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Hey all,
I was cruising around the forums and noticed that there’s lots of “gems” in every thread with little tips and “tricks” of the trade, so to speak. I thought it would be fun to start a thread to compile some of these tips and tricks.
There’s some things that everyone who reads here should already know, like keep your feet dry, always bring rain gear, keep your head warm in the winter, etc. Let’s try to focus on more of the “unconventional” tips and tricks that not everyone knows.
To get it started off, I’ll throw in a few I’ve learned.
Cold Weather Tricks
1. If it drops below freezing overnight while camping, bury your water bottle (up to the lid) in snow or the ground. It won’t freeze.
2. A single tea candle inside a relatively closed winter shelter can provide a surprising amount of heat.
3. Gaitors are highly underrated. You can buy military surplus pairs for a few dollars and with a water proofing spray will keep snow and wetness out of your boots.
Hot Weather Tricks
1. To stay cool on a hot day, soak a thin cotton bandana in cool water and wear on your head (under your regular hat if you want), as the water evaporates it’ll keep your head (and the vast amount of blood flowing through it) cool.
2. If it’s really hot, wear a thin cotton undershirt. As you sweat, it’ll absorb it and will have the same effect as the bandana for keeping your core body temp in check.
3. Soak your canteen cover in cold water. As it evaporates it’ll cool the water in your canteen.
4. To dry your boots faster, prop them upside down on sticks to dry overnight.
General tricks
1. Rat traps make for cheap, simple, yet effective small game traps. You can catch chipmunks, squirrels, rats (of course), and even small opossums. A good little food getter to add to the BOB.
2. 550 paracord has 7 strands inside. Take off the shell and you have ample line to make snares, fishing line, dental floss (a little tight I’ll admit), thread, whatever you want. I know a guy who likes paracord so much, he replaced all his shoelaces with it!
3. With so many uses, every kit should include contractor garbage bags—instant shelter, instant poncho, bear bag, sleeping bag liner when your bag is soaked, solar shower bag (just got this from a recent thread). With two contractor bags you can make an instant sleeping bag. Between the two bags, stuff leaves, grass clippings, or crumpled newspaper for insulation.
That’s all I can think of for now. Let’s hear yours!
I was cruising around the forums and noticed that there’s lots of “gems” in every thread with little tips and “tricks” of the trade, so to speak. I thought it would be fun to start a thread to compile some of these tips and tricks.
There’s some things that everyone who reads here should already know, like keep your feet dry, always bring rain gear, keep your head warm in the winter, etc. Let’s try to focus on more of the “unconventional” tips and tricks that not everyone knows.
To get it started off, I’ll throw in a few I’ve learned.
Cold Weather Tricks
1. If it drops below freezing overnight while camping, bury your water bottle (up to the lid) in snow or the ground. It won’t freeze.
2. A single tea candle inside a relatively closed winter shelter can provide a surprising amount of heat.
3. Gaitors are highly underrated. You can buy military surplus pairs for a few dollars and with a water proofing spray will keep snow and wetness out of your boots.
Hot Weather Tricks
1. To stay cool on a hot day, soak a thin cotton bandana in cool water and wear on your head (under your regular hat if you want), as the water evaporates it’ll keep your head (and the vast amount of blood flowing through it) cool.
2. If it’s really hot, wear a thin cotton undershirt. As you sweat, it’ll absorb it and will have the same effect as the bandana for keeping your core body temp in check.
3. Soak your canteen cover in cold water. As it evaporates it’ll cool the water in your canteen.
4. To dry your boots faster, prop them upside down on sticks to dry overnight.
General tricks
1. Rat traps make for cheap, simple, yet effective small game traps. You can catch chipmunks, squirrels, rats (of course), and even small opossums. A good little food getter to add to the BOB.
2. 550 paracord has 7 strands inside. Take off the shell and you have ample line to make snares, fishing line, dental floss (a little tight I’ll admit), thread, whatever you want. I know a guy who likes paracord so much, he replaced all his shoelaces with it!
3. With so many uses, every kit should include contractor garbage bags—instant shelter, instant poncho, bear bag, sleeping bag liner when your bag is soaked, solar shower bag (just got this from a recent thread). With two contractor bags you can make an instant sleeping bag. Between the two bags, stuff leaves, grass clippings, or crumpled newspaper for insulation.
That’s all I can think of for now. Let’s hear yours!
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