Cool idea; I put reflective tape on my trekking poles, at the height of my boots, so when I'm crossing streams, rivers, I can see if the water will get in my boots and if I crossing at night, my headlamp picks up the reflective tape. Saved my but more than once.
@@coachhannah2403 you could take your shoes off for crossing the river and put them back on afterwards. Not always a good idea, depending on what's on the ground of the river (animals, hurtful/slippery stones, ...)
I always carry 2 kitchen size garbage bags in my emergency kit. They weigh next to nothing. When crossing a stream I just pulled one over each leg and I can cross any stream lower then my crotch high and dry. There are plenty of other uses for these bags also if needed.
I love it. Try this. Use a red hot safety pin to poke tiny holes in a smart water bottle cap. About 10 to 12 should do it. Place the cap on the bottle and use this to wash your hands or you can warm it next to a fire or in your cook pot and use it to basically shower. Using this technique I can completely shower with biodegradable soap from head to toe using a single liter of water. I sleep much better when I am clean.
@@davidtrindle6473 A "Smart" water bottle is the bottle that comes with the name brand of bottled water called "Smart". The bottle cap is, well, the bottle cap. I would think take another cap and have one cap with holes and one without (for regular use).
@@davidtrindle6473 it is the cap from a bottle of Smart Water brand of bottled water. Many hikers use these instead of Nalgene and other brands if water bottles because they are basically free, Andes than half the weight. Also very strong and durable.
I carry an extra cap just in case the bottle cap cracks. When people first started using Smart and other one-use water bottles, folks would test their durability by dropping them off the roof and seeing how well the bottle held up (comparing it to a Nalgene). When the bottles broke, it was almost always because of a crack in the lid. I carry an extra now, just in case.
Been doing the same for a while now. Another hack....slide your rain jacket over your pad and footbox. Extra warmth and a great way to keep condensation off your footbox.
Same. And then all my middle-of-the night stuff, such as flashlight and hand sanitizer, go right in the opening of my boots. Nice and handy for a groggy call of nature.
Nice. My Hack: I love to have trail mix and drinkables (coffee, juice etc.) while I am actually hiking. So, I had a belly pack that has drink holders on each side. I modified it to so my hip straps snap into each side of it. This way I don't have to stop for access to everything from hot coffee, water, trail mix, glasses, gloves, phone, charger, TP (as Kleenexes) harmonica etc. I even keep my water filter in there. It actually helps to keep the weight distributed better on my hips. I think they really should make all packs like this in the first place. I use a small used plastic peanut butter jar as my coffee cup. I can twist off the lid and have a sip and twist it back on to hike without spills. This cup/jar can be cleaned easily by adding water, putting the lid back on, shake vigorously and dumping it out. Voilà!
@@chrisfinley I don't think there is any way to send pictures in RU-vid comments. Otherwise I would be glad to show you how it works. I used a sewing machine and a second set of buckles from an old pack.
Cool hack thanks. My Hack. In Winter, I boil water (about 750ml) and pour it into my 1 litre Nalgene water bottle. This goues into a sock before I pop it into the foot box of my sleeping bag. Doing this about 20 minutes before bedtime will see you jump into a nice warm bag. Cheers Gary
I do this regularly at home too, as I keep thermostat as low as possible. We use bubble bath bottles that are sort of flat rectangles - cheap and leakproof. Makes for coziness!
Hack to share: a piece of reflectix (sort of thin, tough silver mylar bubble wrap), 18"x18", makes my stuff sacks easier to stand and fill, and is my sit pad and helps my boots or shoes dry at night (vs the cold/dewy ground) and is the place to step out of my hammock onto (to keep my socks dry/cleaner).
Another simple hack- sew a small piece of brillo pad around/through the little hole at the end of the sea to summit long handle spork. Super easy to scrub out your pot!
Great idea. You taught me how to use my trekking poles from your video, that’s why I watch you. I’m happy with my bulky thermarest pillow. It’s just too comfortable. Thanks though. One hack of mine is using a string with my poles to make a clothesline to dry things. Go through the loops on the handles and down to the ground and connect to a tent stake or other object. 😊
Bow hunter here. I mostly base camp on National Forest one to two miles from the truck by backpack or canoe. My tip: I use a cheap cloth/foam bow case from walmart to carry my bow in when strapped to my pack. I can open it up and lay it on top of my ridgerest pad for extra padding/insulation. Works awesome. Love your channel.
Hey man, thanks for the shout out! It's weird seeing an old video of mine... lol. I remember getting this idea on top of Max Patch one night... it's funny how things just come to us. Anyway, glad that you were able to make use of the pillow idea and evolve it even farther. Now with some of the materials used for rain jackets (such as the Vertice) I think that would be a great idea to use it, or my puffy instead of a dirty shirt to hold the pillow in place. Now I just gotta get back out and do some more backpacking though! By the way, I really enjoyed the videos you had from the recent TGO challenge.. I really wanted to go on that, but life happens. Thanks again, and keep up the good work!
I did kind of a reverse of this on the AT. When I was worried about getting moisture build up on my down quilt in my zpacks duplex tent I would use my rain jacket in the same way and put my foot box in it to keep it from getting wet when it would touch the tent wall.
I have just crossed half the Pyrenees and fought with my pillow almost every night. I wish I had seen this video before but I sincerely want to thank you for this wonderful hack
I multitask silicone stretch lids (with tabs trimmed) as a pot holder/lifter ,food lid, hot liquid lip protector (small holes punched), contents keeper, and noodle strainer for my cook pot.
This may not help anyone else, but if you have back issues while hiking then using trekking poles are fantastic. It seems to balance my stride enough to keep my back from hurting on long days. It's specific, but if it can help anyone else then I'm happy to share.
Also, if you hike in the southeast and follow Dixie's rule of never leaving home without a down jacket I do about 3.5 seasons here with just a quilt that doubles as a jacket(wind hard tiny). I don't recommend this for cold sleepers or anyone north of say Tennessee, but it works for me.
Nice hack. Since I'm 6'3" and use a short pad in summer, my empty pack goes under my head suspension-up and the pillow on top of that suspension. In winter I use the same system with a standard 72" pad and it gives me enough extension to keep my feet on top of the pad instead of groundcloth on top snow or rain-soaked ground.
Nice hack, but I can‘t imagine feeling good with my cheek (side sleeper!) against a rain jacket material, or even against my down jacket‘s shell. But my fleece jacket will do the trick perfectly as the outside shell, with my down jacket (same as yours) stuffed inside, provided I‘m not wearing it to stay warm. Thanks!
With my Neoair mattress, I pile some extra clothes and gear UNDER the mattress where my head lays. It lifts up the edge to create a pillow. With the gear being under the mattress, the "pillow" will have a consistent feeling with no bumps against your head. It also enables me to sleep comfortably close or even slightly over the edge of the mattress. I'm 6'1 and I feel I have plenty of length on my 6'0 mattress. This hack seems to work well on neoair mattresses where the baffles run along the short side. Not sure how it would work on mattresses with baffles running the long way as the mattress might not bend nicely at the edge. The stuff may also slide a bit on slippery tent floors, but I've worked around it by having the gear positioned against the head end bathtub floor so it has no place to escape. You could probably use your pack, shoes or even cook kit against the bathtub. I get a great nights sleep with this hack and it saves the weight of a separate pillow.
My pillow never moves around ticked into the top of my mummy bag but some don't have a mummy bag. I also have a pillowcase cut in half that stays around the pillow when it is deflated and they both stay in the mouth of the sleeping bag stuff sack. It's worked great for 600+ miles. I'm also not *ultralight* but have a 12 lbs base weight but I tend to pack a lot less food than just about everyone else I meet so it's a wash at the start of a hike but not at the end of a section. I put everything I have available under the air mattress with the pack itself under my knees or feet. I even use my food bag for either a pillow or under my knees.
I carry a Cuban fiber bag I got from somewhere. It has fleece sewn on one side. I put my puffy jacket in that dry bag. Then I put a strip of corresponding Velcro on both the dry bag and the blow up pillow. It keeps my quilt dry when it's not a comfy pillow. Love your videos.
Its not gear. After setting up the tent I lift it and dig a shallow recesses where my butt goes. It adds alittle contour. Very nice for side and back sleeping.
I’ve put this idea to use lately and it’s a total game changer! Thank you so much for sharing it! I sleep on my side and even with the huge pillow I bring it isn’t enough to put my head and neck in the right position so I’m using a light T-shirt and stuffing my down jacket in it as well and it’s perfect. And no zippers! Thanks again for the super helpful video.
This is what I do also. You can get cheap buffs at Walmart in a set of 2 for under $4 (in the women's accessories). They work great as pillow covers, and i use a small narrow inflatable pillow, so the buff fits great.
My favorite gear hack that I use when I’m sleeping is I will fold my zlite pad in half (torso length) to double the cushion and R-Value which works great on those really cold nights. If I ever need to cover my feet, I’ll use my pack
I hammock camp now but back in the tent days when I used a mummy bag, which was made from slick material, it would slide all over my pad an in the morning if on. A slight slope, I would slide half off my pad. So I placed some thin silicone caulk dots on the pad which prevented everything from sliding around. 🤘
Great idea, am going to use that. Thanks 😀. My tip: don't buy the expensive coffee sachets, just pour some coffee into little spice pot eg. The Systema ones, guestimate how much to pour in your cup. Works great and no trash to pack out
Just an extra bit...place your pillow on the mat, half zip your jacket up, and then turn the sleeves inside out, so they are now inside the jacket. There's your extra padding without having to add another garment. Fully zip the jacket up and it's off to dreamland!
Two possible ways to hack your hack... 1. Turn the rain jacket inside out, so that the towelling material inner is what your skin rests on. 2. Once you've zipped the rain jacket up, rotate it to one side, so that the zipper is on the edge of the mattress. This might prevent zipper-neck or zipper-cheek.
I've been using my mummy bag as a quilt for some time and have been frustrated with the hood occasionally bothering me at night, on a recent camping trip it was late, I was tired and just flipped my bag out as I laid down, not paying attention as to how it was oriented. I had a great night's sleep, and seeing that the hood was down at my feet, it hit me, my feet stayed warm and covered in the hood and no hood flopping in my face all night. So from now on until I upgrade to a full quilt the hood goes down by the toes.
It's not really a hack, but I and my wife/kids are able to just carry one sleeping bag between the two of us. Instead of carrying two sleeping bags that zips together, we just sew a second pair of zippers to some fabric that zips up to the sleeping bag the same way as another sleeping bag. We then orient the fabric to the bottom (toward the sleeping pad) and now the bottom of the sleeping bag can be used like a blanket for one of you. One side is higher than the other because the hood will now be on one of your face, but if you're sleeping with somebody much shorter, it's okay.
I like the coat and pillow hack, only I'd put the zipper under the mat. The pillow I use is also inflatable, but C-shape to support my neck, and support my cheek when sleeping on my side. Fill 3/4 full and it can still be bunched up like a regular pillow. Alternatively, if I'll want a camp seat too I use the Klymit Cush. It's long but crushes down small, and has the added advantage of being folded into a seat pad, and if it's muddy, flip it over and sleep on the dry side as a pillow. But the C-shape travel pillow is my fave. I use them on my bed at home.
I use a blow up neck pillow and put my stuffed down puffy in the space my neck would go. I will now ADD the rain jacket around the pad! thanks for sharing the hack. Gotta get the best sleep possible.
I wouldn't call it a hack, but I really enjoy having spare boot and shoe laces for tying up and fastening items. Also feed laces through binder clips' silver hooks/loops, and you have an awesome clothesline for keeping clothes in place.
I use an inflatable pillow all the time. I have found that it does not need to be inflated all that much for it to be comfortable. I have worked out that I can keep the valve at my right shoulder and gently deflate the pillow until I find the sweet spot. Sometimes I need i higher,sometimes lower. Using the pillow on a permanent basis gives me a feeling of familiarity which helps me to sleep better in the outdoors.
It's not a hack but, I take a daily multivitamin. They aren't that heavy. Trail food is mostly non-nutritious so, this helps w a bunch of body issues. Oh, and I carry some pink Benadryls so the bites don't make you go insane. Another good light carry is a plastic blister sleeves (where you tear the top off and squeeze) of antibacterial and antifungal (0.25 oz.?)
All three hacks--t-shirt, rain jacket, down jacket--are new to me. Of the three, I like the t-shirt hack. I wouldn't want oils from my face to get on my jackets. Thanks for the info.
My favourite hack as a side sleeper with a thin ultralight pad is to line the sides with stuff sacks and things to rest my arms on. When you sleep on your side on a thin mat your arms are literally flopping about on the floor. All it takes is your clothes bag and your arm makes like a bridge ten cm above the floor. Really though I plan on getting a 3/4 length extra wide pad so it's still light but comfier for me
Great idea! I too am a side sleeper. Check out the Klymit Static V Jr. Its a 3/4 length pad thats about 23" wide when inflated. Its a bit heavy at 15oz but very cheap - I picked one up in the Klymit ebay store for $30. Warm enough for summer sleeping. I did a video on it ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-87cKdOpBut8.html
Thats a good idea , im a side sleeper too , sleeps important to me , after buying small and tapered airmats , now i have gone over to full rectangular , as this shape supports side sleeping so much better , heavier but worth it, still get one this size shape for under 400g :)
I just came back from a trip to Chattanooga state park. This would have been awesome there. I kept waking up with my head flat on the ground and my pillow off to the side. Thanks for this great idea.
Could also turn the rain jacket inside out to give your head a little bit of a softer feel rather than then outside of the rain jacket on your head and skin. zips up the same way : )
Great tip. My tip actually inspired a cottage vendor to make their own version so here it is. I have trouble reaching the side pouches on almost all the packs I own I wanted something more convenient. For the DIY I use a carabiner attached to a length of paracord that has a cord lock on it so it grabs water bottles around the top. I can clip it almost anywhere to a shoulder strap or the grab loop of the pack for example. If I drop my pack and want to explore around I can also clip it around my belt. Not for everyone but I don't hike without it.
Love this idea and I’m DEFINITELY going to try this even though the new trekology pillows come with a band to hold them in place. Love it, saves me some weight.
Hiking in the UK my rain jacket is often wet and I need it if I need a pee when it's raining. I sleep cold so apart from balmy summer hikes I wear my down jacket to bed.
I use my buff in the same way you have used your rain jacket then I stuff my puffy between my buff and my pillow. My buff makes a nice material surface to sleep on and keeps my pillow in place and my down jacket gives me the loft I need as I am a side sleeper.
I've done this. I use my windbreaker to zip over my pillow, but most important is to have the zipper under the pad. I feel the zipper on the back of my head when I zip it up like you do.
What a great idea! About 6 months ago I bought an air pillow from Trekology that has an elastic strap attached to the bottom of the pillow that wraps around your pad and keeps the pillow perfectly in place. But I still find that I need more loft on the pillow. So I just throw some extra clothes / puffy jacket under the pillow and that works just fine.
Such a simple and amazing idea I been having so much trouble with this and another problem I have is air mat moving around thinking of using a not slip tape or something on the bottom
I use an exped airpillow with a buff around it and elastic cord attached to the loops at the sides. Then I slide it over the top of my mat and voila, nighty night, sleep tight 😃
I bought a mattress with a built in pillow thinking ah 2 fer one.... not... tucked my puffy into its own pocket and bam instant pillow. Bought a treckology pillow and thought wow 2 pillows. Gonna try both with my rain jacket on my next trip now. Thanks for the idea
I test the ground by lying on my mat before I pirch my tent ,avoiding rocks bumps sticks etc.feeling for a hip hole and head high ground then pitch my tent on top using the mat to mark the spot.remove mat on completion
Yes similar to me but I ditched my pillow all together and made a pillow slip out of T Shirt material. I roll all my clothes up inside my down jacket and stuff it inside the pillow slip. It pretty much has the same texture and feel as my pillow case at home. I don't like the wobble of blow up pillows. People who have seen it on the track have liked it enough to replicate.
On my AT hike, only managed 1800 miles ran out of time, I didn't bring an inflatable pillow and used whatever bits other than my perpetually damp hiking clothes in my sleeping gear's drysack as a pillow. Next time I will do more, but honestly I never had trouble sleeping.
Great video! That is a great idea. My favorite gear hack is something I did with a Bed, Bath, & Beyond down blanket. I folded it in half, sewed it, ran shock chord through the baffles, then used it as an under quilt for my hammock. I did a video on it on my channel as a DIY under quilt. Probably not a new idea, but it worked.
Cool. It would act as a short half-quilt. Just covering from shoulders to buttocks. I think they are rated at 50 or 60. Sown in half, might get it down to 40.
Who else came to find this video after hearing about it on Trail Tales? Awesome idea Stick (Chad Poindexter) and thanks for bringing it to our attention Bigfoot.
My pillow was a balaclava that I stuffed with my hiking shirt. Not the most comfortable and wasn't fluffy enough. So I just bought a pillow that as you noted moves around a lot... until I try your hack that is. Thanks for sharing!
I suggest that you try this hack at home. Both tee-shirt (size medium) or rain jacket over pillow/puffy jacket worked as described with my 20 inch wide sleeping pad. No problem. However, with my 25 inch wide pad the tee shirt was getting a stretch, and the rain jacket would no go around the pad. So instead, I tied the sleeves of the jacket together to loop them under neath the pad, pillow and puffy stuff inside rain jacket. Not yet tested overnight, but I like the idea of having my rain jacket at hand ? Head?
How do you handle the situation when it has rained all night and the tent is wet in the morning? Also, what do you donut your sleeping bad is wet from condensation? Do you just pack everything as normal in the morning? I had this happen to me on my first hike experience. I just packed everything and the next day was a hike out. Once I got to the hotel for the night, I just let everything dry. I don’t know what I would have done if I had another night out on the trail. Thanks for your advise!
I pack it up like normal and put it in my stuff sack for my Duplex. My new hex tarp I would just pack it on the outside mesh pocket so it can dry at the same time. If the bottom of my pad has some condensation, I’ll try and dry it off with my buff and then I’ll roll it up wet side in. When I get to camp, I’ll let it air out before I go to bed
My sleeping mat is narrow and need extra width. I thought about 2 of the army air tubes one each side. Held in place with a inner sheet. Any ideas besides gettihg thinner?
If rain jacket is not wet why not... But not sure would be my cup of tea. I usually use a mummy bag, so pillow stay stuck in the wood anyway, or there is a pillow compartment. So never had trouble with that before.
No matter what type of walk or season, I simply place my usual bedroom pillow on top of my head and strap it on with a bungee cord and then begin the walk. This also means you don`t need a hat, therefore helping to minimise weight. Happy pavements.
@@NeverYield-bq8qw Innovative and daring. I approve. Now to just glue some hiking boot soles to my slippers and I think i`m prepped for a good long walk and a snooze.
This is such a great hack! It might be more comfortable to set up everything upside down (lay your rain jacket flat on the floor of your tent, then fold your down jacket into a pad above that, then lay your sleeping pad upside down on the top and zip up the rain jacket). This would mean that the zipper would be underneath the pad and not under your head :D
pgp1964 I also love my overstuffed small Goosefeet Down pillow. My Sea to Summit pillow and I did not get along well. For the extra 0.2 or 0.3 ounces, I’m a happy and cozy sleeper. No worries about an air leak either. 😁
AMAZING!! This could not have popped up at a better time as I am getting ready for a backpacking trip in a couple of days and have been experimenting a few different ways to keep my pillow in place. For those that carry a fleece on the trail, that may be a nice option to use instead of a puffy or rain jacket for a nicer softer feel on your head and neck (if you use a quilt that is). Thanks for this info - I will most definitely be trying this.
