Questions tagged [safety]
Questions that discuss about precautions need to be taken for ensuring the safety in various outdoor activities that are in scope of The Great Outdoors should be tagged with this tag.
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What is the safest way to purify water?
There are a number of ways to purify water, off the top of my head we have filters, iodine, and boiling. Clearly each has some advantage/disadvantage (iodine tastes terrible, boiling takes time). ...
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What precautions should I take to protect myself and my camp from bears?
Most of my prior hiking experience has been in areas that are not home to bears, so what precautions should I take to protect my camp (and myself as I am hiking) from bears.
I am aware of a couple of ...
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How much sea water can I safely drink?
Anyone who has played in the ocean knows getting a little sea water in your mouth and swallowing it will not kill you.
Seawater contains salt. When humans drink seawater, their cells are thus taking ...
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If I have to cross an icy, flowing river, what are some ways I can cross safely?
If I'm alone in a survival situation and I have to cross a very cold river that's still flowing, how should I accomplish this safely?
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Backup prusik for Abseiling: Where does it go?
When abseiling from an anchor during rock climbing, I like to use a backup prusik as a potential lifesaver in case I screw up.
However, I have heard different advice on where to put it, both for ...
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What are the first aid precautions to be taken in case of a snake bite?
I'll be trekking through a dense monsoon forest which has a sizable population of king cobras and vipers. I'll be at least 5 hours away by walk to the nearest human settlement and another 1-2 hours by ...
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Why are people so worried about Giardia?
Everyone I have ever been camping with seems to have an unwritten rule never to drink from streams no matter how clear they might seem, for fear of Giardia. I have also heard people telling about ...
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Which gun should I use on the trail to protect myself against bears? [closed]
Choosing a trail gun is proving challenging.
What handgun calibres are powerful enough to provide some protection against aggressive bears?
I want something manageable enough for a smaller framed ...
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How should I remove a tick?
If I find a tick on myself or a friend, what is the best way of removing it?
I've heard some people say that singeing the tick with a match makes the tick detach and fall off. However I've also ...
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Is drinking urine safe?
We've all heard stories about how people saved their lives by drinking their urine. Is drinking urine safe when there are no other water sources available? Can I filter it with a water purifier?
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Is it possible to rappel with only a rope? (No harness, Prusik cord, or other gear)
There may be an emergency situation where I find myself needing to lower myself but with no or damaged equipment.
Assuming I only have a rope, can I lower myself to safe ground?
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How can I tell if I am dehydrated or have low electrolytes (need salt, etc.)?
How can detect, in the outdoors with minimal equipment, if I am dehydrated or need electrolytes?
Update
Some background:
I get overheated very easily, possibly because I don't sweat as much as most ...
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How should I check climbing equipment to tell whether it is still safe to use?
I have, unfortunately, not had the opportunity to go climbing (and thus use my climbing equipment) for a couple years. I know that such equipment, especially the rope and webbing, can degrade over ...
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What should one do when get a cramp while swimming?
I'm not a really good swimmer. While swimming casually, when I get a cramp in my thighs or toes, it definitely makes me panic a bit and hampers my swimming in a bad way.
What should I be doing if I ...
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What safety equipment should I carry for sea-touring by kayak?
What equipment should I carry in case of emergency on a coastal kayaking trip? I normally do short trips (1 week or less) around the islands of northwest Scotland. I tend to travel solo (sometimes no ...
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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 ...
user2169
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How to safely store a propane/butane/isobutane canister in a vehicle?
The canisters that I have purchased so far have included a warning not to let the canister get above 120 degrees Fahrenheit. It looks like the inside of car can get well above that, hot enough to bake ...
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Should I run if I see wild dogs?
Feral dogs appear to be dangerous. Should I be running if I come across one, or should I stand fast and defend myself? They are a social animal, so they will be in a pack almost all the times.
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What are areas of the body which lose heat more quickly, and how can I reduce that loss?
What are the higher heat loss areas of the body and how can I reduce heat loss in those areas?
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Can groundwater still be consumed if after boiling the water turns brown with an oily substance floating on top?
This weekend we went "pole camping". A pole camp site (dutch link only) is a camp site offered by the departments of forestry in the Netherlands and Belgium. It is very basic. What is offered is a ...
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How should I vet belayers? What should I look for?
The other night I went to the climbing gym, intending to look for a climbing partner once I got there. (My usual gym climbing partner isn't available to climb as often as I want to.) The gym provides ...
user2169
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Cheese and eggs on backpacking trips
I have taken some hard cheeses onto backpacking trips quite successfully without spoilage, but I have not dared taking more than I can eat in about 3 days. Eggs I have not dared to take. I am ...
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How safe is the bowline knot in different situations?
The bowline knot (picture below, source) has a great reputation as a very safe knot. Is it really completely safe in all situations and loads, or are there use cases where it may fail?
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How safe is sleeping in bear country?
We have recently hiked in Slovakian mountains where bears live. I’m not too concerned about the bears during the day, as we make enough noise to avoid an encounter. But I am not sure about sleeping ...
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How do I inspect a climbing rope?
It is imperative that climbing ropes are in excellent shape so they don't split while someone is climbing.
How do I properly inspect the rope when I'm about to start a climb?
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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?
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What are the real dangers of climbing at high altitude?
I had a campfire discussion not long ago with a man that got pulmonary edema while attempting the summit of Aconcagua, and we got into the discussion of the effects of high elevation. I had always ...
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Should a carabiner ever be clipped to the tie-in loops and should anything other than a carabiner ever attach to the belay loop?
I'm a beginning climber and am trying to resolve conflicting instruction related to tying into my harness.
During a recent outing a friend (an experienced climber, but not an instructor) was showing ...
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What do life jacket ratings mean (Type I, Type II, etc)?
Looking at flotation devices (life jackets) they are rated Type I, Type II, etc. What do these rankings mean and what type should I by?
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How should we protect ourselves from a lightning strike?
We are in the great outdoors and a massive thunderstorm will be over us soon. What steps should we take to be safe from a lightning strike?
This question is not "am I safe in my tent" etc. You are ...
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Are statistics about the frequency of crime actually useful in determining how safe a trail is?
We have a question here about how common assaults/crime happen to people hiking the Appalachian Trail which I have answered with basically all of the statistics I could find.
However it doesn't seem ...
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What wild animals are there in California that can be dangerous or create hassles, and how do I avoid problems with them?
What wild animals are there in California that can be dangerous or create hassles, and how do I avoid problems with them?
user2169
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Beginning paddle boating
Assume I am completely naïve of boating concerns, that I know the following:
There are things that float and carry stuff across the water called boats.
A boat needs something to make it move. Some ...
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How can I take keys with me while swimming?
I was recently crossing a lake that is commonly used for swimming and recreation. When I was swimming back to the shore, I was constantly nervous that my bag would be stolen, along with the keys in it....
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Is it dangerous to rope together on an ascent of hard packed ice?
This image has recently come under considerable criticism on social media for dangerous mountaineering practices. The location is unknown as the qualified mountain guide observer wanted to maintain ...
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Can I use a bicycle helmet as a climbing helmet?
I have a bicycle helmet that fits well. Can it be used effectively as a rock climbing helmet?
Most climbing helmets have a hard shell that the bicycle helmet does not. However, one of the more ...
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How to react to cattle charging towards you?
Cattle may get aggressive when threatened, or they might just imitate to be aggressive. I have seen cattle charging towards a person when irritated.
How should one react if a cow or bull comes ...
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How dangerous is a band of coyotes to a lone, unarmed human?
There's a delightful thrill to the call of a band of coyotes when you're alone in the dark woods. Do they present a danger? That is, have healthy coyotes (that is, not rabid) been known to attack or ...
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How dangerous are kangaroos?
After watching this video of a man punching a kangaroo to rescue his dog, I am wondering how dangerous a kangaroo is to a human on foot? I am sure that there are a lot of other things in Australia ...
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How bad do circumstances need to be before activating a PLB?
Personal Locator Beacons (PLBs) can be carried during outdoor activities to use in case of an emergency. But are there any guidelines on what exactly constitutes an "emergency"? For example, what ...
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When back country camping, how do you avoid being attacked by a mountain lion in your sleep?
I'm looking to camp in SE Oregon. At minimum, my girlfriend and I will have sleeping bags. We're open to adding a tent, fire, and other stuff as recommended. Our goal is to be able to hike around ...
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Where in the Alps is it safe to drink the water without filtering?
In some places, the Swedish Lappland for example, it's perfectly fine and even recommended to drink water directly from streams.
Is it also recommended whilst hiking in the Alps, and if so is it only ...
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How to warm up your cold toes and fingers?
In winter your hand and feet (especially toes and fingers) may get painfully cold or you may even stop feeling them. How can you warm them up?
This usually happens, when it's below 0°С or when it's ...
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Surviving a forest fire by starting another fire
Awhile back I heard on CBC radio about a man who got trapped in a forest fire (surrounded on all sides) and survived. The way he survived was so ridiculous that he was brought to court and almost ...
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What to do if you are above timberline and your descent is cut off by a large forest fire?
The situation: you are backpacking and are above timberline. Streams are ubiquitous, you are well equipped so exposure is not a problem, the entire party is uninjured and healthy. But a large, ...
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Are there any natural materials found in the wild that can be used as an effective sunscreen?
There are animals such as pigs and elephants that wallow in mud which possibly serves as protection from sunburn. There are also some plants such as Aloe vera (Aloe vera) and Jewelweed (Impatiens ...
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Will Black Bears actually follow you up a tree
I always see it pointed out, when discussing how to handle/avoid bear encounters, that black bears can climb trees. Granted, but does that matter? Has there ever been a case of a black bear pursuing ...
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Is my tent pole a lightning rod?
I have used the Mega Mid tent almost exclusively for hundreds of nights out over the last many years. It's versatile, well ventilated, light... but has this pole sticking straight up the middle.
Is ...
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Will a tent provide some protection from bears?
When camping in a bear country, will a tent provide an additional protection from bears, as opposed to just sleeping outside or in a hammock? Provided I take the usual precautions of keeping any food,...
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What do you do if the fire does get "out of control"?
Let's say you are camping with a large group, and someone starts a camp fire. You're away for a bit and come back to find everyone panicking and the fire to be much larger than actually planned (ie, ...
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