Quick Tip: Ziplock bag map cover
A simple and effective map cover to keep your printed maps protected while outdoors. Read More …
Category: Quick Tips
Some quick tips and ideas to make outdoor pursuits a little more efficient.
TBT Gear: Cheesecloth
TBT follow-up to my surprisingly popular article on Pecorino Romano cheese. How to keep all cheese even longer in the backcountry? Use some cheesecloth. Read More …
Quick Tip: Burning end of cord
A frayed piece of utility cordage? Here’s a very simple way to help prevent it from fraying further. Read More …
Quick Tip: Ammo boxes for caching
Caching food or other supplies for off-the-beaten trips or even convenience? Surplus ammo boxes are an inexpensive and easy way cache these supplies. Read More …
Quick Tip: Pull tab guyline tensioner
Make a guyline tensioner out of pull tab from a can. Light, cheap and easy to use. Read More …
Quick Tip: Test strip containers for storage
Empty glucose test strip containers for diabetes work well for misc. hiking, camping, backpacking and even geocaching storage. Read More …
Quick Tip: Sun shield for winter camping
A simple trick for sleeping warmer at night. Read More …
Quick Tip: Green soda bottle for alcohol fuel
A simple, effective and safe way to carry denatured alcohol. Read More …
Quick Tip: Blue foam for changing winter boots
Another great use for the humble scraps of blue foam Read More …
Quick Tip: Lithium batteries for cold weather
In the cold weather, bring some lithium batteries. Read More …
Quick Tip: Don’t burn your snow pot!
Winter backpacking? Don’t burn the snow pot! Here’s how to melt snow the right way. Read More …
Quick Tip: Ziplock bag wallet
A Ziplock bag for a wallet seems obvious. But then I saw a review for a $35 hiker wallet. Perhaps the idea is not obvious after all. Read More …
Quick Tip: Frisbee as a camp dinner plate
The humble frisbee makes a great dinner plate for camping: light, durable, inexpensive and effective. Read More …
Quick Tip : Water bottles as ice packs
Have a lot of water bottles accumulated? Use them as quick and dirty ice packs! Read More …
Quick Tip: Gutter spike nails as tent stakes
An inexpensive, light and durable alternative to traditional tent stakes. Read More …
Quick Tip: Duct tape for easy splinter removal
Duct tape can be a quick and dirty way of removing multiple splinters. Read More …
Quick Tip: Extra hat and gloves post trip
Another quick tip that seems obvious, but took me a while to realize.
Gear pick of the year 2014 – Scraps of blue foam
My gear pick of the year for 2014: Scraps left over from a blue foam pad! Read More …
Quick tip: Xmas Tree Disposal bag = emergency shelter
Another quick tip just in time for the coming season. Read More …
Quick Tip: BagTex – A poor person’s VBL
A quick winter tip for keeping the feet warm in single digit temps. Read More …
Quick Tip: Easy declination on a compass
Don’t have a compass that where declination can be adjusted? Here’s a quick and dirty way to pre-set it!
Quick Tip: Tent stakes in hard ground
The easy way to get stakes in the hard ground often found at “improved” campsites. Read More …