The Great Outdoors Stack Exchange
The Great Outdoors Stack Exchange

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Getting into canoeing - UK

It's been a beautiful Sunday here in the UK today and I went by the river (Thames) with my girlfriend to get some sunlight and fresh air. (We rarely do that, so that might be why I'm writing a question right now.) We've seen quite a lot people…
Eazis
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How to determine the needed volume size when purchasing a backpack?

In addition to sizes for different sizes of people, backpacks also have a volume size, usually given in liters or cubic inches, as a measure of how much stuff the backpack can hold. How can I determine what volume size I need, for a given time…
Charlie Brumbaugh
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How do I treat a blister? How can I prevent getting them in the first place?

When hiking with a new pair of boots or if I haven't been hiking in a while, my feet might get blisters. How can I treat a blister and keep hiking? Are there things I can do to prevent getting blisters?
studiohack
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Bird migration across Atlantic?

Which bird species migrate between Europe and the Americas? I know there are some species which migrate over vast distances, such as the Bar-tailed godwit (Limosa lapponica), which flies through Alaska and Africa, or the Arctic tern (Sterna…
yunque
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Down sleeping bag stored in sack for years

I bought a down sleeping bag years ago and have been storing it in the stuff sack in came with. I recently learned that storing it this way is really bad for the sleeping bag. Is there any way to recover the bag or am I out of luck?
Dru Olson
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What are opposite and opposed carabiners?

It is often said that when using two carabiners at the same point, such as an anchor, they should be opposite and opposed. What exactly does this mean?
Charlie Brumbaugh
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Is it worth getting a divemaster certification if I don't plan to work as a professional dive master?

I have been an avid diver for over a decade. Once upon a time, I wanted to get my divemaster certification in order to work (for a short time) as a divemaster. However, that ship has since sailed, but getting the certifications is still on my radar…
Bob Smith
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Are there types of compass other than the regular magnetic one and the gyrocompass?

Today I learned about the existence of the "gyrocompass". A gyrocompass is a type of non-magnetic compass which is based on a fast-spinning disc and rotation of the Earth (or another planetary body if used elsewhere in the universe) to automatically…
user12359
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How do you remove leeches from your eyeball?

Leeches have been known to fall and attach on the eyeballs of hapless hikers. Where I'm from, if a leech attaches itself to you, you just spray it with alcohol and it will shrink and fall off. Obviously spraying alcohol on your eyes is not…
user19652
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Why are carabiners so much weaker if the gate is open?

Carabiners like this, are marked with the force rating. The one in this picture is rated, 20kn the long way 8kn the short way 5kn with the gate open Why are carabiners so much weaker when the gate is open?
Charlie Brumbaugh
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How can I perfect my backyard ice rink?

I live in the northeast US and have a depression in my backyard: after weeks of freezing weather we had a warm, rainy weekend. Then it all froze =) So now I have a backyard rink, about 100' x 50' (30m x 15m), but I'd like to get it flatter and…
nitsua60
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Do I need a hard shell to ski in sunny weather conditions?

I'm going skiing for the first time. From what I've read, most everyone uses hard shell jackets and pants for skiing. However, they usually mention something about skiing in bad weather, frigid cold temperatures, long hours in the back country,…
Chris Mendez
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Is it bad to rely on trekking poles?

I haven't used trekking poles but I've used wooden poles and they make a huge difference while hiking. Ascents are somewhat easier, and descents are much more so thanks to the poles as another thing you can hold on for balance especially for trails…
user19652
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Why would archery season be either before or after rifle season?

Are there any reasons, other than tradition, to have archery season either before or after rifle season? I was chatting with a couple of Stack Exchangers when one of them remarked that in Pennsylvania, it was rifle season, to which someone else…
SQB
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Correct and incorrect slip-slap-slide belay technique

This blog has a discussion of the slip-slap-slide and PBUS techniques for taking in rope when belaying. Here is a video demonstrating PBUS. Slip-slap-slide is illustrated on p. 161 of Freedom of the Hills, 8th ed. I use PBUS, and as the blog…
user2169
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