TIPS TO MAKE YOUR OUTDOOR LIFE EASIER

STORY BY HILARY WHITE

If you’ve spent enough time in the backcountry (and chances are you have, Dear Reader), you’re probably way past the big hurdles: a sleeping bag with the right rating, the lightest tent you can afford, a backpack that’s both light enough and comfortable enough to accompany you for a stretch of miles. But what about the finer details, the little stuff that goes a long way in smoothing out the rough miles?

I’m talking the kind of tips only garnered through years in the field, through trial and error… those “if only” epiphanies you have on a thru-hike that don’t make it back with you, lost to the backburners of your mind. I’ve done the legwork for you. Here are a few tricks to make you wonder “Why didn’t I think of that?” on your next multi-day backpacking trip.

CREATURE COMFORTS

Bolster Your Straps. This is my biggest issue on longer hikes (though maybe I just have a bony clavicle). If you’re not one for DIY, you can buy strap pads f rom manufacturers such as Florida-based cottage company, Zpacks, which sells pairs of closed-cell foam pads for $29.95, or you could make your own, even if you don’t sew. If you do sew, you can use fleece or get fancier and use spacer mesh, which will maintain its cushion longer.

Self-proclaimed Queen of Gear Hacks Wanda Rice f rom SectionHiker.com has an easy method for padding your straps. Measure the distance f rom the top of the strap to the sternum buckle; this is how long you’ll want your pads. Next, using a flexible measuring tape, measure the circumference of the strap and add ½ inch to the number for seam allowance. Cut two rectangles of fabric (one for each strap) in these dimensions, then fold each in half lengthwise and stitch the seams with a ¼-inch seam allowance. Turn the fabric inside out and you’ll have a fabric tube to slide onto your strap (after you unthread the strap f rom its buckle). If you’re like me and you don’t know how to use a sewing machine (thanks a lot, Mom), you can get by with a quick-and-dirty safety pins.

Zpacks sells ready-made pack strap pads for $29.95 if you’d hand-stitch, or simply use rather not fuss with a needle or safety pins.

ZPACKS PHOTO

Sleep Cozier. If you’ve dialed in your sleeping bag game and have the right rating for your body and preferred sleeping temperature at night, you may have no need for the following tip. I was recently gifted a light, 10-degree-rated down sleeping bag that can convert to accommodate two people (shout-out to Feathered Friends of Seattle; mine is the Condor YF for $609), so I haven’t had much issue with warmth since becoming its owner. However, I used to spend my nights f reezing.

Next time you can’t get warm on an overnight, boil some extra water for your heavy-duty water bottle and stash it in the foot of your sleeping bag.

OLEXANDER KOZAK / DREAMSTIME.COM PHOTO

If you’re a shiverer, consider heating water before bed and putting it in a tightly sealed, heavy-duty bottle like a Nalgene (I’m going to tell you not to bring a Nalgene later, so use whatever tip suits you). Don’t pour it in when it’s piping hot, or fill it too full: the steam will build pressure in the bottle and make it a little sketchy. You can put this bottle alone or sheathed in a sock in the foot of your sleeping bag and it’ll toast your toesies right up.