S.O.S.–The “Sharp Object Sheath”

[Jason Klass]

Here’s a cheap way to store tent stakes, trowels, sporks, and other things that pose a puncture threat to other gear in your pack: http://www.freewebs.com/jasonklass/sos.htm P.S. No, I don’t carry my trowel and Spork together. This is just to show how much will fit inside while maintaining a slim profile.

[Dale Wambaugh]

Well done! I love the fine art of Applied Junque. We need to save the landfill space for FEMA paperwork :)

I got some BMW Ti tent stakes and they were shipped in a Tyvek envelope. I was going to find something to carry them in when I realized that the small Tyvek shipping envelope was just fine– and thoroughly paid for.

On a similar vein, you can use scaps of Tyvek to wrap dirty or sharp stuff. Add a rubber band or string to contain it. You could make a tool roll sort of arrangement with a little glue. I keep a scrap in my pack to sit on too. Works good for a “doormat” for the tent so you can crawl in and keep your knees clean. Pull it inside and set your muddy boots on the bottom side up.

I once got a tent that had a plain chunk of light canvas for a stake “bag.” That square of canvas had uses all over the place and the Tyvek does much the same at lower weight.

[Jason Klass]

That’s a great idea. I have some mailing envelopes that I could cut up and make into an even smaller, lighter tent stake container.

[Wayne Packer]

I use a thin metal cigar tube for my Ti-stakes-very light and completely shields sharp tips.

[Dale Wambaugh]

Take a plain square of Tyvek and lay it on the diagonal– like a diamond. Put the stakes in the middle, tuck one end up and roll it up a like a burrito. Fold the top over and put a rubber band around it. The stakes won’t rattle and you can use the square of Tyvek in camp. An old shipping envelope cut and spread open will do the trick. Score two extra points for the recycling :)

FedEx/Kinko’s and USPS have free Tyvek envelopes if you can’t find a scrap.

Anybody have a good paper hat design that would transfer to Tyvek?

[Henrietta Foster]

Please forgive a question slightly off-topic, but I am curious about the trowel in the picture. Did you make this, Jason? If so would you mind telling me what you used for materials, and if not, where did you get it?

[paul johnson]

Montbell Trowel

[Bob Gabbart]

Here is a stake sack I made out of Tyvek. I used my Tarptent stake sack for the pattern.

Bob

[Jason Klass]

Henrietta-
Paul’s got the link to it above. It’s a great trowel though Bill Fornshell made an even better version out of titanium: http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/xdpy/forum_thread/2508/index.html

[Jason Klass]

Great idea Bob! I’m going to have to make one of those.

[Bob Gabbart]

Thanks Jason. I’m pretty happy with it.

Bob

[paul johnson]

Nice job. Thanks to BPL I’ve got some Tyvek envelopes laying around. Since my fingers now have trouble with sewing, it would take me many hours spanning a couple or few days to complete the tyvek stuff sack, I need to find another method of assembly. Taping? What about staples? I know that they will rust – at least the ones I have will. Any suggestions as an alternative to sewing?

[D G]

Alternative to sewing:

I think packing tape would work good for a simple project like a tent stake holder.

Dan

[Peter McDonough]

It is ridiculously easy to sew something like a stuff sack. You won’t believe it until you try it–straight lines are not necessary and will not affect the function. If you are really that adverse to sewing, I suggest heal sealing it, except that requires access to that sort of machine–which opens up a whole other barrel of problems. Go for the sewing, and I’m sure you’ll find how easy it is.

[paul johnson]

>>”ridiculously easy to sew”

Not with intermittent Parkinson’s like hand tremors.

[Author]

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