How dangerous is solo backpacking? I live close to Appalachia and any time I talk to someone about going on a solo trip people talk schitzo-tier about how I'm going to die, disappear, or worse.
Not even because of the nature specifically, but because of le paranormal, inbred mountain people, cannibals, accidentally stumbling upon illegal operations in the mountains (heard this one specifically a lot), etc. You get it, the list goes on.
Anyways, is there any truth to the danger or is it just the average small-town tall tales and superstitions? Seems unlikely to me as I feel like if it was so dangerous you'd be seeing a lot more of it in the news.

deciduous forests are much nicer than coniferous forests

Bivi general for my fellow bodybag enjoyers.

I recently got my hands on a dutch army bivibag and I got to test it in quite heavy rain.
Everything looked dry but where a puddle formed, the sleeping bag was completely drenched.

I was used to using Norwegian army bags in snow without issue, and I learning with a TF1522 bivibag that in rain they aren't waterproof.

Now I hoped that I could use the bivibag for a minimalist trip without tarp.
Can this be fixed with a DWR spray, or do I really have to use a tarp?

title pretty much. crossposting here to have better reach, main post is on /sci/

We can argue about which country has the best mountains but deep down in our hearts we all know it's Switzerland and people only say otherwise cause it's expensive as fuck

Anon goes hobomode in Sweden and dies in a an abandoned shack?
Cops in Värnamo in the middle of Sweden found a mummified hiker in 2022 in an abandoned house. He was carrying sleeping mats and a storm kitchen and stuff. They can't figure out who he is. Anyone remember any anons saying they were going to go offgrid in Sweden?
They posted pictures of his gear and stuff and it mostly looks like Swedish brands but he did have an american dollar on a chain https://www.expressen.se/kvallsposten/detaljen-som-kan-losa-mysteriet-med-mumifierade-mannen-i-varnamo/

I live in a commie shithole and wamt to go to the few natural areas left. However, since hunting bears or lynxes is prohibited, the areas are full of them. And because or retarded laws, i cannot own any weapon capable of launching a projectile with enough force to actually penetrate a target. Are there any ways i can be surely protected from getting mauled, or any gadgets i can make to defend myself? Anybody here had a bear or other large predator encounter without ranged weapons?

Have you ever climbed over 17,000 feet?

post cool infographics and all kinds of informative pics