Questions tagged [hiking]
Hiking is any outdoor walking activity - along trails or across unmarked wild country.
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How are the routes of hiking trails determined?
While hiking and backpacking, I often ponder how the trail came to be located where it is. Some trails, especially longer ones, seem like they could take several different routes to get to their ...
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Warning shot in bear encounter? [closed]
I'm wondering if anyone else has had any experiences with guns and/or bear spray in combination, instead of just carrying one over the other? How have bears reacted to warning shots?
We backpack in ...
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Does putting an item in a microwave oven kill ticks (and other bugs)?
After a hike, we often find many ticks on us (and remove them of course). But the assumption is that some might still be in the clothing, on the shoes, etc. I don't want to throw the worn stuff in the ...
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What to do if you have been stung multiple times by yellow-jackets hours or days from the trailhead?
The Situation: Your party is hours or days from the trailhead, when one of the party stumbles on a yellowjacket nest and is stung multiple times by the tiny fighter aircraft.
The person had been ...
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Vibram FiveFingers or Non-Hiking Boots as a Beginner in Hiking?
I'm very new to/inexperienced at hiking, and I got invited to an impromptu, 7-mile hike tomorrow at Alamere Falls (places online say it's "intermediate difficulty"). I've only gone on what I think are ...
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Which dangerous wild animals are most likely to be encountered in Western Ghats, India
I hike in Western Ghats, Maharashtra, India.
Most of the times the hike involves walking/climbing in day time and resting/sleeping, often in caves/unmanned temples/shaks of some kind at night. ...
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Can I expect to visit Camp 1 and beyond on an Everest base camp expedition?
I am planning to do a 16 day "standard" Everest base camp trek in Nepal coming September.
Can I expect to visit Camp 1 (or even beyond?) as well or is this completely off limits for casual tourists?
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What is the difference between hiking boots and “hunting boots”?
Many (online) shops classify boots between hiking and hunting; for example, see hunting boots. The hunting boots look more like the kind of boots I like, than the hiking boots do. What are the ...
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What are the best places to go for a hike near Mexico City? [closed]
What are the best places in Mexico City to go for a hike. Ideally they should be safe, with amazing views, can go with my car with two or three other people, they are not so crowded, last for ...
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Can I camp in the protected areas Þjórsárver and Guðlaugstungur og Álfgeirstungur?
I am investigating the feasibility of a hike looping around Hofsjökull. The route takes me through the Þjórsárver and Guðlaugstungur og Álfgeirstungur protected areas. The regulations for Þjórsarver ...
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Are square or rectangular tarp shapes more versatile?
I'd like to try tarp camping. 3m x 3m (9ft x 9ft) and 3m x 4m (9ft x 12ft) tarps of differing material are plentiful and many are even affordable. Which tarp shape is more versatile in the number of ...
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Is hiking alone always faster?
Suppose you need to cover a fairly long distance (e.g. 30 km) in a moderately difficult hiking terrain (no climbing), in 1 day. You can either go alone or with someone, or with a group.
I think (from ...
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Are cheap Packable Backpacks reliable enough for a long day strenuous hike?
I will be going to a series of 6 to 10 hours day hikes in Hokkaido, Japan. Some of these hikes are strenuous in effort, and involves different terrains. The weather should include some rain, but for ...
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Accessibility of hiking trails in Nepal during December
I'm planning on Annapurna base camp or Manaslu circuit trek in December (mostly the end of December). I know December is the winter season in Nepal and is expected to be quite cold at that time. Has ...
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Are there any mountaineering/hiking activities in or near Albufeira, Portugal?
I'm heading over to Albufeira and I was just wondering if there are any hiking or mountaineering activities, or outdoor landmarks worth seeing in the area (or close by).
I don't want to be stuck on ...
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How to make my own liquid camp soap?
We use Coghlan's Camp Soap when camping, it is available in handy containers at most stores that have any amount of outdoor supplies.
But we can only find it in the 4oz bottle, we would like to be ...
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How can I make sure there are no more ticks around?
I'm back from outdoors and while lying down in bed I noticed a tiny tiny insect walking around on my clothes. While trying to take a picture of it to see if it is a tick, it just disappeared and I ...
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Is there another less crowded route up to Schloss Neuschwanstein?
We visited Neuschwanstein lately and since we were with kids, picked the common tourist path up to the castle. The hike is extremely stressful (for me at least) because you wander on a tarred way with ...
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What are the differences between alpaca wool and merino wool?
I'm curious what the differences are between alpaca wool and merino wool. Say for hiking in hot weather and cold weather, using socks and base layers.
I'm especially interested in the durability of ...
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How to stay dry in the nether regions? [duplicate]
I'm outdoors quite a bit. But the one thing that takes me out of action is sweat buildup and rubbing in my nether regions. It can literally take me out of action for a few days. I think it comes down ...
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Modern equivalent of a flare gun?
This summer I will be taking a rather inherently dangerous multi-day hike by myself. I was considering buying a flare gun since I will be out of cellular range unless there is something more modern ...
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How rapidly (or slowly) is work progressing on "consumer" exoskeletons for baby boomers to extend their hiking and backpacking years?
Several years ago, the Washington Post had an article titled This remarkable new exoskeleton slips on like a boot and makes your walking more efficient.
Engineers at Carnegie Mellon University ...
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When is it a bad idea to follow a game trail?
If you are walking on trail, and a game trail heads off in an interesting direction is it ever a bad idea to follow it? If so how would you know when it is OK to follow a game trail?
This question ...
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How would navigation be different while hiking at night?
If one were to hike during the night and sleep during the day, what differences in navigation would one have to take into account?
In my experience you are more on instruments (such as a compass or ...
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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 ...
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What are some things to do with teenagers in Quepos, Costa Rica? [closed]
I'm heading to Quepos, Costa Rica with 4 teenagers.
We'd like to do some things like whitewater rafting, hiking, viewing waterfalls, and seeing nature and wildlife.
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What is the top-down (reverse) shoe lacing good for?
I have sees this lacing a few times now and was wondering why people are doing it. Is there any difference to the ordinary lacing and if so, what is that difference?
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What should go in the hiking/backpacking plan that you leave with someone else? [duplicate]
It is good practice on a hiking or backpacking trip to leave a written plan behind with someone. Then if you fail to return by your estimated date Search and Rescue will have an idea of where to look ...
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Sign in/Sign out sheets for dangerous passages while hiking!
Many years ago, while hiking with a friend, we came across a particular point in the trail which was rather dangerous. If one slipped, the fall would surely be fatal. What struck me most is the fact ...
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How dangerous are wild horses?
In some parts of the western United States there are herds of wild horses. How dangerous could a herd be to a human on foot while hiking or backpacking?
If they are dangerous how should a human ...
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Hiking with kids - what are the right distances?
We're currently planning a tour in the alps. Nothing too big. Just going uphill with the cable-way and then doing 15 km on top. This is because we've a 2 year and a 5 year old girl with us. We can ...
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Telescopic trekking poles: clamp vs. screw system [duplicate]
I'm looking to get a new pair of trekking poles for my next trek as I find them an invaluable tool on longer hikes with higher pack load. It seems others and science agree to some degree at least, so ...
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Dealing with anxiety and confidence issues
I did some hikes in the past but I'm way from calling myself experienced. Now, since I live in an awesome region surrounded by Alps, I decided to take a "one hike a week challenge", hiking mostly ...
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Good Hiking Route Planner
I'm planning on hiking from John O'Groats in Scotland to Land's End in Cornwall via the Three Peaks. I'm wondering if there are any good online hiking planners that let you set waypoints and minimise ...
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How can I acquire practical outdoor skills?
In a world where we are surrounded by technology and information on our screens it's actually becoming more difficult/uncommon to acquire practical skills in the outdoors.
What would be a good ...
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Why do my socks roll down towards the toes of my shoes while mountaineeering?
After nearly a decade of regular mountaineering, I am having this issue for the first time. And, I am almost sure to claim that it may not be because of the shoes that I use since I have been using ...
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Multi-day hiking trip [California, early April]
I just learned that I am going to end up in San Francisco for 2 weeks in early April. I will be meeting a couple of relatives there who will travel from tropical places, so they won't have a lot of "...
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How do you pace yourself while doing strenuous hikes above 3,000 meters (10,000 feet)?
How do you know how fast or slow to go while hiking at elevation (say above 3000 meters) on an instant per instant basis? Elevation, weight carried, steepness, surface underfoot (e.g., trails, cross-...
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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? ...
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Should I use one or two trekking poles?
I am preparing for a Himalayan Expedition which requires a trekking pole at the altitude of 16000 ft and melting snow condition. I haven't used any aluminium/carbon fibre poles yet.
I usually find a ...
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How to cross rivers or streams at night or in darkness?
I am preparing a dayhike with some buddies of mine but to get to the trailhead, we have to cross more than ten river crossings which are passable by huge vehicles. The water there is quite fast and ...
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How does the effort required for a hike or run depend on the amount of elevation gain?
If I do a certain hike or run, it's going to cost a certain amount of effort, which could be measured by how many calories I burn. How does this effort depend on the amount of climbing? Is there a ...
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What could possibly go wrong in Sarek?
I want to go hiking in Sweden this summer with a few friends (forming a group of about 5-7 people) for one or two weeks. The goals we targeted were mainly Kungsleden and Sarek. While a hike on ...
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Hiking map for Hokkaido and/or other resources
I plan to go hiking in Hokkaido next spring. I'd like to hike two weeks and to keep away from the cities during this time.
I'd like to visit Daisetsuzan Park and Shiretoko Park. I've read about ...
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How to deal with dogs on public hiking trails?
I occasionally try hiking or cycling, and I notoriously have to deal with the silly issue of dogs roaming freely through villages, even on public trails. Until now, never have I been threatened by a ...
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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. ...
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How to clean soaked-in winter salt off boots?
Hiking in winter near urban areas, it’s difficult to avoid getting salty snow/slush on one’s boots. Of course, the first rule is to rinse it off immediately, and not to let it soak in. But sometimes ...
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What are differences between higher and lower shoes other than ankle support?
In this question with good answers, we can read that while being significantly effective for some cases, ankle support from boots/higher shoes does not have an important effect when hiking.
I was ...
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What affects the acclimatization process? [closed]
We know we need "Climb High and Sleep low" to prevent Altitude Sickness.
Now the question is what can affect the acclimatization process?
Example:
Bring luggage/bag/etc when climbing high. Will ...
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Reacting to a bee attack
We were attacked by Giant Honey Bees (Apis dorsata).
A friend and I were ensuring the safety of others and got away with 30 odd stings.
We had proper hiking attire, and buffs to cover our faces.
Few ...
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