Backpacking Tips: Gear

TIPS ON GEAR

 

"The forest is to me
the sweetest college.
Wisdom doth here in
all its branches grow."
--Edward Thurlow--

 

Gloves

Backpacker magazine sells tight-fitting gloves which are great when the temperature drops, or for traveling through prickly vegetation. These light-weight gloves have nubs on the palms to aid in picking up small objects and to assure firm grip on warm objects like a candle lantern hook or pot handle.

Headgear while sleeping

Especially for those like me who are folically challenged on the top of the head, heat loss at night in colder climes is a problem. Since so much body heat is lost through the head, a wool watch cap or parka sweatshirt work well and are easily removed if you are too warm.

Capturing panoramic vistas 

The vistas we encounter after achieving the mountain top, or the magnificent expansive valleys we enjoy from ridges are not done justice by normal camera lenses. The new lightweight disposable Kodak Advantix Switchable camera (which replace their old model, the panoramic disposable camera) provides 25 shots, either 11 1/2" by 3" panoramics or oversize 4" by 7". You can even use the camera vertically to get shots which emphasize altitude differences, as with deep canyons or waterfalls. The purchase and developing expense is more than ordinary rolls of film but still works out to under $1.00 per shot. I carry mine in a zip-lock bag to keep it dry and dust-free.

Zip 'em up!

Zip Lock freezer bags now come in sizes from pint to 2 gallon. To guarantee that clothes stay dry when rain is likely, putting clothes in zip locks provides confidence that the clothing will be dry when you need it. They weigh little and can be recycled on the trip, being used to segregate wet or smelly clothes from the rest of the pack's contents. They also can be used to keep reading material and paper products dry. The larger sizes work perfectly well for carrying a trowel and toilet paper. Dozens of other uses will become obvious also if you carry a few extra bags in your pack.

Camera batteries

You no doubt carry spare batteries for your mini-mag flashlight, but do you carry a spare battery for your camera? Would you like to be 3 days into the most magnificent scenery in the world and be unable to capture your experiences on film? Would you feel badly that you were lugging that damn camera and couldn't use it?

Bandanas

Bandanas can be purchased at K-Mart, etc., for under 2 bucks each, yet can be valuable accessories on the trail. They are lightweight and colorful. I always carry 8 or so with me, some in Zip-locks to keep them dry and clean for use later in the trip. I wear one around my forehead to catch perspiration (since I have no hair to do this.) Another is used as a handkerchief, another cleans my glasses, another is used for handling hot cookware, another for first aid use, another to strain water before treating with Iodine tablets. Many more uses become obvious as you hike.

Lightweight tarp

I carry a very lightweight heavy gauge nylon tarp. I wrap it around my Therma-Rest mattress which is attached to the outside of the pack. The tarp protects the mattress from being punctured by low branches, etc. At rest breaks or lunch break, if it is wet, the tarp and mattress provide a dry and comfortable resting place. If one of those daily Rocky Mountain storms hits, we sit under the tarp with the ends wrapped around us. It keeps us dry and warm and protects us from the occasional hail we encounter. It can also serve as a replacement tent, God forbid it be destroyed or damaged. If the tent floor suddenly springs a leak or gets wet, the tarp can again come to the rescue. It is a good, multi-purpose piece of equipment which is inexpensive and lightweight.

Ron Drysdale bought a small Moss ParaWing. It is compact, lightweight, sets up fast, is stable due to its parabolic sides, and prevents you from feeling confined and claustrophobic like in a tent. It also is a nice shady spot for a lunch, picnic, day at the beach, etc.

Hiking staffs

Hiking staffs are becoming more popular every year, and perhaps some day I'll become a convert. For now, though, I find it easier to locate a branch when I need the use of a staff to cross a creek or whatever. One is usually readily available, discarded by previous hikers, and I likewise leave it available on the other side of the creek for the next traveler who needs it.

Dr. Martin R. (retired) uses ribs from downed, dead Sajuaro cactus plants as hiking staffs. A bit of sanding, staining, and a hole for a leather strap finishes it nicely. I thank him for sending me one after we met on a Volunteer Vacation.

Stoves

You can carry your liquid gas, and refill and prime and pump and clean orifices all you like. I prefer the simplicity, convenience, and reliability of propane/butane canisters and my wonderful, trouble-free Gaz Bluet stove. Sure, I have to carry a spare canister and carry out empty canisters, but don't you also end up carrying a metal can with spare gas? And don't you have to carry that can out with you too, whether empty of partially full? Same difference! Except mine ALWAYS lights on the first try, never clogs or flares up, and has few moving parts to break off or malfunction. I love it! And I trust it! My stove is the old- model which uses the single-puncture cans. The newer models allow you to unscrew and remove the gas canister if you wish.

Mole Foam 

Most backpackers know about and use moleskin to forestall or solve blister problems. The same company also makes Mole Foam, a thicker version which provides much more padding and protection for tender areas. You can even cut out the center of one of the patches making a donut hole around a really sensitive location. It is especially useful to cushion the occasional heel blister.

Tent pole splints 

Did your tent come with a hollow tube? It's for splinting poles which are damaged during a trip. Resist the temptation to leave it home. It doesn't weigh much and is worth its weight in gold when needed. I carried it for years and finally actually needed it on Isle Royale National Park, halfway through a 50 mile backpack. (And yes, REI replaces broken poles free - even gave me a new tent stuff sack which had ripped after 6 years of use -- they really stand behind their products!)

Blue jeans

Resist the urge to wear or carry blue jeans. Though they provide comforting warmth when the temperatures dip, and though their hardiness resists thorns and rock edges and the like, they are absolutely worthless when wet and take forever to dry. They are also very heavy to tote when wet. ("The best dressed corpses wear cotton" according to a mountaineering book.)

Prescription drugs

A first aid kit is carried by everyone. But do you carry prescription pain killers and antibiotics? Perhaps your doctor will write you a prescription for a few pills for severe pain should you break a bone or really twist a knee, and write you another RX for some strong antibiotic in case you get a bad infection and high fever on the trail. Its always better to be prepared than be unprepared and sorry. 

Internal pack disorganized?

Do you sometimes have a love/hate relationship with your internal frame pack? You love its fit and how it hugs your body and distributes the weight to your hips and legs, but despise the disorganization inherent with one large compartment into which everything seemingly disappears forever? Use color-coded stuff sacks and develop the habit of always packing the backpack the same way. I use a red bag for cook set, blue bag for clothes, green bag for food, and gray bag for emergency and repair items. I also pack needed items together. For example, handiwipes go in with the moleskin and more handiwipes go in the food bag, the cord for hanging the food bag goes right in the food bag, matches go in the cook set bag, etc.

Sit-upons

Jeff Wilson sent this tip: A square of vinyl (about 18" square) covered with cloth backed table cloth material with a sandwich of newspaper. It is a good insulator and convenient to sit or kneel on, so hence its name. To reduce weight, Jeff uses 2 layers of metalized bubble pack (available in hardware stores) in place of the newspaper. It provides insulation, comfort, and reflects body heat back to you.

Abe in Middletown, Ohio, finds this metalized bubble wrap (which reflects 95% of radiant heat) a fine insulator on cold nights when put under the length of his self-inflating ground pad, and it also improves the "loft" of the mattress. But don't use the bubble wrap by itself, he warns, because it doesn't breathe, and perspiration will make for an uncomfortable night.

Darwin in Woodbury, MN used an inexpensive 1/2 inch closed-cell foam sleeping pad (from Target - about $3) cut into 4 pieces. Each piece lasts a number of trips and then is discarded. He also uses it on the trail to protect more fragile gear in the pack.

Key chains

 

Those cute key chains you get from businesses, etc., but you have no need for -- can be used as zipper pulls on backpacks, sleeping bags, and jackets when the originals break off, or just so you have a larger pull to hold on to. The key chains with small compasses attached can be useful when attached to the backpack pack strap at chest level and easily referred to while hiking the trail without having to get your "real" compass out of the pack.

Fanny sack: alternative use

When I do a solo backpack, I put on a large fanny sack rotated so it sits at chest level before I put on my backpack. Into this fanny sack are 2 water bottles, my 2 cameras (35 MM and panoramic camera), zip lock of jelly beans for trail snacks, map & guidebook & compass, Advil, lip balm, and anything else I might want to use while on the trail and for which I don't want the hassle of stopping and taking off my backpack to reach. An added benefit: this lowers the weight in the backpack and redistributes part of it to my front, acting as a counter-balance and eliminating that tendency to lean forward.

Backpack liner and moleskin replacement

Elizabeth Jane Stephens of New Orleans suggests that you line the inside of your backpack with a plastic trash bag. Compress it to remove the air, twist the top, and your clothes are waterproofed! She also suggests you wrap some duct tape around a water bottle and use the duct tape as a replacement for moleskin.

Socks

John Caldwell suggests : Wear a pair of thin acrylic dress socks beneath your heavier wool socks. Your feet stay dry and the socks rub against each other rather than against your feet.

Making a "hot seat"

Daniel Simmons suggests you make a "hot seat" from heavy gauge, waterproof plastic filled with small Styrofoam mailing pellets. They last forever, won't compress, and keep you off the cold wet ground during deer season or for ice fishing.

That old mouse pad

R. Selman suggests you use an old neoprene rubber mouse pad for sitting on the ground, rocks, or logs. It is dry and comfortable and you are recycling!

Stove stabilizer/reflector

Mike Wilson suggests you take a 12 inch square of closed cell foam sleeping pad and cover it with duct tape and then use it as a stabilizing base for your cooking stove. An added benefit is its reflecting of the heat upwards. You can also use this as a sitting or kneeling pad and even a frisbee!

Duct tape blister stopper

Marcus Hayes suggests putting duct tape on hot spots when you feel a blister forming. It stops the friction and the duct tape can easily be carried around a film cannister or around a water bottle. Jason K. from Calgary cautions that a chemical in the duct tape adhesive can diffuse into the blood stream through your skin, so white athletic tape might be an alternative to this.

Lightweight tarp

 

Jon Snyder carries an emergency tube tent from CampMor ($6) for possible use as an emergency signal (orange colored) or as a ground cloth, tarp, or emergency shelter. Brad Chapman from Grand Rapids, MI prefers a tarp made from a 12'x8' piece of Tyvek with rubber grommets at the corners on on the sides. It folds to a compact 12" square only 1/2" thick. is light, wind-proof, water-proof, and nearly puncture-proof. A second sheet in a ziplock bag with a piece of foam makes a sit-upon and serves as a spare tarp, ground cloth, equipment cover, etc.

Duct tape holder & misc. tips

 

Will suggests carrying duct tape wrapped around a spare pair of boot laces so you don't gunk up the outside of a water bottle. He also carries metal key rings and 20 gauge wire for repair jobs on the trail, as well as a replacement hip belt buckle (cheap and light.) Kurt puts his duct tape around a pen or pencil. Kevin suugests you carry dental floss instead of picture hanging wire -- the floss is extremely light yet very strong and can also be used to sew seams on your pack or pants or whatever.

Cooking pan for the trail

Keith Corliss of West Fargo, ND, was looking for a non-stick fry pan for backpacking. Instead he got a pie tin in the cooking section of his supermarket. It was cheap, light weight, durable, fit well in the pack, and performed its job well. Steve Allison from Georgia uses a cheap $10 nonstick frying pan from one of the large discount chains. He removed the handle and instead uses his pot grabber

Foam pad inside pack

Kurt rolls his sleeping pad into a cylinder which lines the inside of his internal frame pack and he then stores gear inside the cylinder, making a rigid system to protect the gear. Of course, if you use your pad for comfort at rest stops or lunch stop, this won't work.

Fuel can protection

B. Graham from Arkansas protects his fuel bottle from dents and scathing by covering it with 2 "can cozies" made for pop cans. Or he says you could use an old mouse pad and duct tape.

Boot storage

Jessica of Manchester, NH, suggests storing your boots in old grocery bags while you sleep. I use a variety of this by storing my camp shoes in a white kitchen trash bag while they are in my backpack, and after arriving in camp, I put my boots in the bag for overnight, either storing it in the tent or the vestibule. This is especially useful when the boots are wet or muddy.

Eliminate blisters with panty hose

TJ Marsh of Indianapolis shares a trick he learned while on long marches in the army. Under wool socks, he would wear panty hose, which eliminated blister problems.

Another anti-blister tip

 

Carrie H. and John H. suggest you rub anti-perspirant (i.e. a travel size stick of Degree) on your feet, or just over hot spots if you prefer, to keep socks from sticking to the skin, thus suppressing both blisters and foot odor.

Folding aluminum campstool

 

Pat C. from Ohio carries an aluminum campstool (14 ounces) and loves the luxury of having a soft, form fitting seat when all he sees is rocks. And in the rare campsight where there are virtually no flat rocks to sit his water cube on, it makes a very nice little spigot up off the ground.

Polar pure purification

Pat C. from Ohio gave up the filter for Polar Pure which gives a couple of gallons within a couple of minutes and the additional advantage that you can use them over more than one season (unlike regular iodine tablets that expire). He carries the two little bottles and has enough water to take a shower. They only cost about $10 and treat 500 gallons of water. Only drawback is the glass jars, so wrap them in bubble wrap.

Shelter from a tarp

Fishnut suggests: If you need to erect a makeshift shelter using a tarp or cloth whcih has no corner grommets, wrap a small stone in a corner and tie a rope behind the stone, encasing the stone within the fabric. Do this in each corner and you now can securely rope the tarp to tree limbs or bushes without making holes in the tarp (which strong wind would rip our anyway).

Acne prone?

Teenager Jennifer reminds hikers of al ages that hiking creates perspiration which can clog the pores and lead to acne. Add all the trail dirt and dust and the problem can get worse. She suggests applying Clearasil Vanishing Creme or RX Acne Medication at night to help prevent break-outs.

Simplify cleaning your pot

Glenn from Charleston, SC, coats the pot's bottom and lower sides (exterior only!) with liquid dish soap BEFORE cooking, thereby making cleanup a breeze. Any soot from the stove or fire washes right off. Be careful not to contaminate the inside of the pot while preparing the food or you'll regret it!

Boot moisture

Bob from Jasper, Indiana, carries a few pieces of newspaper which he sticks into his boots overnight to wick the moisture out of them.

Homemade Lantern

Stephen from Lake Lure, NC, uses Pringles chip cans for lanterns. Don't open the top. Instead, cut a capital (I) in the side from about an inch above the bottom to an inch from the top and half the circumference. Fold the sides back for the doors (put your chips in a zip lock.) Opening the two wings exposes the reflective interior. Drip wax in the bottom to hold the candle and you have a great, almost totally windproof lantern. 

If you have a dissenting opinion or would like to contribute a tip,
email me at CMorHiker@aol.com

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