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1500 questions
14
votes
4 answers
Is it safe to eat poison ivy berries since I don't react to the leaves?
Is it safe for someone who doesn't react to poison ivy to eat the berries? I am not going to try it without authority from someone who knows. Is it like smoke from burning vines, that can affect even an immune person?
J. Musser
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14
votes
4 answers
How much wood can the average person expect to chop in a day?
Winter is coming. I need lots of wood to keep warm. I know there are many variables involved but I would like to get a rough estimate of what one can expect to chop in a day.
Assumptions
Average build, average height
20 - 30 yrs old
Not an athlete…
Programmer
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14
votes
2 answers
How do you boil water without a proper container?
Suppose you don't have a pot or any other fire proof container to boil water in, but you need to boil it for safe drinking water. How else can you boil the water?
ShemSeger
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14
votes
4 answers
Taking care of hiking backpack
I've had a 60 L backpack for almost seven years now. Nothing on it is broken and it fits my needs, so right now I don't have any thoughts about replacing it (Getting a light pack might be the only reason to do so).
However, I've started to think…
Henrik Hansen
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14
votes
2 answers
What are the best methods to clean out a fire pits and dispose of the ash?
Are there any recommended methods for disposing of ash from fire pits while primitive camping? I have run into several fire pits in National and State forest camping areas where the fire pit or fire ring is already filled with ash to a point that…
Eliot G York
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14
votes
1 answer
How to second a "french free" / A0 move?
If the leader has had to resort to pulling on a piece of gear to make it through a crux on a pitch how can the second pass this point while also cleaning the piece that was used for aid. Assuming they are not a stronger climber than the…
aaaaargZombies
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14
votes
4 answers
White-water (slalom) kayak in calm waters (lake)?
I plan to spend this Summer near a lake and would like to start kayaking.
I have never kayaked before. I would like to get a second hand kayak, but the only one I can find nearby is a wild-water kayak.
Will the white-water kayak from the pictures…
Triak
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14
votes
3 answers
Training to prepare for oxygen deficiency in the high mountains
I would like to prepare myself for the climb in the high mountains (for now by "high mountains" I mean elevation 4000 m and more, but eventually eight-thousanders).
What can I do to improve my general physical condition specifically for this…
syntagma
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14
votes
1 answer
Kilimanjaro expedition - trousers - softshell vs. gore-tex
I am going on an expedition to Kilimanjaro and I'm going to buy new trousers specifically for this purpose. Some agencies recommend to take soft shell trousers and I'm not sure if it would be the best choice. I know that gore-tex is a…
syntagma
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14
votes
3 answers
What can I do to prevent getting poison ivy?
I have a very bad reaction to poison ivy. I take extraordinary measures to avoid any and all contact with it. I wear long socks and full pants in the middle of summer but I still end up getting it on my hands.
Is there a spray or cream that I can…
Deac Karns
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14
votes
2 answers
Legal liabilities of non-profit guiding in adventure sports
I am a whitewater kayaker and I often show people down rivers I'm familiar with on their first time down. I take special joy in doing so and consider it community service. The only compensation is maybe a few cold ones at the end of the day, of…
amphibient
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14
votes
5 answers
How can I tell a “trail shoe” from a regular sport shoe?
On a day-to-day basis, I wear regular light-weight sport shoes, such as these:
The footwear I saw people using in serious terrain in the USA looked similar, but this answer to my related question points out those are trail shoes.
The concept of…
gerrit
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14
votes
2 answers
How to treat shin splints while backpacking
It's been a couple of years since I last had bad shin splits but I can still recall how painful they can be. I was able to heal them before mostly with a couple weeks rest.
If the pain came back when backpacking, a day or so away from…
Justin C
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14
votes
3 answers
What is this belay/descender device called and how is it used?
Or may be it is an ascending device...
There are two movable part, both on one axis.
I tried searching about various descending devices, but I find mostly descriptions of Petzl things. This may be some old thing from USSR.
Vi.
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14
votes
1 answer
Precautions when walking through area of crocodiles
Unlike other places, in India, the region where I stay and trek, we don't have warning boards stating the crocodile threats/warnings.
I have been wandering in the region for almost a decade now and after such a long I have just come across there…
WedaPashi
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