Other hacks I have learned: Hot water in nalgene bottle in your footbox will keep you warm all night on those nights it gets unseasonably cold. Its literally the only reason I carry a Nalgene. Get the flexible opaque ones, they are lighter and OK to handle boiling water. Anything you leave outside your tent will get stolen and ate by porcupines (including your leather boots lol). If you tie a bear bag, tie the line high up on the tree as well, porcupines will go after anything that smells like humans Tie a bandana, neck gaitor whatever on your hammock guy line above where your tent fly attaches. As water drips down the line it will divert and drip down the bandana rather than down the line wetting out the corner of your hammock, which makes your sleeping bag wet. This isnt a hack, but man I hate porcupines.
@@JeremiahStringer Northern section of the AT is thick with the fuckers. They destroy everything. They chew anything human sweat is on. They go after the area on shelters that we sit at on the entrances. I have even seen them chew down one of the aluminum AT survey post things they hammer in the ground. They stole my buddies boots in Maine (thats when I learned to keep them inside the tent). They stole my food bag out of bear hang in PA lol.
For determining the amount of fuel left in the bottle, float it in water. The more it floats the emptier it is. MSR canisters actually have measurement lines in the side of their can for this method of measurement
Great video! Not sure if someone else already mentioned this, but the First 40 Miles podcast shared a hack where you bring a photo copy of your ID, insurance card, etc and keep them in a zip lock bag. This way if someone needs to ID you they can, but if your pack gets lost or goes down river you won't lose those important things with it.
Hack #1 is called a Lindal Valve. Very important to know the weight of a full canister and to not overfill. You should stop and weigh the canister over and over until you get to the desired range. Seek out instructions before attempting to refill canisters.
@@OldNavajoTricks well, the small ones are a 200+/-g can with about 100g of fuel in it. The MSR cans give you net and gross weight which makes it easy to refill to the original weight without overfilling. Most people still have some fuel in their can but maybe not enough to be confident on a trip. So if your can's gross when full is 210g and you weigh it showing 125g you can safely add the balance to get you as close as you'd like to 210g gross weight. If you transferred your entire other can you would overfill the canister. Overfilling can cause the valve to randomly fail or leak, or even worse in a few reported instances either failure of the can when subjected to high heat like direct sunshine in the summer if stored outside your pack or back of a vehicle etc.... Direct sunshine with ambient temperatures in the high 80's and 90's can heat the can well above 120º easily which they advise highly against. Also overpressure/overfill can be dangerous because when you screw your stove on, the overpressure can spray liquid and gas mist out. Do this near a campfire where people often sit and cook or if you or someone next to you are smoking it could cause a dramatic flare up . It can cause problems with the valve where it wont close properly and you take your stove off and it's basically hissing gas. Rare occurrences but one to be mindful of and to not overfill. All backpackers should have a good kitchen scale anyhow. Lastly, it's nearly impossible to transfer the 100g of fuel of a full 210g can to another 210g empty can fully, it has to do with the pressure of one can to the other which eventually balances out. The gas is liquefied under pressure so much of it will simply pour into the lower empty can but you will never get it all to transfer, and really why would you? This is why you use a larger can as your feeder to top-off a few smaller cans as needed. Eventually you'll have the same pressure problem with the big can and you'll have to use the remainder of that one too. (i use these for my thermocell which needs very little pressure and flow and consumes very little fuel) You can help the transfer by putting your small receiver can in the fridge or freezer for 10-15 mins and hold the larger can in your lap or cup with your warm hands for that same amount of time to use thermal dynamics to help encourage the transfer.
@@oldunion yep, i put the cans i'm gonna fill in the freezer, then move them directly to a high sided plate full of ice water while filling. For 3 season use I use the packs of butane from sams club, super cheap. I have an adapter that fits on top of my gworks lindal to lindal adapter. this lets me use those butane cans with the nozzle that you can find at sams or asian markets. Cheaper than isobutane/propane blend, which is unnecessary in weather above 40F anyway. If I do ever need to refill a small canister with isopro then I snag those monster 450 gram fuel cans from REI for $10, 4 times the fuel of the little ones brand new but for twice the price
@@OldNavajoTricks I know you get it. It’s cool. Just this is an advice video so it’s worth taking the time to be specific and help the less knowledgeable.
Concerning long handled spoons. You can bring a long handled spoon, or you can fold over the top of the bag twice the way you would cuff your pants. This protects the zipper from getting filled with something that will prevent reseal if needed. But more importantly, it makes it way easier and cleaner to eat the food. Use this same hack on bags of chips or cereal or anything that comes in a bag. Welcome to civilization
Refill with butane. You can get these spray paint looking cans at an Asian grocery and the going price right now is $2 for 8oz / 230 grams. The refill adapter piece is super tiny and only $3. Just press down to send fuel to the other canister. I had to freeze the receiving canister but it worked. Butane will be less stressful for the canister, so i wouldn't worry about which brand it's rated for. The only downside to refilling with butane is it's not freezing weather friendly, so don't bring a butane refilled canister winter camping.
Just an FYI, 20" of artificial sinew can be used to extend any short spork or spoon using any twig laying anywhere. 20" of waxed sinew weights nothing. Same 20" of waxed sinew can be separated and used for your sewing kit
Some good points. I usually put my ID, cash, and debit card in a zip lock bag, and stick it in my top pouch of my pack. And your point about the pillow is spot on. I hurt my neck in the Army, and have an issue sleeping on clothing stuffed into a stuff sack. So I purchased one of the Thermarest pillows. It was actually too flat, so I purchased a small bag of the memory foam chunks, and opened the end of the pillow to add them. Sewed it back shut, and it works like a champ!! It does weigh a little more, but, I have shaved my weight down in other areas so I can afford a few ounces of comfort!! Being an old retired Army tanker, sleeping in comfort has become a requirement out on the trail! LOL Happy trails and hike on!
My goto utensils are a Ozart Trail 9" spoon ($0.88 when they first came out at Wal-Mart) and a UCO Switch Spork. The spork is a knife, spoon, and spork combo and you can combine the spoon/spork to make a long handled utensil with a spoon at one end and a spork at the other. The big downfall is that they are plastic, so I would be careful using them in your pot over heat. I too bring a small inflatable pillow. It's a must have. Tip, use a buff as a pillow case. It makes the inflatable pillow much more comfortable. I also like to use a NiteIze Mini Lantern in the hammock or tent. They are tiny and lightweight and can be packed with your tent/hammock. I prefer it over the headlamp as the headlamp light is directional and the mini lantern lights up the area better.
Correction, the Nite Ize light I use is the Moonlit LED Micro Lantern. I love it. They have a newer version called the Radiant Micro Lantern that is the same size, but rechargable. These are tiny and give off plenty of light in the hammock or tent.
Turn the canister upside down and float them in water (one full and one empty). Water level works like a fuel gage. No need to have a scale especially at a re-supply town. Some MSR canisters actually have level marks on them
I've used the refill tool with long canisters (cheaper to buy in bulk) to refill camping canisters with no issues so far. Ziploc bag and rubber band for a wallet. You will always have these in your pack because you already use them to re-pack food or waterproof your electronics, etc. Folding utensils suck because food always gets stuck in the fold and is a pain to clean out and turns nasty if you don't do a thorough job. If you have a blade or scissors, just trim the bag down a bit so a regular length spoon will work. Or pour it out and rehydrate in a mug.
Your so right about the wallet. You can aquire backproblems carrying it in your back pocket. I stopped a few years back and just carry my wallets insert with the main things i always need. I also carry it my front pocket instead. Very few back issues since. Sounds like a no brainer but it took me awhile to realize it. Good hacks man! Hike on!
I used to do the "trail wallet" thing. That stopped after my car was broken into at a trailhead. Luckily all the important stuff was with me, but everything else, (including my nice wallet), was gone. Now I just keep a minimum of stuff in my regular wallet and pack it with me.
I leave my wallet at home and only bring minimal stuff in a butterfly clip. But I can see how that wouldnt be the same for every trip for most people. But it is something to consider. How much stuff in that wallet do you really need to get to the trailhead? Most people I know keep like all their credit cards in their wallet, their library card, etc.... Probably better off just unloading the wallet at home and only bringing exactly what you need for that specific hike and trail access to the hike.
I bought a Humn Wallet years ago and now that thing goes in my front pocket. The trick IMHO is just taking a really hard look at what you really need to have with you. ID Debit Card / Credit Card(s) Health Insurance Card Mobile Passport (I sometimes have to cross borders) The band on the outside holds cash / receipts. Also, if you have a phone case on your phone, keep a folded up $20 bill inside your phone case for emergencies.
Ive solved the short spork issue by cutting the bag down, to a nice bowl. Scissors are a great piece to add to your kit. Safer than blades for many jobs. Leatherman makes the very versatile Raptors. I own three.
I'm clearly doing it wrong on the fuel canisters, when I bring that style stove. I shake the one I have, if it feels light I throw in a full one. Use up the one, switch to the full one. Carry the old one back home, shoot a hole through it, toss it in the trash.
A nice little hack I picked up on in the Army… with these Mountain House meals or any other hydration meal in a bag… you should have some sort of knife on you at all time (if you have a man card)… cut the top off the bag as you eat it further down… no lengthy spoon needed, while keeping those dirty grubbers out of your meal.
I LOVE the fuel canister hack!!! Gonna use that for sure!! I hate carrying that partial can of fuel with a full one (knowing I will run out if I don’t). Keep these great videos coming Jeremiah!
I used to do this until a rubber band broke because of the sharp edges on some cards. My cards and money went everywhere. If you use rubber bands, use 2 or look for some made of silicone. They are stronger. Use paper money to act as a blanket on the outside to cover the edges of the cards.
I've read that you should ideally put the empty gas cannister in the freezer for ten minutes before you refill it, that should help with lessening the chance of it exploding because of the pressure being lower in the cannister when refilling.
I do that as well. It compacts the molecules of gas so it effectively can be transferred between containers I think. Basically opens up space in the can you put in the freezer
umm, maybe it's too obvious ... but i weigh my canisters when I buy them & write the 'full' weight on the bottom in permanent marker. Then at any time you can re-weigh to determine what's left. (also means that you don't overfill - and it helps to throw the 'to be filled' canister in the freezer for a few minutes before filling)
Even cheaper wallet: A ziplock bag! I bought a set of 500 various sizes on amazon for 10 bucks, will have the size I need for anything until the day I die.
If you had one full can and one empty can, the pressure would equalize and you would end up with two cans 1/2 full. If you first freeze a near empty can, more fuel will flow into the frozen empty can.
this video was full of great little tricks. As someone who is over the hill and plummeting down the other side, I appreciated the bit on recovery. That I can really use. Most excellent and cheers!
I’ve been refilling the same 4-oz isopro canister for a few years now with no problems. I actually fill from a 16-oz canister - the fuel is cheaper that way. Also, heat the top one (filling from) and chill the bottom one (filling into). Weigh the bottom one often to avoid overfilling!
UPDATE: I just grabbed my 4 oz fuel canister that I’ve been refilling and it was completely empty! I suspect the Lindal valve is leaking. So there is a limit to refilling canisters. I plan to replace it now after every 4 or so refills. At least it didn’t happen on trail!
"See we dont like our spoons with short handles...we like em with long handles that way you can use em just like at" *snaps fingers* im from Alabama and i gotta tell ya the kentucky accent is great man. Great content as always.
I always keep a black sharpie in my food bag. Whenever I do a burn with my stove I mark the fuel can to keep track of how many burns I have. Typically I can get 12-15 burns out of an MSR canister. After 15 burns the canister goes into my Jeep kitchen for coffee until it’s empty.
The problem with refilling unrefillable canisters, isn't what's in them. It's metal fatigue from pressurizing and unpressurizing multiple times. They do crack and sort of explode if you do it enough. You are probably ok to do it a couple times, and do it outside, but nothing's certain.
eh, I think as long as you stay at or under the maximum capacity that's written on the canister there's no issue. If I come across a canister that is dented or seems rusty, i swap it out. Ive refilled my canisters dozens of times with no sign of cracks forming. also keep in mind, the weakest point of a canister is the bottom, and it's like this on purpose. if the canister can't handle the pressure, but bottom goes from concave to convex. These canisters are meant to take some abuse, and be stronger than they need to be. Like when a sign warns you of a bridges weight limit, it's not like it falls apart if you go a few pounds over. Metal fatigue happens when you bend a paper clip back and forth until it breaks. When you refill a canister the metal is staying stationary.
Hello 👋 Jeremiah, greetings from dry, parched Northern California. It's good to see you again. Thank you for sharing the pearls of wisdom. The best to you and your family. Stay safe and healthy out there. 🤗
To lighten my pack I don't bring any extra clothes and have nothing to make a pillow from :D So, I bought a Nemo Fillo Luxury that weights 340 g, but is awesome and definetly more comfortable to sleep on than an extra pair of socks. I don't stuff it, just fold it and it doesn't take much space. I saw that some famous hikers take 2 pillows, but one huge pillow should be lighter.
@@JeremiahStringer I’m planning a very difficult hike this week and I decided to carry only the Fillo case and staff my nano puff inside it, because it’s going to be warm and I won’t need it. I’m also going to put my seat pad inside to make it higher. Pretty comfortable.
i got a similar fill tool but it also came with an adapter to use those cheaper butane canisters. The only work on the remote canister stoves so if you dont use one of those you can fill with a cheap butane canister to a normal canister.
Good fun ideas. Amen about the pillow...but I need one about twice as thick as I have, to really work when I'm side sleeping. I can't go overnight without it!
I'm a little surprised more people don't just use a titanium long-handled spoon/spork. Mine has lasted over 15 years and the price has maybe gone up $1 in that time. 8.6" and .7oz for the Toaks brand. Easy to carry and not so easy to lose with a tiny carabiner.
The most irritating thing that bugs me about trying to use a camp pillow on a slick mattress is the fact that even with flocking the pillow will slide off the mattress while trying to sleep. I found putting the pillow inside a T-shirt helps. A hoodie works best as you can wrap it up in the hood like you showed on your video. But it’s not 100% perfect. I’m still looking for the ideal pillow. I’ve tried blow ups, memory foams, and clothes in a sack! They all work but I’m still on the look out for something better. Sleeping on trail can be difficult for me as I have back issues. I need my rest!
@@JeremiahStringer what a darn good idea! A strap! Maybe I can come up with some type of homemade thing using heavy duty velcro and canvas/duck fabric. Thanks for the hint! I can’t wait to try it out.
@@dianesmigelski5804 You could def do that. The Trekology 2.0 pillow on amazon has one built in too. Might be worth checking out. If anything else it could give you ideas
I weigh the fuel cans w/o the cap and write the weight on the bottom of the can w/ a sharpie. The "Net" weight on the cans tell you how much fuel is in them, so you can figure out what the empty weight is (which I also write on the bottom).
I love my polished Toaks spork, but it’s long and not always easy to pack. Will try the MSR! I also weigh my used cans against a full can. Some gas canister brands have lines on the can. If you float them upside down in water it shows you the fill level. Pretty handy on long trails! Keep em coming Mr. Stringer🏕
Jetboil also makes a scale to weigh your partially used canister. Also if you put your used canister in the freezer for a few minutes before refilling you will get a better fill.
Great tips!!! I keep learning every time I watch. I just did my first overnight with a friend. Was so happy to have my Nemo FILO pillow which I found out about from watching you!
I'm prepping for my first trek and I keep hearing about the need for a long spoon/fork, which I don't dispute. But, coulldn't you just roll the bag inward or cut off the top?
Has anyone else just folded the sides of a freeze dried meal? Or cut the sides lower? I’ve done it. No need for a long spoon. Unless you then use the bag as a trash bag. Then that wouldn’t work for some..
It's more fun to place my old empty canisters near the fire and shoot them, before running over them with the truck. Just make sure they are empty, don't want to make that mistake again. Took a while for all my hair to grow back! ;)
Stick one end of a steel pipe into a campfire at an angle like a mortar, then drop a full can into the pipe, nozzle end first, and launch it into other campers. No kidding, don't do that....use an aerosol can instead, they work better.
Totally forgot they make that valve for canisters. I need to get on of them. I have the flow fold wallet very slim easy to pack I believe is made from either DCF or something similar. I've ended up preferring this to the bag style trail wallets.
Here's a hack I use on my canisters: When they are empty, I weigh them, and write the weight on the bottom of the canister. The 'full' weight is already printed on the canister, so I know that the difference is the weight of the fuel. That way I can figure the 75/25 butane/propane mix I need when filling them. Another thing I have found is that different brand canisters weigh different amounts empty, so weigh them all.
Epic intro!!! Dude if i tried that outro with kicking the bell... id throw my back out!! I have that refill valve too, i didn't realize till after the first time that i should use the same brand/type. There are different mixes that require different pressures and therefore different can designs! Luckily i got away with it once!!
Check your local regulations about making holes in gas canisters. At least in many European countries it is forbidden to make a hole in them and they should be recycled as hazardous waste.
Hack #3 along with ID and money I take a piece of thick card stock and cut it to size of credit card and put on one side emergency contact info and other side any pertinent medical stuff like allergies, meds taken, blood type. Then laminate it. Im also like you in aspect of when I get home I shower, eat and do nothing. Need to get better at the recover aspect.
We travelled 2 years ago quite a bit. Even though we had our wallet stuff, we also photographed with our phone our cards etc.. I realize phones are often lost but with the cloud, which I don't understand, I suppose those photos can be retrieved. In lieu of that we sent the photos to our attorney. Anyone you trust, of course, could be the guardian.
The MSR fuel cans list exactly how much fuel is in a brand new can. You can safely put the same amount in other brands of cans. The reason why the fuel cans say "do not refill" is because of risk and liability of a refilled can exploding because someone overfilled them. It hasn't anything to do with fuel. You should not mix 3-season fuel with 4-season for performance reasons not safety. When refilling a canister you must not overfill! I overfilled once a bit too much (and I knew it) because I didn't have an accurate way to measure outside of buoyancy. What is happened is that I ended up with a pressure bubble on the bottom of the base. I got lucky and it didn't explode in my pack! This happened the 2nd day out of town and during a hot day of hiking on the Colorado Trail in an area with very little shade for 20 miles. Now I don't care. If I overfilled I just release the gas until I'm at the at or below correct original weight. You'll know if you overfilled because your stove will "poof" flames when you cook. As you use fuel from an overfilled can the poofing will subside. You can use that as a gauge if you're unsure about how full the can is and you don't have a scale.
They work great! the gworks gas saver lindal to lindal adapter, and while you're at it pick up the lindal to butane nozzle adapter. The only one I wouldn't highly recommend messing with is the propane one. Propane is significantly higher pressure so there's more risk there. besides, the value is still outstanding transferring from a 450 gram isopro can to your little 110 gram cans. The value is even better if you do what i do and run pure regular n-butane in warmer weather.
Dont pierce the can till empty. Releasing the isobutane/propane mix into the atmosphere is bad I'm told. After transfering the last of the fuel to another canister, hook up your stove and burn the last of the fuel. Only takes a minute, then pierce the can.
Great tips! The best item I switched to was a dedicated pillow, instead of making one out of other clothes and such. I use the Outdoors Vitals pillow inside a pile sack I have had for years. Invest in sleep.
@@JeremiahStringer One mans junk is anothers just what I need... And if you trim the lid/base correctly, you can use a leatherman to fold it up to form the handle, forgot to mention that bit.
I use a golf ball on my feet and a lacrosse ball or tennis ball on my calves for soft tissue work. The older I get the more I need it! I live in Fresno, Ca so about an hour from the Sierras. Hiking many areas in the Sierras requires strong legs and good lungs. I have been a personal trainer and strength and conditioning coach here for a decade now so I find that my dedication to strength and endurance training makes every single trip I do that much more enjoyable. Not only does it give me a physical advantage on the trail but it gives me a mental edge as well of having put my body through the ringer and know I will be alright even when the hikes are extremely difficult. I have been considering making a channel on here dedicated to helping others prepare themselves for hiking and backpacking as well. It ain't easy but is sure is fun! Happy Trails and thanks for the Video -Nat
@@JeremiahStringer Absolutely! When the worry isn't "Can I actually do this?" or "Am I gonna make it?" then you get to focus on the beauty around you and truly enjoy the moment!
Hey there mr. Stringer. Toots' here just north of sector 7. I like that canister refueling tool and this is the first time I have seen one. I myself don't use canisters anymore. more of a Fancy Feast boy at heart. I certainly think it's a great idea even if it's wink-wink-nudge-nudge kind of tool eh. :)
Why use a long spoon for the hydration food packaging, I let my meal cook and then slice a third of the bag off and use a regular spoon, when I am done the part of bag I sliced off goes into the bag I ate out of. Simples
Im guessing when you turn it upside down and open it, the liquid will flow down through the gas space in the bottom can. Liquid being more dense than gas, will allow this to work.
@@louis_costa I'm not 100% sure so take this with a grain of salt, but I'm fairly certain propane and isobutane are gasses and only in a semi-liquid state because of how they are pressurized in the canister. I also suspect the semi-liquid form would be rendered to gas by the venturi at the valve.
Btw I almost died on trail 4 days ago so scary hit a ground yellow jacket nest learned a new thing spread the word. Carry benadryl and previcid yes the heartburn medicine it's also an antihistamine but different than benadryl and the combo is so much more effective date this please can save lives good vibes take care
Could be. 1st, if you have a full can you shouldn't use it to refill another one. That defeats the purpose. 2nd, if you stick one partially empty can in the freezer before filling it, you'll get more fuel in it instead of equalizing the two cans :)
@@JeremiahStringer Apology accepted!!!! lol.. thanks. Neat gadget to look into as I've failed to label new cans and now have cans of varied fill. I imagine over time one can get quite the collection.
Plenty of good ideas like refilling. you will always need to fill from a larger can to a small can because once the pressure is equal, you have to resort to using a temperature gradient to get the fuel to move. The long handle thing tho....Why not just cut the bag? Its all going to be trash anyway. And everyone should carry a knife....Just cut the bag down to where the food is.
I think that when you put the can you want to fill up in the freezer before refill, it slows the speed of the molecules of the fuel and that creates more space in the can. That space is taken up by the fuel you are letting gravity pull down through the adapter. I could be wrong on how it works. All I know is when I use it, the bottom can fills up and the top one is empty. I assume there is some kind of seal in the adapter that keeps fuel from going out of the bottom can
Refilling fuel canisters from another canister only equalizes fuel level between both canisters. I disagree with this because you can’t empty either canister this way.
That’s not how that works. The adapter is one way and won’t let fuel go back through. The fuel is liquid in the canister and gravity just pulls it down through the adapter. Physics
