Green Garden 012: Inventors, Innovators, and Backpackers – GWC Mag gwcmagDecember 29, 2023093 views Podcast: Download (Duration: 27:41 — 28.2MB) Heather and Josh share some innovative backpacking gear from the brilliant inventors on Kickstarter.com. Next, you’ll learn about the top 5 pack messes and how to avoid them. Then we’ll review a pair of socks made by some hard-working worms. And the Backpack Hack of the Week™ features an easy way to keep a lid on leftovers. Opening Backpacking gear on Kickstarter.com Trekkayak Inflatable Kayak Microstove Indus Walking Stick Snowxu (foldable snow shoes) Qlipter Made in the USA Fleece Documentaries To find more, use the search feature on Kickstarter.com for the words: hiking, outdoor, backpacking, trail, or camping. Top 5 Pack Messes and How to Avoid Them! Melted Chocolate But good chocolate melts at body temperature. An afternoon of a bag of chocolates next to your back could mean a huge mess in your pack Solution: M&Ms or Sunspire SunDrops Leaky Peanut Butter Calorie-dense, so it’s a natural favorite among backpackers Solution: Justin’s Peanut Butter or Almond Butter packets Punctured Water Bladder Even the best water bladder systems are subject to punctures Water isn’t the worst thing to get all over your pack…unless you planned on staying dry Solution: Water bottles—esp. the lightweight disposable ones Drippy Olive Oil We pack our olive oil in a plastic screw top container, but it makes me nervous Solution: Subway packets of olive oil and canola oil mix (ask to purchase or ask for them with a purchase) Weeping Cheese and High Fat Meat As cheese and meat warm up, the fats in them melt Solution: powdered cheese from the green shaker can and dry meats (like beef jerky or cured dry salami), or wrap your meat and cheesecloth to absorb some of the excess oil “Anything that can leak, will” If you must bring leaky stuff, follow these 4 steps: Wrap it in paper towel Double bag it or store it in a leak proof container like a tested PB jar or Nalgene bottle Store it upright Make sure it doesn’t get crushed in your pack Structure 54% spun silk/43% nylon/2% polyester/4% spandex Super buttery soft Utility Prevent blisters if worn with a pair of hiking socks Silk has good tensile strength Wicking Cool in summer, warm in winter Mass Maintenance Hand wash or machine wash No bleach Investment $9.50 They are thin and dry fairly quickly Purchase two pairs: a pair to wear, a pair to wash Trial The only thing I would change is the color White is a silly color for backpacking gear They never got clean looking on or off the trail Today’s Backpack Hack of the Week™: Leak-resistant Cup Backpackers do everything they can to simplify their gear and make sure that everything that goes into their pack is a multi-use item. Need: small plastic Nutella jar or a small plastic Peanut Butter jar and use it up, peel off the label, wash the container and the lid in the dishwasher, so there’s no scent left Reusable Portion control for times when you want a smaller meal It’s shallow enough to reach your spoon into Limits food waste Food can be prepared and stored for later Easy to wash, just add a little water, swish and scatter or swish and swallow Don’t use boiling water—it will melt the plastic Weighs barely over an ounce Trail Wisdom “There is a pleasure in the pathless woods, There is a rapture on the lonely shore, There is society, where none intrudes, By the deep sea, and music in its roar: I love not man the less, but Nature more” – George Gordon Byron Share the post “012: Inventors, Innovators, and Backpackers”