Gear adaptions and inventions

“On my hike thru Hot Springs last weekend my mind got to wandering on what would I invent in the line of backpacking gear.
The idea of a tripod crossed my mind..I just bought a new camera and the thought of carrying a tripod made me cringe. Haveing a heavy pack already I came up with an idea to use trekking poles as part of a tripod.
all I need to come up with is a third pole and VOILA ! tripod

ANoth thought came into mind..I have a fleece liner that is a bit too big for my mummy bag..why not use the extra material and trim and sew the edges to fit the shape of my mummy bag..and even put a draw string in. Also the zipper kept coming undone..maybe a bit of velco at the end to hold it together would work

What would you invent or adapt?”

“A thermarest that wasn't so darn slick.”

“Hey evergreen

campmor sells a light weight camera stand that will attach to a tree or your hiking pole”

“Have any of you checked out Cindylu's backpack that she made?? SLICK! I wish I were so talented.

I think the cabana boy was a great invention... Any volunteers?”

“lol. as long as he's not too slippery :P”

“evergreen, swinger's right about the Campmor "tripod." It costs less than ten bucks, and weighs very little. It can be velcro'd to a tree branch, or it has three very short legs so it could stand on any relatively flat surface.

I have one, RichB has one, probably others do too.”

“holey sh!t

some body actually agreed with swinger

I can't believe it”

“Whats up B? Congrats on the newin' he's gonna be a tough nut to crack. I can see it in his eyes,,, he's a runner!!!

For shelter staying, I found that little brass hooks that screw into the wood work great for hanging items from.

A makeshift dog run. P-cord, carabiner, leash, harness or collar. Just find a good area in camp, tie cord low on trees, let it lay on the ground. Nothing to trip over or bend under for. Adjust slack if needed. Use carabiner to slide on the cord w/ leash attached.
A late discovery, looking and gather alittle fire starting material thru the days hike. Just something else that helps me to enjoy the hike a little more. And antler sheds 'tis the season.”

“I use those old fashioned metal shower rings on the back of my pack to hang wet socks.

I forgot my spoon once and made one by putting a little foil around the shower ring.

There was a MacGiver thead like this once.”

“I use those old fashioned metal shower rings on the back of my pack to hang wet socks.

I forgot my spoon once and made one by putting a little foil around the shower ring.

There was a MacGyver thead like this once.”

“I field tested an adaptation (using 2 slightly sturdier Target bags instead of grocery bags) of Nigal's excellent in-camp water container on our recent ECT in ONF. Athough I understand Nigal got some heat for the idea - it worked like a charm. Works well when water source is nasty or far away from camp - that way not everybody has to go down to the water source with their filters.”

“You will shoot your eye out with that thing, Big Coop!”

“I'm real into radio and cell connections. I think if I could make some sort of high power antenna or reciever that was light, I'd call my wife for the fun of it. I'm already working on a Cell Phone antenna that would boost connectivity in the backcountry. I know that people hate cell phones, I just enjoy calling from high places and shareing my excitement with my family. I usually get weak signals in the sierras that just need a little boost to work.”

“test”

“I've portage water in a trash bag and backpack. Our base camp was on a river that ran silty quite often and when closer slews would dry up I would portage to the lake just about 1/2 mile away to get cystal clear tundra lake water.

When my tobacco was running thin I began to save the butts/roaches and eventually when the pape's ran out I fashioned a pipe from a caribou shed in which to burn my remaining tobacco.”

“How well did that smoke?”

“Its was rather gamey from the start. I boiled the piece after is was carved with a Supertool and nail, let it dry and then reamed it with burnt sticks to season and seal the porous insides. Since it was the base of the shed, I filed the porous base smooth to close off any air leaks that would make for a weak draught. The draw/stem is not as long as I would like and the gameiness has gone away with usage. Its a treasure of memories.”

“I missed that MacGyver thread..for sure will have to search for that one

Sunshine..long time no chat..Hows life? Yes Ive seen Cindy Lu's creation..The lady should go into business making custom packs.

Fritz and Swinger,
I'll look into the tripod thing if my idea doesnt come together like I am hoping it would.

Big Coop,
from now on I'll add two plastic bags to my gear..I have gotten into the routine of washing my hair everyday..Im not a nice person to be around if my hair is dirty..the double bag deal will come in handy for my morning ritual.

Bacpac,
Spam had a good idea of attaching a spoon to a cord and hang it around your neck. I have mine on a mini caribiner and put it on the same cord my Photon light is on..That way im sure not to forget it cause flashlights are one of the first things I pack..I dont wear it all the time.

Thinair,
I can just see you now..wearing a foil hat walking on the ridge tops saying " Can you hear me now??"

Briar Rabbit !!!

Hey A..So good to see your post..
Skye..the puppy..Is full of it for sure..My daughters wanted to call him Demon..the name suits him too well. But its nice to have so much energy and playfullness in this house I dont care if he makes a hiking dog or not.
Cool idea about the antler pipe..all I can say if I was to be lost in the wilderness Id want to be lost with you.”

“Hey, I just found a great new piece of gear. Go to a local bike shop and pick up a pair of light weight arm warmers. They look like spandex sleeves (no shirt attached). They are great when your arms start to get chilly, but your pack is keeping your body warm. No more deciding between cold arms and a sweaty body. Plus they weigh nothing and are fairly cheap.”

“Dehydrated Water, it would be much lighter to carry. All you would need to add is uhhh......water?”

“you dont mix to mutch water with the dehydrated water or it will taste like diet water yuuuuuukkk
water lite ,lol Streamweaver”

“ewwwwww, watered down water!”

“How come we have diet colas but lite beer? Shouldn't it be diet beer?


Or lite cola?”

“How about "Ultra Slim Beer"?”

“Isn't that what they call "near beer?"”

“I think so. It's a fine line between "near beer" and "near water", though, isn't it?”

“near beer is just beer with no alcohol. kinda like a steak with no meat! Streamweaver”

“like a 'gardenburger'?”

“How about a pillow holder? I like to use one of the little camp pillows rather than the jacket jammed into a stuff sack, but I always find that it slips off my thermarest. It would be nice to have a piece of nylon that snapped to the back of the thermarest, then went over the pillow and snapping onto the front to hold it in place.

I don't know if it would work, but what about using the lightweight plastic snaps for both (or the super-sticky velcro).

Has this already been done?”