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windcatcher

Inventive/creative devices to bring along camping/backpacking???

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Take a damn compass and know how to use it. You know those dumb little compass/thermometer things that go on a zipper. One of those REALLY saved my ass once. I had only MINIMAL gear one day. I was chasing a heard of Elk. I wasn't really going far. Just up a mountain. You go up.....and then come back down. How in the world could you get lost right? Well.....I didn't realize how flat and broken the top of the mountain was. I got chasing the elk. Had my 40 yd encounter with the 6X6 which I never got a shot at. (Bow Hunting) :S Then when it was starting to get dark I got turned around and DAMN NEAR went off the WRONG side of the mountain. It would have been ugly too. There is pretty much NOTHING in that drainage. There's a road but traffic is VERY RARE. Luckily I questioned myself and then remembered that little compass. Saved my butt I tell you!

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So, windcatcher, where are you going?

I like camping and hiking, but I've never been on a real backpacking trip. I think I'd like it though... I'd love to hear about what you're doing (and how much fun you had when you get back!)


hey Shotgun, I am just taking an overnight trip at some really pretty place in Kansas. We are hiking 7 miles in, setting up camp for the night, and hiking back in the morning. Some day after I get more jumps, it would be cool to go backpacking to a BASE site:)


Mother to the cutest little thing in the world...

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I have the boys old enough to now carry the extra crap that I want to take. Plus I got Rose a doggy backpack and she now carries her own food and water.
May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view. May your mountains rise into and above the clouds. - Edward Abbey

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I have the boys old enough to now carry the extra crap that I want to take. Plus I got Rose a doggy backpack and she now carries her own food and water.



Oh foxy has one of those, of course now she is a little to old to use it.
Fly it like you stole it!

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Awesome list, just what I would've posted, with two additions:

A $2 or less emergency blanket that folds up to smaller than a wallet size
And I would bring a filet knife...
for dinner & PROTECTION!

ok 3 things.. a cell phone with an extra battery.

if your not going for long (a day or two), those Brush-Ups or similar items cut down on water & tooth care supplies, for less weight & bulk!


Have fun!!!

Pink Suits, Blue Skies & Fast Tunnels,
Dawn Suiter

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Keep it light.
Sleep in a Hennessey Hammock.
Hammocks also make great camp chairs.They weigh a fraction of the weight of a tent/mattress combination and are far more comfortable.

I keep one in the corner of my loft for afternoon naps.

www.hennesseyhammock.com

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It's SO easy to over pack. It SUCKED when I was in the military. Before I even started my pack weighed 60-75lbs or more just with radios and ammo.



Umm trying being a USMC Machine gunner and packing a .50 Cal. :S


One thing no one mentioned and I ALWAYS take with me are BABY WIPES (or handy wipes, or moist towelets, whatever you want to call them)


JAMES

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Oh, how cute.

I've been working up adding more rocks into Rose's pack.

Dawn, get the pack for your dog, let them carry their own water. Post some pictures of your new cutie.
May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view. May your mountains rise into and above the clouds. - Edward Abbey

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backpacking is one of the few times box wine is appropriate. And though it doesn't seem to apply to OK, even cheap wine seems to taste ok at high altitude for some reason. Might just be the exercise beforehand.



Box wine? Where the hell do you put it? (linz scratches her head....)? Penny whistle, otoh, takes up very little space and is fun to fiddle with....



The box fits well enough where the sleeping bag is supposed to go! And will that whistle give you a nice inflated sense of worth?

It's all about priorities. I refuse to eat powdered food when I backpack, there's no reason to suffer so on a weekend trip. Bottled wine would be better, but the weight and fragility are too much if the route is off trail.

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Take a damn compass and know how to use it. You know those dumb little compass/thermometer things that go on a zipper.



Excellent tip. I keep a cheapo hanging on the front of my pack, that I can use for general orientation at any time, just to keep my bearings. Then inside the pack I have the more serious variety, for when I really want to navigate with bearings and landmarks. But that cheapo is invaluable!

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Here's an inventive gizmo for backpacking: a tiny little can opener. You can find these at military surplus stores. In the Marines, we called this a "John Wayne", but I don't know why. It weighs nothing, and takes up no space, but will open any can. That's what you need to get at those canned peaches you reward yourself with after a long hike. The only problem with it is that it is so small, sometimes you can't find it!

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It's called a P-38 can opener, FYI... with C-rats having been gone so long, I'm sort of surprised to see them still being made...



P-38 - yeah, that's the name I couldn't remember. These may be left-overs from the canned C-rats days. Heck, you can buy about five for a dollar from Cheaper Than Dirt. I keep one in the truck glove box, one in the backpack, one in the gear bag, etc. They come in handy.

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And most importantly: toilet paper! Keep it in a ziplock bag to keep it dry, and put a disposable lighter in there with it. When your business is finished, burn the paper, so that it won't be left to blow all over the place, or have animals scatter it around.



I agree with this with one caveat - it's getting to be the dry, fire season here in the southwest, so if you're hiking in an area where fires are restricted or the danger of wildfires is high - bury it, please don't burn it. All it takes is one ember.
Scars remind us that the past is real

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Important lessons learned this weekend on my backpacking trip:

*don't forget your camera :(
*the one with chocolate/hot cocoa gets major points:| ( only if they share:|)
*don't wear cotton socks:S (duh!!! I've got a blister to show whyB|)
*bring enough food and water
*don't be afraid to lessen the load on your back by giving in to a generous gentleman;)

edit to add:
*Backpackers Pantry chili and beans is very bland
*Beef Stroganoff is the #1 dehydrated meal to bring along; it's actually very tasty!!!
*Freeze dried ice cream is a nice treat:)


Mother to the cutest little thing in the world...

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