Scrub Sack

[SGT Rock]

I was shaving a few grams off my pack this weekend by making a aluminum foil lid for my pot and changing the sack for my pot. I ended up with a new dual use item - The Scrub Sack.

I carry my kitchen in a mesh sack, a cloth mesh one that came with the pots. Over on AYCE's www.Thru-Hiker.com there is a project to make a mesh sack out of an old mesh onion sack. I made myself one and it only weighed 0.2 ounces.

I noticed my wife's body scrub is made out of the same material all bunched up. So I took the kitchen out of the sack and balled it up - instant pot scrubby. When your done, un-scrunch it (new word LOL) and put your pots back in it - no mildewing pot scrubber if you were carrying one.

So I lost about 2.4 ounces total and increased my efficency.

[attroll]

Rock

I think this could be a good idea you have here. But I was wondering. If you did not get your scrub sac real clean it would hold the food odor to it. With is being on the outside of your pot now then that order could start to get pretty rank in the summer heat and spread to other items in your pack. I know us hikers get pretty rank and it is an odor I have become use to. But do you think this could be worse or am I talking out my ass and worrying for nothing.

[Moose2001]

Rock - I used a similar idea in 2001. I cut a piece from an onion sack about 8" square. I carried it in a snack size baggie. Simply double it up and it can break up even the worst burnt on food. To clean, a simple rinse is all that's needed. They don't hold food particles and don't seem to get rancid. Very durable, I used the same one for all 1400 miles I did.

[Youngblood]

I would worry that the scrub sack would get pretty rank.

My titanium pot has a pretty effective non-stick coating and I have been able to get by with using a little cold water and a leaf or two (live ones if available, fallen ones otherwise). I just use wide area disperal with the water and leaves. Remember, the next time you heat your pot, you will kill any germs left on it. On the rare occasions that very small items sometime stick enough that the leaves didn't get them off, I just use my finger or finger nails if required... then the bandana that I dry it with is my last resort.

On a related issue, I use a small canister of baking soda instead of toothpaste. Much lighter, does a good job of cleaning and doesn't leave a residue around the camp areas.

[SGT Rock]

The sack actually cleans off very well. Normally I don't need anything, but occasionally there is a mess that needs extra attention. I used to carry a 0.1 ounce piece of scrubby that got occasional use when there was that spot of burned on beans that didn't want to let go, but sometimes it would go a couple of days without use and have that Chia Pet look from the new life forms growing there.

The scrub sack on the other hand is very open mesh when used as a bag. You have to bundle it up to use as a srubber, then after your done - stretch it back out to size and any remaining food comes right off.

I'm not worried becaue I won't use it as a scrubber often, and it cleans easy. Much better than carrying a scrubby or looking for some leaves in a rainstorm.

I have contemplated switching to baking soda for toothpaste since it has a million uses.

[chris]

But baking soda tastes so bad! Maybe if I put a
bunch of sugar in it I'd like it better as a
toothpaste.

[Trail Yeti]

I used a mesh net from my Momma's xmas ham as my "scrubbie" on my thru-hike. Carried it the whole way...an it never got "gross". If food particles got stuck on it, just shake it and they fall off. On the really burnt in stuff it worked ok, much better than nothing.
Never thought of using it as my pot stuff sack...great idea rock!

[MedicineMan]

at first i loved the idea sgt. and still do,,,but i am worrying the the scubsack will hold some odors in its structure....know why we shave people before surgery-because you can never sterilize hair, and many bacteriums live in each hair strand...so the fibers that form the scrubby are porous even if a littel bit and hold small bits of food which will rub off onto other things in your pack and that makes the pack contents and even the pack itself bear attractant...I have one silnyl stuff sack that holds all my food and food stuffs and food prep tools and I try my best to make sure the contents of that sack never come into contact with anything else in my pack-hard to do but I try and that sack is in my bear bag (cant remember the trade name but the one you see advertised everywhere)....well can you see my concern? maybe overfounded? oh well I am tired of being in the hospital