Questions tagged [terminology]
Questions about the proper terms for something, or the reasons behind naming something
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What is meant by "an Easterly wind"?
Does it mean that the wind is coming from east to west. Or is it meaning that the wind is coming from west to east?
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What do they call a rope for holding something in the context of the navy?
I am reading an entry in a French dictionary and translating it into English. This entry is “sauvegarde.” In a general context, this term is translated as “safeguard,” “protection,” or even “...
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Clarifying hiking lingo "return"
I am researching hikes in New Zealand. What does it mean if it says "this hike is 5-6 hours return"? Does it mean it will take 5-6 hours total or 5-6 hours each way?
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garbage collection equipment: frame with handle as garbage bag holder
My son (almost 2) loves picking up garbage, so I decided to give him garbage collection equipment as a birthday present.
For that, I'd like to get a thing which serves as a bag holder with wide ...
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Are adaptor ski bindings still a thing?
About 25 years ago I rented "adaptor bindings" from a shop (since gone out of business) specializing in cross-country skiing.
The adaptors would clip onto my ordinary downhill ski bindings,
...
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Fishing Line Terminology
To be clear, I know nothing about fishing.
On another project, someone told me he used 50lb fishing line, and when I looked it up to buy some, I found it said this: "Premium Mono Line 1/4Lb Spool,...
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Terminology for different ways of tying bends?
One way to categorise common knots to join two ropes together (i.e. bends) is:
Bends tied as if there were only one rope: by holding the two ropes together (side by side, parallel, both ending in the ...
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What is the term for completing a climbing route uncleanly?
If a climber completes a route without using their protection that is called sending.
What is the term if one completes the route but had to depend on the rope either for a rest or for a fall?
Let's ...
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What's the difference between the Norwegian fjord and the Scottish sea loch?
I want to know the major differences between these two systems.
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Why use a 20 MOA rail on top of a rifle?
Some hunting rifles come with a 20 MOA rail on top for mounting the scope or you can purchase the rails separately.
What is the point of a 20 MOA rail?
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Wet vs dry glacier
What exactly is meant by the terms "wet" or "dry" glacier?
This link here seems to point to the existence or absence of a film of melt-water below the glacier. This has an impact on how the glacier ...
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What is a cartridge’s point-blank-range?
Related to the idea of a flatter shooting cartridge, and the reason why a flatter cartridge makes it easier to hit the animal within the vital area, is the concept of point-blank-range.
What is point-...
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What does it mean for a caliber to be flat shooting?
Certain calibers such as the 300 Winchester Magnum are often called flat shooting.
What does that mean and why would a hunter care that the caliber is flat shooting when selecting a rifle to go ...
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What is a glass artificial horizon?
On Amundsen's polar expedition they had,
Of instruments and apparatus for the sledge journeys we carried two sextants, three artificial horizons, of which two were glass horizons with dark glasses, ...
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What is the difference between back country camping and front country camping?
I heard two terms 'back country camping' and 'front country camping' but I don't know what the difference between the two is. How are they different.
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What are the differences between a lighthouse and a light station in terms of the specific purpose?
One summer evening we drove to Race Point, the farthest tip of Cape Cod, Massachusetts, USA. We were told there was a lighthouse at that spot, and wanted to see the light shine through the darkness, ...
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Is there a difference between a hiking trail and a backpacking trail, including if it's the same piece of land?
I saw an article about the Long Trail, a 272-mile trail through the Green Mountain range in Vermont, USA.
It's famous for being the oldest hiking trail in the United States, having been built between ...
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What is the difference between a Canoe and a Kayak?
Canoes and Kayaks have a lot in common, and for the most part I can look and say that is a Canoe and that is a Kayak. But I have been seeing some vessels that blur the line between them. It seems ...
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What features of a trail camera make it easier for photographing animals than other cameras?
In this answer to a question I asked about how to photograph moose without scaring them, one of the possible suggestions was a "trail camera."
What exactly is a trail camera? How does it differ in ...
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What is a 'Whitecap' and why should I be concerned about boating in them?
I heard someone talking about whitecaps and how they could be dangerous for boating but I am not sure I understand, what they were talking about.
What are whitecaps and why should I be concerned ...
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What is a kassakåta?
Within the mountains (and other wilderness areas) of Västerbotten and Norrbotten in Sweden, there is a lot of cultural heritage, with Sami huts ("kåta") like Måskåsj-gammen or like this one between ...
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What group of people call themselves "Outdoor Influencers", and what do they do regarding natural areas of land?
I recently heard the term "Outdoor Influencers" relating to certain groups of people, including conservationists.
Apparently some people have negative feelings about their activities, because they ...
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What constitutes mountain exposure when hiking or scrambling?
In this question, I focus on the fall exposure component. While I understand the perception of danger will vary from person to person, I'm having trouble characterizing mountain exposure. I can see ...
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What does contouring mean in the context of navigation/orienteering?
One of the techniques while navigating in the outdoors is known as contouring, what does this mean and when would it be useful?
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What are the different names for and sources of alcohol for my stove?
What are the different names for camping stove alcohol and where can I get such a fuel?
Note, this is not about white gas (aka "Coleman" fuel).
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What is the defintion of a "unisex tent"?
I was searching around after a new hiking tent, when I noticed a specification called "unisex", I know that something is "unisex" if it's suited for all genders. Though it makes me wonder, how on ...
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What is the difference between AMO/AMA and ASTM spine declarations?
This question asks "Are the Goldtip and Easton spine declarations AMO/AMA or ASTM??",
What exactly is the difference between AMO/AMA and ASTM spine declarations and what difference does it make?
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In shooting, what is a MOA (minute of angle)?
In hunting/shooting, you will often see the term MOA (which stands for minute of angle).
What exactly is an (MOA) minute of angle when it comes to shooting?
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Getting lost and circling a trail in a loop?
What is the term for that phenomenon when someone in wilderness start experiencing a strange situation? When,
They aren't certain that they have lost the route
They may or may not be walking on a ...
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What determines whether the young of a cat is called a kitten or a cub?
The young of cats are called kittens or cubs, depending partly on how large the cat is, and apparently partly on informal custom. Wikipedia, kitten says:
The word "kitten" derives from the Middle ...
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What is the difference between a dinosaur true track and a natural cast?
Of the dinosaur tracks that people find in the outdoors, there are two main types, true tracks and natural casts (there are also undertracks and infills but these are harder to see).
What exactly is ...
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What is a back bearing when navigating with map and compass?
Sometimes when navigating with map and compass one will take a back bearing, i.e. a bearing taken directly opposite to the direction one is travelling?
When and why would one want to do this?
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In orienteering/navigation, what is an attack point?
Some features in orienteering or navigation are called attack points. What exactly does this refer to?
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What is the difference between single action (SA), double action/single action (DA/SA) and double action only(DAO) semi-auto pistols
Somewhat like revolvers, semi-automatic pistols also come in single action, double action/single action and double action only.
Also while there are similarities to how this terminology is used with ...
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What is the difference between single and double action revolvers?
Some revolvers are single action and some are double action, what exactly is the difference between the two types?
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What are "minimalist shoes"?
There are some questions regarding "minimalist shoes" on the site.
By looking at those with the tag, it seems that the term relates to shoes that have thin soles without much spring to them, and ...
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What is a top strap on a revolver?
Some revolvers like the earliest Colts do not have top straps, and that is the easy way of telling them apart from the early Remingtons or from any modern revolvers.
What exactly is a top strap on a ...
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In rock climbing what does the term "Flash" mean? [duplicate]
If someone "flashes" a climb what does this mean?
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Is the correct term Canada Goose or Canadian Goose?
The author of a question on our site referred to a certain type of goose as a Canadian goose. Some people thought that the correct name is Canada goose, rather than Canadian.
Wikipedia refers to them ...
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What do surf report terms like "fading WNW swell" mean?
I'm confused about whether these headings refer to the direction of the source of the wind/swell, or the the direction they are blowing into. My understanding is that they are talking about the source....
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What is a catch feature in orienteering?
On of the terms used in orienteering is "catch feature".
What exactly is a catch feature and how would a catch feature help one with navigating in the outdoors?
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In orienteering/navigation, what is a handrail feature?
One of the terms in orienteering/navigation is "handrail feature".
What exactly does this term mean?
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What is the meaning and proper usage of the term "irruption" in bird behavior?
The author of a question on this site wondered if they had possibly seen a snowy owl.
A quoted source in this answer to that question used the word irruption in part of a sentence about where the ...
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Why are large/pear shaped locking carabiners called HMS carabiners?
Carabiners like this one,
Image Source
are called HMS carabiners. Why are they called that and what does HMS stand for?
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What are the different techniques to jam in a crack?
I have been told that climbing cracks is very much a methodical procedure. Especially in places like Yosemite and Indian creek, where the cracks can be the only feature of the rock that can be used to ...
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How to describe a trail well for others in a systematic way?
I occasionally design or lead hikes in areas with multiple trail junctions. I attempt to be thorough in the planning by having several different ways for hikers to follow the trail. (Maps and GPS are ...
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What is a nose-hooked carabiner and why is it dangerous?
In rock climbing a carabiner can get nose-hooked and it is a very dangerous situation.
What exactly is a nose-hooked carabiner and why is it dangerous?
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What is a tent skirt and what is its purpose?
Several posts on this side make mention of tent "skirts". For example:
A "skirt" at the bottom of the tent, which makes outer tent reach the ground, so wind is not beating into the inner tent;
it ...
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What is a dish or dish-like hand hold in rock climbing?
I saw mention of a 'dish' hold, and cannot figure out what this means exactly from Google searches. There are many sites selling dish holds like this one, but I don't understand what 'dish' means from ...
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What is a lava tube, as a place to see bats? Are there any in the United States?
I've been looking for places to find bats in their natural habitat, rather than around the house. The author of this question saw some bats in a lava tube. I've never heard of a lava tube before, and ...