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1500 questions
23
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4 answers
What can I do with a retired rope and harness?
I've recently retired a rope (dynamic) and a harness. They're both in very good shape, but just over 8 years old. Common sense dictates I throw them away, but I wonder if there are other uses I can put them up to. For example, I was thinking maybe…
Roflo
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23
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5 answers
Why don't we apply the principles of layering when it comes to pants?
Whenever I see clothing articles geared toward hiking and backpacking that discuss layering (base layer for wicking, mid layer for insulation, etc.), they always seem to discuss these things in terms of things you wear on your chest. How come we…
Ryan Jarvis
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votes
4 answers
How efficient is travel by canoe?
How efficient is travel in a canoe, in terms of effort/time required to cover distance?
Or kayak, pirogue, any kind of small boat that is moved by paddling instead of sail or motor - is there a significant difference between the different kinds of…
rwallace
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Backpacking with incontinence
Suggestions on how to backpack with urinary incontinence? Not a fun topic, but I’m headed out on a 5-day backpacking trip and am concerned how to pack out any used products without attracting bears.
siesie
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23
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7 answers
What is the best practice to secure a 17ft open canoe to the roof of a vehicle?
Next month, my kids and I are enrolled in a canoe building workshop in the Lake District of the United Kingdom. At the end of the 4 days we will have a 17ft canoe weighing between 16 and 22 kilos.
Our return journey is over 200 miles using…
Venture2099
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23
votes
5 answers
Is a varied diet necessary while backpacking?
Often when planning food for a backpacking trip, I rely heavily on a very large amount of extremely varied trail-mix, and only throw in some jerky and a scant few "cookable" meals for variety. I haven't had (to my knowledge) any illness from this,…
J.T. Hurley
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23
votes
2 answers
When do I need a permit to go into nature?
When on holiday, I want to get as far as possible from civilisation — the furthest I've come is seeing only a single cairn during a full day. In Scandinavia, hiking and camping is permitted unless explicitly forbidden (the right to roam or…
gerrit
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23
votes
3 answers
Can horses ford deeper/faster rivers than humans?
Is it safe to follow a equestrian trail and assume I can ford where the horse-trail does? Or should I expect equestrians to ford rivers too deep or swift to ford on foot? I'm thinking of the situation in Iceland, where the topographic map may…
gerrit
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3 answers
Can you boil/decontaminate water with heat from a magnifying glass?
A bit hypothetical, but ruling out being able to use a solar still, or the SODIS method, could you make water drinkable by using the suns heat through a magnifying glass?
Paper self ignites at 451° F , water boils at 212° F, but that is at one…
Nate W
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23
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2 answers
How to clean a sleeping bag ?
A sleeping bag will eventually need a cleaning. How do you proceed, in particular according to the different materials?
Stefano Borini
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23
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3 answers
What is this dense foam on a lake?
Recently we visited the alps in Bavaria. We hiked near a lake which had a lot of foam swimming on it. It was not spray from the water but rather a really dense dirty foam. Comparable to shaving foam I guess.
It looked similar to this (this image is…
OddDeer
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23
votes
8 answers
How to empty bowels before a hike?
They say prevention is better than cure, so for beginner hikes, especially dayhikes, how can one try to ensure that their bowels are empty and they won't suddenly need to poo? Are there proven ways? Is taking medication and relying on it bad?
user19652
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23
votes
5 answers
What are some good games to play with children on hikes?
Sometimes children find long hikes boring and tiring, but if you can turn it around to play some games along the way they can find things a lot more interesting.
What are some good games to play in this regard? The obvious classic is I-spy, but are…
berry120
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23
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1 answer
Do I need to worry about feral dogs or even wolves if I camp in random areas while hitchhiking in Georgia (the country)?
After almost half a year working in a hostel in Tbilisi, spring has come and it is far warmer than anywhere further west in Europe so I'm going to hitchhike around Georgia with my tent in warm areas.
I've hitchhiked a lot in countries some people…
hippietrail
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23
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3 answers
Is it legal to light bonfires on UK beaches?
Assuming a lack of signage indicating the legalities, is it legal to light a bonfire on a beach in the UK? I haven't been able to find an authoritative source on this either way, hence the question. In my experience it hasn't ever been an issue…
berry120
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