Seemingly perfect products for the trail and backpacking

[gdpolk]

What are some seemingly perfect products for the trail and backpacking? A few that come to mind to me are:

1. dryer lint for light, compressable, free firestarting material
2. P-38 can openers for a small, light, dependable can opener
3. paracord for all of your trailside rope needs
4. SnowPeak Trek 700 Ti mug - it's small, light, rugged, and dependable without introducing aluminum to your food
5. bandana's - too versatile and useful to list all the uses and cheap
6. headlamps - the ideal form of lighting when you need to use your hands
7. wool clothing - it just don't get any better for temp and moisture control on the trail
8. zip-lock bags - great for organizing pack and keeping things dry

 

[PayetteRucker]

British commando style sweaters-rib-knit wool with reinforced, low friction shoulders and forearms, with long fold-down cuffs. Makes pack straps easy on the shoulders, prevents wool from snagging in the event of a slip/fall/catch/climb, and you can fold the cuffs down if the wind is blowing and your hands get cold, but you can still utilize full dexterity of your fingers on-the-go.

Space saver cup-good for just about everything and takes up no volume.

I'll one-up your bandana for a shemagh-soak in water for built in AC, face filter in dusty/windy locations, sun blocker, macro water filter, trail pillow, neck insulation, on-the-fly hotpad for camp cooking, sweat catch, improvised first aid tool or trail towel...

Packs designed with large sidepockets-allows for concealed, easy access over-the-shoulder carry of large tools like axes and machetes, and also much nicer organization-cold weather gear in one pocket, food, camp cooking stuff, etc, observation/camera equipment or bushcraft tools in the other...

MOLLE-self explainable

border collie/aussie shepherd mutt

I agree with your headlamp!

high carbon tool steel!

stetson hat

altoids tins-great for organizing lots of different stuff-FAKs, fishing kits, PSK's, fire tins, sharpening kits, hygiene kits, stone tool collection...

 

[ThriftyJoe]

......

 

[fmajor007]

Exclusive of knives........?

It really depends on weather/climate/terrain. However, there are some things i take with me everywhere - everytime.

1) 120 liter, 3-mil plastic leaf/garden bags (usually 2x)
2) GSI "Fair Share" mug (it's heavy, but soooo worth it's weight)
3) water container of some type:
-------a: COLD WEATHER - 2x Nalgene Lexan 32oz bottle w/insulated sleeves OR
-------b: WARM WEATHER - 2-liter MSR Dromedary bag + 110oz Platypus-type water reservoir
4) LED headlamp - pick yer favorite - mines a Black Diamond Gemini (or for cold use the Black Diamond Spaceshot)
5) US Army closed-cell foam pad cut to 3/4 length - the OD one with the integral tie straps (there are none better anywhere by any manufacturer)
6) Lexan table spoon (2x)
7) My Suunto M3 compass (though i'd *love* to get a new Cammenga Lensatic!!!! Spendy and hefty, but the non-fluid damping is phenomenal)

OK, that's about all i can think of for now.....

 

[redsquid2]

MSR Zoid tent. Perfect lightweight shelter for two. Good ventilation when it's hot. Can be battened down in heavy weather. Very lightweight per sq. ft. of interior floor space. Two doors--one for each occupant. Vestibule over each door.

Discontinued item, but there are similar ones made by other manufacturers. I got this one cheap on ebay.

I'll second the ziplock bags. I always pack a few extra. They are transparent, so you see what's inside. If they are new, they are waterproof, until they start to leak Much better to have things organized in ziplocks, rather than lots of gear and food and clothing all jumbled together inside the backpack.

Ditto the headlamp. Mine is a LED unit. Awesome for shock resistance, energy efficiency, and longevity of the bulbs.

Photon X-treme light as a backup light. Bought mine about 3 years ago. I believe this product has been replaced by the X-light Mini.

Ditto the Tyvek.

Ditto the paracord. I use whatever lightweight, flexible nylon cord I can find at camping stores, climbing stores, or hardware stores.

Ditto the wool clothing. I've got wool boxer briefs, wool t-shirt and wool zip turtleneck. I've tried several brands of polyester clothing that supposedly resist body odor, but they all retain body odor much worse than wool.

Ditto bandanas. Bright-colored ones if it's hunting season.

My trail knife is a Buck Vantage Small: It has a 2 1/2" blade, and it weighs only 2.3 oz.

My trowel is the GSI Cat Hole. It has serrations on the edges, which cut through rootlets more efficiently than a smooth edge. It is made from recycled Lexan, which is very tough.

My stove is a Snow Peak Giga. Alternatively, if the weather is not too cold, I can use my homemade Esbit stove, pictured below. It is a lot lighter than the Snow Peak Giga. A word of caution about making your own Esbit stove. Carefully test any soda-can designs before taking them into the field. Soda can aluminium is very thin, and it will go soft with intense heat, so your stove design has to be just right.

It has been a couple years since I carried any canned items on the trail. They've got tuna and salmon in foil pouches now. Maybe chicken too. So I don't carry a P-38 anymore.

 

[NevadaExplorer]

Tyvek I have some on order to use as my vestibule ground cover doormat. could also be used as a home made tarp. light weight and tough and cheap.