Green Garden 209: Hidden Messages in Your Gear – GWC Mag gwcmagSeptember 26, 2023072 views Podcast: Download (Duration: 27:59 — 26.5MB) Show Notes: Episode 209 Today on the First 40 Miles, have you ever given much thought to the names that companies give gear? The name of your pack or your tent isn’t just some random name they pulled out of a hat. Next, today’s top 5 list is a whole pile of hacks I picked up on my recent backpacking trip. Then, a little SteriPEN that is a backpackers dream! And a quick hack that has been on every single one of our backpacking trips. Opening What goes into naming a piece of gear? Let’s look at some pack names and what they mean… Osprey Kestrel A small falcon that hovers with rapidly beating wings while searching for prey on the ground. Kelty Sanitas Kids pack Sanitas (latin word) means health, soundness of body Osprey Tarn A tarn (or corrie loch) is a mountain lake or pool, formed in a cirque excavated by a glacier. A moraine may form a natural dam below a tarn. Granite Gear Lutsen Lutsen Mountains is a ski area in the north central United States; an Alpine skiing area located on the North Shore region of Cook County in northeastern Minnesota. Gregory Baltoro The Baltoro Glacier is one of the longest glaciers outside the polar regions. It is located in the Gilgit-Baltistan region of northern Pakistan. It runs through part of the Karakoram mountain range. Arcteryx Bora A bora is a violent, dry, cold wind blowing from the north or northeast. The North Face Prophet Prophets from the Old Testament frequently went to mountain tops Top 5 Hacks I Used on my Most Recent Backpacking Trip 3×5 card pee shield (for women) Pee splatters, no matter what A small piece of paper can stop the pee splatter Small container of Vicks Vaporub So many great the uses for it! Antifungal, smoothes cracked skin, masks foul odors, chapped lips, dry eyes (put under eyes) Bug repellant? Possibly! Yoga pants instead of hiking pants Soft, stretchy, breathable and allow movement Old Time Radio shows on your MP3 http://otrrlibrary.org/ Free to download, thousands of shows Makes the time on the trail go by My Friend Irma (comedy) I Was Communist for the FBI (drama/crime) Jack Benny (variety show) Removing a shoulder strap to shift load off a while Helps reduce load for a little while Structure UV light Makes water safe to drink by disabling the bacteria, protazoa Utility 1 liter at a time Put SteriPEN in water and stir Nodes need to be submerged Mass Maintenance Rechargeable 20 liters per charge Prefilter water if you don’t want floaties Investment Trial Love! Easy to use, simple Was branded as the Red Cross SteriPEN Will be available soon! Backpack Hack of the Week™: Perma Kleenex Tie your bandana to a strap or tuck it into the webbing strap on your shoulder strap. Great for cold weather hikes when your nose gets drippy. Trail Wisdom “Nature is just enough; but men and women must comprehend and accept her suggestions.”—Antoinette Brown Blackwell If you’re looking for fun backpacking books and merch, check out thefirst40miles.com/shop. Share the post “209: Hidden Messages in Your Gear”