Multi-Functional Gear

[Yobrevol]

I am always looking for gear that can do more than one thing in order to lighten my pack. I will post a couple of ideas I use to get the discussion started.

What pieces of gear do you save weight by letting them do double or triple duty?

Bug head net as a storage sack for extra clothing.
Trekking pole as tarp pole. Trekking pole as decoy stand.
Leuko tape is all purpose first aid, blister prevention, and gear repair.
Baking soda for all around hygiene. Works as scent killer, toothpaste, and dry shampoo.

 

[Chape1rm]

I like to jam my puffy into a pull out for a pillow. Also dehydrated wet wipes for cleaning face, hands, gear and bathroom duty.

 

[Yobrevol]

I like to jam my puffy into a pull out for a pillow. Also dehydrated wet wipes for cleaning face, hands, gear and bathroom duty.

Those are awesome. I dry out the wet wipes when I have enough forethought. Otherwise, I just carry them anyways.

 

[Ferrulewax]

If it’s not supposed to rain much I use a camo poncho for shelter/raingear/blind

Puffy/spare clothes for pullow in a stuff sack

Rechargeable power bank for my flashlight, headlamp, and phone. No more taking a bank, cables, and 1-2 sizes of batteries.

If I’m not planning on moving much or hiking in far I can understand bringing a cup- but 8/10 times I have one pot and just rehydrate food in plastic bags. I’m not a coffee drinker, but there’s no need for a separate cup for beverages in addition to your cook pot.

Bivy as a ground cloth. No reason to have both. If it gets a hole just repair it.

 

[jbs29]

Anybody have luck with a poncho as groundsheet? Seems like an easy repurposing

 

[gustafsj]

1. Trekking poles serves as tent poles
2. Puffy jacket, pants and socks inside sleeping quilt inside bivy that serves as ground cloth and protects sleeping pad and keeps out drafts.
3. 900ml pot serves as mug, bowl and method of fillling dirty water bag if needing to pre-filter. Just be sure to bring water to boil in pot before eating/drinking out of.
4. Phone for gps, podcasts, camera, backup flashlight, journal, link with garmin inreach mini.
5. Spare tent stake serves as trowel or UL trowel serves as spare tent stake.
6. 1/2 length closed cell z-rest foam pad serves as sit pad, backup pad for sleep system, something to stand on when changing clothes, nap time, etc.
7. Dental floss as sewing thread
8. Exped Schnozzel pumpbag UL for inflating mattress serves as pack liner
9. Smart water bottle with sports cap serves as backcountry bidet and pee bottle for those cold or rainy nights where leaving the warmth of the shelter is undesirable. Nice alternative to TP and wet wipes
10. Bandana: Towel, water pre-filter, pot cleaner, wipe condensation off tent, get wet and use to cool off
11. Merino neck gaiter: neck scarf, face mask, backup beanie, plus backup for bandana for some of its purposes if it gets too nasty.
12. Dr Bronners soap: hand soap, dish soap , face soap, washing feet and nether regions, have used for toothpaste
13. Use toothpaste tablets or dehydrate your toothpaste and put in the small pill size ziplocks.
14. Use toothbrush for cleaning fingernails after bidet session. Just kidding!!! Use scent free hand sanitizer as I can’t stand the smelll of them. Can also be used for sanitizing tweezers or scissors/knife if using for medical.
15. I sometimes use two quilts layered instead of one thicker quilt. Top quilt is EE Apex quilt and is utilized like a woobie this no need for puffy pants and bring a lighter puffy jacket.
16. Swiss Army classic: UL and serves as Scissors, tweezers, toothpick and knife. This along with my Tyto knife and replacement blades is all I need unless I am processing wood for the stove.
17. Silky pocketboy 130 for processing wood, processing animal and cutting poles for shelter if I want my trekking poles away from camp.
18. Reuse ziplock bags from food for trash bags instead of bringing trash bags.
19. Not multipurpose, but I love the little pill ziplocks from Walgreens. I’m Wilderness First Aid certified for Scouts, so feel responsible to carry a more extensive first aid kit (still simplified down pretty good). All the pills are in the pill size ziplocks and labeled. Andrew Skurka has a great tutorial on a group first aid kit on his website.
20. Your brain. Knowledge is power, As I tell our scouts, being prepared doesn’t just mean bring everything you think you might need as many interpret it. Do your research and practice in your back yard. Don’t bring along everything and the kitchen sink for the just in case scenarios. How often when you forgot to bring something did you figure out an alternative or just got by without it? If you were to lose something along the way, how could you get by without it? Make a detailed weighed item list and evaluate it at the end of each trip to determine what you didn’t use and could get by without on the next trip.

Okay that got a lot longer than I planned, sorry…


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[Yobrevol]

Those are awesome Gustafsj!!

 

[danswanky911]

1. Trekking poles serves as tent poles
2. Puffy jacket, pants and socks inside sleeping quilt inside bivy that serves as ground cloth and protects sleeping pad and keeps out drafts.
3. 900ml pot serves as mug, bowl and method of fillling dirty water bag if needing to pre-filter. Just be sure to bring water to boil in pot before eating/drinking out of.
4. Phone for gps, podcasts, camera, backup flashlight, journal, link with garmin inreach mini.
5. Spare tent stake serves as trowel or UL trowel serves as spare tent stake.
6. 1/2 length closed cell z-rest foam pad serves as sit pad, backup pad for sleep system, something to stand on when changing clothes, nap time, etc.
7. Dental floss as sewing thread
8. Exped Schnozzel pumpbag UL for inflating mattress serves as pack liner
9. Smart water bottle with sports cap serves as backcountry bidet and pee bottle for those cold or rainy nights where leaving the warmth of the shelter is undesirable. Nice alternative to TP and wet wipes
10. Bandana: Towel, water pre-filter, pot cleaner, wipe condensation off tent, get wet and use to cool off
11. Merino neck gaiter: neck scarf, face mask, backup beanie, plus backup for bandana for some of its purposes if it gets too nasty.
12. Dr Bronners soap: hand soap, dish soap , face soap, washing feet and nether regions, have used for toothpaste
13. Use toothpaste tablets or dehydrate your toothpaste and put in the small pill size ziplocks.
14. Use toothbrush for cleaning fingernails after bidet session. Just kidding!!! Use scent free hand sanitizer as I can’t stand the smelll of them. Can also be used for sanitizing tweezers or scissors/knife if using for medical.
15. I sometimes use two quilts layered instead of one thicker quilt. Top quilt is EE Apex quilt and is utilized like a woobie this no need for puffy pants and bring a lighter puffy jacket.
16. Swiss Army classic: UL and serves as Scissors, tweezers, toothpick and knife. This along with my Tyto knife and replacement blades is all I need unless I am processing wood for the stove.
17. Silky pocketboy 130 for processing wood, processing animal and cutting poles for shelter if I want my trekking poles away from camp.
18. Reuse ziplock bags from food for trash bags instead of bringing trash bags.
19. Not multipurpose, but I love the little pill ziplocks from Walgreens. I’m Wilderness First Aid certified for Scouts, so feel responsible to carry a more extensive first aid kit (still simplified down pretty good). All the pills are in the pill size ziplocks and labeled. Andrew Skurka has a great tutorial on a group first aid kit on his website.
20. Your brain. Knowledge is power, As I tell our scouts, being prepared doesn’t just mean bring everything you think you might need as many interpret it. Do your research and practice in your back yard. Don’t bring along everything and the kitchen sink for the just in case scenarios. How often when you forgot to bring something did you figure out an alternative or just got by without it? If you were to lose something along the way, how could you get by without it? Make a detailed weighed item list and evaluate it at the end of each trip to determine what you didn’t use and could get by without on the next trip.

Okay that got a lot longer than I planned, sorry…


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

This fella counts his grams!