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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Quality/robustness of avalanche shovels
At an online shop I found a great deal for an avalanche shovel (14€). It's not a no-name brand, indeed it is a trustworthy German label. Still there are users complaining about the robustness of the ...
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If an autoblock inteferes with a belay device will a fireman belay have any effect?
When rappeling I understand the need for a backup--whether an autoblock below the belay device, or a second person providing a fireman belay. My understanding is that using an autoblock incorrectly ...
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Is playing musical instruments like Harp/Harmonica, Flute unsafe during backpacking trips?
Along with trekking and camping, I am too involved in musical instruments that I play. And, I always have had a thought of carrying my six-string with me on some long hike for entertainment during I ...
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Do I need to hang a bear cache?
I am considering to get Garcia Machine Backpacker's Cache. According to MEC user reviews, this is the only cache approved in the Adirondack Mountains. Canadian parks, and other places as well, ...
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How to fix a leak in a fibreglass kayak?
I have got an old kayak from a friend of mine who no longer needs it. As he told me, there are 3 leaks in that Kayak, one of them is very visible being a coin-sized hole (:D). The others are pretty ...
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Snake dangers while hunting in the desert?
I plan to start doing some hunting in the greater southern Nevada Mojave desert (say within a 2 hour drive of Las Vegas).
I know that while hiking, there is some "safety" from snakes because you are ...
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What are the dangerous animals in Southern Nevada
I'm from Florida and I've only ever hiked in the Southeast US.
I don't know if I'm blind, but I can't find a listing of dangerous animals and their profiles. I tried Nevada Dept of Wildlife and ...
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What are some mortal dangers in temperate woods?
In very deep temperate forest (5+ days out), what dangers can endanger the life(s) of a group of several fit individuals.
Motivation of the question
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Rappelling with an injured arm
Is there a specific method which would help one with an injured (say, broken) arm to rappel down a rock?
It is very much possible that one may hurt his / her arm for some or the other stupid / major ...
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Most common avoidable reasons for climbing accidents?
What are some of the common things people do that are avoidable and contribute to accidents and injuries when climbing?
user2169
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Can I re-use a via ferrata carabiner/harness for climbing?
I just started climbing and I am wondering if it's safe to use my body harness and the 2 carabiners from via ferrata kit - they are 25|10|8KN resistant - for climbing too.
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Is there any evidence that attaching a biner to both seat and leg loops results in a 3-way load?
It is commonly known that loading your carabiner in three directions is bad, as it reduces it's strength. This is apparent when talking about belay stations, as e.g. described in this blog post by the ...
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How to estimate is the branch thick enough to stand on it?
Some geocaches are placed high on trees:
You need to climb there to log. But standing on too thin branch can be very dangerous.
Is there a formula to estimate how thick must be a branch of a given ...
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Does camping in polar bear country require someone to keep guard during the night?
Some animals are big and dangerous and, when hungry, may realise that humans contain a pretty decent amount of meat. I've never hiked in such areas, but they do exist.
Photo from Wikipedia, CC-BY-SA ...
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Taking Aspirin in higher altitudes
Reading this answer and especially the comments leads me to questions:
Should one use Aspirin in high altitudes?
Should one use it as a precaution or only when actually getting headache or other ...
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Camping and Monkeys
Monkeys are funny, as well as dangerous sometimes.
What precautions do I need to take when I am camping (under unavoidable circumstances) in a region where there are monkeys?
EDIT: Referring to ...
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Tips for camping in the territory of elephants
I have recently planned to go for a long trail that passes through a territory that is known for elephants.
While speaking of camping overall, I know what basics should I be following, but are there ...
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What is this black and white spider with a bowl/tube web in England?
I was walking my dog through high grass, in England. We came across a big spider. The web was almost like a bowl/tube. The spider was black but the back part was big and a white colour. We avoided ...
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Makeshift Stretchers
I recently read in a local organization report log that a group of inexperienced and stranded hikers gambled up a route and had to take a risky way down the hill.
In the process, a guy got badly ...
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Why are stove jacks NOT normally made of metal?
A stove jack allows you to safely extend a stovepipe through the roof or
wall of your tent. Our stove jacks are constructed of fire proof
17-ounce [0.48 kg] silicone-coated glass material (18" x ...
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How can I tell if a wild animal has rabies?
If I am in the wild and encounter an animal that I think might be rabid, how can I tell if it has rabies? An animal that has been running hard, or any number of other things could cause it to be ...
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How to help a fox with rabies?
Rabies has a phase called "furious phase". The infected animal has symptoms which can directly affect humans.
An infected dog may viciously attack any moving object, person, or
animal; a caged ...
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When can a glacier be crossed without special gear (axes, crampons, rope, etc.)?
As a child, I remember walking with my family over the Gornergletscher to reach the Monte Rosa-Hütte. I remember the same for crossing Vadret da Diavolezza. In both cases, we did not have crampons ...
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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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How should one properly dispose of a rabid animal carcass?
If while hunting I come across a rabid animal and I kill it, both to end its suffering and to prevent it from spreading rabies, what should I do with the body?
I wouldn't want another animal to eat ...
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What features should I look for in a satellite emergency device?
I am thinking of buying a satellite check in device. I often go alone, and would like to upgrade from the system of of always letting someone know where I am going and when to expect me back.
The ...
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What is the correct way to attach a rope to a harness with carabiners? [duplicate]
So you know how when you're belaying you clip in to the belaying loop, and when your climbing you tie in to the two loops the belay loop is stiched through... When you're climbing, what part would you ...
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What kind of material was used to make traditional stove jacks?
A stove jack allows you to safely extend a stovepipe through the roof or
wall of your tent.
Modern-day stove jacks appear to be made of silicone fiberglass.
However, it's my guess that silicone ...
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Assessing potential lead climbing partners for competence and safety [duplicate]
I recently started lead climbing in the gym after taking a lead climbing class. So far, I've only led with someone I know from the class who I watched lead belaying a number of times during the class....
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How effective are pen launcher bear bangers compared to bearspray?
So pen launcher bear bangers have apparently been around for quite a while, the training video for Truflare looks like something from out of the 90's, but they don't appear to be very popular, and I ...
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How much is a major load?
So the UIAA sets a major fall (fall after which to retire your gear) to be a fall factor of 1.77.
Now I was wondering what would count as a major load (load after which to retire your gear) ? 50 kN ? ...
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Venomous/Semi-Venoumous Snakes at Higher Altitudes
When we camp in rainforests or even country side forest, we are supposed to be very careful about Reptiles, especially Snakes. In India out of the many venomous snakes, I have found Pit Vipers to be ...
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Why are full body harnesses uncommon in mountaineering?
In principle, it is known that full body harnesses are useful for situations where the center of gravity is higher - e.g. for children, or for Alpine situations involving carrying heavy loads. A full ...
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What routes in the Canadian Rockies have minimum group sizes (and where can I find about those)?
I like to be alone in the wild. I know it's not the wisest thing to do, but I do it anyway (and I'm not the only one).
Today I learned that some routes in Canadian national parks may enforce minimum ...
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What to be aware of if lightning strikes close to me?
Many questions (and answers) about lightning seem to focus on avoiding being hit directly by lightning but don't consider being close to where it hits the ground. Granted, it may be intentional (ie: ...
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How can I safely climb a glacial route with just a kid or one other person?
I want to climb a mountain with my daughter. There is a glacier on the route that we should cross. Other routes take much longer or are technically more difficult.
The glacier does not have many ...
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What are the considerations for using chemical heat pads in sleeping bags?
A now-deleted answer to this question suggested using chemical heating pads in sleeping bags at night to provide added warmth. The product suggested is the 'Thermacare ... Fe-loaded material' I ...
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Is there a best practices guide online for rock climbing safety?
I've recently started sport climbing outdoors and was looking for some definitive safety information published by some reputable organization (i.e. American Mountain Guides Assocation, AMGA), but I ...
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Spreader rig safety question
I built a spreader using steel double lock snaps from a NIB fall restraint lanyard and a 27 kn 50" webbing loop. I ran a bowline with blight to each double snap and one to where my steel 50 kn auto ...
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Why is doubling up with plugs and muffs when shooting not more effective?
I keep looking for better ways of protecting my hearing when shooting, and it looks like wearing both plugs and muffs is recommended for indoor shooting (centerfire gunshots range from 160-170 ...
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Will the Trailhead Registry burn in a forest fire?
I posted an answer for a recent question about a forest fire that started after your hike began, that said:
Presumably you registered at the trailhead, and you have a friend who knows where you are....
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What are the pros and cons of introducing new safety colors for hunting?
As indicated in Have there been any studies done on how fluorescent pink compares to fluorescent orange?, fluorescent pink is becoming accepted as a new safety color for hunting. Given that we have a ...
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How much experience is needed for crossing the Mendenhall Glacier?
I'm planning a backpacking trip to Juneau with some friends next summer and was interested in taking the North Ridge route to Bullard Mountain (see: https://www.summitpost.org/bullard-mountain/930372)....
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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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Is it feasible that a black bear could kill a man with a single swat?
A recent post said:
a black bear can kill a man (or a dog) with a single swat of its paw.
I suppose anything is possible. But is it realistic? Has it ever happened?
Googling 'man killed by ...
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What NRR (Noise Reduction Rating) should one look for in hearing muffs/earplugs for indoor shooting?
Most hearing muffs/earplugs have a noise reduction rating of between 22 to 35 NRR.
OSHA says,
Impulse Noise: The standard states that exposure to impulsive or impact noise should not exceed 140 dB ...
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