003: Shave the Ounces and the Pounds Will Follow – GWC Mag

Podcast: Download (Duration: 21:11 — 22.2MB)

Get ready to lose some excess pack weight–and then add it back a few grams at a time.  We’ll also review a budget sleeping pad and find out how it actually worked on a recent camp out.  If you’re planning on making your next backpacking trip a creative retreat, then stay tuned to learn how to make an ultralight DIY Plein Air Watercolor Kit to toss into your pack for when creativity strikes on the trail!

 Opening

• Shave the ounces and the pounds will follow
• Digital kitchen scale
• Weighs up to 12 pounds
• Inaccuracies in package information/online information
• Grams vs. ounces
• Recommend: Use frequently to weigh and reweigh all your items.

The Top 5 Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Things You Need to Add to Your 10 Essentials

Diaper Pin

• Safety Pin vs. Diaper Pin
• Gear Repair (sleeping bag pull, temporary hole repair)
• Securing tarp, poncho, etc.
• First aid (splinters, blisters)

Essential Oils

• Lavender and peppermint
• Lavender for burns, relaxation, sleep
• Peppermint: to prevent nausea, as toothpaste, to soothe sore muscles

Pencil

• Small, simple golf pencil
• No eraser necessary
• Pencil vs. pen (even if pencil is broken, you can still use it)

Razor Blade

• Ultralight knife
• Basic, simple tool
• Pencil sharpener

Rubber Band

• Eraser
• Gear Repair
• Hair tie
• Secure bandage
• Mark levels on water bottle to monitor fluid intake
• Bundle things together in pack

Structure

• Closed cell foam pad
• Somewhat bumpy, “egg cartony”
• Indestructable, even with scratches it will still perform at 100% capacity

Utility

• Waterproof
• Trimmed 6 inches off edge (72”x6”)
• Use excess as sitting pad

Mass

• Size: 72”x24”1/2”
• Weight: 13 ounces (without straps that it comes with)

Maintenance

• Clean: wipe or brush off with dap rag
• Roll opposite way each time, prevents it curling under your sleeping bag

Investment:

Trial:

• I slept on it for one night
• Bruised hips…worse than pack bruising (of which there was none)
• Traded with husband for his Therm-a-rest Z Lite
• Next camping trip, I used it with no problem because I brought a pillow for my hip

Backpack Hack of the Week™: DIY Plein Air Watercolor Kit

•  “Plein Air” means “painting outdoors”
• Instead of heavy gear, easel, box of brushes…go lightweight
• Perfect for creative retreat
• Make: Plein Air Watercolor Kit
• Cost: $1 gum in blister pack, $4 liquid water color pack of 6
• Take gum out of blister pack
• Squirt a small amount of liquid watercolor into each hole and let dry
• Also pack: palette for blending colors, brush, water cup, paper
• Put everything in zip top plastic bag

Trail Wisdom

“I would feel more optimistic about a bright future for man if he spent less time proving that he can outwit Nature and more time tasting her sweetness and respecting her seniority.”

-E. B. White