Just reading the pot belly stoves thread, I note a couple of items there that make excellent additions to your kit -- a few pieces of cycle inner tube for making fires, and a length of nylon cord for pulling down timber (or repairing gaiters or pack straps or or rigging up a rain fly or strapping up a leg etc). It's really easy to carry a lot of useless junk tramping, but is there anything else you pack that has a lot of utility for its size and weight? I thought it might be useful to post an article of tips.
I always carry a lightweight down jacket summer and winter. After 50 years of trying to make a decent pillow out of various bits of clothing I have found that the down jacket inside my sleeping bag stuff sack enclosed within a merino or thermal top is perfect
I agree that as you get older the pillow gets more vital. I still recall a night sometime in the 70's when dozens of us were stuffed into the old Mangetepopo Hut and the only space I could find was under a bunk. It was bloody freezing on the floor and by the time I'd put on all my clothes all I had left for a pillow was a packet of Edmonds Instant Pudding to keep my ear off the floor.
And I slept quite well!
The other little knick-knack I've taken to carrying these days is a small squeeze bottle of hand sanitiser. Very useful when washing with soap and water isn't convenient.
Yeah I carry hand sanitiser too. Don't want to get sick far from home. It could also be used for cleaning a wound.
Good tip on pillows. I usually use my synthetic down jacket, but it would probably work better in a stuff sack. If you're wearing all your clothes, you could probably inflate a water bladder too as a pillow. Haven't tried it, but it would need to be air as water would conduct heat away.
I've always carried a ball of string. Cheaper and lighter then cord, I've used it for raising mountain radio wires, impromptu clothes lines, and securing stuff to packs. Very handy.
And going full circle the hand sanitizer is also good for starting a fire. A little bit wrapped up in some cardboard burns for ages.
I always carry a couple of 300mm zip ties. Haven't ever needed them, but figure you can fix just about anything with a zip tie.
Electricians tape. You can fix anything with that! Can tie off the sharp points on ice-axes for safe stowage. And seal bags of rice, etc.
Never tried starting a fire with it though ... but it sounds worth a go!
This post has been edited by the author on 14 July 2015 at 13:58.
Dry bags are genius. Dry bag anything water-sensitive, everything else can be packed however. No more fiddling around with pack liners and pack covers. You can go so far as pack swimming and not worry about water-sensitive kit (I've done it).
And they pull double duty as hut shoes: loosen bootlaces then loosely tie them so that they're slippers, then clip dry bags on my feet over my dry socks.
This post has been edited by the author on 14 July 2015 at 19:55.
Tried a wine bladder (empty) as a pillow. Was noisey and not so comfortable.
Down jacket in a bag mushes down nicely. Handy to wear until then. All these half bread bag bundles in my pack get confusing !.
A razor sharp box cutter knife weighs next to nothing and sits in my first aid kit.
http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/MTAwMFgxMDAw/z/R~AAAMXQL99ScAa0/$T2eC16V,!y8E9s2fjtNhBSc!,zfrz!~~60_35.JPG
