5 free essentials for your thru hike

[takethisbread]

Totally free and virtually weightless.

1. A empty Gatorade bottle: I would rank this below only my sleeping bag as essentials for trail enjoyment. Oh too many times I got up out my tent or shelter on a bitter cold night to take a pee. It took a while to figure out the Gatorade bottle thing, but it made me much happier on the trail. I'm so addicted to this technique I now utilize it in everyday life. Note: this may not be applicable for women.

2. Handkerchief: I used an old t shirt and cut into two squares. One I used as I sign to hitch rides with, one side saying "To Town" the other "To Trail"
The other rag I used for cleaning out pots, and general wiping of stuff.

3. Condiment packets: I loaded up at the Vince Lombardi Memorial rest area on the NJ Turnpike. I found the Hot sauce and the spicy mustard packets added zest to my usually boring Ramen. The salt and pepper packs are good too.

4. Trash Bags: a guy handed me two when I was getting on the bus to GA. They were handy. One was a layer of waterproofing for stuff in my bag, the other an emergency raincoat for the warmer dryer months when u use a raincoat never, as it can make u too hot.

5. Safety Pin: steal from your mom, wife, gf, or a niece or nephew. Temporary fix for clothes, tent and great at popping blisters!

I'm sure there are more. But these help me ongoing.

[Sickmont]

Another good thing about the condiment packages is that mustard apparently is good for cramps, and the amount those packets have is about perfect.

[Pioneer Spirit]

One I used as I sign to hitch rides with, one side saying "To Town" the other "To Trail"

I have a commercially printed version of that one.

Oh too many times I got up out my tent or shelter on a bitter cold night to take a pee

Left hand bag zipper and left hand tent zipper. In stealth sites, I never leave the warm confines of my tent, just side lean past all of the Zippers and over the ground sheet.

[Roland]

~ It took a while to figure out the Gatorade bottle thing, but it made me much happier on the trail. I'm so addicted to this technique I now utilize it in everyday life. ~

The guy working in the cube next to yours must think this is pretty weird.

[sbhikes]

Some of your items weren't really free.

Here's a few free ones:
Use 2 sticks as chopsticks.
Use 1 small stick to clean your fingernails.
Use a big leaf to blow your nose.
Use an old pinecone to wipe yourself.
If someone litters a plastic bag, save it in case you need a plastic bag. In fact, there are all kinds of things people litter, leave on the curb, drop on the trail, leave behind in their campsites. You can get a lot of good stuff that way.

[Sickmont]

Use an old pinecone to wipe yourself.

Ouch. My butt's not tough enough for that.

[Luddite]

Use a big leaf to blow your nose.

Thats too civilized for the trail. Just do a farmer's blow.

[ATSeamstress]

Prescription cough syrup bottle for denatured alcohol. It has the ounces right on the side so no measuring device needed. Free if you can reuse one or ask at the pharmacy. They charged me 35 cents for an empty one. I put a big "FUEL" label on it for safety purposes.

[mweinstone]

hugs
directions
campfires
sunrise
sunset

[Buffalo Skipper]

Prescription cough syrup bottle for denatured alcohol. It has the ounces right on the side so no measuring device needed. Free if you can reuse one or ask at the pharmacy. They charged me 35 cents for an empty one. I put a big "FUEL" label on it for safety purposes.

One of my hiking buddies is a pharmacist. Another is a PA. Great when we all get together. If someone is hurt, one can write a perscription and the other can fill it on the spot. Makes hiking aches and pains go away.

[ATSeamstress]

One of my hiking buddies is a pharmacist. Another is a PA. Great when we all get together. If someone is hurt, one can write a perscription and the other can fill it on the spot. Makes hiking aches and pains go away.

I could have used them both on my last trip out!

[the goat]

Totally free and virtually weightless.

1. A empty Gatorade bottle: I would rank this below only my sleeping bag as essentials for trail enjoyment. Oh too many times I got up out my tent or shelter on a bitter cold night to take a pee. It took a while to figure out the Gatorade bottle thing, but it made me much happier on the trail. I'm so addicted to this technique I now utilize it in everyday life. Note: this may not be applicable for women.
.

i have a tent w/ zipper openings on either side. one for entry/exit & the other for peeing out of.

[takethisbread]

i have a tent w/ zipper openings on either side. one for entry/exit & the other for peeing out of.

The guy in the shelter next to me hated when I did that!

[Helios]

The guy in the shelter next to me hated when I did that!

Hahahahahahahahaha!!!!

[Blissful]

Some of your items weren't really free.

Here's a few free ones:
Use 2 sticks as chopsticks.
Use 1 small stick to clean your fingernails.
Use a big leaf to blow your nose.
Use an old pinecone to wipe yourself.
If someone litters a plastic bag, save it in case you need a plastic bag. In fact, there are all kinds of things people litter, leave on the curb, drop on the trail, leave behind in their campsites. You can get a lot of good stuff that way.

A pinecone? egads.

[Spokes]

....... Air ........

[wvgrinder]

Ouch. My butt's not tough enough for that.

Wow, that's one tough lady. Are you from West Virginia sbhikes?

[Gipsy]

Thanks for your tips! As a "frugal" hiker your post inspired me to start a tread about more freebies!

http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?t=68694

[McPick]

Use an old pinecone to wipe yourself.

My dear Ms. Hikes...

I am L-ingMAO ! OMG... PINECONE!! I simply CAN'T imagine!!

However, I am intrigued... Is there a certain species? I mean, just think of those giant honkers in California. (see below) WHOA, now there's a ride.

Plus, I recall those long skinny, sappy green ones along the AT in Maine. The ones that squirrels and chipmunks eat on a rock and leave a pile of leftovers behind. (Or throw down on unsuspecting, intruding hikers.)

I mean, can't you just see it? Hiking along and there's a huge pile of pinecone remains and some poor chipmunk, flat on its back, legs straight up, dead. from eating a, well, from eating a, well, um that is, a highly impacted, (which direction do you recommend anyway?) left over, discarded human waste removal pinecone?

And that super sticky sap? Man alive... That stuff dries like GLUE!!

Or some poor unsuspecting soul, out hiking in the woods, collecting pinecones for a Christmas wreath? Surprise!

Diane... No offense intended. I appreciate your posts very much and am eternally grateful to you for your (Gotta Go Girl type) salad dressing bottle suggestion, which we take everywhere. This post, however, is hilarious!

[RGB]

I'm all for frugality, but some of those California cones seem like something they'd replace the TP with in Guantanamo Bay. That's a bit too primal for me.