The Great Outdoors Stack Exchange
The Great Outdoors Stack Exchange

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1500 questions
22
votes
10 answers

How do I disinfect my wool hiking socks?

I've got athlete's foot after having my feet in the same boots for extended periods of time. How can I disinfect my wool hiking socks to prevent this from spreading and reinfecting my feet?
Benzo
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21
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7 answers

What's the best way to dispose of a body in the backcountry?

Suppose you needed to dispose of a large carcass for one reason or another while in the backcountry... what would be the best way to dispose of it in the woods so that it wouldn't be discovered? You always hear stories of people burying bears that…
ShemSeger
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21
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2 answers

Raw meat on hikes

When backpacking we often carry raw beef which we have salted and frozen, usually cut into strips that can be easily cooked through. I'm confident that this is good for 24 hours, and I know that meat actually keeps for a lot longer than we think…
Russell Steen
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21
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6 answers

How to humanely kill an injured bird?

Last night I was walking my dog when I came across an injured racing pigeon. I've reported it to the owner who's coming to pick it up today, providing it's survived the night..... I was thinking maybe I should of just put it out of its misery…
user2766
21
votes
5 answers

How can I vet a hiking partner without potential hard feelings?

I'm planning a backpacking trip with a well-established partner. I would like to invite a third person along, but he has not met the second, and I do not want to extend an invitation to the third until the second meets him and approves the…
Reid
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21
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2 answers

For how long afterwards do we benefit from acclimatization?

Consider we are trying to pre-acclimate for an expedition in Himalaya to shorten the actual timespan on site. As an example, I am expecting a benefit if I go in the Alps for several days above 4000m and sleep over 3000m. If my trip to the big…
Wills
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21
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2 answers

What is the first thing to do, when buried in an avalanche?

Are there set rules I should follow which would increase my chances of survival if I get buried by an avalanche? Should I try to do anything if I get caught-up in one, before it has settled?
G.Rassovsky
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21
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2 answers

Can a compass needle become de-magnetized over time?

My compass has become increasingly untrustworthy. Over the past couple years I had noticed that it often pointed pretty close to magnetic South, but it corrected after a light tap. In two recent trips to the woods this compass has been wildly…
orangejewelweed
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2 answers

How to clean vomit from camping gear?

Some background. Whilst car camping down in Weymouth recently I was unfortunate enough to encounter a stomach bug (we initially thought it was food poisoning but later realised it was a bug as my other half developed the same symptoms over 3 days…
Aravona
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21
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11 answers

What are good items to leave in a geocache?

I started geocaching roughly a month ago and it's really fun activity to get into. I had a few questions (though one was answered already here > What should be carried in a standard Geocaching bag?) but my main question is typically for the UK due…
Aravona
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21
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3 answers

How should a climbing rope be cleaned?

What products and process should be used to clean a climbing rope when it gets sufficiently dirty? How would I remove as much dirt and grime as possible without negatively affecting the strength or lifespan of the rope?
STW
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21
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4 answers

How do you properly dispose of human waste while snow camping?

Assuming the cat-hole is the preferred protocol for waste disposal in the area you are backpacking, what should you do when the soil is buried below A LOT of snow, and/or frozen?
Lost
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4 answers

Is it safe to cut a climbing rope in half?

I recently bought a 70 meter climbing rope from REI because it was a great price on the outlet. Last weekend I used it for the first time in the Texas hill country, where 99% of routes need a rope less than 35 meters. The rope is overkill for what I…
Chris Mendez
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21
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3 answers

Micro-Fractures in Climbing Equipments

I have always been very careful while handling climbing gear. Last year while returning from an expedition, I met a group that was returning from a tough-looking climb. They were selling off a few of their gear, which were pretty new. Most of the…
WedaPashi
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21
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7 answers

Does packing boots with newspaper make them dry faster?

In one of the trail journals I read, the author mentions packing her boots with newspaper to dry them out. On the one hand I can see perhaps some wicking action, but this would greatly reduce airflow. Will this actually help dry shoes out?
Russell Steen
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