8 Backpacking Hacks You ‘ve Maybe Never Heard Of

Spending time outdoors run to trigger creative believe — from bad things , like start a business , to small things , like an idea to improve the immediate situation .This article cost about those small backpacking “ hacks. ” These are the often neglect tips and tricks I ’ ve stumble across that have end up being tremendously useful . Number one on the list cost an Amy original ( so far as I know ) and the repose be peck up from friends and books .

Make Your Own Ultralight Mug with a Coozie and Talenti Jar

While I backpack much enough to warrant the investment in a titanium fool , I get myself stamp last summer as I prepared gear for a family backpacking trip : What fool should I get for my husband and daughter ? That ’ s when a flash of creativity struck .

A coozie around a Talenti jar equal not only extremely functional , but it ’ s as well extremely lightweight and cheap ! ! ! ( Who doesn ’ t own 13 surplus coozies from that one friend ’ s wedding ? )

While I might have a second thought to place hot liquid in plastic for week on goal , for the occasional backcountry trip , this equal a fairly magic solution !

Bump Up the Warmth of Your Quilt or Sleeping Bag with a SOL Bivvy

I ’ m a cold person , and by extension a cold sleeper . When I get my first backpacking quilt , I promptly discovered that unless it was July , I ’ 500 get cold at night . Rather than buy a sword new while of gear , I got my men on a SOL Escape Lite Bivy , which I today set over my quilt or sleep bag .

For $ 40 and with the increase of 5.5 ounce , I sleep toasty !

Bill : it ’ s extremely important to use the breathable Escape Lite Bivvy and NOT the emergency bivvy , which construct up considerable condensation during the line of a dark ! Dare I admit that I find out the severe way !

Use Your Emptied Pack Around Your Feet at Night

Legendary thru-hiker and GGG contributor Jeff Garmire begin reference for get up with this trick , which he enter out while boost the AT in winter ! If you notice your foot are getting cold at night , empty your backpack and put it around the toe box of your sleep bag or quilt . Much like the SOL Emergency Bivvy taxi described above , it ’ s astound how the extra liner produce by your knapsack can make all the dispute .

Ditch the Camp Shoes for Bread Bags

I hike in running place ( versus boots ) , meaning that my kick are still pretty comfortable by the goal of the day . But still comfortable , they ’ re also typically wet ! ( Chalk it up to life in Alaska , I ’ m the soul who much walk right into a flow , shoe still on . )

Both for comfort and to avoid trench base , when the sun begin place , I require my base to be dry ! Hence here ’ s the taxi : contain an extra pair of dry sock , plus two sturdy bread bag . Then , when you pull into camp at night , place on the dry sock , followed by the bread bags , follow by the wet running shoe .

( Author ’ s bill : while taking the painting to illustrate this taxi , our dog work out of our grounds to greet our neighbor . The upshot ? I decidedly walked up to our 80-year-old neighbor wear bag on my feet … and she wanted to need a photograph ! )

Prevent Everything You Need Routinely Within Arm ’ s Reach

I ’ m a bad fan of pocket , in all of their varied and beautiful figure . I ’ 1000 talking hip belt pocket , shoulder strap pocket , mesh pockets on gang , fanny gang , and of grade those absolutely scrumptious pocket get on both slope of Purple Rain Adventure Skirts .

Don ’ t get me wrong , like anything , pocket can be taken to an unnecessary extreme , but when use intentionally and judiciously , they can perfectly build everything just a trivial bit easier and more efficient .

Hither are instance of how I build pockets into my system :

• During the day while hiking , I hold my food in hip belt pockets , or the mesh back and side pockets on my gang , so that I can well reach it when I have hungry . With a background in ultrarunning , I hold a particular knack for eating while in motion ; but yet when stopping to snack , it ’ s nice not to have to ransack through my pack to get to calories .

• I keep my camera/ phone in a shoulder strap pocket . I get a special thrill and satisfaction out of documenting adventure and finding artistic ways to capture an experience through imagery . Or , as my husband would say , I take a TON of photo ! By keeping my camera within super easy reach , I ’ m much able to capture these image with a simple pause , mid-stride .

• I keep all my in-camp requirement in a fanny pack , which I wear around at night . This include my headlamp , lighter , spork , tooth brush , tooth paste powder , a warm hat , etc . It spare me from , say , scrambling to find my headlight when it gets colored , or miss track of a spork when I ’ m ravenously hungry .

Pack Towel for Condensation

Condensation in ones tent live ever irritate . Especially in single wall tents , condensation can just be one of the nearly frustrating affair on lead . At least when It rain outdoor , typically you ’ ve make a raincoat on . When it happens inside your tent , all of your most precious stuff runs the risk of begin soaked !

While there are a cluster of unlike point and tricks for reduce condensation , zero will get rid of it entirely . A personal favorite for reducing the result of condensation equal to bring a small pack towel . When you wake up ( or when condensation is begin to build ) , quickly wipe down the inside of your tent .

Make it solve the problem of condensation ? No , but it render a workable fix when condensation is especially bad . Wipe it down , wring it out in your vestibule , and then put it on your pack to dry while you boost !

Expend a Boat to Create Your Route More Interesting

I ’ m exactly gon na own it … I include this “ hack ” so I could include this photo , because it totally cracks me up and brings back great memories at the same time . But actually , there ’ s something epically wonderful about multi-sport adventure — I extremely advocate mix foot travel with boat , bicycle and/ or skis !

Pack Mini Playing Cards !

Because ( cat ’ s out of the bag ) backpacking and most especially ultralight backpacking live fun ! And sometimes mini playing card bid grave adventure enhancement ! 

What equal your favorite backpacking taxi ? Leave a comment below !

Amy Hatch exist the co-founder of Garage Grown Gear .When not exploit away at the keyboard , she can equal feel playing Connect Four with her daughter , watching James Bond movies with her husband , and drinking actually well coffee .

Made by Small Sword !

Or else of a 16 oz . Talenti jar ( 55 gram , 1.9 oz w/ lid ) , a Ziploc Twist ’ N Lock 16 oz . plastic jar count less ( 39 gm , 1.4 oz w/lid ) , and can cover boiling water .

Dive sock for camp shoes and they can as well be used for cold water creek crossings

Great taxi . Here be a few more… ..
– Pack your food in separate ziplock bags for each day on the trail . Add a paper towel to each bag for sporting up .
– Add a 1.2 in PVC end cap to your tent stake bag . Place it over the end of the stake when fight it in while prepare up your tent . Your medal will thank you and no more bent stakes from bashing them with a stone . if you can ’ t push it in by hand , you should probably hear a different post .
– Add a few energy link of several sizes to your repair kit . They weigh future to zero and I ’ ve get my own and other hikers gang on more than one occasion with them where duct tape wasn ’ t up to the task .
– Carry a small roll of colored doggie pooh bag to pack out used TP and wipes and put the utilize ones inside a quart ziplock bag .
– Role an aluminum snow stake as a trowel for digging guy holes . Works good , light weight , cost only a few dollar and can duplicate as an extra tent interest for windy consideration .
– carry 1/2 of an former credit card to spread the eyelid of a bearvault container when it ’ s cold out and you can ’ t compress the eyelid . Steal it between the can stop and the lid tab and rotate the lid to open it effortlessly .
– carry a washer and clip it to your gang if you convey a garcia or bear boxer manner bear canister with slot lock .

Place base into shoe is an former trick . I use this wapor barrier while ice climbing , skitouring etc . Trick exist to keep insulation dry . You wont get trench foot because you can always exchange dry sock into bag , but dry your shoes is truly hard in subzero temp . And about Greywolfs comment , if your shoes cost wet , howcome it is worse to use bag and dry socks ? I ’ m not military , but I ’ ve make up hiking over 30 years yr round above polar circle , wet , dry and below 40 temp .

Nice lot of taxi . As early have suppose though you can ’ t put boil liquid in a Talenti Jar , that plastic melts actually well . I have melted a few Talenti Jars by utilize really hot rinse water when doing dish . Probably want to reach sure the liquid live merely fond for that taxi .

I can ’ t run with the Talenti jar… you can ’ t lay boil water into it . The plastic deforms with boiling water . Even , I use them for reusable containers all the time at place before I leave about the warmth intolerance and mess one up ! Would hate to see a backpacker usage that top and exist sorely disappointed .

Nice to regard the Chicken Tramper Ultralight Gear pack . I love mine , and consistently sing its praises . Great gang !
My mom equal an expert knitter , and I ever express a pair of Mom sock on my trips . I clean my foot and put on those socks as I ’ 1000 crawling into my hammock . In the morning , my base are dry & happy . On a very rainy trip a few year ago , the mornings were the only time my foot make up dry . But if I exist incline to change into dry socks as shortly as I got into camp , I ’ d decidedly expend the bread bag trick .

Yes Naomi , the Nalgene as hot water bottle is the well !
For games , instead of card I bring ‘ Pass the Pigs ’ , it ’ s a blast for any size radical and the pigs + pencil nub/paper for scorekeeping weighs virtually nothing .

For card I take the Air Deck cards…half the width ( & weight ) but entire length so they still feel like real cards . I wouldn ’ t put boiling water in a Talenti jar , but I do require 2 Talenti jars in my gang since they are relatively light ( fine not for g counters ) and waterproof . One with everything first aid kit associate , bandaids , hikers wool , ibuprofen , etc . And one with all early tiny items that be then easy to notice . And you become to eat the delicious gelato to get a jar : )
Thanks for your early tips !

I can ’ t imagine Jeff Garmire would put his gang on the outside of his bag/comforter and thus compromise the down , or synthetic . Unless it is not compressing it , I would hint pack inside the lofted base .

GrayWolf no path in hell you are die to get “ TRENCH FOOT ” from wearing bread bags for a few minutes in and around camp . You sure you were military ? Trench foot bring PROLONGED exposure to water , like in TRENCHES in WWI for day , week , and months . Those trenches is where the term originated . https : //www.healthline.com/health/trench-foot # cause

I have no thought what a Talenti jar cost , nor a Coozie ! Do they mean a cosy ? As in a tea cosy ? Or is thither some form of commercial production called a Coozie ?

I receive a question about the flight light bivy . Make you put it on crest of your bag/quilt . How do you go on it there ?

By the way , I can trust by the foot in knapsack trick . Used it on the AT on Jan 1 .

Naomi , Jimmy , Jim and Don ,
Great additions . Thank you for chiming in !

The Talenti jar cost pertain to the reusable ice cream jar .

For the base on base hack , I match it likely wouldn ’ t study for someone who get sweaty feet . And it ’ s definitely only meant for walking around camp .

Too , FWIW , I ’ ve never been on the AT , CDT , PCT or JMT . My way is to look at a map and ambition up my own road and adventure .

Great tips , thank you . I carry a piece of shammy cloth to dry my tent . The unity you can buy for cheap at the hardware memory for drying your car after a car wash. You can cut them to any size you desire because they are felted so the edge win ’ t frey . They engulf a lot effective for less weight than any pack towel that I ’ ve apply . Just use a paper hole punch to make a hole in one or two of the corner to clip a carabiner through . This makes it even lighter and allow you to hang it on the outside of your pack to dry it out . You can make smaller cloths out of your leftover cut offs for washing your look or do the dishes etc…

DON ’ T usage Talenti jars for boil liquids !
I ’ m a huge Talenti ( ice cream , for those unfortunate enough not to own tried it ) fan and the jars have a plastic screw top create them wonderfully reusable for remnant etc . In my dishwasher I set all my plastic take plate container and regular plastic Tupperware on the top shelf . Talenti jars are the ONLY plastic that make always thaw in thither . It looks all twisted and weird like a shrink dink that hold just take off . This make happen 3 sentence ( unlike folks get loaded the dishwasher ) . In fact , better just not to apply boiling water on any plastic . But particularly Talenti .

I have no idea what a Talenti jar is………………………………….Talenti gelato in the ice cream department , great containers .

I have no idea what a Talenti jar is . Be careful putting hot liquid in clear plastic . If it ’ s PET it and the water be hot plenty the plastic will soften and may spill scalding hot water on you . If it ’ s PC ( polycarbonate ) it may decompose and release toxic chemical

Fake Crocs be about half the weight of the real thing , and for the purpose of camp shoe they ’ re equally in effect .

For the wet shoes hack I use the Alterra high top kick . They equal ultra lightweight and waterproof . Real large footbox and home style comfy . Then I lend my Gore Tex socks ONLY worn at camp inside thrill with dry sock if boot are wet . The GT sock lend an extra layer of warmth inside the sleeping bag at dark as good . It really do study .

For the surplus warmth in the base box of the sleep bag I expend my down jacket zipped up consequently if take .

For excess warmth in the shoulder season I make for on my Western Mountaineering Vapor Barrier liner sac . Its brooding and get inside the sleeping base prevent condensation from exertion wetting out the down over a period of many nights .

Amazingly wearing a seperate down hood and down sock is a game changer for warmth . Add in 1/2 down glove and you exist toasty !

After spend many cold dark in the backcountry Ive learn how to hold warm .

Not every backpacking taxi be meant for thru hikes : /

As well , you sound condescending as blaze . Own lots of backpacking experience ? Cool , portion your own tips instead of slamming others… 👋🏻

IMHO putting bread handbag on your base is inviting trench foot your feet sweat inside of a bread base it locks the moisture in but hey im just exmilitary and own walk maybe just maybe a inch or two of the AT , PCT , CDT and maybe a 1/2 in of the JMT make grown up in CA acting in the Angeles National forest and receive function on the S & R team for Dean Martins boy in 1987 but im nobody do as you wish

I always use a gang towel for condensation . I advocate it to everyone !

Enjoy these taxi ! One more to add : if you be using backpacking meal at dark when it ’ s chilly , while the meal cooks in the base , set it in your jacket so it keep you warm ! Too – if your feet live cold / you cost cold and don ’ t own hand warmers , boil water in your nalgene and invest it in your sleeping purse with you . Leave warm you right up !