If you've come across a good idea, gadget, way of doing things, etc. while backpack hunting, please post it here.

Here's a gadget I don't know how I lived without! .........

Water is friggin' heavy! And water sources are plentyful where I go..... so I just hydrate as much as possible before starting out and carry only the the 2 liter water bladder I have in my Long Hunter pack. When this runs out, I go to filtered water (because can't stand those swimming pool tasting purification tabs and "Beaver Fever" is a possibility even in the cleanest looking mountain pond).

Now comes the "good idea" part........

I used to filter the water into containers I'd take down to the stream or pond. Bent over and trying to keep the intake tube from sucking a bunch of sentiment from the bottom.... often falling into the water source! A real PITA!

Then I saw this gizmo called the Sea to Summit Folding Bucket.



The 10 liter folding bucket (the size I recommend) weighs 2.8 oz. and folds into a nice compact pouch.

Now I grab a bucket full and carry it back to a nice comfy spot where I can sit down and leisurely filter the water into my containers.

I use the remaining unfiltered water for "whore baths" etc.

I only carry one water bottle (which threads directly to my Vario filter). I've shortened the intake tube to make it handier and lighter.

This system works great for me.

Nifty; too bad there's almost no water where I hunt. Not that it's a novelty, but one of my creature comfort on overnight backpack hunts is a ziploc bag with some diaper wipes in it. They're a far stretch from a shower, but you can take a pretty decent "whore bath" as you say.

This could be a good thread. I've found that traveling these days with the usual fire starting implements is a pain. For the last couple years I've been using a swedish fire steel along with cotton balls saturated with petroleum jelly. It's a lightweight, waterproof, easy to start system with a long burn time.

quote:

Originally posted by DesertRam:
Nifty; too bad there's almost no water where I hunt. Not that it's a novelty, but one of my creature comfort on overnight backpack hunts is a ziploc bag with some diaper wipes in it.

Unscented baby wipes are always a good thing to have with you.... even if you have ready access to water. Sometimes it's just too damn cold for a "whore" bath.

I like the Walgreens fragrance free Comfort-Smooth. They come in compact resealable 40 packs.

Definitely a good idea

If you have

pabucktail, I too like the Swedish steel.

I'd recommend getting a couple of the "super strikers" from Firsteel.com to go with your Swedish Steel. These throw way more sparks than the striker that the Swedish Steel comes with. Don't order the standard striker (it's no better than the striker you already have). Get the SUPER SCRAPER ($1.39 ea.).

While you're at Firesteel.com , I'd also recommend getting a couple of the magnesium tinder rod with lanyard holes ($3.99 ea.). The magnesium in these bars is very soft and easy to shave off. As you probably already know, magnesium flakes are very easy to light with a spark and burn very hot.

You could use these magnesium flakes in conjuction with your cotton ball or use the magnesium flakes by themselves to light natural tinder.

Notice I recommended to get the magnesium bar WITH A LANYARD HOLE? I use parachute chord to string the firesteel, striker, and magnesium rod all together and were it like dog tags or tied to something.

Here's a photo of the setup:

DaMan -

Are people allowed by aviation cargo laws to have magnesium in their luggage?

I ask, because magnesium like many of the earth metals on the periodic table (calcium, sodium) is flammable?

Sodium must be kept away from moisture and calcium metal away from air. Although, I might be confusing calcium metal's properties with phosphorous. It is a long time since I did first year university general chemistry for engineers.

Back on topic, magnesium will certainly burn. So will wafer thin wood shavings of the varoius pine trees due to the resin content. There is a product called "Fatwood" which is sold in hiking / camping shops which is an easily ignitable softwood kindling. Same idea etc.

I have found Or(t)lieb (spelling?) waterproof bags, sometimes referred to as canoe sacks, are good. Some of the larger sizes can be used as backpack liners or to put the packpack in - like a sack.

Another product which I have seen, which I like, is those vacuum bags for clothing. They significantly reduce the volume of clothing and keep them dry too. With airline restrictions and costs affecting what you can take as luggage, these are a simple and useful idea.

Another simple and useful product is the Packsafe backpacker wiremesh and padlock cable system which enables you to secure your backpack to a fixed point: hotel room radiator, part of railway carriage or anchor pont in your car.

The mesh 'sack' envelopes your backpack just like those string bags supermarkets sell oranges in. The mesh is made of some multi-strand / core stainless steel 'wire' (mine appear to be anyway).

Specifically for backpacking, rather than some useful general travelling stuff above, I have seen titanium cooking utensils. While a bit pricey, they certainly reduce the weight.

On the subject of water purification - you can use iodine rather than chlorine to treat water. Better still, pardon the pun, from the taste perspective, there is a product called Biox Aqua. It comes in plastic bottles like eye and ear drops. It kills bacteria and viruses including crytosporidium and giardia.

quote:

Originally posted by robthom:
DaMan -



On the subject of water purification - you can use iodine rather than chlorine to treat water. Better still, pardon the pun, from the taste perspective, there is a product called Biox Aqua. It comes in plastic bottles like eye and ear drops. It kills bacteria and viruses including crytosporidium and giardia.

How much iodine should be used to what amount of water for purification???

Originally posted by DaMan:
pabucktail, I too like the Swedish steel.

I'd recommend getting a couple of the "super strikers" from Firsteel.com to go with your Swedish Steel. These throw way more sparks than the striker that the Swedish Steel comes with. Don't order the standard striker (it's no better than the striker you already have). Get the SUPER SCRAPER ($1.39 ea.).

While you're at Firesteel.com , I'd also recommend getting a couple of the magnesium tinder rod with lanyard holes ($3.99 ea.). The magnesium in these bars is very soft and easy to shave off. As you probably already know, magnesium flakes are very easy to light with a spark and burn very hot.

You could use these magnesium flakes in conjuction with your cotton ball or use the magnesium flakes by themselves to light natural tinder.

Notice I recommended to get the magnesium bar WITH A LANYARD HOLE? I use parachute chord to string the firesteel, striker, and magnesium rod all together and wear it like dog tags or tied to something.

Here's a photo of the setup:

Caveat: I am not a medical doctor or a pharmacist. All I am reporting is information I have read in books written by the medically trained.

Reference = Auerbach, Dr. (Med.) Paul S.

Water disinfection, Page 387 quoting directly:

Add 8 to 10 drops (0.5 ml in each drop) of standard 2% iodine tincture per quart (litre) of water and allow it to stand for 15 minutes. Use a dropper for measurement. If the water temperature is not at least 68F (20 degrees C), this technique may not eliminate Giardia. If the water is cold, allow it to stand for one hour before drinking.

If you have extra time and do not like the iodine taste, use four to five drops of iodine and allow the water to stand 8 hours or overnight. Five drops of tincture of iodine disperses to approximately 4mg/litre.

NOTE --- 2g (0.07 ounces) of iodine represents a potentially lethl dose if ingested.

Reference = Wilkerson, Dr (Med) James A.

Water disinfection, Pages 61 - 62

Unlike Chlorine, iodine is fast, resists inactivation by organic compounds, is active over a wide pH range, and is available in stable preparations.

At 73 F (23 degrees C), even in moderately turbid water with moderate amounts of organic colour, an iodine concetration of 8mg/litre erdadicates bacteria, viruses, parasites and paracistic cysts other than cryptospiridia. A contact time of only ten minutes already includes a considerable margin of safety. An iodine concentration of 8mg/lite is needed only to destroy parasitic cysts. A concentration of 0.5 to 1.0 mg/litre eliminates other organisms. If filters are used to eliminate cryptosporidia and other parasites, only such small concentrations are needed.

CAUTION ---- Masking taste of Iodine disinfected water:

Because such procedures inactivate the iodine, they must not be used before enough time has elapsed for micro organisms to be destroyed. Artificial flavourings added to hide the taste usually contain ascorbic acid, which reacts with the iodine and impairs its anti microbial activity.

NOTE ----- Iodine toxicity

Iodine is only weakly poisonous. The lethal dose is 2 to 3g, but survival rates after ingestion of 10g has been reported. Between 1915 and 1936, no deaths wer reported among 327 patients who arrived alive at Boston City Hospital following attempted suicide with iodine.

Although there is very little wood where we hunt sheep, there are pockets of willow. Our moose hunting area is heavily timbered with lots of open areas. For emergency fire starting, should we need it, I carry a zip-lock bag containing strips of bicycle inner tube cut into strips about 1/2-3/4" wide and 3-4"long. I just carry strike anywhere matches in a waterproof match container in the same zip-lock bag. This is always kept in my packboard and the innertube strips will start a fire even with wet kindling. I get the inner tube free from a local outdoor store.
Bear in Fairbanks

quote:

Originally posted by Bear in Fairbanks:
Although there is very little wood where we hunt sheep, there are pockets of willow. Our moose hunting area is heavily timbered with lots of open areas. For emergency fire starting, should we need it, I carry a zip-lock bag containing strips of bicycle inner tube cut into strips about 1/2-3/4" wide and 3-4"long. I just carry strike anywhere matches in a waterproof match container in the same zip-lock bag. This is always kept in my packboard and the innertube strips will start a fire even with wet kindling. I get the inner tube free from a local outdoor store.
Bear in Fairbanks

Bear thanks for the tip on bike inner tubes I had never heard of that or thought of it. Have to give it a try when I get back home.

i hear alot about the inner tube idea, haven't ever tried it.

fritos corn chips. burn vigorously and light easy. i wouldn't rely on it in an emergency, just a little sidenote. while car camping once, my brotherinlaw and i tried every kind of chip we could think of. dense oily chips work well. even thin lays.

a small can of sterno is what i carry, it save my buddy and myself some grief and heartache in Colorado one year, it burns real slow.