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5 Things Unappreciated Back Packing Kit

By Dave Roberts   

on January 15, 2012    No ratings yet.

Posted in Outdoor Articles, Wild Camping Articles and Tutorials5 things, Five things, shiny shiny, wild camping

5 Things Unappreciated Back Packing Kit

We all know the merits of the tent, stove, sleeping bag and all the big kit, but there’s that unappreciated group of kit that’s universally ignored. These are those little bits of kit that we maybe take for granted or don’t even realise can be useful. Here’s, for once, our five undervalued and ignored bits of backpacking kit.

1 – Ziploc bags. Despite the fact that using plastic bags is not environmentally friendly, I’m yet to find a proper alternative. Certain items can be carried in those Biokips containers, which I find essential for coffee and the like. Ziplocs can be used for taking individual portions of food and anything else you might need to keep away from other items. You can use them for organising each days’ meals as well. They’re certainly reused a few times and are essential as a sealed bag for taking rubbish and in some cases items that need double bagging for hygiene purposes off the hill safely. If anyone knows of any biodegradable versions, then please let us know in the comments and we’ll give them a go.

2 – Talc (in a ziploc!). If you’ve ever suffered hot, sore sweaty feet on a long walk then you need to know about this trick. You need a ziploc large enough to fit your foot in comfortably and a small amount of talc in the bottom. Placing your hot, sweaty feet into this is a pleasure only experiencing can explain. Not only that, but it’s yet another trick against developing blisters. It weighs next to nothing.

3 – Duct Tape. You either know all about this or you don’t. Duct tape, duck tape or whatever you want to call it is nature’s band aid. Well, not quite nature’s, but you get the idea. Fixes anything from boots and waterproofs  to rucksack straps, even tent poles. I’ve even used it to repair a leaky water bladder and one pair of running shoes I own is roughly 45% duct tape and proud of it. About the only thing you can’t fix with this is your stove and pot. Closely related to the handful of cable ties that should be in any repair kit.

4 – Dry Bags. As glamorous as Steve Buscemi in an evening dress, though arguably more useful on the hill. If you haven’t got a set of these, plus a huge pack liner, you’ll suffer in the rain. Pack covers are handy, but not perfect while your ruckasck for a long trip is unlikely to be very waterproof. The clever option is a waterproof pack liner, coupled with individual dry bags for essential bits of kit within this. You can even pack your damp tent inside the pack with the dry bag  if you have to (you’ll have to put it somewhere!). A pack cover is the icing on the cake. If you use them a lot, treat them as disposable. You’ll need to replace them every year or so, but they continue to provide useful water-resistant stuff sacs for many years to come for less mission critical bits of kit. The Exped Dry  Bags come highly recommended.

5 – Microfibre Duster. Cheap and cheerful, you can get a 4 pack for a couple of quid from the supermarket, and essential for cleaning pots and pans on the hill. If you can clean the worst of the pot with what nature provides (grass, gravel is excellent for scouring) then you just dry off with one of these before packing them bone dry into your pack. It’s able to soak up liquids, even when already damp, means it can mop up spills or water ingress into the tent. They even come in a selection of colours if that’s important to you.

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Dave Roberts

Dave Roberts founded Walk Eryri in 2004, with the aim of providing routes that are off the beaten track. Walk Eryri is now part of Mud and Routes which continues to provide more off beat routes and walks in Snowdonia and beyond. Dave has been exploring the hills of Eryri for over thirty years, and is a qualified Mountain Leader. Dave also established Walk up Snowdon, Walk up Scafell Pike and Walk up Ben Nevis just to mention a few.

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