For me that item is the lightest part of my overall kit, yet it's the one piece of gear I never want to find myself without. What is it? Earplugs! Yup, simple foam noise-blocking ear plugs.
I love being outdoors, but at night the sounds of nature can make it hard for me to fall asleep. I have lots of trail buddies that swear by a little Benadryl before sleep to take the edge off and help them get a good night sleep, but I prefer not to take medicine unless I need to. Using foam earplugs to block out that background noise (and loud snorer) works great for me and is something I never want to be without on an overnight.
So what piece of gear is your must have? I'd love to know what you just can't hike without and why.
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14 comments:
An emergency whistle. Not the stupid ones that come on backpack sternum straps, but a loud pealess plastic minifox. I've got one tied onto every backpack I own.
I like beewax earplugs, myself.
Everyone I hike with snores...so earplugs are a must for mr too. Not even drugs drown out my friends snoring! But I must admit I have taken the Benadryl before too.
Seems like the one piece of gear I always want with me, even if reason dictates that I won't need it, is my little P-38 can opener. It's my little talisman of preparedness, as it works as designed as a can opener, but also flathead screwdriver (as well as Phillips, if you use the corner), fingernail cleaner, paint scraper, awl, and many more uses. (Go see http://www.georgia-outfitters.com/page52.shtml for a full list and testimonies.) Even when it's made redundant by the tools on my Swiss Army knife, I still carry that P-38. (Redundancy isn't a bad thing when it only weighs a fraction of an ounce. Plus it fits right on a set of dogtags, tho I wrapped some electrical tape around it to keep it from popping open and jabbing me.)
That reminds me I need to pick up some more ear plugs for my hike that I leave for in the morning.
My favorite piece of gear is my NeoAir. I have absolutely fallen in love with that thing since I have gotten it.
But of course, a sleeping pad is most likely going to be with any backpacker. So, my other item which can be debated is my pillow. I have a few but I have come to enjoy my Cocoon UltraLight Air Core pillow the most. (And yes,I "have" to have it...a stuff sack with clothes does not cut it, especially when I am wearing them... :))
Stick, I've heard great things about the NeoAir so I'm not surprised - although LOVE is a strong word!
Have a safe and fun hike, look forward to your updates when you get back.
Mattexian, you've reminded me of a little gadget that I have long taken for granted and have clipped to every set of keys that I have. I'm a HUGE fan of the P-38. Thanks for bringing it back to my attention!
Philip, I've never tried Beeswax earplugs, do they expand in the ear like the foam ones do or do you just mush them into the ear canal?
Thanks for letting me be your inspiration for a follow-up post.
I realized something else I always have on me, alongside that P-38, is a tube of lipbalm. That is more superstitious, as the one time I conciously left it at home, turned out to be the one time I needed it! I went home with badly chapped lips that day, and ever since I carry it always!
I really like the idea of earplugs whilst camping, the trouble is, when I camp, I either have my own kids with me or other peoples kids with me (I'm a Scout Leader), so they are probably not the best idea. I will just have to dream about them.
I also take lip balm everywhere with me, I have little tubs of Carmex everywhere, desk, car, bag etc etc.
I guess the things I always have with me on a hike, short or long would be, Spyderco Kiwi (non locking & sub 3 inches, UK law) Silver Gripper tweezers, Fenix LD20 torch and my Buff headscarf. In fact I have those things with me wherever I am.
Super blog Brian, I will be purchasing a Kupilka cup soon, thanks to your info, they look fantastic!
Hi Roley, yeah backpacking with kids pretty much changes everything, especially the amount of gear you have to carry :-) I only use the ear plugs when I'm on my own or traveling with other adults (most of whom snore badly). I'm also a Scout leader - Tiger Cubs).
I occasionally carry lip balm, but I've noticed that the more I use lip balm, the more easily my lips become dry. It's like they lose their own natural ability to stay moist - probably TMI, but you started it. So now I tend not to use it unless I really have to.
When I lived in the UK, before I moved to USA, I used to carry an original Spyderco Delica with me everywhere as my EDC. That was before all of the recent clamp downs on knives and guns. At least you have a good quality blade with the Spydy Kiwi.
Thanks for all your nice comments. I have more Kupilka goodies to give away soon, including the cups - so stay tuned you might win something for free!
Lipbalm is good carry around any day! But if you do happen to be without it again and your lips are badly chapped, a survival technique is to rub the side of your nose where your nostril meets the rest of your nose. There's almost always oil there. You can then rub that on your lips and it works extremely well. It sounds a little gross... but I'd rather be slightly grossed out than have to go through all the pain of badly chapped lips!
i hear you can do the same thing with built up ear wax! just kidding, it makes nasty sense though...
yes to earplugs, though I usually lose them before trip is out. I also like my eye shade. Tired out waking up at some damn bird's idea of the crack of dawn- See 4am northern Maine in summer. Though it is not ultralight, since I go solo alot, small portable AM/FM/Weather radio from CC Crane-has speaker and headphones, and extra battery has auto shut off. -approx 5 oz. I justify since I stopped bringing books, games, toys, cards,great American novel, journal.etc. -Sanity. I can always talk back to the radio.
Nothing like being rained in and listening to an AM baseball game in Chicago at night while on an East Coast mountain with unknown Massive WILD animals outside...
PS. FM is usually useless in boonies, so be sure your AM is good. Weather radio can be helpful at times, but I usually get Marine forecast 100 miles inland-Go figure.
Those are all excellent reasons to carry a small radio. I have to admit that I have never considered carrying a small radio as it seemed like excess weight, but just for the morale points you mentioned it might be worth reconsidering. Thanks for the tip!
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