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1500 questions
21
votes
5 answers
How to deal with wet feet?
Say for instance I'm walking on boggy ground, I find a small muddy hole or some other minor tragedy that leaves one or both of my feet soaking wet and caked in mud. What is the best way to deal with this on a long hike, so as to avoid getting…
AncientSwordRage
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21
votes
3 answers
How can I rescue someone lost in an avalanche?
If someone from our group is caught in an avalanche, what can I do to rescue them?
Reverend Gonzo
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21
votes
4 answers
How do I inspect a climbing rope?
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?
Reverend Gonzo
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21
votes
2 answers
If one falls through the ice while ice fishing alone, how might one get out?
I was talking to a friend from Michigan recently, and she mentioned how short the ice fishing season on her small lake was this year. This naturally led to the safety of ice-fishing, and how one might save oneself if the ice gave way.
I know that…
ab2
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21
votes
5 answers
How can I find the safest place to cross a frozen river from a map?
Where is the better chance the ice on the frozen river in winter will be thicker and safer to cross?
I expect the river width oscillates between the following conditions:
on a shallow, wider, slower stream with a surface rippled by rocks below
or a…
HoursFrom.World
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21
votes
8 answers
Are 3 days to recover from a surf lesson too many?
I am 37 and in good shape. I do gym, weights lifting. One month ago, I started learning surfing and, unfortunately, I need 3 full days to recover from a surf lesson, especially if the ocean is a bit wilder.
I am wondering if that’s normal in the…
aneuryzm
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21
votes
2 answers
How fast can you typically hike through untracked forest?
Average hiking speed over level ground is often reckoned around twenty miles per day, assuming hikers in good shape who know what they are doing and where they're going. (As a rough approximation, which is fine, I'm just looking for rough…
rwallace
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21
votes
1 answer
What is this weird mechanical thing I found in the woods?
I hope this is the right community.
I was walking through the woods and found this weird thing, it was in front of a hunting tower, and a wildlife cam was pointed at it.
There where traces of deer(?) around it.
It's basically a big metal crank that…
gries
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21
votes
11 answers
Can I fix my boots by gluing the soles back on?
The sole of my trekking boots got separated from the boot body. Since the boots would be otherwise usable - they are more than ten years old but without too much use - repairing them would be an option. In fact, the sole just needs to be glued again…
Pere
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21
votes
4 answers
What is the Leave No Trace way to dispose of coffee grounds?
If one makes coffee in the backcountry, there will be used grounds. Coffee grounds are biodegradable, but should one instead pack them out completely?
What is the Leave No Trace way to deal with used coffee grounds in the backcountry?
Charlie Brumbaugh
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21
votes
4 answers
How to melt snow without fire or body heat?
I did a backpacking trip once where I was above treeline, there was no running water and I was low on fuel for my stove. While some of the snow was melting it was draining into the ground so fast there was no liquid water.
What I ended up doing for…
Charlie Brumbaugh
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21
votes
3 answers
Is burning cow pies (dried cow manure) safe?
Is it safe to cook and or heat using "cow chips"? Cow dung, also known as cow pats, cow pies or cow manure is and has been used to fuel fires where firewood is not available.
Ruminant manure constituted an important factor in American settlement on…
James Jenkins
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21
votes
3 answers
Why should a good tent be UV resistant?
From my experience, any tent gets hot when in plain sunlight, so I wouldn't stay in it (and can't imagine why anyone would) + I'd rather be outside my tent when the weather's nice.
I don't really understand this "UV resistance" thing. Why is it so…
maasha theytaz
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21
votes
3 answers
What is the difference between a Canoe and a Kayak?
Canoes and Kayaks have a lot in common, and for the most part I can look and say that is a Canoe and that is a Kayak. But I have been seeing some vessels that blur the line between them. It seems there is a newer category of canoe kayak hybrid. …
James Jenkins
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21
votes
4 answers
I have a firestarter disk, but it won’t light. How do I use it?
(click to enlarge)
I acquired a bunch of camping gear from a friend who moved out of the country. There was one of these hockey puck shaped disks, half grey half black, remaining in the cooking gear, but I have not a clue how to use it, and the…
SwimBikeRun
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