The Great Outdoors Stack Exchange
The Great Outdoors Stack Exchange

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1500 questions
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Is there a universal patch that signifies Food/Rations?

I have a medical bag together, which has a red cross velcro patch on the front of it. Anyone who looks at it will immediately know that the bag contains medical supplies. However, I'm making an additional bag for hiking/bugout which will hold spare…
Krythic
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Is there a difference between a hiking trail and a backpacking trail, including if it's the same piece of land?

I saw an article about the Long Trail, a 272-mile trail through the Green Mountain range in Vermont, USA. It's famous for being the oldest hiking trail in the United States, having been built between 1910 and 1930. According to the Green Mountain…
Sue Saddest Farewell TGO GL
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Is there a simple at-home test to objectively measure the insulating value of a sleeping pad?

Does anyone know of a reasonably simple means of using household items to objectively measure the insulating value of a sleeping pad, in a way that accurately predicts that aspect of performance in the field? I would imagine that this would…
mmcc
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Is it safe to drink rain water from a stream after a long drought?

I was hiking in Switzerland yesterday and came across a small river which holds very little water on most days (or even none) and grows a lot after rainfall. The day before yesterday it rained for the first time in weeks, so the river held a lot of…
Wolter
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How big a fall is a "major" fall?

I answered a question about rope safety with some advice about retiring the rope after a "major" fall. Another user asked me what would constitute a major fall - and I have to admit that I can only give a gut feeling about this, not any properly…
HorusKol
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How dangerous is it to rummage the ground in the mountains of Nevada desert with venomous creatures out there?

I made plans to do some hiking in the mountains of Nevada this weekend. I'll have someone there nearby and a hospital is an hour drive away. We thought it would be fun to uncover rocks and even dig the soil to try and see if we can get lucky finding…
Michael d
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How to estimate the volume a person sweats?

I'm pretty comfortable with my technique to stay hydrated, but I am curious about estimating how much liquid is actually involved. I generally am just concerned with getting rid of it, but occasionally (especially when drips become a steady trickle)…
user8348
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How do you fashion a spear with a fixed blade

What is the proper way to make a spear with a fixed blade to prevent breaking as described by Vorac in his comment here?
Russell Steen
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Dealing with a campsite that is full of rocks or not flat terrain?

What do you do before setting up your tent when the your camping site is either: full of rocks ? not flat ?
Amine
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How to maximise the chances of survival when stranded in open sea?

I read with interest about news of a scuba diver being stranded in the open sea when the diving operator failed to account for all members of a group. Mishaps like this and accidents such as boat capsizes or plane crashes do happen from time to…
Question Overflow
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What do I need to do to a tent that's been stored for a long time?

I have a rather nice 1-2 person hiking tent from over 20 years ago. It's still made, with very few changes, and is a double wall design that pitches in one go. I thought it was nylon but the current model is polyester; it's certainly synthetic. It…
Chris H
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Escaping tree well

Last week, while exploring tree snowboarding at Big Sky, MT, I ended up in a tree well. I was up to my waist and was able to crawl out. But it felt awkward and I see how I could sink deeper. My question is, should this happen again and to a greater…
amphibient
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What qualities should I look for in a good walking pole?

I've seen walking poles range from <£10 to >£100 - and to a casual observer there doesn't often seem to be much to distinguish them, with both having good grips and shock relief / suspension. What makes one better than the other, and is it worth…
berry120
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Hiking and climbing in smoky areas

This Fall, there are a lot of large fires burning in the pacific northwest of the US and the air quality on many trails and mountains is poor as a result. This makes hiking and climbing unpleasant, unhealthy and possibly unsafe. To be clear, I am…
Qudit
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Why aren't aluminum canoes more popular/prevalent?

Growing up we had an old aluminum canoe. It looked kind of ugly, and had some dents, but it was a great boat. Over the past 5 years I've been in various sporting goods stores in California, Colorado, and Idaho looking at canoes. Every single canoe…
Erik
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