Zero Cost Backpacking

" What happened to you guys?" We went camping.
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Bleach works extremely well at purifying water -- chlorine can kill anything. Halazone is the same stuff in tablet form but a bottle cost a couple bucks (then); I scrounged an eyedropper bottle and got an ounce of bleach from my mother. Bleach works just as well as Halazone and possibly tastes slightly less bad.

One time I didn't screw the top on tight and a little bit of bleach leaked out and it ate a hole in my pack. I patched it, of course.

Possibly the best way to purify water is to chlorinate it first, then use an activated carbon filter to get rid of the chlorine taste. You can get a water bottle with a built-in activated carbon filter, and it's also useful anywhere the tap water is chlorinated or doesn't taste so great for any reason.
 
It is posts like this that reminds me that not everyone grew up the way Cougar, or I, or many others did. To me his post seems like just every day being a kid, but I know in my head that is not the case. I just forget in my heart.
 
Cougar Allen said:
Shelter
The ultralight approach is to buy the cheapest plastic shower curtain liner you can find (because the cheapest is the thinnest). You don't need grommets. Wrap the plastic around a smooth rock and tie it off with cord.
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*Smacks forehead* So Obvious! Why didn't I think of that?
 
Thx Cougar for the trip down memory lane. I do remember my 1st winter camping trip - slept in a hammock on a night cold enough to hear the tall Maples cracking with the with. I shivered most of the night and hiked 2 miles home - just in time for morning chores.... but i did warm up slogging through the snow in my frozen blue jeans!

We didn't even call it "backpacking" back then - it was just camping. Why do folks always need to come up with some ridiculous "exTreme" sorta name for stuff? Backpacking, trekking, hiking, speed-hiking, etc etc ad nauseum.
 
I still use my Dads wool Army blanket from the Korean war...I used it in the Boy Scouts and still use it hiking and camping. It's very warm.
 
No offense but bragging about how cheap you can go is just as silly as bragging how expensive you can go. My gear isn't all that expensive but it's a damn sight more comfortable than cheap ass gear. Have fun roughing it. :confused:
 
This is pretty much the types of things I used when first playing in the woods. No fancy clothes, boots or packs. No dehydrated food, fancy water filters or hydration bladders either. The most expensive item I did have was the Buck 110 that my dad gave me. My friends and I were not poor, but not rich by any means either. All of our gear came from second hand stores, surplus stores and whatever we could raid from our parents garages. Still some of the best memories I have too! I don't mind going cheap at all. (Except my knife :D)
 
fmajor007 said:
Thx Cougar for the trip down memory lane. I do remember my 1st winter camping trip - slept in a hammock on a night cold enough to hear the tall Maples cracking with the with. I shivered most of the night and hiked 2 miles home - just in time for morning chores.... but i did warm up slogging through the snow in my frozen blue jeans!

We didn't even call it "backpacking" back then - it was just camping. Why do folks always need to come up with some ridiculous "exTreme" sorta name for stuff? Backpacking, trekking, hiking, speed-hiking, etc etc ad nauseum.
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On one hand, I agree with you. However, there is a need to distinguish yourself from people who "camp" with an SUV and a cooler. I tell people I camp, they're thinking about bringing cases of beer. I tell them if any alcohol, make the proof sky-high- just to save weight of course ;). They don't get it.

Zero
 
While I find a lot of merit in the original post I do believe that at least in the places I go I would not be comfortable with cotton sleeping bags and no mat... I alway try to stay as far from a survival type situation as I can... While it's goof to have the skill I think your suggestion to try it like tis might not be the best idea for everybody if I saw someone out where I go with a cotton plaid sleeping bag I would keep an eye on them to make sure they were ok... Later that night... When I go backpacking I like to start out at a proficient level of gear... Sure a few miles out near your car...maybe but you wouldn't catch me 30 miles deep with that kind of gear, ever since the scouts being prepared has been an issue with me and I wouldn't feel adequately prepared.
 
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