Super-Awesome TIP OF THE DAY!!! (warning, thread may be too awesome for some viewers)

[Adan Lopez]

Share your random, super-awesome, backpacking, but not weight-related……

…..TIIPPP-OOOOFFF-THEEEE-DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!!!

I like learning new things, or rediscovering old tricks that I'd forgotten about. I think the gear stats and gram counting is pretty well covered in these forums, and for good reason. But that does not begin to tap into the vast knowledge that people have in this community. Sure, people are sharing all kinds of good stuff, but it's often buried in so much gear talk that it gets lost in the shuffle.

How about a fun "tips and tricks" thread, devoted solely to the simple pleasure of sharing a single skill or trick that others might find useful? All aspects of backcountry hiking, camping, and survival are fair game, but let's skip the weight-savings stuff since that is so heavily covered already. If this takes off, it would be fun to see what kinds of creative, obscure, and just generally awesome bits of outdoorsy knowledge one might pick up this way!! Let's not even bother arguing about the merits of this or that tip, instead post a tip of your own if you know a better way!

Rules:
-One tip per person per day
-Nothing weight-related
-No arguing! Let the OP know if you like their tip, otherwise ignore it. It's just for fun.
-Extra points for tips that even the experts often overlook

I'll start with 3 (I know, I'm a pumpkin-eater) off the top of my head just to get the juices flowing…

TOD #1 When hiking cross-country, and circling back to your vehicle/camp, it's often a good idea to purposely aim too far to one side so that you know which way to turn when you arrive back on the trail or road. In other words, if your car is down on that road below, but it's hard to tell exactly where, then aim for the road but aim farther to the left than the area where your car is. Once you get to the road, you will know without a doubt to turn right, saving valuable time. This can be applied when using roads, trails, canyons, ridges, rivers, power lines, or any other linear navigation feature.

TOD #2 When hiking in hot weather, especially with children, consider packing an umbrella. Children especially have trouble with heat, and an umbrella has saved our family hikes more than once!

TOD #3 When boiling meals, it's sometimes possible to use less water for the "cooking" part, and then add the remaining water later. Boiling less water saves fuel and time, and then adding cool water afterwards brings it to edible temperature sooner as well, so you are eating sooner. This has helped me when I was running very low on fuel, for example. Also, adding cool water to my ramen at the end, meant I didnt have to wait for my soup to cool which got me out of the skeeters faster.

Okay, now your turn.

TOD #4…

[David Ure]

Well, first of all, you could combine Super-Awesome into one word: Swasome and save some letter weight.

I will think of others.

;)

[Ian]

Swasome tip of the day #5: Leave a couple gallons of water, a clean change of clothes, deodorant, and clean baseball hat in your vehicle so you have the means to make yourself presentable and slightly less road-kill smelling for your post hike burger and beer.

[Andy F]

To dry wet garments quickly, slap them against your gaiter, leg, rock, or a tree. When you're done, they'll be only damp. This works especially well with wool and fleece gloves and hats.

[Jerry Adams]

many variants to tip #1

for example, you get to junction and you're not sure which way to go, sometimes you can go the least likely way a short distance to be sure it's the wrong way.

or, don't choose the most likely direction, choose the direction that you know will quickly become apparent that it's the wrong way

[Peter S]

When preparing for a trip, put all the chocolate you think you will need in a pile. Some days later when it's getting close to packing your bag finally, add about 50% more chocolate to the pile.

I've never had too much chocolate on a hike!

[Dale Wambaugh]

I put all my essentials in a one liter silnylon ditty bag so I can transfer them from day pack to multi-day pack without losing or forgetting items. I do the same with my latrine/hygiene kit. Both kits represent the largest number of items on my gear list.

[Justin Baker]

Pour a little hot water to thaw your frozen shoes and/or laces (thank you peter).

[BlackHatGuy]

For east coasters – if you pretty sure you're still on the right trail but aren't seeing blazes, look behind you as you move forward. You're as likely to see a blaze going the other way (signifying that you are, indeed, on the right trail) as you are seeing one ahead of you when blazes are spread far apart.

[Owen McMurrey]

Leave your ego at the trailhead.
Don't “tough it out”. Stop and address any discomfort NOW. Retie that shoe, tape that hotspot, cut off that callous, reposition that packed item, reapply that sunscreen or bug repellent, etc.
Ten miles later, you'll be glad you did…or suffering unnecessarily because you didn't.

[David Thomas]

FAR more important in a cave, but if the route is confusing or the trail junctions frequent, make a point of looking backwards, occasionally on an out&back trip. Visualize yourself approaching that junction as you look back at it and taking the correct turn.

Also, when in a group, stop and wait at ALL trail junctions. This is the single biggest technique for not losing part of your group. It also keeps the stronger hikers aware of how the back-of-the-packers are doing. Because if someone needs some first aid, snack, water, or to shift load to someone else, the more capable people are the most able to help them out.

[Paul Wagner]

Because I hike faster than my hiking partner/wife, I often get the opportunity to look back. Not only do I see more…but I also have a clearer idea on how to get home again.

Along similar lines, when moving cross country, use odd looking trees or rock formations to guide you, instead of cairns. Hike fifty feet past them and make sure you know what they look like from the other side….

Leave cairn building to modern sculptors.

[Jerry Adams]

yeah

I always go forth enthusiastically. I forget I'm going to have to turn around and come back. Everything looks totally different going the other direction.

I need to have a little fear. That I won't be able to find my way back. Looking at big features like valleys or ridges is good.

[Anonymous]

"Swasome tip of the day #5: "

If your trail head is near a stream, bring a plastic net shopping bag, like they use in Europe, with a couple of beers, and tie it off in the stream in a concealed area. That way you'll have an icy cold one waiting for you when you come off the trail. A beer never tasted better than when you're dusty, stinking like day old road kill, and you throat feels like rawhide. Then, and only then, proceed to swawsome tip of the day #5. ;0)

[Ken Thompson]

I always have a cooler with ice, 5 gallons of water and a host of other items plus clothes back at the van. It is usually an hour or so to the first place for a cold or hot anything. Might as well be comfortable.

[Jerry Adams]

You drink 5 gallons of water in an hour???

Wow!!!

[Travis B.]

Hmmm, my tip is similar to Ken's sans the water. I always have a cooler full of ice and cold beer for when the hike's over. As soon as you experience the refreshing joy you'll never forget that cooler or those beer again.

[Kattt]

Great idea and great tips here.

First one that comes to mind is one I earned from hiking with my grandfather. Don't rest mid hill, go as slow as you have to but keep moving. Breaks are taking it easy on the downhill and straight. Slow down, drink, recover as the trail gets easy. Basically no brealks unless you really have to.

Second one I forgot where I read it.
Eat your water. Take small sips, coat the water with saliva.

Third one, always carry a bandana; in hot weather get the bandana wet and wrap it around your neck.

[Jim Colten]

I'm with Kat's grandpa.

If the urge to pause on a hill get's too strong I look ahead for a "better" spot to stop (in the shade or flatter spot to stand or …) and then talk myself out of stopping before I get there. Also, don't stop at the top … continue as slowly … you'll be amazed at how quickly your pace recovers.

[M B]

"I always have a cooler with ice…"

Wondering how well that works out on multi day hikes myself

I like to do research ahead of time and know where the pizza is for when I'm done. Too many POI not in my GPS.

[Ken Thompson]

A quality cooler with a ten pound block lasts a week in my car. The block is key to long ice life

[Jane Baack]

Use the bags that daily newspapers come in (delivery to your home) as small/med. stuff sacks. Ours come in different colors. NYTimes and S.F. Chronicle Sunday papers arrive in bags larger than the M-SAT. ones. Mine are sturdy and don't break. I use a red one for First Aid/Meds. essentials-can cut them down easily if too long. I use orange ones for stove, Esbit, matches/Bics and other cooking items. Pink/Lavender bags are used for undies and socks.

The colored newsp. bags really help when my husband and I pack a lot of items in our packs for the younger grandchildren. All blue bags belong to one child, yellow for another. Easy to pull out their items from our packs without going through everything in the pack.

[Nick Smolinske]

On another cooler-related note, bringing an extra sleeping bag to cover your cooler with during the hike will significantly increase the ice holding time, as well as a piece of closed cell foam underneath it.

This is really useful when driving around on road trips, because you don't need your foam pad and sleeping bag during the day, so you can use it for the cooler. Multiple-use gear!

[Nick Gatel]

To keep your chocolate from melting in your pack during the day, wrap your down insulation around it.

[D M]

For those who use Dirty Girl gaiters, use a small split ring to hook the gaiter to instead of the shoelace. It makes it easier to remove the hook and the shoelace lasts longer

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