Hunting

DIY Self-Tensioning Guylines:

I am not so keen on elastic rope (it is heavier than dyneema) and much of the problem of stretch can be overcome by caternary cutting the silnylon or using fabrics with very low stretch such as tyvek or cuben fibre, but nonetheless this method of keeping your tent taut is worth sharing: http://gossamergear.com/wp/diy-self-tensioning-guy-lines-2 A […]

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Waterproof Notepads:

If you spend much time at all outdoors, sometime the need to make a note in the rain will occur. Then you will need some waterproof paper such as http://www.riteintherain.com/ (since 1916!) or http://www.myaquanotes.com/ etc. For example, Rite in the Rain’s smallest spiral notepad http://www.riteintherain.com/pocket-top-spiral-universal-3-x-5 weighs .12lb (55 grams). I usually just carry a couple

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The Last of the Mountain Men:

Isn’t this the feeling everyone who ventures far from track or trail is seeking: the freedom of the wilderness, the exultation of the hills, the distant roar of rapids, the whistle of wind in the trees, the ubiquitous echo of birdsong, the warning bark of a deer in a golden sunset… Della and I are

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Ultralight Hiker on Pinterest:

Ultralight Hiker on Pinterest: https://au.pinterest.com/source/theultralighthiker.com/ I have hundreds of ‘pins’ here (and many more to add!) Perhaps you would like to ‘follow’ me there or ‘pin’ some of them to help me spread the word? Also, perhaps you might like to ‘Share’ some of my http://www.theultralighthiker.com/ posts on Facebook too (or ‘Follow’ it) or ‘Like’

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Fitting Your Backpack:

This is really good advice. Apart from having a backpack which is too heavy and too large, the next biggest mistake people make is not having chosen/made it the correct torso length, then not having put it on correctly: http://gossamergear.com/wp/how-to-size-and-fit-an-ultralight-backpack That being said though, I think these standard instructions (which might be fine for slim,

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Honey, I Shrank the Tent:

I thought I would make a slightly smaller ‘Decagon’ tent. It turned out to be over 250 grams lighter than the original model. See: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/new-decagon-octagon-tyvek-igloo-tent-design/) It makes a tent which is still over 9’ x 7’6” (270 cm x 225cm) inside and 5’2” (155cm) high at the apex and 40” (1 metre) at the door.

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Clear PVC Backpack Lid for Solar Charger:

I have this wonderful little solar chargerhttp://www.bushnell.com/hunting/outdoor-technology/powersync/solarwrap-mini which is useful for battery back-up as it contains a 2200 Ma battery, and will recharge other tired batteries too. The trouble with such a device on the trail is that it is hard to deploy whilst walking, particularly if it rains a bit (electronics really hate water).

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Bathtime on the Trail: The One Gram Platypus Shower:

An ordinary water bottle cap will fit any Platypus bottle https://www.platy.com/bottles-storage (by the wonderful Cascade Designs who also make the absolutely best Sleeping Pad: https://www.thermarest.com/mattresses/womens-neoair-xlite). You can make holes with a large needle (doll needle pictured – much safer). With nine holes as pictured one litre lasts 6 ½ minutes. I usually carry one 2

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