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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Are there vines in nature that are naturally capable of being a whip, rope or string?
Natural meaning, no human alteration to them besides chopping them off from a tree or any type of plant.
Ways I'm wondering if natural vines can be used.
As a weapon, such as such as the bullwhip.
As ...
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1
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Where can I find the currently closed off area on Strómboli?
On the Aeolian island of Strómboli, my maps and hiking books indicate and describe trails from both Strómboli town and Ginostra to Pizzo o Sopra la Fossa, similar to the indications on this sketch. ...
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Does cigarette smoke deter lions?
I have not ever encountered or anything like that with a lion but I was watching a video and encountering lions came up, so I was wondering what I would do, so it eventually led to can smoking a ...
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Cold water swimming - go in quickly? or slowly?
Assume you want to do some cold water swimming, i.e. anything under 14 Centigrade (57F) water, for more than say 10 minutes (so, expressly, not a Polar Bear "dip and scoot").
What's the ...
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Waterproof safety kit for aluminum boat
What kind of safety kit should I have for my 12-ft aluminum boat -- for solo day trips on lakes in Eastern Ontario? I'm especially interested in having a waterproof kit with a waterproof flashlight.
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How long after a storm is it safe to go into the forest?
Authorities warn against going into the woods after heavy summer storms. But they never say how long after a storm woods tend to be unsafe with trees still falling over and branches falling off trees.
...
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Will listening to a podcast at moderate volume decrease the likelihood of a bear approaching my tent?
I am on a long trek in the Balkans and am sometimes camping when there is no cheap accommodation available. I am not yet very experienced in camping, and at this stage I am normally camping near ...
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Why aren't ground penetrating radar drones used for hidden crevasse detection
In a few studies, researchers used ground penetrating radar to detect hidden crevasses in alpine regions. Since the cavity of the crevasse refracts and reflects differently than the surround snow, the ...
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How to assess cold water boating/canoeing safety
I’m planning a vacation in eastern Ontario in mid-May (Bon Echo area).
It looks like Pike and Walleye fishing opens around that time. So the people I’ll be vacationing with want to do some fishing by ...
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When did the manufacture date became mandatory written on labels in Europe?
Equipment like ropes, slings, harness, etc. have the manufacture date on their label. I still have some older equipment without any manufacture date written on their label.
When did it become ...
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How can I find the safest place to cross a frozen river from a map?
Where is the better chance the ice on the frozen river in winter will be thicker and safer to cross?
I expect the river width oscillates between the following conditions:
on a shallow, wider, slower ...
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How to avoid land mines?
Some areas here have old mines from 50 years ago. Dangerous areas are often surrounded by barbed wire and have warning signs. However, because of soil erosion we can't be sure where the dangerous ...
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How do I tell if this single climbing rope is still safe for use?
I've lent my friend a five year old single climbing rope for a garden project. It was in meticulous condition until then.
Instead of a weekend it took him more like six weeks to complete his project ...
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Would this kind of rope ascension system work?
Can i use a petzl ascender, regular Black diamond ATC (NOTE: not guide ATC), footloop and a prusik attached with a biner to my harness to ascend a fixed rope attached to a tree? I don't have a grigri ...
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Looking for Technical Information on a Gadget with Fall Detection and Reporting Capability
I am old enough to plan ahead on fall detection, but vigorous and stable enough not to need it in everyday life now. However, I no longer feel comfortable hiking alone, and would like a gadget that ...
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How to handle a dropped DSMB spool at depth
When technical diving, you usually will deploy your Delayed Surface Marker Buoy prior to your first decompression stop (eg 70ft). If you drop while attempting to deploy and it unravels at depth, ...
lobi
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Under what circumstances, if any, can thunder by itself cause damage?
We had an extremely impressive thunderstorm last night, unprecedented for the fairly moderate Northern Virginia weather, and impressive probably in most places. I was glad not to be in a tent.
I was ...
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Soft catch for much lighter climber
One of my friends is just starting to get into lead climbing. I'd like to find some good approaches for providing them with a soft catch if they fall. However, there is a big weight difference ...
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Do puff adders really not bite you if you step on them?
I had understood the puff adder to be one of the most dangerous snakes in the world; apparently, it kills more than thirty thousand people each year. From which I had concluded that it must be very ...
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Do long/high beams on a car work to warn moose off the road?
I heard what sounded like an old wives' tale some time ago: If you are driving along a stretch of road with a moose warning, using headlights on long/high beam even during daylight will warn moose off ...
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Why be passive while attacked by a brown bear?
Recently I walked through Dolomites in Italy, and there was a warning sign that this is bear-encounter area. There were tips on what to do in general. But one of tips was "if bear approaches you ...
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Climbing attached to a carabiner rather than tying in
I've just started rock climbing at an indoor climbing gym with a few friends.
I noticed on the auto-belay walls, the was a carabiner you clip to your harness (I assume in the belay loop).
Is it safe ...
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Is it worth to use LEP flashlights as a tactical or EDC?
LEP (laser excited phosphor) is the new technology of flashlights to use, with extra brightness. I get some cons to use LEP, like its effect on eyes if the light beam is applied directly to them.
I ...
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How high need a concrete wall to be so bears can't climb it
This question is a bit similar with how high does a fence need to be to prevent European brown bear to climb it? question but not exactly (that one specifies a fence, and needs to provide vision and ...
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Can a kid ever dive too deep while snorkeling and breath-hold diving?
My son has recently discovered snorkeling and diving (by holding his breath, not scuba diving or anything). He can go at least 4m (13 feet) deep to pick up nice shells he sees on the sea floor.
My ...
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2
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Overtreated a backpacking outfit with permethrin. Safe to wear?
I purchased a spray-bottle of Sawyer 0.5% permethrin to treat some of my clothing in preparation for a backpacking trip. The spray nozzle turns out to have been quite a bit more generous than I ...
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Had to drink untreated water: Any immediate action to avoid getting sick?
In the wilderness yesterday I ran out of water and did not think I could hike out safely at my level of hydration. Lacking a treatment method, I drank 1.5 liters of water directly out of a small, ...
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Is an open tower with a lightning rod safe?
I'm thinking of watching a thunderstorm from within a wooden structure that has installed a lightning rod. Here's how it looks:
You can see the grounding wire on the right side.
On the Internet, I ...
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Hiking alone: a website that alarms the police if something happens
I go hiking alone quite often, and I don't have many people other than myself in my entire life to whom I can say "I'm going here alone. Call the police if you can't reach me"
Is there an ...
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How do people who don't have a driver's license yet live remotely solve their food/survival needs? [closed]
I never leave the apartment anymore, because the outdoors have become a frightening dystopia. My childhood quarters have been utterly ruined with tasteless buildings and soulless (and dangerous) ...
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How feasible is it to develop a crag that was blasted for material/was a quarry?
There's a local quarry that is no longer in use (for many decades), and has 30-40ft walls. Much of the material on the wall is very crumbly, especially near the blast holes:
There's still a large ...
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Is it safe to depend only on a prusik?
This weekend I got myself into (for me) a hairy situation while rappelling. I got to a set of rap anchors that I needed to transfer to in order to get down to the next ledge, so I transferred myself ...
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Ice climbing top rope with joined roped [duplicate]
Are there any safety concerns connecting two ropes (40 and 50 m) with 2 double fisherman knots and then installing an anchor with 2 carabiners connecting the anchor to the rope for top-roping?
Let's ...
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357 Magnum vs 38 Special +P single shot weapon
Have a single shot short barrel weapon of unknown caliber.
Was told it was handmade for either 38 Special +P or 357 Magnum.
How safe is it to shoot 357 Magnum if made for 38 Special+P ?
Maybe handload ...
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Top rope installation on an anchor
Let's suppose we have two bolts which are connected with a chain and a ring for rappelling at the top of a climbing route and we would like to install a top rope setup.
I hear on a monthly basis that ...
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When driving a power driven vessel heading towards the port beam of another vessel underway what is the correct proceedure to pass on the stern?
This mock exam question from the hong kong marine department marksheet says option A is correct, however i think option A would cause a collision.
Refering to all of the materials i have, I feel this ...
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Liquid chalk spill on climbing gear
So we were climbing today with some friends and an accidental liquid chalk explosion occurred in one of the backpacks. Contents of said backpack include: carabiners, a nylon sling and the nylon ...
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How can I organise an expedition to the arctic?
As a person who is completely new to the outdoors (e.g. has never been camping), but is fascinated by the arctic and would love to try (at least once) to go on an expedition, what would be advice for ...
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In a river with light traffic, while swimming its length, how to be better seen by boats?
I try to look forward and flip to my back to look backward every five or so strokes, but my goggles eventually fog up. It's hard to see boats unless I'm constantly stopping to clean out my goggles.
...
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In a -50°F blizzard, how to generate enough body heat to avoid frostbite?
The Winter is coming soon (in ~3 months) here in North Dakota and I'd like to be better prepared than last winter. I have hit a weird personal threshold [mere 5 degrees] that I cannot seem to ...
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Would it be possible to walk along the A413/Amersham Road, even though there's no clear footpath?
So I'm planning this circular walk around London using the M25 orbital as a guidance and starting at Heathrow Airport. However, there's an issue towards the start of the walk where there's a footpath ...
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2
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Is it safe to transport a 14.6 Feet canoe on top of my 2017 Toyota Corolla
As mentioned above, would it be safe to drive with a 14.6 foot long (90 lbs) canoe on top of my Toyota Corolla? The Canoe is just about as long as the car. I have a roof rack with crossbars, as well ...
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Climbing indoors: emergency situations
We should always do the partner check and tie a stopper knot, but...
Lead climbing:
If you are half-way up a climbing wall and see that your knot, which attaches you to the harness is loose/untied/...
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Rappelling using the Munter hitch - stopper knot at the end of the rope?
Usually I rappel using a tubular belay device such as an ATC and tie a stopper knot at the end of each strand of the rope such as a fisherman’s knot.
Is there a safety knot which you can tie before ...
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What kind of personal flotation devices should surfers use? Or does the surfboard provide that function?
I read this tragic story today, "Several Surfers Are Found Dead in the Netherlands" which raised some questions about surfing and personal flotation devices (PFDs).
Some relevant quotes from the ...
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Can a full body harness help reduce the chances of suspension trauma?
Those who are well-versed with rock-climbing (and other variants of climbing) are aware of the dangers posed by Suspension Trauma.
Here at The Great Outdoors there had been a healthy discussion on ...
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Places for a "socially distant" walk
Where might I look for places on which to go for a medium length (3-5 miles) or longer walk -- and where I'd minimize my chances of encountering other people?
The Covid-19 pandemic is ongoing, and I'...
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Munter hitch + prusik for rope solo lead climbing
Disclaimer
This is a question regarding a theoretical technique, and not a tutorial, advice or recommendation.
This technique has not been tested, and might potentially be completely unsafe.
Climbing ...
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Indianapolis: Places to run up/downhill or up/downstairs outside?
I am looking for places in the Indianapolis area where I can run on hills or stairs. I love doing this but I don't want to risk spreading any asymptomatic viral infection I may have. Any advice?
It ...
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How do you overcome a preventative fear of dangerous wildlife
I live in Colorado and love hiking alone, it's quiet and peaceful. I want to be more 'free' to hike in early morning or late evening when it's dark or backpack in remote places, but at this point I ...
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