96
votes
Accepted
Etiquette of playing musical instruments on popular hikes
I can only speak from experience, but I'll share what I have seen. The following paragraphs are ordered from least desirable to most.
In every case where people have been playing music on a speaker ...
- 1,466
75
votes
Etiquette of playing musical instruments on popular hikes
I, and the people I hike with do not appreciate music on the trails. If you want music use headphones. We try to hike the least popular trails to avoid encountering blaring music. We are out in nature ...
- 972
41
votes
Is there an organization for adults to learn outdoor skills with their kids?
As an active adult in the Boy Scouts of America, I would highly suggest that you find a local scout troop in your area and sign up. Not only will you be helping the troop in a number of ways, but it ...
- 809
38
votes
Etiquette of playing musical instruments on popular hikes
Just don't play your music with the aid of any electronic speakers. People sing and talk and laugh as they hike and that's fine, its when they start blaring music on their waterproof bluetooth ...
- 69.2k
37
votes
Trumpeting while backpacking?
Depending on how much other stuff you will be carrying, a whole trumpet and case may be too heavy and/or bulky.
Just take your mouthpiece and blow through it when you feel like it, on an easy part of ...
- 1,090
34
votes
Accepted
Why are there separate seasons for archery and firearm hunting for deer?
I think the main reason for this is that the hunting styles are a lot different between the two. Archery hunters often don't wear orange and get very close to the their prey while gun hunters wear ...
- 69.2k
29
votes
Trumpeting while backpacking?
For one, thank you for asking and planning to be considerate. I wouldn’t wholly throw away the idea of practicing while on a backpacking trip, particularly if you’re a professional, but there are ...
- 2,530
28
votes
Accepted
Which animals would kill porcupines?
What animals can kill a porcupine?
Porcupines are covered with quills that painfully stick into almost any predator that tries to attack them. For this reason, porcupines do not have to fear being ...
- 9,619
27
votes
Accepted
Is there an organization for adults to learn outdoor skills with their kids?
Volunteer in Search and Rescue (SAR).
I just got certified through my state's Sheriff's Association as a volunteer search and rescuer. I went through a two-month-long class with an intense outdoor "...
- 386
24
votes
Trumpeting while backpacking?
From my perspective, it depends on where you are backbacking/camping. And it's not other humans I would be concerned about primarily.
If you are in a very remote setting where there are only very few ...
- 1,552
23
votes
What is the responsible way to sell a firearm?
One possible solution, if you find a buyer that is willing to wait for it, i have heard of people taking a copy of the buyer's drivers license to the police station and asking them to run it to check ...
- 2,654
22
votes
Accepted
Is the Park Service continuing its case to re-rename Yosemite Park's historic landmarks?
The name change is going ahead, at least for now
The Ahwahnee Hotel and other Yosemite National Park landmarks soon will be renamed amid a legal dispute between the government and the facilities' ...
- 69.2k
22
votes
Is there an organization for adults to learn outdoor skills with their kids?
I don't know of any organization as you describe, but there certainly ways for adults to learn outdoorsmanship.
There are likely outdoor clubs in your area that run educational programs. Here in New ...
- 21.4k
22
votes
Accepted
What is this blob found at the edge of a puddle on a forest logging road?
The pool of water they are in is called a vernal pool. Amphibians and other woodland creatures take advantage of these temporary pools while they last.
Not having anything for scale in the picture, ...
- 1,857
22
votes
Etiquette of playing musical instruments on popular hikes
Being noisy in public is generally annoying for people around you, regardless of what kind of noise it is. (Exceptions apply, e.g. sporting events where being noisy is expected)
Playing an instrument ...
- 321
19
votes
Accepted
How long does it take for trash to become a historical artifact (in the United States)?
After 50 years, trash becomes protected as a historical artifact. It turns out that while you are not allowed to leave cans behind, you are also not allowed to "clean up" historic cans as they are an ...
- 69.2k
19
votes
Can a van be used for sleeping in National Park campgrounds in the US?
The prohibition on sleeping in a car is to prevent people from parking in the parking lots or pull outs and sleeping there and in effect camping outside of designated camp sites.
If you park at a ...
- 69.2k
17
votes
Etiquette of playing musical instruments on popular hikes
Would you start playing the clarinet on a bus? It's also noisy, somehow. People also wouldn't expect complete silence. Would you be the one to guarantee there is no possibility of silence at all?
...
- 3,379
16
votes
What are these round, spiny, puffy, green things from the ocean in Northeast United States?
They are Sea Urchins and they taste like mussels. People mostly eat them raw.
They're actually pretty tasty.
Oh yeah, you'll peel off the shell and go for the slimy flesh, a delicacy with fresh ...
- 3,361
16
votes
Accepted
Why would archery season be either before or after rifle season?
Your question was about deer hunting in Pennsylvania and Oregon where the majority of the deer are whitetail deer and mule deer, respectively. My answer applies to both, generally. There are many ...
- 1,802
15
votes
Accepted
What are these bulges? Are they harming the tree?
It looks like a Burl. They are natural non-harmful (think of them like scar tissue maybe, resulting from injury or infection) deformities in the grain of trees. Both hardwood & softwood trees can ...
- 1,668
15
votes
Accepted
What's a good place for a beginner to go backcountry camping in Oregon and California?
I'll answer the slightly broader question "How should I plan my first backpacking trip in Oregon or California?" (with emphasis on California, since that is the area I know best)
Since you are ...
- 7,491
15
votes
What is the responsible way to sell a firearm?
There are three ways that I am aware of, as a private seller to sell your guns to someone else correctly. Keep in mind that correctly is very jurisdiction-driven, and in some ways dependent on opinion....
- 2,810
15
votes
Accepted
Getting to the "outdoors" without a car
It varies a lot. You have to research each one on a case-by-case basis.
For instance San Francisco to Lake Tahoe is a variety of ski buses straight from the City, or, Amtrak's California Zephyr to ...
14
votes
Is there an organization for adults to learn outdoor skills with their kids?
You could read the Boy Scout Handbook and the BSA Fieldbook to get a strong basic knowledge of scouting skills. You'll need to get hands on experience, but that doesn't require being in the back ...
- 376
14
votes
Accepted
Why do they turn the 9/11 Memorial Lights off for birds?
The basic idea of turning them off temporarily is to let the birds readjust to their surroundings.
For reasons still unknown to science, artificial light attracts birds, from fledgling seabirds to ...
- 69.2k
13
votes
What breed is this very large, black, turtle/tortoise found in the Northeast United States?
Based on this list of turtles in Massachusetts, and this one as well as the pointed nose and the jagged back shell, I am going to say that this is a common snapping turtle.
For more information I ...
- 69.2k
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible