Cheap Stuff that Works

[bradr3367]

Can confirm that this little shelter rocks. Got me through a few thunderstorms easy peezy. My only issue was the night I somehow kicked my sleeping pad out from underneath me…and out the back of the tent, in a storm. A log over that spot fixed that real quick. Btw, the pad was the green klymit and that thing was also a rockstar. View attachment 338226
View attachment 338227View attachment 338229

Do you get much condensation in it? I've been looking at that type of shelter

 

[Mike Islander]

Another option I've liked even better than the bics are clicker brand lighters, because they run on butane and are refillable. They sell them at head shops.

Bics are butane lighters, and refillable. And they are sold everywhere. The laminated/decorative versions can be stripped of their plastic film and are then white transparent plastic, so you can see how much butane is left.

 

[mfllood3800]

Not sure if this has been mentioned but I just got a milkshake from Steak n’ Shake and they gave me this long spoon. I could have used this last week.

yep, or a knife to cut the meal bag down lower so a regular spoon works.

 

[Mike Islander]

Merino sweaters at Salvation Army or Goodwill for under $10. Works great for layering. And if you accidentally wash them in hot water you aren't out a lot of money.

Remember, you can restore wool sweaters after they shrink. Cheap Stuff that Works.

Step One: Soak Sweater​

Fill a sink with lukewarm water, and add about 1/3 cup of hair conditioner. Your sweater will have the aroma of the conditioner after (until you get it professionaly cleaned), so make sure you like the scent before adding it to the water.
Submerge the sweater in the water/conditioner solution completely, and let it soak for about 10 minutes. Then, let the water go down the drain but leave the sweater in the sink. Press out the water. Be sure not to wring it out, as that could cause the garment to become misshapen.

Step Two: Stretch It​

Place the sweater on a towel and smooth it out. Roll up the sweater in the towel to remove more moisture. It should be damp at this point. Unroll the sweater and lay it flat on the towel once again. Begin to stretch the garment back to its original shape. Don't stretch too much, but make sure you're pulling the fibers enough so that the sweater appears larger.

Step Three: Air Dry​

Once you feel your sweater is reshaped close to its original size, lay it flat once again and let it air dry completely. After that, you should have a sweater that fits.

 

[carsonkeys]

Do you get much condensation in it? I've been looking at that type of shelter

I did when I forgot to open the vent, but nothing out of the ordinary. After that first night, I left the vent in the back open and zipped open a ~four inch section in the top of the door and was really impressed with how dry it was in the mornings.

 

[rdp123]

Bics are butane lighters, and refillable. And they are sold everywhere. The laminated/decorative versions can be stripped of their plastic film and are then white transparent plastic, so you can see how much butane is left.

Ha, had no idea! I thought they were intended as disposable. The brand I meant. before, by the way, is Clipper, not clicker.

 

[Mike Islander]

Ha, had no idea! I thought they were intended as disposable. The brand I meant. before, by the way, is Clipper, not clicker.

They are disposable. Refilling is a hack.

 

[twall13]

Not sure if this has been mentioned but I just got a milkshake from Steak n’ Shake and they gave me this long spoon. I could have used this last week for the backcountry dehydrated meals.

Be careful with these. I've used them in the past and thought they were great till they became brittle and snapped in my pack leaving me with a small broken end to eat from. One of those things that worked great, until it didn't.

Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk

 

[ncina]

Do you get much condensation in it? I've been looking at that type of shelter

I had a decent amount of condensation actually in around 40 degree weather, but, it does let you pitch it a little higher so the edges are off the ground a few inches to allow more airflow.

 

[cbeck36]

I tried the dollar store table cloths. Light, big and really cheap.

 

[moawyahr]

they do have everytihing cheap but guess what they are going more than a dollar store. Dollar Tree announced they will have 2 3 dollars sections in thier shelves.

 

[Steves29]

These:

Amazon.com

I've tested them head to head with motorola XPR 3500's and they were %95 as effective on range. Obviously not waterproof but super light and better battery life than the Motorola's too

 

[jwpete21]

Oh this is a good one. Takes me back to my meat lab days, +1 if you get the flesher as well

I cut Meat at Texas Roadhouse and can confirm this is a good knife that many other cutters use. I myself run Mercers and am extremely pleased.

 

[Glassing Ghosts]

Tyvek ground cloth made from repurposed USPS envelopes.

 

[Rock-o]

Tyvek ground cloth made from repurposed USPS envelopes.

USPS lol. It'd never get delivered to me to repurpose.

 

[sodak]

Has anyone tried a drywall saw as a backpacking meat saw?

 

[ChrisInAK]

Has anyone tried a drywall saw as a backpacking meat saw?

This kind of made me laugh.

Today I tried using a pruning saw that I’ve used as a bone saw before to try to cut drywall. Not working so well.

 

[Titan_Bow]

Has anyone tried a drywall saw as a backpacking meat saw?

What specifically are you wanting to cut in the backcountry with a saw? I’ve packed out a bunch of deer and a few elk and never had a reason to saw meat or bone, just take stuff apart at the joints.


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[KineKilla]

My Outdoor Edge knife came with a small bone saw. I use it to remove a section of pelvic bone to make cleaning the "waste channel" out easier and cleaner.

Only when bringing rhe animal out whole of course.

I would wager that a drywall saw would work fairly well actually. It's just bigger than I want to carry. Unless it were a folding drywall saw then you might get my interest.

Sent from my SM-N976U using Tapatalk

 

[Stumpy208]

This was a great thread to look through. Found a whole bunch of great ideas.
Here's one for a DIY ranger band.
You cut up an old bicycle inner tube with scissors and you can make the bands as thin or thick as you want. They're pretty durable. I got a bunch of chew tins held shut with them that have my fat wood, matches, and other miscellaneous things in them.