The Great Outdoors Stack Exchange
The Great Outdoors Stack Exchange

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Compromised Ropes in Retail Stores

Reposting this from a Facebook discussion. It's a picture taken from a retail store where they have attached a pin-tag through the rope to prevent theft; a common practice at this location. My gut reaction is to avoid it like the plague, but I have…
Raz Peel
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How long after a forest fire can you safely re-enter a forest?

The crazy 34,000 hectare Waterton wildfire (more than 84,000 acres) appears to be slowing down a little, but already much of the landscape is scorched, and the flames are out in a lot of places. It may be too soon to start thinking this while the…
ShemSeger
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Using a Girth Hitch in Alpine Draws

I've recently started making my alpine (or "trad") draws by girth hitching one end of a sling to the gear side carabiner and then clipping and passing the rope side through as usual. The girth hitch makes it easy to lengthen the draw one handed as…
crasic
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How to minimise erosion damage to footpaths when walking?

As a fair-weather walker I frequently find myself on routes that have suffered from erosion due to the large numbers of people hiking along them. I wish to cause the least possible amount of further problems of this sort and I wondered what was the…
Brian Hooper
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Cascades mountaineering school

I'm looking for a mountaineering school on Rainier or elsewhere in the Cascades that provides sufficient training to climb Elbrus. Glacier travel, crampon use, crevasse rescue, and self arrest are the kinds of things I need to learn. Alpine…
Lauren
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Should one remove their boots in an emergency bivvy situation?

Is there an argument for removing your boots to prevent frostbitten toes. Lets say you are at 4000m in the winter in a snow cave with no sleeping bag and frostbite is probable, but death is unlikely. I'm guessing that if there was a benefit to…
llama
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Group protocol should the group become separated

A small group (2-10 people total) is travelling in a wilderness area. For whatever reason a person or a couple get separated. What is the best strategy for the lost ones? What is the best strategy to be employed by the group. The goal is to reunite.…
Vorac
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What is the risk of starting a forest or wildland fire with a flare gun?

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?
James Jenkins
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Why does suspension trauma happen?

This question once more brought up the topic of suspension trauma. I tried to read up on the topic, but found that the Wikipedia page was not as informative as I would have liked. Especially I'm still unclear as to what exactly it is that leads to…
fgysin
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What to look for when purchasing a fixed blade knife

I'm planning on doing some back country canoe camping this summer. I would like to avoid bringing a hatchet if possible. I also find my folding knifes get full of gunk and I am a little bit afraid I am going to poison myself. What should I look…
sixtyfootersdude
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What's the best way to use up (and dispose of) almost-empty butane canisters?

I take a Primus EtaExpress stove with me when camping, and am slowing accumulating a collection of canisters with only around ~20% gas in them. With this little gas, they don't have enough pressure to be useful in anything except ideal conditions…
Roddy
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Is there an easy way to tell if a bee in my yard is being raised in a hive (domestic), or if it's wild (feral)?

I live in Massachusetts, in the Northeastern region of the United States. As a lover of bees, I'd like to learn how to identify some varieties, including their behavior, and how they're raised. Major types of bee habitats include domestic, meaning…
Sue Saddest Farewell TGO GL
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How to choose a fire steel and use it most effectively?

Fire steels, ferrocerium rods -- oversized versions of the "flint" in a lighter or torch starter, are an apparently popular survival/backwoods fire starting method. Why would one want one of these rather than a Storm Lighter? Is one type or brand…
Mr.Wizard
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First skills to learn for mountaineering

I have recently developed an interest in mountaineering. There seems to be so many skills to learn (and master) for mountaineering. Although I know it will take a few years to learn (although I'd probably never stop learning) I'm wondering from…
Danib90
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How to keep small rocks and stones out of hiking boots?

I keep encountering this issue during summer, when wearing short trousers or a skirt while hiking: my boots get filled up with small rocks and stones, and I must stop from time to time to empty them. I guess this is a common issue, but I was…
Akabelle
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