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  1. #41

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    Quote Originally Posted by Chickety
    I measured out 1 cup of water, put it in my cooking pot and scratched a line as to where the "1 Cup mark" is.
    Did the same for 2 Cups.
    This way I'm atleast close to the right amount of water when cooking.
    (I used to end up with "rice soup" when I really wanted just rice)
    When you find that you have "rice soup" add a little instant mashed potatoes - sucks the extra water up very quickly.

    other tricks:

    fold a bandana 4 times to make 16 layers of cloth and then you can handle the hot pots safely with the bandana protecting your hand

    multiuse items are great - ex for a great fire starter use toilet paper and olive oil or other cooking oil

    wrapping frozen meat in newspaper lets you carry the meat farther before it thaws out and then you can burn the paper starting the fire to cook the meat

  2. #42

    Default Some I've figured out...

    1) When you send a maildrop to an location that is not within walking distance of stores, you'll save time if you also mail TP and anything expendables you use either to clean up there (soap & shampoo/conditioner in tiny motel bottles, dispo razor) or on the Trail (wet wipes/paper towels).

    2) In such maildrops, send a couple of cans of food (or even drink) that you enjoy, but are impractical for carrying on the Trail. You're going to be dumping the cans in a nearby trashcan before getting back on the Trail, so the main issue IMO is the expense for postage. This is a good way IMO to get some additional vegetables, too; I'm trying to stick in a can of spinach or asparagus in such maildrops in my own pre-thruhike attempt planning. I'm also putting in a couple of MRE heating units in some drops; I don't want to ever again hump them on the Trail, but there's no reason I can't enjoy a couple of conveniently-heated meals where I can dump the extra trash before I get back on the Trail.

    3) Drive to a few potential maildrop locations in advance of a long hike, and simply drop off boxes of supplies. Bulky stuff (like TP, paper towels, freeze-dried vegetables) and heavy drinks (plastic bottles of fruit juice, or a gallon or two of distilled water, say) are particularly convenient to do this way. Plus, you can preposition supplies like stove fuel/bottles that you can't legally mail, or pricy stuff (ATC maps you won't need for a while, or camera memory sticks, say). And, the mail service (UPS, FedEx, US Snail, whatever) doesn't get a chance to lose it this way!

  3. #43

    Default When you've got too much water in a dish you're cooking...

    Adding some oatmeal works, too. It's more nutritious than are potatos, and are surprisingly mild in taste; if there's any seasoning in the dish at all, you'll never taste the oatmeal. (Corn meal/grits also work, as does any bread/cracker product.)

  4. #44
    Just Passin' Thru.... Kozmic Zian's Avatar
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    Yea, Guys....Tricks!

    I carry a stainless cup for drinking....I attach the handle thru a loop in my backpack so that I have quick, easy access to it. When I need a drink of water I can 'dip & fly'....or drink on the run, without stopping to get the bag or bottle out....just dip the cup in the next spring, avoiding carrying the heavy bottles of water. I only do this when I know, from the guides, maps and previous experience, where and when the water is. Also, being careful about the 'condition', location and other qualifiers as to the water quality.
    Kozmic Zian@ :cool: ' My father considered a walk in the woods as equivalent to churchgoing'. ALDOUS HUXLEY

  5. #45
    Registered User fivefour's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by swift
    They have PV foam towels used for drying cars in Walmart in the automotive section...come in a clear plastic tube, cost 6 bucks. Its my most useful piece of gear. When completely dry and folded it feels and weighs about the same as a styromfoam block the size of a pack of cigarettes. It absorbs 20 times its weight in water and releases 96% of it when you wring it. Makes a great bath towel, cut up it makes great headbands and wristbands, it dries your tent off in the morning like nothing else does.

    Here is the really cool trick: If you get soaked take your clothes and roll them up in it and wring, do it a few times. It is amazing how well it removes the water, enough to put everything back on, and your body heat will finish the drying process in minutes.

    This is the best 6 dollars you'll ever spend on anything that goes in your pack. I was curious to see what exactly the water content was in my pearl uzumi shirt after I'd dried it like this so I ran some tests at home. I soaked the shirt in a bucket of water and wrung it out in the PV towel a number of times then weighed it on a digital postal scale. I then completely dried it dryer and re-weighed it. The difference in weight was only 6/10ths of an ounce.
    I am now going to walmart for lunch ! Thanks for the tip.
    "In the woods, too, a man casts off his years, as the snake his slough, and at what period soever of life, is always a child. In the woods is perpetual youth." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

  6. #46
    Registered User John B's Avatar
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    Thanks to Moxie00 for starting this thread. It's very useful.

    I can't take credit for this idea but I used it during my last section hike and it helped. If you want to carry a sink with you and don't want to use your cooking pot for that purpose, take a 1-gallon milk jug and cut off the bottom 1 inch. That makes a very good 'sink' and its weight is negligible.

  7. #47
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    I ran into Tricks at the shelter in Port Clinton and he drove me to the Burger King in Hamburg. That was pretty good.

    2 ways to keep track of your lighter:
    *Mark it, I usually wrap a strip of duct or elecrtical tape around it.
    *Attach it to your foodbag drawstring with a long piece of thin cord and some duct tape.

  8. #48

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    You can use your sleeping bag as a dryer for damp items, but that water has to evaporate somewhere, normally into your loft.[/quote]


    I have never found this to be a problem. My long underware got soaked once, I wrung it out and wore it in my sleeping bag. The next morning it was dry and so wasn't my bag. My bag is a Mountain Hardware, synthetic, not down, 20 degree mummy and I often dry damp clothes by tosing them in the bag. A trail vetran told me of that trick about my third day out while I was still in Georgia and it works for me.
    Another handy trick is carry dental floss and a needle with a large enough eye to accomidate it. It is strong enough to sew a broken pack strap, will clean your teeth, and can replace a broken boot lace until you hit the next town.
    A trick I learned fron Diamond Doug was purchase a pint of ice cream just as you leave town. Put it in a plastic bag and then roll it into the middle of your sleeping bag. The bag will insulate it and it will still be frozen when you prepare supper that night. I remember Doug sitting on top of Cheoah Bald on Easter Sunday, having a desert of ice cream while my Easter dinner was Lipton noodles.
    [FONT="Arial Black"][/FONT]Don't fret the petty things, &
    Don't pet the sweaty things[FONT="Comic Sans MS"][/FONT][I][/I]
    (I'm moxie00 on my apple-moxie on my PC)

  9. #49
    Registered User uscgretired's Avatar
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    Default Usefull Tricks

    I have a very lightweight boat key floatie/boat registration container that has an "o" ring seal between cap and container. I use it to keep my self striking matches (you know, the ones that you can light with your fingernail or on your levi's or trail pants) and my lighter In the small cap I keep 4 cottonballs soaked in vasoline for emergency fire starters. I chose the flourescent green color so it would be easy to find. Most boat dealerships carry this container. It could also be used for as a waterproof money holder, waterproof medicine container etc. etc.

  10. #50
    Registered User Blister's Avatar
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    Lighters: wrapping your duct tape around it, for convenience of course - then add a string and wear it around your neck. You never loose it or drop it. The string can be used as an emergency shoelace or whatever other use a string comes in handy for. The lighter for fire and the duct tape for everything and it doesn't add an ounce to your pack because your wearing it.
    A good place for duct tape storage as well - wrap it around your hiking sticks, can't get anymore convenient than that, but be sure to apply approx the same amount on each pole if you are using two.
    Blister "Bitchen" Sister

  11. #51
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    I never leave without some 550 cord in my pack. It's gotta be the real parachute cord with 7 strand inner core, though. That way, you have a normal cord, but when certain needs arise you can separate the cores into whatever small sizes you need. For example, one core strand is enough to guy out a tarp, and it's very light. Separate the cores even further and you can use them for dental floss or sewing thread.

    On my first trip to the desert, I picked up my (too heavy) pack by the shoulder strap and it broke off. On a layover, I sewed it back on with the 550 cord inner core and never had a problem with it again. Then I returned the pack for a new one when I got back.

  12. #52
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    Well this works for me i rubber bands a coffe filter over my water pump inlet to help keep out the grit etc .

  13. #53
    Registered User hammock engineer's Avatar
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    I think this is turning out to be one of the more helpful treads I have seen.

    This may make a good group article.

  14. #54
    1972 to ???? txulrich's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by hammock engineer
    I think this is turning out to be one of the more helpful treads I have seen.

    This may make a good group article.
    I second that
    Peace,
    Joe

  15. #55
    LT '79; AT '73-'14 in sections; Donating Member Kerosene's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by bulldog49
    I stop sometime between 1:00 and 3:00 in the afternoon and cook my hot meal and then hike on until dark. I make better mileage this way and when I get to camp I'm ready to sleep.
    I concur, although I usually stop between 3 and 4 when the days are longer and I'm trying to do more miles.
    GA←↕→ME: 1973 to 2014

  16. #56
    Registered User Lump76's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by TJ aka Teej
    Practice cooking at home. Make marks on your practice fuel canister with a sharpie to keep track of many 'cooks' you get. Use a pot cozy and wind screen. Take some town food in for the first day, like a sub and chips, or Jack's excellent idea of frozen meat. Get the clear lighters so you can see how much fuel is left. My camera, head lamp, and radio all use the same size battery. (batts that won't run the camera anymore will still run a headlamp or radio) Pencils, not pens. Drink your fill at water sources. And in the 'works for me' catagory: I pack up and hit the trail at first light. An hour and half or so later I stop for breakfast, around mid-day I'll look for a likely spot and take a boots off nap, and I swim whenever I get the chance in hot weather.
    Somewhere... Wallyworld, I think... I saw a set of adapters that would let you use any size battery to power any battery-powered device (so long as you're sizing up). My headlamp and radio work on AAA batteries, but my camera takes AA. I'm thinking about getting an adapter so I can just carry AAA batteries and then follow TJ's method. Start them out in my camera, then move to my headlamp or radio. Might save a few ounces and allow me to buy batteries in bulk.

  17. #57
    Registered User Lump76's Avatar
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    I use Skippy squeezable peanut butter. MMMMmmmmm.... less weight than a jar and no mess.

  18. #58
    Registered User Doctari's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by txulrich
    I second that
    I third & fourth that, as they accumulate, I'll copy some to the "Words of wisdom" thread in "articles"

    Great post!

    Doctari.
    Curse you Perry the Platypus!

  19. #59
    Registered User Doctari's Avatar
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    Practice with ALL OF YOUR GEAR!!!!

    Practice with ALL OF YOUR GEAR, at home, before you hit the trail. Practice even with the old stuff you are familiar with, it may be broke.

    Check all your gear, before you hit the trail! Look it over for: worn spots, tears, actual breaks, function (does your: Stove, Flashlight(s), Camera, etc. work?). When was the last time your shelter (boots, etc) seam sealed? Is now a good time to replace something? Is your fuel still good?* Lighters in good working condition / full (I get new ones each trip). Matches in good condition. NEW Zip Locks. Etc.

    Clean gear lasts longer, so clean what you have. Then seam seal as needed.

    *My understanding is gasoline degenerates very quickly, 60 to 90 days & the octane decreasing by as much as 30% don’t know about the other fuels or how this affects gasoline stoves, my lawnmower mechanic told me this.


    Doctari.
    Curse you Perry the Platypus!

  20. #60
    Donating Member/AT Class of 2003 - The WET year
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    Years ago I hiked until I was exhausted and then took a break. During my thru-hike, and ever since, I have begun taking a short break EVERY HOUR (give or take a few minutes). What I've learned is that I can hiker longer and farther in a days time without being so tired when I get to my campsite for the night. I also have noticed is that I have fewer aches/pains. Coupled with the more frequent rest stops are increased snacks, which maintain more constant energy levels instead of the highs/lows I used to encounter.

    'Slogger
    The more I learn ...the more I realize I don't know.

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