but I've heard varying opinions from different people in a number of answers and comments on here - some saying that just boiling for a moment is enough, others saying that to be sure you should…
berry120
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2 answers

How to avoid exploding rocks

It seems that every tutorial I read and show I watch shows people using rocks for everything from a cooking surface to boiling water. However, I have had rocks crack in half on me, and I've always been warned that they can explode from rapidly…
Russell Steen
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55
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5 answers

Is ankle support a myth?

There seems to be an ongoing holy war with "boots people" vs "shoes people". A comment on this question caught my eye: ...Ankle support is a myth for most folks.... Now I've always worn boots and I beleieve that ankle support helps a lot,…
user2766
54
votes
12 answers

How to deal with condensation in a tent?

I often camp in rainy or very humid weather, and I often have condensation forming inside my tent. What can I do to minimize this? My tent has vents, but I’m not sure how to make the best use of them. I’m not sure if I should just leave them open…
Big General
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7 answers

Should you pop a blister?

When I'm home running or on a day hike, I prefer to pierce the skin as soon as a blister forms and drain all fluid from a blister to reduce the pain and further irritation/inflammation. In this case, I know I can get antibacterials and a thorough…
bmike
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4 answers

Is drinking urine safe?

We've all heard stories about how people saved their lives by drinking their urine. Is drinking urine safe when there are no other water sources available? Can I filter it with a water purifier?
studiohack
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7 answers

Is it dangerous to rope together on an ascent of hard packed ice?

This image has recently come under considerable criticism on social media for dangerous mountaineering practices. The location is unknown as the qualified mountain guide observer wanted to maintain the climbers' anonymity. The terrain was…
Venture2099
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11 answers

I am lost, I found a trail, which way do I go?

If I am lost in the woods, and I find a trail or a road, how do I decide which way to go? Autumn Veatch was 16 years old in 2015, when her grandparents small plane crashed in the North Cascade Mountains. It was two days of hiking before she found…
James Jenkins
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4 answers

Can I eat the rabbits my cat catches?

My cat gets a rabbit every other week or so. He usually eats the whole thing himself but I was wondering if I should try and cook it for myself. Is there even enough meat on them to make it worth the effort? If I had to guess they probably weigh…
chrisdrhjh
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10 answers

What are the dangers of walking barefoot in towns/cities?

I've walked barefoot practically all summer for every summer I can remember. However now that I'm a teenager my Mum is saying I need to wear shoes because of glass, needles, worms and diseases. I have done some research but no answer is super clear…
Lexi Bean
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52
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1 answer

Why would a seal be flinging an octopus around above the water and then slapping a kayaker with it?

There is a video of a seal sucker punching a kayaker with an octopus, Source I suppose the seal wasn't exactly trying to hit the kayaker, but why would it be flinging the octopus around above the surface of the water?
Charlie Brumbaugh
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52
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8 answers

How can I get a GPS location for this tree on a distant hillside?

I want to hike to the base of this tree (circled in red in the photo). That's a hillside full of full grown trees beneath it, and it looks like over a full tree's height sticking up above the other trees. It's got to be enormous. So how do I get a…
jdmcnair
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9 answers

Are there any advantages while backpacking to hike during the night and sleep during the day?

This is something I have pondered on multiple occasions, when the light of the full moon and the altitude induced insomnia kept me awake long into the night. I realize that this would be an unusual strategy, but I have heard of people doing it,…
Charlie Brumbaugh
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