The routines and tricks that can make hiking more enjoyable

[gunwharfman]

I have a flexible very lightweight camping bowl. When I arrive on site in the evening, that's the time I like to get organised for the following days hike. I fill my bowl with hot water (if available) and splash some shampoo in it (I use shampoo in a multi purpose way) then throw in my used clothing (baselayer, underwear and socks mostly) and proceed, in bare feet, to tread up and down in the water, just like I was treading grapes in a wine vat. This simple routine works well. Once done I then find fresh water to rinse the shampoo out and the following day the items will be pegged to my rucksack to dry.

I also use a Thermarest NeoAir mattress and when I awake my first job is to unscrew the air valve so that my body weight gets rid of most air inside it. In order to roll the NeoAir into a small unit all of the air has to be expelled first. I used to do the whole process outside my tent from the beginning, but the air coming out can be very noisy, so its my way of not disturbing other campers who are still sleeping.

When I arrive on site another thing I look for is where to charge my external phone battery. I always look to the caravan electricity points first, if there is a vacant one I just plug in and hopefully am able to hide the battery in the tuft of grass that is usually around the base of the area. If its a multi use point in a cabinet type box I just plug it in and discreetly try to put it out of sight inside the cabinet. So far I haven't had anything stolen.

For me, little things like this can make all the difference!

[ninthace]

3 from my routine:


Tying my boots with a double slip knot rather than a double bow. Never comes undone until you want it to and can be undone with a simple pull on the ends. Ideal when you get to the end of a trip and your hands are cold or your laces are covered in the remains of the bogs you have been through.  https://www.fieggen.com/shoelace/secureknot.htm


Locking my car and then saying out loud what I have done with keys.  Saves me backtracking 5 mins into the hike to find out if I remembered to lock the car.


Checking that the gps has the right route on it and that the whole route is there BEFORE i leave home.

[Dovegirl]

Plotting my route on Viewranger beforehand if it's an area I'm not familiar with
Looking at local authority websites for footpath closures
Looking up train/bus times and finding the location of bus stops beforehand

[richardh1905]

For camping, both family 'boot of the car' camping and wild camping, a checklist! I have different spreadsheet lists for different styles of camping.


PS - I once drove up from N.Wales to Wasdale Head with my wife, only to find that I had forgotten the sleeping bags! I have still not heard the last of this.

[Owen]

Don't do established "ways" or long distance paths and hardly ever camp on campsites. I like making up my own routes and so called wild camping. Once I've found somewhere to camp for the night, first thing is tent up and get water. That way if the weather turns wet I have my bolthole ready and don't need to go out into the weather again.


I only get out what I need for the night everything else stay in or goes back into the rucksack, makes packing up in the morning so much simpler. The tent goes on the side of the rucksack and the waterproofs and lunch snacks are the last things to go in the pack.


I pack an evening meal, breakfast and lunch together with elastic bands for each day, these go in the bottom of the pack. All I have to do is pull one bundle out each evening. 


I carry an Anker charger and a solar panel between them I can keep my tracker, phone, kindle and camera going even in Scotland.

[Jim Parkin]

Tying my boots with a double slip knot rather than a double bow. Never comes undone until you want it to and can be undone with a simple pull on the ends. Ideal when you get to the end of a trip and your hands are cold or your laces are covered in the remains of the bogs you have been through.  https://www.fieggen.com/shoelace/secureknot.htm

I use that knot all the time

[Islandplodder]

I'll try that trick with the car keys, Ninthace.  I have got into the habit of always clipping them into that key clip thing in the top pocket of my rucksack.  But I still go back after 5 minutes to check I remembered to lock the car!  So I will repeat 3 times, 'I have locked the car and clipped the keys in place' out loud and see if it helps.

[gunwharfman]

I hate walking in the rain and having wet hands. My Paramo jackets sleeves are long but not long enough. To solve this problem I cut, from an old jacket I no longer use, the sleeves off about 7" from the cuff and burnt the cut edges to stop fraying. When it rains I just slip them over my hands, under my jacket sleeve and my hands stay lovely and dry.

In my early days of hiking I once made the mistake of trying to pitch my tent in the dark after I'd been to the pub. A disaster. Never again!

[jontea]

I’ve never found rain covers over a rucksack actually keep a rucksack or it’s contents dry in really bad weather.
I’ve even found having a number of dry bags in your sack will get damp and need airing out on returning home.


I now use a heavy duty large dry bag, which just fits the rucksack. The several colour coded dry bags inside this large one is my answer to finding everything easily and keeping everything bone dry all day in the rain. Leaving just the rucksack to dry out rather than all those annoying little bits 

[jimbob]

Yep the large dry bag idea is the bees knees.

I used a wheelie bin liner. Extremely light and stronger than a normal bin liner, can be trimmed to suit depth of rucksack. Can also be used at night as an extra groundsheet.

I now use a poncho which covers the rucksack.

[jontea]

Your boots are covered in mud while out walking and it starts to rain.
Put a carrier bag over each boot before slipping your waterproofs on. Not only do they glide on easily but the inside of your waterproof pants stay dry and mud free.


Taking the bags off your boots afterwards is optional but it’s not a good look 

[richardh1905]

I'm in the habit of making a mental note of any prominent landmarks in the mist as I near the top of a mountain; very reassuring to know that you are on the right track as you start to descend. Proved very useful on Ben Hope recently when I discovered that my compass had become demagnetised.

[Rather be walking]

Yep the large dry bag idea is the bees knees.

I used a wheelie bin liner. Extremely light and stronger than a normal bin liner, can be trimmed to suit depth of rucksack. Can also be used at night as an extra groundsheet.

I now use a poncho which covers the rucksack.

I always use bin liner in the rucksack and wear a Poncho  .

Jon.

[gunwharfman]

I've never noticed if my rucksack lets in water? I have a Osprey Exos 48L and usually have my Osprey cover on. I mention this because I always think its rather flimsy, but it does the job and to my knowledge has never let water in yet. The only rucksack item that I double wrap, just to be sure, is my down sleeping quilt. I couldn't cope if that became wet.