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Main Boards => Gear => Topic started by: gunwharfman on 15:25:40, 12/05/20

Title: Hiking gear, double or triple uses?
Post by: gunwharfman on 15:25:40, 12/05/20
I run every day if I can and today my thoughts were about how much of my gear and clothing is used or can be used in double or even triple ways?

The easy one, of course, is my mobile phone, for calls, maps, making notes and so on, too many to list.

I then thought of my rucksack, to carry stuff and can be used as a pillow.

I have a very lightweight Sea to Summit flexible bowl. I use this to carry water and I also use the bowl to wash my clothes in and I can do this in two ways, just use my hands or just use my feet. Once it's dry, it only takes about 2 minutes, I also use my bowl to pack my clothes in, socks, underwear, hiking shirts, etc, all rolled up and then put into my rucksack as one unit, very neat.

My groundsheet is also very useful. I use it during the day to sit on or to lie down on when I want to rest or have a daytime sleep. I also use it when I wash my clothes when I decide to use my feet, more thorough than just using my hands. I lay out the groundsheet, place a bowl of water in the middle of it, pour in some shampoo, (I use shampoo for all hygiene and for washing my clothes) put in my used underwear, shirts, etc and then barefooted step up and down in the bowl of water, wiggle and rub my feet about, works just like an old fashioned scrubbing board and the action cleans my feet as well.

Once done I then lay out my shampooed clothes on the groundsheet, and use the bowl, filled with clean water to rinse them through, so easy! On a nice hot day when I'm resting, I'll also use my groundsheet to help dry my clothes, I just lay items out flat and the heat and reflection do the trick, or at least it moves the drying process on.

Do you use any items for more than one use?
Title: Re: Hiking gear, double or triple uses?
Post by: Slowcoach on 18:34:07, 12/05/20
My walking poles... for propelling me uphill, for balance along the flat, as brakes on downhills, for fending off unwanted attention from cows and aggressive dogs, for poking annoying companions.

Title: Re: Hiking gear, double or triple uses?
Post by: gunwharfman on 18:41:53, 12/05/20
When its cold at night I also wear my Rab down jacket inside my sleeping quilt. On some cold nights, I will even wear my warm Lowe Alpine hat with the ear covers, on a couple of times, my gloves as well. I also have a Lifeventure showerhead and I would like to find a way of being able to hang my Source water bladder from a tree and have a second tube from it so that I can use my showerhead, then I would have to carry a second water container. I haven't solved this matter yet. From time to time my collar bones get a bit sore (it's rare but it has happened) so I use my spare and folded socks under my shoulder straps to give me a bit more padding.
Title: Re: Hiking gear, double or triple uses?
Post by: gunwharfman on 18:51:33, 12/05/20
I remember reading once on the Forum that walking poles can be used with a pole up each sleeve of a jacket, held above one's head like a banner to make the hiker look bigger than the cows so they get 'frightened' and keep well away. I've never tried that, does it work?

I always use my hat as a shopping basket when I'm in a supermarket, I don't want to buy too much bulk and once my hat is filled with 'goodies' that's the limit to what I will carry.
Title: Re: Hiking gear, double or triple uses?
Post by: Butchersboy on 19:17:05, 12/05/20
A Buff is probably my most useful bit of kit.
Neck warmer, keeps wind out my ears, sun protection, sweat rag, getting condensation off tent...
Title: Re: Hiking gear, double or triple uses?
Post by: richardh1905 on 20:00:48, 12/05/20
+1 for buffs, a great piece of multipurpose lightweight gear that you can just shove in your pocket.


Also:


- my padded gilet or fleece jacket doubles as a pillow when inside the sleeping bag stuff sack. Why take a pillow?
- I have added a tubular aluminium peg from an old forces trench shelter; the hole is the right size to use as a tent repair sleeve over the poles and it can be used as a real bomber of a peg if need be. Likewise my home made aluminium poo shovel could be used as a peg in soft ground - I drilled a hole in the top of the handle for that purpose.
- a bit of spare cord - emergency bootlace, guy line, rucksack repair etc.
Title: Re: Hiking gear, double or triple uses?
Post by: fernman on 21:33:29, 12/05/20
Just off the top of my head,

Heavy duty black plastic bin bag doubles as something to sit on in tent porch and later to put the wet tent in.
One of my walking poles holds the flysheet door up (together with a length of dyneema and a peg).
Sleeping bag stuff sack is filled with fleece jumper and down jacket for a pillow (does that count as three items with double uses?)
500g plastic beaker marked with graduations is used for filling my water bag from lakes and streams, for measuring out the correct quantities of water for freeze dried meal pouches, and as a drinks mug (definitely three uses).
550ml cooking pot holds a number of tiny bits and pieces in my rucksack, with a big rubber band holding its lid on.
Plastic microwave bowl 7 in x 3 in contains plastic bags of loose foodstuffs in my rucksack, is used as a breakfast bowl and later as a bowl for hot water to wash in.
Title: Re: Hiking gear, double or triple uses?
Post by: gunwharfman on 22:14:31, 12/05/20
I also have a very light plastic cup, the top part folds into the inner part of the cup, height when folded 1/2 inch, which permanently hangs on the back of my rucksack and is easy to reach, a real jack of all trades. I use it for drinking water out of if I come across a water tap in a farmyard, etc, I don't have to take off my rucksack to get at it. I also use it when I clean my teeth just to swish out the toothbrush and if I'm on a wild camp I use it to swish my razor in when I shave in the morning. It may not sound very nice but because of the type of plastic its made from it cleans instantly, a dash of water in it, and a rub around with my fingers then more water which I throw away, and then its a cup for everything again.

I also carry a light plastic nit comb, which I use as my main comb as well.

I find that the more uses I can think of for my items, gear and clothing, the lighter my pack gets.
Title: Re: Hiking gear, double or triple uses?
Post by: Bigfoot_Mike on 22:57:55, 12/05/20
I am not a fan of using my cooking and drinking gear for washing myself, my clothes or anything else. Particularly in the current environment, there is too much risk of contamination. Unless I was happy to drink straight from the stream or lake, I also would not use the jug I use to extract water from these for other culinary purposes.
Title: Re: Hiking gear, double or triple uses?
Post by: Bigfoot_Mike on 22:58:57, 12/05/20
Walking poles are useful for prescribing a 2 metres exclusion zone, if you have long enough arms (which I have).
Title: Re: Hiking gear, double or triple uses?
Post by: gunwharfman on 09:53:18, 13/05/20
If I thought that contamination risks are now higher, because of the way I organise my gear I have a backup plan. A few weeks ago I cut off a small piece of sponge and now keep it in a small sealed plastic container bought from Wilco's, permanently soaked in a small amount of concentrated soapy water, which I now carry in my pocket at all times. I am in the routine now of giving my face a wipe over with it on a regular basis, plus hands and the front of my face mask as well. I now do this automatically before I enter a shop. Whether any of this works in my favour I have no real idea, but its job is to make me feel better. So far, I have not caught Covid-19, well not as far as I know?

I will give your caution very serious thought, but the answer I know will be that I will just carry my sealed container and regularly wipe my cup, utensils, and so on to minimise any further risk to myself.

This is of course that the advice that we have been given about soap is correct. I have no reason to doubt this at the moment.
Title: Re: Hiking gear, double or triple uses?
Post by: watershed on 10:01:50, 13/05/20
If I thought that contamination risks are now higher, because of the way I organise my gear I have a backup plan. A few weeks ago I cut off a small piece of sponge and now keep it in a small sealed plastic container bought from Wilco's, permanently soaked in a small amount of concentrated soapy water, which I now carry in my pocket at all times. I am in the routine now of giving my face a wipe over with it on a regular basis, plus hands and the front of my face mask as well. I now do this automatically before I enter a shop. Whether any of this works in my favour I have no real idea, but its job is to make me feel better. So far, I have not caught Covid-19, well not as far as I know?

As long as it doesn't rain GWM.
Then you will be covered in bubbles and may be mistaken as having Rabies:)
Title: Re: Hiking gear, double or triple uses?
Post by: gunwharfman on 14:32:06, 13/05/20
Bubbles, I like it!  :)

When I'm resting and with my boots off, boots are pretty good at being a cup, glass, beer, or a wine bottle holder. Nothing worse than pouring a glass of something for oneself, putting the bottle down on the ground and it just falls over. That's happened to me more than once.

I carry two types of glasses, a pair of wrap-around sunglasses and a pair of reading glasses, the rucksack horizontal strap can also double up as a useful holder when not in use, remembering to be careful of course when the strap is unclicked. I lost a pair of glasses once when I forgot this, they fell unnoticed to the ground and I walked away and had covered about 3 miles before I realised they were gone.
Title: Re: Hiking gear, double or triple uses?
Post by: Stube on 19:29:40, 15/05/20
My custom poncho also serves as a tent footprint and rucksack rain cover.
My pounland brolly doubles as a cooking windshield and when attached to a trekking pole as a parosol or a wet weather porch for the tent. Atached to my rucksack it provides hands free drizzle protection.
A padded lunch bag serves as a washing bowl, haybox (Dutch) oven and cookset storage.

Title: Re: Hiking gear, double or triple uses?
Post by: Birdman on 08:12:43, 16/05/20
A Buff is probably my most useful bit of kit.
Neck warmer, keeps wind out my ears, sun protection, sweat rag, getting condensation off tent...


Lot's of people including myself also use their buff for pre-filtering water, removing floaters, algae, dead bees etc before filtering it with a Sawyer. This way you prevent the filter from clogging up.
Title: Re: Hiking gear, double or triple uses?
Post by: gunwharfman on 09:47:54, 16/05/20
Thank you, everyone, for your ideas, I'm sure that I can lower my rucksack weight a bit more now using, I can feel a new lockdown project coming on.