Multi-Use Gear

[Hoyts n Mulies]

I think it would be nice to have a thread about gear tips. I always enjoy getting new ideas.

Most of probably already heard of these but I'll start it.

1.) On cold nights I'll heat up some water an fill up my nalgene, stuff it in my sleeping bag and it will stay warm almost all night. Drastically increases the temp of my sleeping bag.

2.) I make a snake braid out of 50' of paracord and attach it as a leash to my Buck Paklight fixed blad knife. It helps my find and use my knife and gives me 50' of cord if I need it.

3.) I always have duct tape wrapped around a bottle of Jungle Juice.

 

[Lawnboi]

A couple items that always get multiple uses for me

- thermarest zlite: Functions as a sleeping pad for us guys that can handle it, its a seat, keeps my butt dry, and comfortable when eating, glassing ect... Works good as an umbrella. And now the best part is they finally make it in a hunter friendly color.

-MSR drom bags.... I have a 6l, and a 2l lite. These things are very versitile. Like stated above you can fill them up with boiling water and use them as a pillow, or to keep your feet war. They work good for an around camp water supply, and fold up into nothing when empty. Add a hose kit and you have one bulletproof water bladder. You can get 1 big one, hike all day with your desired amount of water, and at the end of the day fill it up to have water for dinner, breakfast, to keep your toes warm, and still not have to get water in the morning. One of my favorite pieces of gear. Iv had all other kinds leak on me, platy, source, camelbak. But the codura construction of the MSR bladders has yet to fail me.

 

[Aron Snyder]

Great thread brother!

When it's cold as hell or I have gotten the shivers real bad, I will boil up my water for the mountain house meal and stick that inside my sleeping bag to get it warmed up....sometimes I'm in it and sometimes I'm not, but I love getting into a bag that's already warmed up!

I have IT band issues, so I actually use my nalgene bottle to roll my quads and calves on at night to get the muscle knots out...works better with boiling hot water inside.

A couple Zip Ties and duct tape can fix just about anything, so I pack those at all times.

Like Lawnboi said, the MSR bladders are top notch and I can make a pretty good field shower with the 4 or 6 liter when I'm backpacking.

This is the kind of info that Rokslide was designed for....great stuff!

 

[Backpack Hunter]

Duct tape has about a billion uses.
I use a piece of tin foil for everything from a wind screen for my stove, to picking up hot pots, to decreasing the heating time of a mountain house meal.
Have you guys seen the Big Agnes Easy Chair Kits? You can do the same thing with your coat and two straps. I'm going to try to do it with para cord soon. Your backpack makes a good seat too.
During the winter hot hands in your boots to begin the morning are fantastic, take them out when you put them on and use them for whatever else.

 

[Matt Cashell]

Trekking poles have many uses past their intended ones:

Shelter poles, emergency splints, stretcher, binocular rest, rifle rest, marmot defense, etc.

 

[larryschwartz]

This isn't a gear tip, per se, but all this talk about staying warm in your sleeping bag brought it to mind. I learned back in the Boy Scouts that a good way to stay warmer is to 1) take a good whiz before you go to sleep and 2) eat something that metabolizes easily and a small drink of water. The snack and small drink gives your body something to turn into energy during the night and emptying your bladder keeps you from having to keep that pint of water at 98.6* all night.

 

[Rabbit Ranger]

Small tip...you can add a few strips of Silicone to a sleeping pad for grip if you often find yourself sleeping on an incline and sliding all night. Adds minimal weight if you use it sparingly.

 

[ohhiitznik]

If any of you will brave it, dunking your lower half into a mountain creek does wonders for muscle recovery. Some of you may or may not be camping next to those ice cold streams, its like taking an ice bath and will make your legs feel great the next morning.

Duct tape, trekking poles, the list goes on and on. Everything you pack you should go over it and think if you can get a second use out of it. You can really lighten the load on your back if you can use things for different situations.

I'll list the 3mm Contractor garbage bag. This thing has so many uses its ridiculous. From keeping your elk meat cold in a creek as a cooler, to keeping your butt dry if you want to sit down on wet ground. You can also use it as an emergency blanket in a pinch. Raingear in a pinch. The bag will keep blood out of your pack. You can also modify it to be a raincover for your backpack. Use it as a windbreak with trekking poles (I actually did that). A deboning tarp for when you're working on that downed elk! You can even cut a piece off of the garbage bag to close a sucking chest wound. Yes it can be done. The list goes on and on, I'm sure you guys have other uses for the garbage bags. I carry 3 of them, yes its 12 oz's of just garbage bags but they have so many uses its worth it.

 

[Brandon Pattison]

I have a nalgene cup (much like a canteen cup) and made a bail wire for it. I used two keyrings to couple it from the cup to the wire. The nalgene slides into it with some force but it keeps it quiet. There is a HUGE lack of bail-wired cookware nowadays. If you ever read the Harding books from Fur Fish Game you will know what I am talking about (tinware). You can rely on way less fuel by heating your water for meals and drinks over the fire on a suspended stick. I too wrap duct tape around the upper portion of the nalgene to allow insertion into the cup. There is also a stainless nalgene available now too.

The website has an article on this topic too.

 

[Backpack Hunter]

Trekking poles have many uses past their intended ones:

Shelter poles, emergency splints, stretcher, binocular rest, rifle rest, marmot defense, etc.

LOL, can't believe I didn't think to put those in there. I use my trekking poles as tent poles all the time.