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Johnny Thunder
02-01-2008, 13:37
This is a call to all junior-MacGuyvers and worriers, alike...

What are the least celebrated pieces of gear in your pack? The things you'd never find in any outfitter...the safety pins...the tin foil...the ear plugs, etc.

With all this talk about bags and packs and boots, etc it'd be nice to know what else goes in.

Stories like, "Man, when my _____ broke I was so glad I brought along a _____. It totally saved my butt." will be greatly appreciated.

(my list includes duct tape, moleskin, saftey pins/paperclips/rubber bands, superglue, a sharpie, and tin foil)

Freeleo
02-01-2008, 13:45
Man, when my water broke I was so glad I brought along a towel. It totally saved my butt when i has to sit on the cold rock to give birth

Johnny Thunder
02-01-2008, 13:52
Amen....

JAK
02-01-2008, 13:54
Man, when my heart broke I was so glad I brought along an homemade icecream machine and a pound of cream. It totally saved my butt.

mystic
02-01-2008, 14:11
Zip ties (http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/showimage.php?i=21940&c=516)
Velcro (http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/showimage.php?i=21939&c=516)
Microlight (http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/showimage.php?i=21938&c=516)
550 Paracord (http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/showimage.php?i=21937&c=516)
Plastic carabiner (http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/showimage.php?i=21936&c=516)
Tincture of Benzoin (http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/showimage.php?i=21934&c=516)
Jolly Ranchers (http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/showimage.php?i=21935&c=516)

When the ridgeline on my hammock snapped just before sunset the microlight, zip ties and paracord saved my butt.

Jack Tarlin
02-01-2008, 14:12
I carry a three inch piece of metal tubing, to use as as a tent-pole splint.

On all of my trips, it has proven useful, either to me or to someone who desperately needed it.

Also, an eyeglass repair kit which cost about $1.25. EXTREMELY useful.

And I always carry a small American flag which I put up outside my tent every night.

While most people wouldn't necessarily find this to be "useful", I wouldn't hike without it.

Seeker
02-01-2008, 14:12
"Man, when my orange trowel broke I was so glad I brought along another one. It totally saved my butt."

mweinstone
02-01-2008, 14:29
inflatable doll

jhick
02-01-2008, 14:41
strips of birch bark. Great for lighting a fire in crappy conditions.


(thanks Roy ;))

greentick
02-01-2008, 14:42
And I always carry a small American flag which I put up outside my tent every night.

While most people wouldn't necessarily find this to be "useful", I wouldn't hike without it.

That rocks.

I feel like I'm in a V8 commercial and all this time I have been carrying the full size one. So much for lightweight BPing...


http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/showimage.php?i=12993&catid=member&imageuser=6848

warraghiyagey
02-01-2008, 14:52
Nail clippers.

mweinstone
02-01-2008, 14:59
not an inflatable doll i ment.

mweinstone
02-01-2008, 15:03
i carry one ob brand tampon and a small vial of hemlock. if im suddenly and without warning, taken abord a surgical bay spaceship thinggy and turnned against my will into a tranny, i take the hemlock. the ob tampon is for firestarting while i await resque and transport to the nearest detrannying surgical arena hospitol thinggy.

warraghiyagey
02-01-2008, 15:04
i carry one ob brand tampon and a small vial of hemlock. if im suddenly and without warning, taken abord a surgical bay spaceship thinggy and turnned against my will into a tranny, i take the hemlock. the ob tampon is for firestarting while i await resque and transport to the nearest detrannying surgical arena hospitol thinggy.
Well said!!:p

mweinstone
02-01-2008, 15:04
wait, that dosnt make sence mat. you poisoned yourself then whent for resque? oh matty. me thinks the bacons fryed your brain.

mweinstone
02-01-2008, 15:06
who is this and why do you sound like me?

mweinstone
02-01-2008, 15:06
who are you im mat.

mweinstone
02-01-2008, 15:07
so am i. this must be dino. stop it!

mweinstone
02-01-2008, 15:11
i dare you to do this......


if in fact you are me,...witch your not!

warraghiyagey
02-01-2008, 15:11
so am i. this must be dino. stop it!
Tsk, another partial meltdown in PA.
:D

mweinstone
02-01-2008, 15:13
your nose is bleeding mat

mweinstone
02-01-2008, 15:14
yeah, its been doing that since birth. two times a day like clockwork. really though....this is dino isnt it? i mean you...

mweinstone
02-01-2008, 15:15
listen up everyone! THIS IS A HIJACK!







hijack over. we now return you to your otherwise and if not for matty would be boreing thread.

warraghiyagey
02-01-2008, 15:16
Hi Jack!:welcome

jhick
02-01-2008, 15:17
Tsk, another partial meltdown in PA.
:D
too much time near the Superfund site???

mweinstone
02-01-2008, 15:17
i carry a single extra stem cell.

Johnny Thunder
02-01-2008, 15:17
listen up everyone! THIS IS A HIJACK!







hijack over. we now return you to your otherwise and if not for matty would be boreing thread.


Actually, this thread was going fine before you butted into it. Why don't you make like a tree and 'C' your way out of it.

warraghiyagey
02-01-2008, 15:18
too much time near the Superfund site???
Possibly part of the issue.:)

warraghiyagey
02-01-2008, 15:19
Actually, this thread was going fine before you butted into it. Why don't you make like a tree and 'C' your way out of it.
Ouch. Uncool.

Johnny Thunder
02-01-2008, 15:22
"Fur get about it....I'm outa' heeerrrreeee."

mweinstone
02-01-2008, 16:01
okay. lets tak about the secret devices matthewski carrys developed by my trusted yet enslaved border crossers hiding in my subteranian lex luther like shelter beneath the very bowels of this city.
first is my nessisary three chopstix. after a decade of intensive searching for the right eating cooking thing. i found three chopstix works best. at stirring, they wisk. at wisking, they clean easy. at stabbing they punch holes in knife theory.
the jiffypop lid/food/extra pot/windscreen/hat was actually a joint project between myself and the thundercat corp. as most of you know, johnney thunder rides the thundercat nascar car powered by jiffypop butter flavor.

mweinstone
02-01-2008, 16:02
come back johnney thunder! ill behave.

and now ill say what johnneys thinking."i dont know about this mat guy"

warraghiyagey
02-01-2008, 16:03
okay. lets tak about the secret devices matthewski carrys developed by my trusted yet enslaved border crossers hiding in my subteranian lex luther like shelter beneath the very bowels of this city.
.
Mathewwski . . . the real National Treasure??

envirodiver
02-01-2008, 16:08
i carry one ob brand tampon and a small vial of hemlock. if im suddenly and without warning, taken abord a surgical bay spaceship thinggy and turnned against my will into a tranny, i take the hemlock. the ob tampon is for firestarting while i await resque and transport to the nearest detrannying surgical arena hospitol thinggy.

I think that is standard gear for all of us (Except those UL guys) for just these situations.

mweinstone
02-01-2008, 16:10
thats such a funny pic of you. you have like three triangle eyelashes.you look like tweetybird.

weirdest thing in my pack:the left behind and combined molecules of every hiker and trail dog i ever met witch even now have formed a complex lifeform we call,.....replicators.

Johnny Thunder
02-01-2008, 16:23
I was tired.

Montego
02-02-2008, 02:31
Can opener (P-38): Forgot it once, had to use my knife - not good for the knife to open cans with.

Campho-Phenic (for skeeter bites): Instant itch relief. Kept me from scratching the bites and making it worse.

Small radio (weather reports): Warned me so I could re-supply for the long haul and get my camp set up before the freak blizzard hit. That was a life saver.

weedeater64
02-02-2008, 06:04
I carry a three inch piece of metal tubing, to use as as a tent-pole splint.

On all of my trips, it has proven useful, either to me or to someone who desperately needed it.

Also, an eyeglass repair kit which cost about $1.25. EXTREMELY useful.

And I always carry a small American flag which I put up outside my tent every night.

While most people wouldn't necessarily find this to be "useful", I wouldn't hike without it.

You're supposed to take down the flag at night.

Montego
02-03-2008, 00:30
You're supposed to take down the flag at night.

Or light it up. Not sure if a "tea candle" would qualify though :confused:

JAK
02-03-2008, 01:31
This is a call to all junior-MacGuyvers and worriers, alike...

What are the least celebrated pieces of gear in your pack? The things you'd never find in any outfitter...the safety pins...the tin foil...the ear plugs, etc.

With all this talk about bags and packs and boots, etc it'd be nice to know what else goes in.

Stories like, "Man, when my _____ broke I was so glad I brought along a _____. It totally saved my butt." will be greatly appreciated.

(my list includes duct tape, moleskin, saftey pins/paperclips/rubber bands, superglue, a sharpie, and tin foil)OK.


6 nails.

a Greek orthodox beeswax candle.

snare wire.

a leather shoelace.

GGS2
02-03-2008, 02:46
OK.
6 nails.
a Greek orthodox beeswax candle.
snare wire.
a leather shoelace.

LOL. Well, almost anyway. Let's see, I know the snare wire is to make a garrott to defend yourself against bears. The leather shoe lace is to make survival soup, and the beeswax is to smear on your lips. What are the nails for?

River Runner
02-03-2008, 04:52
Bandaids/moleskin pieces. I've loaned out several. Use a few myself when my shoes developed worn spots at the heels and started giving me blisters on one trip.

Tylenol Sinus. Took these a few times to combat miserable headaches due to sinus/allergies.

Swiss Army Knife - used to trim my toenails once when a sharp edged nail started cutting into the side of the adjacent toe. Used to cut moleskin to fit into worn place in rear of shoe (see above).

Extra photon light - loaned it out once to a guy who forgot his flashlight, used it when the batteries in my primary one died.

Marta
02-03-2008, 08:04
Dental floss, for cleaning teeth and for sewing.

Needle with eye large enough to take dental floss.

Ditto on the extra photon light. I keep it clipped to my fleece jacket, which I am almost always wearing after dark.

gumball
02-03-2008, 08:49
Vet wrap. Its a light roll of gauze like tape that self sticks when wrapped, without stickiness. Good for everything from wrapping blisters to securing a broken tent pole. Kind of like duct tape, but not as sticky.

And also--duct tape wrapped around the tops of my trekking poles.

mudhead
02-03-2008, 09:05
Campho-Phenic (for skeeter bites): Instant itch relief. Kept me from scratching the bites and making it worse.



Look for "AfterBite." It is ammonia in a tube, with a "felt" applicator tip.

Works on ant chomps, too.

maxNcathy
02-03-2008, 10:43
I cut the sleeves off an old fleece sweater to use to keep my icy feet warm while sleeping...and to use as leg warmers as I am leaving long pants at home.

hopefulhiker
02-03-2008, 10:46
Ibuprophren, credit card....

Captn
02-03-2008, 11:25
Imodium
Small New Testament
Photon Light, Boy Scout Flint Striker, and Car Key on a Key ring in my pocket.
Two Safety Pins
Esbit Tab or small bit of Petrolatum and Cotton Balls for firestarting
Small Knife
Duct Tape
Small Pencil stub (like the ones you get golfing)
ECZ Line

rafe
02-03-2008, 14:59
A tiny Suunto keychain compass/thermometer (http://www.amazon.com/Suunto-Comet-Compass-with-Thermometer/dp/B000FEWA9A). I'll second the suggestion of a Photon light as a spare. These things give me peace of mind.

kayak karl
02-03-2008, 15:42
What are the nails for?
i bite mine when im nervous. :D

Survivor Dave
02-03-2008, 15:54
I ordered 15 bottles of the MINI Tabasco bottles that weighed more than they are worth. Red pepper flakes, much better! I also took 2 pounds of a homemade trail mix that I only ate a handful or two. I now take mini Snickers and Baby Ruth that cover the chocolate and nut fix. They are easier to carry in the lower pockets of my convertible pants.

25 feet of rope rather than 50 feet.......and on and on. It's all good now!

SD

swellbill
02-03-2008, 16:44
A partial hot glue stick. Has come in handy a few times. Although the last time I went to use it to fix a broken handle, I couldn't find my lighter...Bummer.
Moral of the story - If you are going to bother to carry around a piece of a glue stick, make sure you n can melt it

Frolicking Dinosaurs
02-03-2008, 17:24
yeah, its been doing that since birth. two times a day like clockwork. really though....this is dino isnt it? i mean you...Not me, Matty. My spell-checker would of caught fire if I posted that. Anyway, I'm not your loving moderator in this section - that would be Cuffs :D

shelterbuilder
02-03-2008, 18:03
A recent addition to my "personals" bag: a 4 inch long piece of copper tubing, flared at one end, with a bottle nipple jammed onto that end, which I can use to blow air into stubborn little campfires as I try to get them started. "It's a 'handicapped' thing; you might not understand." :D

(I've used the same nipple trick on my emergency whistle - works like a charm!)

River Runner
02-03-2008, 20:02
[quote=Marta;521919]Dental floss, for cleaning teeth and for sewing. /quote]

I forgot about dental floss. I carry it EVERYWHERE! I have spacing between the base of my rear molars that just loves to catch a shred of meat or bit of nut, and if I don't get it out quickly I soon develop a headache.

Never had to use if for anything else so far.

JAK
02-03-2008, 20:15
LOL. Well, almost anyway. Let's see, I know the snare wire is to make a garrott to defend yourself against bears. The leather shoe lace is to make survival soup, and the beeswax is to smear on your lips. What are the nails for?We have no old growth left in New Brunswick, but we do a lot of tree planting so I'm thinking way ahead. Every time I go out I spike 6 new seedlings with small finish nails. I'm an ultralight eco-terrorist with vision.

Montego
02-03-2008, 20:30
[quote=Marta;521919]Dental floss, for cleaning teeth and for sewing. /quote]

I forgot about dental floss. I carry it EVERYWHERE! I have spacing between the base of my rear molars that just loves to catch a shred of meat or bit of nut, and if I don't get it out quickly I soon develop a headache.

Never had to use if for anything else so far.

Besides using dental floss for cleaning teath, I've also had to use it on one hike or another for:

1) emergency boot lace.

2) fishing line.

3) thread for sewing repair of pack.

4) wound a bunch together, then melted the end for a drop of emergency glue (nylon or some other type of plastic)

5) used to sew up a bad cut (NOT recommended).

5) made "bow" string for a homemade bow (just messing around one time in camp)

6) hung a small can on it with a couple of pebbles in the can between stakes for a night alarm system (use to be afraid of bears comming around my tent while I slept).

7) ties one end to a pine cone, the other to a long stick stuck in the ground for a makeshift tetherball game (fun, but tough on the hands).

8) spent several hours tying it together to make a dunk/carry net for my pots.

Yep, I always carry a lot of dental floss with me when I go hiking. Still figuring out all the things I can do with it - Hey, never claimed I was sane :D

rigglett
02-03-2008, 20:35
i dare you to do this......


if in fact you are me,...witch your not!Stick out you tongue, dude.

troglobil
02-03-2008, 21:17
And I always carry a small American flag which I put up outside my tent every night.

While most people wouldn't necessarily find this to be "useful", I wouldn't hike without it.

I like this Jack, I do it car camping all the time but never thought about it backpacking. I will start.

troglobil
02-03-2008, 21:23
I carry a deck of cards as survival gear. If I ever get lost I will pull them out and play a game of solitaire. Somebody will be along shortly to tell me to put the red nine on the black ten.

JAK
02-03-2008, 21:45
Now here is a question. When just pitching a poncho tarp and bivy under a tree what would be an appropriate way to fly a flag? Would a small lanyard for each flag from a branch do, or would you need to use a hiking staff as a flag pole or jack staff for each flag? How would you fly a small flag when tarping in the woods?

If I go I might have to carry at least two flags.
Maple Leaf first then Stars and Stripes from Mount Carelton to Fort Fairfield.
Stars and Stripes first then Maple Leaf from Fort Fairfield to Mount Kahtadin.
The host flag would be on the left when viewed from the trail, the flags right.
Do I at least have that part right?

Marta
02-03-2008, 22:41
[quote=River Runner;522510]

Besides using dental floss for cleaning teath, I've also had to use it on one hike or another for:

1) emergency boot lace.

2) fishing line.

3) thread for sewing repair of pack.

4) wound a bunch together, then melted the end for a drop of emergency glue (nylon or some other type of plastic)

5) used to sew up a bad cut (NOT recommended).

5) made "bow" string for a homemade bow (just messing around one time in camp)

6) hung a small can on it with a couple of pebbles in the can between stakes for a night alarm system (use to be afraid of bears comming around my tent while I slept).

7) ties one end to a pine cone, the other to a long stick stuck in the ground for a makeshift tetherball game (fun, but tough on the hands).

8) spent several hours tying it together to make a dunk/carry net for my pots.

Yep, I always carry a lot of dental floss with me when I go hiking. Still figuring out all the things I can do with it - Hey, never claimed I was sane :D

Another hiker had the screw fall out of his glasses. He didn't have a repair kit. We used my needle and dental floss to sew through the screw hole to hold everything together until he got to town and hit the pharmacy or Dollar General.

Montego
02-03-2008, 22:47
[quote=Montego;522531]

Another hiker had the screw fall out of his glasses. He didn't have a repair kit. We used my needle and dental floss to sew through the screw hole to hold everything together until he got to town and hit the pharmacy or Dollar General.

Thank you Marta for the info. I will remember that little "trick" for future use (hopefully, I won't have to use it) :sun

Marta
02-04-2008, 07:59
[quote=Marta;522647]

Thank you Marta for the info. I will remember that little "trick" for future use (hopefully, I won't have to use it) :sun

The dental floss repair of the eyeglasses didn't work all that well, but it held well enough that he could wear the glasses. The poor fellow couldn't see his feet without them.

Bearing his situtation in mind, when I started my long hike, I carried a second pair of glasses. And I did, in fact, lose one pair at Bemis Mtn. Lean-To in Maine.

An eyeglass repair kit is another option, but my problem is that I wear reading glasses. If I only had one pair with me, and the screw fell out, I couldn't see well enough to use the kit to repair them.

berninbush
02-04-2008, 09:28
weirdest thing in my pack:the left behind and combined molecules of every hiker and trail dog i ever met witch even now have formed a complex lifeform we call,.....replicators.

Another Stargate fan!!!

Given the source, don't know whether to be happy or scared. ;)

Does anybody carry extra of those mini biner clips on the trail? I'd think they might come in handy sometimes.

EDIT: I feel the pain of the guy who lost the eyeglass screw. As a teen, I wore contacts but had backup glasses. The earpiece broke off one side and I didn't get it fixed for a long time... I learned to balance the glasses on my face with just one earpiece. Talk about annoying. Now I've had Lasik and don't have to worry about it any more!

mweinstone
02-04-2008, 09:45
i carry all the memories of all the coolest chicks in the world. as i hike, i make love to each one in my mind. guss whos next up? that lady i met at the ruck that i told i would marry without ever haveing met her. then its on to the woman at work who is a professor of comp lit. then britney, elizabeth taylor and back to good old chick next door with the dog. sometimes i carry vast empty chambers of meaningfree molicules in my brain. ill seal my mind in one of the chambers and walk without thaught for hours. the drawbacks are that sometimes i arrive at camp without my pants. as in the soruck 8 days of pantslessness i exsperienced last year when i forgot my pants.

Critterman
02-04-2008, 10:30
[quote=Montego;522531]

Another hiker had the screw fall out of his glasses. He didn't have a repair kit. We used my needle and dental floss to sew through the screw hole to hold everything together until he got to town and hit the pharmacy or Dollar General.

Back when you licked stamps, I my last one lost its stick so I sowed it on the envelope and the letter got delivered.

Montego
02-05-2008, 02:37
[quote=Marta;522647]

Back when you licked stamps, I my last one lost its stick so I sowed it on the envelope and the letter got delivered.

That's great Critterman :sunMove over Duct Tape, you've been bested :D

fiddlehead
02-05-2008, 04:32
An extra e string for my guitar.
Once in the pyrenees, we traded my playing in the bar for 3 beds for us hikers, busted the e string after about 2 hours. Some guy drove 20 miles (RT) to get another one and came back with a g string. imagine that!
now i try to carry an extra.
besides, it's hard to get strings in most trail towns.

Marta
02-05-2008, 07:49
Back when you licked stamps, I my last one lost its stick so I sowed it on the envelope and the letter got delivered.

That is too funny!