weight saving tip: carry map OR compass

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Chip Down
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weight saving tip: carry map OR compass

Post by Chip Down » June 18th, 2021, 6:56 am

KOIN did a silly little fluff piece, interviewing a physician about hiking safety. It was every bit as ridiculous as you'd expect, just a way to fill space between ads, but I did pick up one good tip: No need to carry map AND compass, turns out you actually can pick one or the other (see screenshot below if you think I'm making this up). Also on their list of essentials is "toilet paper and a towel". Yikes. If you need a towel to clean up after doing your business, you might want to see that physician they interviewed.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eyo2RIBBJRs
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lordgares
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Re: weight saving tip: carry map OR compass

Post by lordgares » June 18th, 2021, 7:16 am

Sheesh, so I have been overpacking with a compass, paper map, AND a GPS? Also, please tell me they at least had water listed on there. I can see some people saying "Well the news didn't say we needed water!"
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jdemott
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Re: weight saving tip: carry map OR compass

Post by jdemott » June 18th, 2021, 8:18 am

This is good advice; when you are carrying multiple lighters and matches, you need to save every ounce you can. The reminder to take a trusty compass is also useful, as I'm often tempted to take my fickle compass instead.

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drm
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Re: weight saving tip: carry map OR compass

Post by drm » June 19th, 2021, 6:16 am

I rarely carry water on longer hikes. Why should I carry something that is flowing next to me or frequently across the trail?

Watching people carve ounces from their pack while carrying two liters of water on the typical PNW hike - just another head scratcher.

But the compass is in my pack and never gets left behind. It dates me. (as in, I'm old)

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Charley
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Re: weight saving tip: carry map OR compass

Post by Charley » June 19th, 2021, 10:55 am

jdemott wrote:
June 18th, 2021, 8:18 am
This is good advice; when you are carrying multiple lighters and matches, you need to save every ounce you can. The reminder to take a trusty compass is also useful, as I'm often tempted to take my fickle compass instead.
"Oh, mercurial compass." :lol: :lol: :lol:
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BigBear
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Re: weight saving tip: carry map OR compass

Post by BigBear » June 19th, 2021, 6:57 pm

I thought the humorous part was that you could save that ounce by leaving the map at home, but carry the extra batteries so when you get lost, you can keep your flashlight on all night while you sit beneath a tree after getting lost. And we all know how lightweight batteries are compared to that thin sheet of paper.

I'm afraid dehydrated water just isn't going to happen soon enough for me. A friend I hiked with back in the 90s was working on a solution. She just couldn't work out the weight differential to "just add water" to the dehydrated water mixture. Personally, I was hoping the mixture would just take the water out of the air when the packet was opened.

If you really want to save weight, hire someone else to carry your pack. Not only will you save your pack weight, you will shed some weight out of your wallet, too. I think that's a win-win. :)

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Chip Down
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Re: weight saving tip: carry map OR compass

Post by Chip Down » June 19th, 2021, 7:30 pm

BigBear wrote:
June 19th, 2021, 6:57 pm
Personally, I was hoping the mixture would just take the water out of the air when the packet was opened.
Carry an air conditioner, and harvest the condensation. You'll need a power source, likely a little two-stroke gas engine, like they type you'd use on a leaf blower. This won't produce water at a fast rate, but that's okay. Just leave it running as you hike. If you get just 5oz per hour, that should keep you healthy enough, although for comfort you might want a little more. On hotter days, you'll want maybe 10oz per hour, but hotter days are generally more humid, in this neck of the woods anyway, so your A/C should generate more condensation.

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wildcat
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Re: weight saving tip: carry map OR compass

Post by wildcat » December 21st, 2021, 8:12 pm

"24-hour water supply"? Wow, so I've been underpacking since for me that would be about two gallons! Never mind carrying a full 50-something ounce Nalgene tank and a bottle of tea to wash lunch down, spare cargoes and sometimes my boots (if I change to sandals at some point).

This, of course, from the guy whose 90-liter Tioga 5500 usually exceeds 50 pounds for overnighters. That would be backbreakingly heavy for some (possibly literally) but my weekly grocery orders often weigh that much so I get regular backpacking strength training. (My poor abused bike, though.) Gotta have that extra water even when bivying near a flowing creek.
Also on their list of essentials is "toilet paper and a towel". Yikes. If you need a towel to clean up after doing your business, you might want to see that physician they interviewed.
Do not downplay the importance of bringing a towel. Some of us do consider it essential. You never know when you might venture a little off-trail and encounter the Ravenous Bugblatter Beast of Traal. Such a mind-bogglingly stupid animal, it assumes that if you can't see it, it can't see you. Daft as a brush, but very very ravenous. (Don't panic.)

Seriously, though, some of my hikes do involve partial immersion in creeks and/or shallow lakes, especially on Mount St Helens in summertime. Slipping wet feet back into dirty and sweated-out Chacos then hiking in them is not a very fun experience. It's also much more pleasant to throw a towel on the ground and sit on it when taking lunch.

Ay, that frood Wildcat, 'e knows where's towel is, 'e does.
Last edited by wildcat on January 9th, 2022, 7:39 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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retired jerry
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Re: weight saving tip: carry map OR compass

Post by retired jerry » December 22nd, 2021, 5:51 am

Rather than a trusty compass, I prefer one that works sometimes but sometimes sends me into a different direction - more interesting

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mjirving
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Re: weight saving tip: carry map OR compass

Post by mjirving » December 23rd, 2021, 10:29 am

I liked the tips about never hiking alone or off trail…no problem, right Chip? :D

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