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MrMiner2
10-15-2013, 11:21
What are some things that you have learned or picked up on making the backcountry more enjoyable? Some cool little trips that are useful, convenient, etc.

Thanks!

MrMiner2
10-15-2013, 11:49
Backpacking, I meant!

Teacher & Snacktime
10-15-2013, 11:53
But I learned so many backPING tips!

MrMiner2
10-15-2013, 12:06
My proofreading skills were exhausted on Monday (lots of homework).

DLP
10-15-2013, 12:12
Schedule my off time like I schedule work. Put trips on the calendar every month or 6 weeks and GO! Far too people go on one 2-3 day trip every year or two. You can only enjoy the back-country if you get yourself to it. :)

I've also learned that "enjoyment", while backpacking, is subjective and relative. And the phrase, "Your mileage may vary" is both literal and figurative when talking backing.

tarditi
10-15-2013, 14:07
The adage "Hike Your Own Hike" could not be more simple, nor more true. Don't let someone else frame what is successful, relaxing, effective, or any other superlative. Every person has their own pace, goals, and definition of achievement.

Personally, as an infantry vet, scout, and generally "loaded for bear" sort of guy, the notion to lighten up, carry less, risk not having backups for my backups was totally foreign - the lighter I go the more I enjoy the trip, though - the lesson is learned, but the mastery of it is a work in progress for me.

hikerboy57
10-15-2013, 14:36
weather forecast in the mountains: partly something, chance of anything.
this forecast never changes

Starchild
10-15-2013, 14:56
Drink the water along the way, make it safe and also play it safe (don't run out), but if hiking along a good stream for the next 10 miles no need to carry water at all. It's just not about light weight, but about taking it in, actually tasting your environment as you travel, and yes there is a vast difference in water taste and stopping by a stream is usually a very wonderful place to stop for a moment.

* We all know that last part is true, that water is a great place to stop for a bit because all the stinging and biting insects seem to hang out there too too, and since they live there they must know that.

Zipper
10-15-2013, 15:05
Think about why you're in the backcountry. Is it to crank out miles, or to enjoy the setting? Even during my thru hike, when mileage was important, I tried to be present and immerse myself in the scenery - to really notice - not just put my head down and hike. There's so much beauty to appreciate!

So, along those lines, I prefer trips with low mileage. I like to take my time and feel like I have the luxury of stopping often to soak in the views. I also hike moderately lightly - I can bring 7 days of food and keep my pack under 30 pounds, and that's with plenty of layers because I don't like to be cold. I also really enjoy hiking super early or super late in the day - the light is gorgeous and there's usually more wildlife. I prefer to hop on the trail and get going versus stay in camp and make a big complicated breakfast. That said, one of my favorite ways to enjoy the backcountry is with a zero day in the woods, and then breakfast can be as long as it wants. Nowhere to go, just the beauty of the place.

I have also enjoyed some 20 plus mile days in the backcountry, but my favorite days are when I can really take my time, go slow, and stop to look at or photograph every flower, red eft, mushroom, vista, and pretty creek or waterfall that I come across.

Grampie
10-15-2013, 15:29
Hike and enjoy..nothing else matters. Cut all your ties to the real world.

The Greenman
10-15-2013, 15:57
After the hiking is over, and you're headed back home on a bus, train etc. and you ALREADY miss the trail ..... you'll know you're doing it right!

Oneofsix
10-15-2013, 16:30
Drink hot jello

kayak karl
10-15-2013, 17:30
not to take myself too seriously, it's just walking.

fins1838
10-15-2013, 17:34
I read this thread looking for tips-like cut toothbrush in half-packaging meals...........But got nothing.

hikerboy57
10-15-2013, 17:49
cut toothbrush in half

OCDave
10-15-2013, 18:12
An IMUSA 12cm pot w/lid does everything I need of a cook kit.

Tractor
10-15-2013, 18:13
Best: and I learned this one early on = Slow down on the big up's and get there actually faster

Most Useful (in a drought) = heading down from a high dry spring to find water

Coolest: Listening and asking! I would have missed a bunch of stuff if I had not known it was up off the trail where I had not yet known to look or taken a little side trip. :)

QHShowoman
10-15-2013, 18:16
*Don't skimp on your sleeping system just to save a few ounces. A crappy night's sleep makes for a crappy day of hiking.
*Don't pack your first aid kit like you're headed into battle: Anything you can't easily manage with bandaids, superglue or moleskin, you'll need to hike out to get taken care of, anyway.
*Unless you're doing some serious mountaineering, you really don't need heavy-duty hiking boots.
*Don't underestimate the importance of hydration -- if you're too focused on hiking to stop and take a swig from your water bottle every so often, get a hydration pack.
*Don't underestimate the importance of nutrition and realize that what works for you in your everyday life may not suffice on the trail (case in point: I tried to maintain a low-carb plan on long hikes and kept bonking)
*Test the food you'll be cooking and eating BEFORE you take it out on the trail -- especially prepackaged backpacking meals -- so you don't end up stuck in the woods with a pack full of food you don't like to eat.
*You're going to get stinky; resistance is futile.

MrMiner2
10-15-2013, 19:17
Thanks all!

However, I was looking for tips that aren't so obvious. Again, thanks I really do appreciate it. All is welcome though.

MrMiner2
10-15-2013, 19:18
^^^ Ignore my ******* comment. I like all of them so far!

HikerMom58
10-15-2013, 19:22
^^^ Ignore my ******* comment. I like all of them so far!

Ha ha!! You need the edit capability- Mr. young Miner2!! :P You're funny!!

Dogwood
10-15-2013, 20:04
What are some things that you have learned or picked up on making the backcountry more enjoyable? Some cool little trips that are useful, convenient, etc.

Thanks!

As a backpacker you'll be spending all/almost all your time in your shoes and in your sleeping bag/quilt. That begins by getting what's on your feet right for a hike - shoes, socks, gaiters, liners, crampons, etc. Take care of you feet. Get the sleeping bag/quilt/sleep system right too.

Know the terrain, weather, yourself, etc and gear up appropriately.

Get comfortable being outside of your present comfort zones. ie; Embrace the Brutality. I think Disco said that.

Stay calm so you don't panic and do something rash that puts you in an even tighter spot when things don't go as expected. Unexpected things happen routinely!

Stay in the moment. Roll with the ebb and flow. Don't fight it. You'll be happier.

Enjoy yourself. Despite having the gear dialed in know that much about enjoying backpacking, staying calm, embracing the brutality, staying happy and content, etc occurs as a result of what's going on in your brain - your thought life. Laugh alot especially at yourself. Have a great attitude of appreciation.

It's not a race. No one gets a medal for getting to the ending terminus trailhead first.

Don't ever forget that backpacking in itself is not about reaching a point where you've learned it. It's always evolving just as you are evolving as a backpacker. As such, be open to the possibility that the Best/Most Useful/Coolest Tip may yet to be learned and it might be just over the next hill or in the next mile.

hikerboy57
10-15-2013, 20:41
this sucks and i love it.embrace the brutality. embrace the suck.

when you wake up to rain the 4th or 5th day straight, and you dont want to get out of your bag and tent, know its gonna suck at times, but youve already got through it before, and at the end of the day you'll be warm and dry in your tent again, glad that you did, and look back and say it really wasnt so bad.hey once youre wet, you cant get any more wet,just stay warm. as long as you have dry set of clothes and dry sleeping bag,at the end of the day, all will be okay
i actually enjoy the rain, with the exception of daylong deluges and above treeline tstorms.the forest seems more peaceful in a gentle rain.

ChinMusic
10-15-2013, 21:29
Rest is a weapon, use it wisely.

Wise Old Owl
10-15-2013, 21:35
Look Forward, do not look backward. Gather afresh in heart and soul all the energies of your being, Bend anew for a supreme effort.

Studlintsean
10-15-2013, 21:48
this sucks and i love it.embrace the brutality. embrace the suck.

when you wake up to rain the 4th or 5th day straight, and you dont want to get out of your bag and tent, know its gonna suck at times, but youve already got through it before, and at the end of the day you'll be warm and dry in your tent again, glad that you did, and look back and say it really wasnt so bad.hey once youre wet, you cant get any more wet,just stay warm. as long as you have dry set of clothes and dry sleeping bag,at the end of the day, all will be okay
i actually enjoy the rain, with the exception of daylong deluges and above treeline tstorms.the forest seems more peaceful in a gentle rain.


Wish I had this to quote last weekend when my hiking partner called it quits due to rain and our trip was cut short. Great advice I coulda used for him.

Studlintsean
10-15-2013, 21:52
this sucks and i love it.embrace the brutality. embrace the suck.

when you wake up to rain the 4th or 5th day straight, and you dont want to get out of your bag and tent, know its gonna suck at times, but youve already got through it before, and at the end of the day you'll be warm and dry in your tent again, glad that you did, and look back and say it really wasnt so bad.hey once youre wet, you cant get any more wet,just stay warm. as long as you have dry set of clothes and dry sleeping bag,at the end of the day, all will be okay
i actually enjoy the rain, with the exception of daylong deluges and above treeline tstorms.the forest seems more peaceful in a gentle rain.


Wish I had this to quote last weekend when my hiking partner called it quits due to rain and our trip was cut short. Great advice I coulda used for him.

And while ill certainly hike with him again, ill follow up with not everyone hikes the same hike and what easier for some is harder for others.

swjohnsey
10-15-2013, 21:53
Less is more.

Dogwood
10-15-2013, 21:56
What goes along with this: Unexpected things happen routinely! is knowing you will not and can not prepare for nor control everything - not on a hike nor in life. Things may seem like they are going badly at times. Maybe they are. Change it around. Manage thyself. Get comfortable knowing you will not and can not know everything.

Another Kevin
10-15-2013, 22:24
Don't sweat the small stuff.
The question of "where is my next toehold?" is never small stuff.
Thought for midway through a sweaty huff&puff climb: Isn't it wonderful that when you get to the top, you forget how much this s*ks?
Always eat well.
Wash your hands.
Zip tie a couple of mitten hooks onto your trekking poles and thread a couple of D-rings onto your load lifters. That way you can stow your poles in seconds when you need your hands free for scrambling.
Put a keychain 'biner on your bear bag, and learn a PCT bear bag hang. Learn to tie a monkeys-fist around a rock.
If you have a recurring "hot spot" on a foot, duct tape is often better than moleskin.
Inflate your sleeping pad before you eat dinner.

Dogwood
10-15-2013, 22:30
Don't sleep at the end of that short trail to nowhere that ends near a tree behind an AT shelter. Watch where you step in the area too.

Trailweaver
10-16-2013, 02:52
If you're going to have a high mileage day, it's a good idea to take a break in the afternoon and take off your boots and socks to air out your feet and socks. You can avoid blisters by doing that. It also helps to elevate your feet for a while.

M&M.
10-16-2013, 05:16
Bring camp shoes like crocs. Use the at lunch and when you get to the shelter. Lets your feet air out and helps them recover. I just hang them on the outside of my pack. They don't weigh much. I would hike without them.

Chair-man
10-16-2013, 05:35
What are some things that you have learned or picked up on making the backcountry more enjoyable? Some cool little trips that are useful, convenient, etc.

Thanks!

I hate bending over all the time to get things in & out of my pack so I hang my pack on a tree. Just use a strap with a carabiner.

daddytwosticks
10-16-2013, 07:15
Pack your toilet paper/hand sanitizer so you can get at it quickly. Don't burry it down in your pack. :(

slbirdnerd
10-16-2013, 08:51
Take pictures. But only some pictures; don't let it consume your hike or you'll miss out.

Pedaling Fool
10-16-2013, 09:30
A little bit of starving is a good thing; it forces the body to become very efficient. After experiencing the pain of hunger and you breakthrough to the other side you feel a change in your body in the way it utilizes energy.

Once you return back to normal life, don't forget about how efficient your body can be and always starve yourself a little and you will not be one of them fat bodies at hiker reunions.

Thru-hiking does NOT screw-up one's metabolism, it vastly improves it; it's their want (well after their hike) to stuff their face is what returns them back to their pre-hike form. This "want" of stuffing their face is primarily mental, not physical.

importman77
10-17-2013, 20:51
Not just for the trail but in life as well. Don't sweat the petty stuff. Just pet the sweaty stuff.:)

fredmugs
10-17-2013, 21:02
Putting boiling water in a Nalgene bottle helps warm up your sleeping bag at night and gives you clean water in the morning.
Lace up your shoes as lightly as possible.
Wear wide width shoes even if you don't have wide feet. More wiggle room = less blisters (for me anyway).
Hike at 75% of the pace you think you can do.
Pick out intermediary spots to hike to and then take a break when you get there.

MuddyWaters
10-17-2013, 21:04
Its much easier and more effective to hike longer, than to hike faster.

Sailing_Faith
10-17-2013, 21:35
When you are struggling on an uphill section, take cartoonishly small steps.... Keep going, but take the smallest steps you can stand to take.... You will make it, just slow down!

Dogwood
10-17-2013, 21:42
"A little bit of starving is a good thing; it forces the body to become very efficient. After experiencing the pain of hunger and you breakthrough to the other side you feel a change in your body in the way it utilizes energy."
Well said PF. I'm astonished how utterly addicted to stuffing one's face with food American society is and how it's evident on the trail. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3X-Xwz67IMo

johnnybgood
10-17-2013, 21:46
When you are struggling on an uphill section, take cartoonishly small steps.... Keep going, but take the smallest steps you can stand to take.... You will make it, just slow down!

This is also what I do . I find small evenly spaced heel to toe steps also helps my breathing rhythm.

Feral Bill
10-17-2013, 22:08
When you are struggling on an uphill section, take cartoonishly small steps.... Keep going, but take the smallest steps you can stand to take.... You will make it, just slow down! Cartoonishly slow uphill. On the level crazy slow will do nicely.

FarmerChef
10-17-2013, 22:58
A gladware bowl and lid is just as good as a titanium bowl and plate for a fraction of the cost.
A bit of ash from the fire in your pot will get out the worst stuck on food.
When the ground is too hard for a tent stake, tie out to a log or rock. Works just as well in anything short of a blowing gale.
A bit of vaseline in a cotton ball with a bit of dryer lint to get it all going makes starting a fire with even damp wood much easier.
It's sometimes easier to see the trail in the dark without your headlamp. The ambient light can illuminate the depression of the trail when covered with leaves.
Hot tamales taste great and freshen your breath ;)
Fabric pins make great tent stakes. Dip them in fluorescent paint or tie surveyors ribbon to make them easy to find when you untie them and then forget where they are.
Fleece keeps you warm while it stays cold enough on the outside to keep snow from melting.
Taco bell spoons work great and they're free. If it happens to break just drop by a taco bell in town and pick up a couple more.
Prehydrating some foods can save you fuel
A piece of chocolate or candy with a few complex carbs will put you to bed warmer when it's cold.
Blow your water back into your bladder to keep your hydration tube from freezing when it's below freezing out.
Take a smoke bath to freshen up. Seriously. Open up your shirt front and let that smoke work it's carcinogenic magic on the bacteria on your skin and shirt. Seriously. It works.
When walking down a trail with large rocks spaced so that you have to keep walking around just walk on top of them. You can go much faster (assuming your shoe has a rock plate or you're deft of feet).

Transient Being
10-17-2013, 23:32
Drill holes in your cut off tooth brush

Rasty
10-17-2013, 23:36
Drill holes in your cut off tooth brush

The cut off part?

Whack-a-mole
10-18-2013, 12:25
I stuck a small piece of reflective tape on the bottom of my bear bag. When it's hung high, even a good distance from camp, a quick shine of a flash light will let you know that it is still there.

hikerboy57
10-18-2013, 12:34
Drill holes in your cut off tooth brush

The cut off part?I removed the bristles too. A dentist said it would be a great idea to save weight. I am now two teeth lighter

q-tip
10-18-2013, 13:02
take lots of pictures, keeps me focused on nature, not my feet on the trail.

Dogwood
10-18-2013, 13:24
Duck(duct) tape is your multi-functional friend. Wrap some around a water bottle for example. Some safety pins(I like no rusting stainless steel or brass) attached to the outside of your pack also offer a plethora of potential uses. A small tube of Seam Grip possibly included in a bounce box is another fix it all wonder.

Dogwood
10-18-2013, 13:30
Drill holes in your cut off tooth brush

I get a little chuckle and shake my head in bewilderment when I notice those who with cut off toothbrushes even drilling holes in what's left of the whittled down handle or with mini toothbrushes all in the effort to save perhaps 4-5 grams yet regularly reach their next resupply or ending trailhead with ounces of uneaten food.

Another Kevin
10-18-2013, 13:45
When walking down a trail with large rocks spaced so that you have to keep walking around just walk on top of them. You can go much faster (assuming your shoe has a rock plate or you're deft of feet).

Around here, the trail maintainers put in backbreaking work putting those rocks there (or clearing space along a natural line of rock) for you to do just that! Walking around them and churning the ground into a mud wallow when the trail has steppingstones is just plain rude.

Special K
10-18-2013, 13:53
Best tip I learned from an older lady if you primarily use a tent: At night, save and pee in your Mountain House bag. Saves a trip or two fumbling through the woods at night with camp shoes and with sore knees and feet. Especially useful when the trail is crowded in the early days. *NOTE* A lightweight pee cup is also good but not the lightweight one from the Dollar Store. The twisty handle (which makes it great to clip to the outside of your pack) is actually a sippy cup handle. Yes, "sigh", lesson learned! :rolleyes: Need I say (in the pitch dark of my tent) I didn't realize the warmth spreading rapidly on my sleeping bag until it was too late, and the fact that the cup was never getting any heavier...:mad:

Poedog
10-18-2013, 13:57
I removed the bristles too. A dentist said it would be a great idea to save weight. I am now two teeth lighter
LOL. Good stuff

Transient Being
10-18-2013, 14:05
The cut off part?

Yes. Makes for an awesome UL paperweight.

Poedog
10-18-2013, 14:09
For quick cleanup of dirty cookware: a little water, 1 packet Emergency powder (I like tropical), mix well and drink. Fizziness cleans well and gives you much needed electrolytes at the end of the day.

TheYoungOne
10-18-2013, 14:24
Best tip I learned from an older lady if you primarily use a tent: At night, save and pee in your Mountain House bag. Saves a trip or two fumbling through the woods at night with camp shoes and with sore knees and feet. Especially useful when the trail is crowded in the early days. *NOTE* A lightweight pee cup is also good but not the lightweight one from the Dollar Store. The twisty handle (which makes it great to clip to the outside of your pack) is actually a sippy cup handle. Yes, "sigh", lesson learned! :rolleyes: Need I say (in the pitch dark of my tent) I didn't realize the warmth spreading rapidly on my sleeping bag until it was too late, and the fact that the cup was never getting any heavier...:mad: LOL Reminds me of the years I worked in law enforcement and doing surveillance. Lesson learned with that is if you need to pee bad and you only have a 12 ounce bottle. Don't even bother, it will overflow. Other things I learned are 1) Medaglia D'Oro instant Espresso Coffee, is better and cheaper than starbucks instant coffee. 2) A shot of bad Whiskey, in a 1/2 cup of water with a squirt of Fruit punch Mio, is not too bad and can help pass the time stuck in a shelter on a rainy day.

Special K
10-18-2013, 14:42
Lesson learned with that is if you need to pee bad and you only have a 12 ounce bottle. Don't even bother, it will overflow...

LOL! And, MH meal bags are good for TWO "nature calls" and they stand up. *TIP* Beef jerky bags do not work so well and do not stand up. Did I mention I had to wash my sleeping bag TWO times in 1,000 miles?! :o

Special K
10-18-2013, 14:51
Had a lot of rain this year, another thing that worked for me: Stuff boots at night with a small piece of shammy. By morning shammy absorbed most of moisture.

Last Call
10-18-2013, 16:43
I thought everyone used a designated "p" bottle for tenting.....I wouldn't trust an empty Mountain House bag....

Theosus
10-18-2013, 16:53
I thought everyone used a designated "p" bottle for tenting.....I wouldn't trust an empty Mountain House bag....

I'd rather pee in a mountain house bag than eat what's in there... I haven't found many trail foods to my liking. Perhaps I'm not walking far enough or long enough. Instant mashed taters and a roll do me just fine.

As for advice, here's my tips after my first trip:
http://theosus1.wordpress.com/wp-admin/post.php?post=1376&action=edit

Theosus
10-18-2013, 16:54
I thought everyone used a designated "p" bottle for tenting.....I wouldn't trust an empty Mountain House bag....

I'd rather pee in a mountain house bag than eat what's in there... I haven't found many trail foods to my liking. Perhaps I'm not walking far enough or long enough. Instant mashed taters and a roll do me just fine.

As for advice, here's my tips after my first trip:
http://theosus1.wordpress.com/2012/04/29/a-few-things-i-learned-while-walking-in-the-woods/

Transient Being
10-18-2013, 16:59
I thought everyone used a designated "p" bottle for tenting.....I wouldn't trust an empty Mountain House bag....

Im with ya on that. I carry a peanut butter jar with me just for that. It sux getting up sometimes twice in the middle of the night just to do that after hiking 20 miles. Or laying there thinking, " I have to pee, but don't want to get out of my warm bag." Problem solved. That's my second biggest tip after cutting off toothbrush.

Dogwood
10-18-2013, 17:57
I stuck a small piece of reflective tape on the bottom of my bear bag. When it's hung high, even a good distance from camp, a quick shine of a flash light will let you know that it is still there.

I hear those smarter than the average bears in Yosemite and the Daks are carrying flashlights to identify hanging food bags too. Oh, BTW used MH bags not only work well for a pee bottle but I'm sure da bears will be attracted to the smells as well so they might be willing to cart off your uh "remains." C'mon that's a questionable use as both a pee bottle and food receptacle lying next to you all night where bears exist.

Dogwood
10-18-2013, 18:01
IF the MH bags are a bad idea for pee bottles in bear areas do ya think a peanut butter jar is much better. Bears don't like peanut butter, do they? Oh wait I forgot, your brand of pee neutralizes all bear attracting odors right? Never mind.

Transient Being
10-18-2013, 19:40
IF the MH bags are a bad idea for pee bottles in bear areas do ya think a peanut butter jar is much better. Bears don't like peanut butter, do they? Oh wait I forgot, your brand of pee neutralizes all bear attracting odors right? Never mind.

What? Theres this thing called a dishwasher.

Special K
10-18-2013, 19:58
What? Theres this thing called a dishwasher.

Exactly!!! But it's much easier for some to jump to conclusions. :rolleyes:

Dogwood
10-18-2013, 20:06
So you take empty MH packages at home and run them through the dishwasher. Whew had me not wanting to be sleeping anywhere near your shelter in bear areas. Sounds great. Why don't you paint them in camo. I'll buy two. I'll be the first to have an UL stealthy pee pouch made by a guy who calls himself Transient Being. That somehow doesn't sound right. PLEASE, make sure my pee pouches have the ziploc on top. :D It's friday. I had to let loose. Oops, shouldn't have said that. I feel an urge. Can you place a rush order on those stealthy pee pouches?

Dogwood
10-18-2013, 20:14
C'mon, R U really going to blame me for jumping to an incorrect conclusion in this situation? Who the heck saves used MH pouches, washes them, and brings the empty washed ones along separately, probably with uneaten packaged MH meals, to pee in? OK, beat with a wooden spoon. I was wrong. I jumped to an incorrect conclusion. I'll use up my We Forgive You For Jumping To An Incorrect Conclusion card on this one. I haven't used it yet this yr.

hikerboy57
10-18-2013, 20:20
i would much prefer to do my business outside of my tent, regardless of weather.i really dont need to risk a leaky receptacle. dishwashed mountain house bags?why not just use a ziplock freezer bag?
maybe if i were in a shelter, but im not peeing in my tent.

Special K
10-18-2013, 20:32
:D It's friday. I had to let loose. Oops, shouldn't have said that. I feel an urge. Can you place a rush order on those stealthy pee pouches?

...ABSOLUTELY outdoor enthusiast, this MHPB (Mountain House Pee Bag) can be yours for only $14.95!! Yes, that's right, only $14.95!! BUT YOU HAVE TO ACT FAST BEFORE SUPPLIES RUN OUT!! BUT WAIT...THERE'S MORE!! If you act NOW we'll throw in an extra MHPB at no additional cost!! That's right. TWO MHPB's for only $14.95!! And as an added BONUS we'll throw in an ultra light dishwasher weighing only 2.3 ounces!! That's right enthusiast ONLY 2.3 ounces!! Offer only available while supplies last. Void where prohibited. :D

Poedog
10-18-2013, 20:40
Swingin' for the fence today...moon phase?

FarmerChef
10-18-2013, 20:47
...ABSOLUTELY outdoor enthusiast, this MHPB (Mountain House Pee Bag) can be yours for only $14.95!! Yes, that's right, only $14.95!! BUT YOU HAVE TO ACT FAST BEFORE SUPPLIES RUN OUT!! BUT WAIT...THERE'S MORE!! If you act NOW we'll throw in an extra MHPB at no additional cost!! That's right. TWO MHPB's for only $14.95!! And as an added BONUS we'll throw in an ultra light dishwasher weighing only 2.3 ounces!! That's right enthusiast ONLY 2.3 ounces!! Offer only available while supplies last. Void where prohibited. :D

No, no, no. You're doing it wrong. You're supposed to type with an Australian accent! :D

Special K
10-18-2013, 20:54
No, no, no. You're doing it wrong. You're supposed to type with an Australian accent! :D

LOLOLOL!!!! Clarification. I actually DO have an Australian accent now!! Happened right after the bear swiped my pee bag and scared me senseless....:D

Transient Being
10-18-2013, 22:10
Doggie dude. Chill out. U wash an old pb jar and pee in it. Its really simple really. I love peeing in my old jar! But due to cutbacks id be willing to sell u my old one for 14.95!!! This offer wont last so act NOW!

Dogwood
10-19-2013, 10:39
What a deal. I'll act now while supplies are limited in this limited time offer. Are there operators standing by to assist me with my MHPB purchases? Credit cards OK?

Dogwood
10-19-2013, 10:48
I gotta have some fun here. Hey, I find the MHPB a fresh idea. Sure beats seeing the same old beaten to death thread topics.

BTW, is there a female version? I think one would make a great Christmas present for mom.

Special K
10-19-2013, 11:05
I gotta have some fun here....

I, for one had a lot of fun here last night! Thanks! :) Hmmmm....a line of MHPB's for women... NOW that just may be a business venture worth exploring. Off to secure a patent....

Old Hiker
10-19-2013, 11:31
I gotta have some fun here. Hey, I find the MHPB a fresh idea. Sure beats seeing the same old beaten to death thread topics.

BTW, is there a female version? I think one would make a great Christmas present for mom.

You gonna explain it? Show her how to use it? No thanks. Learned MY lesson years ago with pots and pans to the wife for Christmas. Sheesh. You do NOT give them what they want. Or at least, what they've been complaining about.

Dogwood
10-19-2013, 11:38
You leave me speechless with this: "Its really simple really. I love peeing in my old jar!"

Dogwood
10-19-2013, 11:47
I came home from thru-hiking the AT after having adopted a UL hiking philosophy a simpler less materialistic less of a consumerism attitude lifestyle and counted 22 spatulas in the GF's kitchen. I lost it. I started throwing the MANY duplicates away. I was going to her shoe closet next. She immediately came home and saw the kitchen less cluttered and saw the plastic spatulas in the garbage can. I never got to the shoe closet because I slept on the couch for a week making all my own meals. I good phrase to learn is "Yes dear" "Yes dear."

jimmyjam
10-19-2013, 13:53
I pack a couple pieces of newspaper in a baggy. When my shoes get wet I stuff the newspaper in them at night, by morning the newspaper has pulled most if not all of the moisture out of the shoes. The next day (if it has stopped raining) I put the newspaper in one of my packs mesh pockets to dry out. Multi-purpose too can be used to start a fire or as emergency tp.

JAK
10-19-2013, 14:09
I think the most important thing I have learned from hiking is that life isn't just about the stuff.

JAK
10-19-2013, 14:14
I'm not sure I put that right. Stuff is cool, but what you do with it is cooler, and you can do a lot of cool stuff with very little. Not to be a mindless consumer, that's the thing.
Be awake.

Ercoupe
10-19-2013, 19:23
I stir at 6 am, take hour and half to start on the trail, hike slow and stop two hours before dark and eat. Walk another hour or so and camp.

I use a old plastic single serve potato cup for all foods and drinks. Starting with main meal, oatmeal/raisin, potatoes or noodles, I go to tang, hot chocolate and finish with instant coffee. By the time I get to the coffee the bowl is nearly spotless. Rinse with water and drink the water also. Nothing wasted.

No need to squeeze a sawyer filter other than to get the air out. Hand it upside down on a caribiner to your hiking pole strap, connect it to the hose on your bladder( need the adapter to do this). Bags last a lot longer.

Get your bladder somewhere you can see it and get to it without tearing your pack apart.

I mix gatorade in a seperate 1L platy to drink during the day at stops. Easier to hang at night with the bear bag. Just keep water in my bladder for consumption at night.

Pee bag for me is a ziplock in a ziplock, placed where I can't roll over on it.

Hoofit
10-19-2013, 20:14
flossing saves weight.........
and don't forget to trim your pits, trim them toenails and trim that waistline BEFORE you hike
It always amazes me how people prepare for a year or so, bring all that expensive Ultralight gear and then bring along an extra thirty or forty pounds of lard around their waste.....

Poedog
10-19-2013, 20:23
I've never heard of so many people using a designated container to pi$$ in, as I thought that was just a trucker thang. Seems like by the time you get out of your bag, fumble for your light, get the receptacle ready, whip it out, do your business (while drowsy, on your knees?), reseal the container, and place it in a safe place, you might as well have just stumbled a few feet from where you're sleeping and let it flow, ya know, the ol' fashioned way. No pi$$y container to deal with first thing in the morning either.

Dogwood
10-19-2013, 21:24
This is (was?) America. Hey hey we're trying to launch a UL cottage industry piece of gear here. You're being anti capitalistic Puppy Dog.

hikerboy57
10-19-2013, 21:31
So what do you do with those peebags in the morning?

Dogwood
10-19-2013, 21:37
So what do you do with those peebags in the morning?

Take them out from under your head because they also double as pillows, tightly sealed of course, and completely empty upon last might's bonfire coals or if no fire the previous night water the hemlocks behind the shelter.

Old Hiker
10-19-2013, 21:39
I think the most important thing I have learned from hiking is that life isn't just about the stuff.

I dunno. Stuff seems to make life a lot easier to deal with. I kinda like my AC here in FL. I'm sure you feel sorta the same about your oil(?) heater up North.

Poedog
10-19-2013, 22:09
So what do you do with those peebags in the morning?

From what I can gather: Take it home, run it through the dishwasher, sell it to Dogwood.

Special K
10-20-2013, 13:52
From what I can gather: Take it home, run it through the dishwasher, sell it to Dogwood.

LOLOLOL!!! PRICELESS!! You're killing me!! :D To answer HB's question: You empty bag and reuse. Every week or so I was in town. Rewash, and reuse or use a fresh one. I wiped the Ziploc part each a.m. with the used baby wipe I cleaned myself with that morning. If flattens nicely and was stowed in the back of my backpack where I kept my opsak/trash bag.

Special K
10-20-2013, 13:53
I mean "It" flattens nicely...

atmilkman
10-20-2013, 14:10
I mean "It" flattens nicely...

You are having a hard time getting going aren't you.

Dogwood
10-20-2013, 14:24
From what I can gather: Take it home, run it through the dishwasher, sell it to Dogwood.

Only if it's been painted with stealthy colors and has a heavy duty Ziploc.:D Actually, I'm surprised some hoity toity environmentalist Big Surian type hasn't though of the recycling opportunities of the MHPB. A Big Surian would probably pack out a full MHPB to water their organic gardens back home.:) There's a little sunshine for ya. I hear it rained in Big Sur the other day. That's not supposed to happen. :D

Special K
10-20-2013, 14:25
You are having a hard time getting going aren't you.

Yes, getting nowhere fast! Good thing I don't have to be anywhere....

FarmerChef
10-20-2013, 14:44
I pack a couple pieces of newspaper in a baggy. When my shoes get wet I stuff the newspaper in them at night, by morning the newspaper has pulled most if not all of the moisture out of the shoes. The next day (if it has stopped raining) I put the newspaper in one of my packs mesh pockets to dry out. Multi-purpose too can be used to start a fire or as emergency tp.

I saw this for the first time on the trail in the snow/slush/rain in TN this spring. It worked like a charm.

Other tips:

Gladware bowls with lids also make it easy to mix milk, pudding and other powdered sauces/goods.

Beef or pork jerky rehydrates into a tasty treat in meals. Gives a great bacony flavor to foods.

There is often try tinder under shelters. If I know it will rain later in the day or is raining in the morning, I gather enough twigs to make a tinder bundle, tie it up with some tent cord and put it in my outside pocket in a leftover ziploc from dinner. Makes starting a fire a snap later, even with damp wood.

Make ghosties in a tarp. Place a roundish object underneath the area in which you want a tie out. Scrunch the tarp material around the object, tying the tent cord around the base of the newly formed "ghost" (round head, scrunch of tarp underneath). The rounded shape of the pebble or object keeps the cord from slipping off. Now you can put a tie out anywhere on your tarp.

Superglue is great for minor stitches on the trail. Get the mini bottles at your local drugstore. Also useful for repairing gear.

Learning to read the weather can be valuable. It's not 100% accurate but neither is the weatherman with millions of dollars of equipment and data.

Rasty
10-20-2013, 14:55
So what do you do with those peebags in the morning?

Dump them next to my sunflower seed shells

russb
10-20-2013, 15:18
If possible, I try to plan my trips to coincide with celestial events. Eclipses, Meteor showers, near planetary conjunctions, moon cycles (winter trips during the full moon provide light at night when there is little daylight) etc...

QiWiz
10-20-2013, 17:30
Thanks all!

However, I was looking for tips that aren't so obvious. Again, thanks I really do appreciate it. All is welcome though.

trim your toenails before you head out on trail to avoid nail trauma, subungual hematomas, and lost toenails . . .

OCDave
10-20-2013, 18:06
If possible, I try to plan my trips to coincide with celestial events. Eclipses, Meteor showers, near planetary conjunctions, moon cycles (winter trips during the full moon provide light at night when there is little daylight) etc...

The scout leader for my son's troop is attentive to when space station or other man-made satelites will be visible during troop camp-outs. They pass overhead so quickly- unmistakable and impressive. This appointment viewing is always satisfying.

wnderer
10-20-2013, 18:29
Don't forget to pack your adjectives.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NkuuZEey_bs

atmilkman
10-20-2013, 22:19
The latest tip I got was from jimmyjam about gluing 2 smart water bottle tops together and drilling a hole through them to replace the syringe for back flushing the sawyer squeeze. Haven't done it yet but it seems like it would make a lot of pressure this way.

zelph
10-20-2013, 22:25
The scout leader for my son's troop is attentive to when space station or other man-made satelites will be visible during troop camp-outs. They pass overhead so quickly- unmistakable and impressive. This appointment viewing is always satisfying.


russb
If possible, I try to plan my trips to coincide with celestial events. Eclipses, Meteor showers, near planetary conjunctions, moon cycles (winter trips during the full moon provide light at night when there is little daylight) etc...


Excellent tips, thank you! Actually, they are better than that:)

stranger
10-21-2013, 07:14
3 season hiking: chafing can make a grown man cry...learn how to deal with it.

Winter: white gas does not freeze, so if it's 10 below, and you spill white gas on your hand, you get instant frostbite.

Anytime: the colder the temperature, the warmer you will be naked compared to wearing wet cotton

aficion
10-21-2013, 07:19
3 season hiking: chafing can make a grown man cry...learn how to deal with it.

Winter: white gas does not freeze, so if it's 10 below, and you spill white gas on your hand, you get instant frostbite.

Anytime: the colder the temperature, the warmer you will be naked compared to wearing wet cotton

Learn to make charcloth. Fun and useful in camp project. Since you absolutely cannot under any circumstances wear cotton....you may as well burn it.:rolleyes:

Odd Man Out
10-21-2013, 11:42
Don't forget to pack your adjectives.

Or you could end up like this guy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQSNhk5ICTI

Statue
10-21-2013, 16:13
Packing out two large pizzas is a bad idea. If you have no self control (like me) you'll eat it all the first night in camp.

ChinMusic
10-21-2013, 16:28
While on the subject of food: During the early cold weeks on the AT I would load up on McDoubles (plain, have the ketchup/mustard in packets) from McDonalds on the way out of town. I didn't have to worry about them spoiling since my pack was as cold as a refrigerator. Coming out of town I would eat them for lunch and dinner for a day or two. I once carried six of em. That option came to an end once it warmed up. It was good while it lasted tho.

flemdawg1
10-29-2013, 17:01
While on the subject of food: During the early cold weeks on the AT I would load up on McDoubles (plain, have the ketchup/mustard in packets) from McDonalds on the way out of town. I didn't have to worry about them spoiling since my pack was as cold as a refrigerator. Coming out of town I would eat them for lunch and dinner for a day or two. I once carried six of em. That option came to an end once it warmed up. It was good while it lasted tho.

You could probably carry a couple of month's worth.
http://www.snack-girl.com/snack/cheeseburger-take-2-day-11/

perdidochas
10-29-2013, 17:50
Take them out from under your head because they also double as pillows, tightly sealed of course, and completely empty upon last might's bonfire coals or if no fire the previous night water the hemlocks behind the shelter.

Please don't empty urine into a fire pit. It's gonna cause a smell the next time a fire is started there.