Mountain Laurel Designs Gear Give Away

Ron over at MLD is wanting to give away some gear. If he reaches 1000 members on his facebook group by this Friday. Get on over there and sign up and then stay tunned to get a chance at some free stuff.

https://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=131793047725&v=wall

Bud-Lite Alcohol Stove Giveaway!

Check out Brian's Backpacking Blog for a chance for one of his stoves. Let him know that you found out about his giveaway right here at Life's Hike!!!

Water is Heavy, So Camel Up: Carry Less.

Water management can be one of the big challenges that can truly affect your pack weight.  Fear tends to drive what we carry.  The three hardest fears to dealt with are getting cold, hungry and thirsty. If you carry a 100oz. Camelback filled with water then you are carrying 8 pounds for the container and water; plus you never really know how much water you have consumed nor how much you have left.  


Why carry so much?  How long and how many miles can you walk around your home without taking a drink?  For me it is 8-10 miles or 3-4 hours.  Try it!  Learn your limits. Are you ready to be pushed out of your comfort zone? 


Instead of a Camelback or other hydration system I like to carry my water in a PowerAde bottle. This way I can keep tabs on how much I drink and how much I have left. My hydration bags are used as part of my water filter system and as a backup if my PowerAde bottle is compromised.

Before bedding down for the night I make sure I have a number of liters of water that are treated and ready for me and others in the morning, especially when hiking with kids.  If the next day’s hike has known sure water sources I drink a couple liters of water before leaving camp then only carry 500mls of water with me until I get to the water source.  When I get to the water source again I drink 2+ liters until the next water source. This is also know as cameling up.

Instead of 8+ pounds of water in a heavy Camelback,  I’m carrying only 1 pound in a used PowerAde bottle that is a huge difference. If you are hiking in dry areas then you can carry more when you need to.

The Real Madness of UL Backpacking

If this video, by Steve, makes any sense to you then you get UL Backpacking, if you are totally confused you don't. If you are this person there really is no help for you, I just hope a trail is in your near future. If you know someone like this, again I hope a trail is in your near future.

Gear Talk: You're a Wimp! So lighten up your pack!

Steve in the video below covers a lot of good stuff about gear and the madness or art of UL Backpacking. If after watching this you have the urge to start weighing everything and spending $$$ on gear then you might be a UL Backpacker! Watch the video and let me know if you need a support group.

Happy Festivus For The Rest Of Us!!!

"Happy Festivus" is the traditional greeting of Festivus a holiday featured in "The Strike" episode of Seinfeld. The episode first aired on December 18, 1997. Since then many people have been inspired by the goodness of the Seinfeld holiday and they now celebrate Festivus as any other holiday.

According to the Seinfeld model, Festivus is celebrated each year on December 23rd. However many people celebrate it other times in December and even at other times throughout the year.

The original slogan of Festivus is "A Festivus for the rest of us!" Instead of a tree an unadorned aluminum pole is used, in contrast to normal holiday materialism. Those attending Festivus may also participate in the "Airing of Grievances" which is an opportunity to tell others how they have disappointed you in the past year, followed by a Festivus dinner, and then completed by the "Feats of Strength" where the head of the household must be pinned. All of these traditions are based upon the events in the Seinfeld episode.

http://www.festivusweb.com/festivus-songs-carols.htm

The Festivus Pole: The Costanzas' tradition begins with an aluminum pole, which Frank praises for its "very high strength-to-weight ratio." During Festivus, the unadorned Festivus Pole is displayed. The pole was chosen apparently in opposition to the commercialization of highly decorated Christmas trees, because it is "very low-maintenance," and also because the holiday's patron, Frank Costanza, "find[s] tinsel distracting."

The Airing of Grievances: At the beginning of the Festivus dinner, each participant tells friends and family of all the instances where they disappointed him or her that year. As quoted from Frank Costanza: "I've got a lot of problems with you people, and now you're going to hear about it!"

Festivus dinner: In "The Strike," a celebratory dinner is shown on the evening of Festivus prior to the Feats of Strength. The on-air meal appeared to be meat loaf or spaghetti in a red sauce. In Festivus: The Holiday for the Rest of Us by Allen Salkin, drinking is encouraged with hearty beer, rum, bourbon, or wine. In the episode, no alcohol was served, but George Costanza's boss, Mr. Kruger, drank from a flask.

The Feats of Strength: After the dinner, the head of the family tests his or her strength against one participant of the head's choosing. Festivus is not considered over until the head of the family has been pinned to the ground. A participant is allowed to decline to attempt to pin the head of the family only if they have something better to do instead.

And This Pig Went Wee, Wee, Wee: How To Pee In The Woods

So you think you know how to pee in the woods, but do you???

Peeing in the backcountry is a relatively simple affair, especially in comparison to human waste disposal. “What we advocate is, pee well away from water sources, trails, and campsites,” said Lawhon. “Based on World Health Organization and CDC [Center for Disease Control] research that has looked at urine, with most healthy people, urine is not a big deal. It's generally very harmless on the environment.

First of all, you want all of your fellow backpackers to have urine output that is "clear and copious". If you have a co-ed crew, make sure everyone "camels up" [that means to drink as much as you can while at at water source] and be ready to take more time on the trail. Let your crew know that becoming dehydrated can cause severe problems and will slow the crew down even more than stopping to take an occasional leak on the trail. This is even more true when backpacking with children.

Two important things to know before heading out: first, follow the area land manager's guidelines. Talking to whatever land manager is in a given area is the most important thing of all. Find out what they feel is most appropriate. Don't assume. For example if you backpack at Philmont Scout Ranch, they advocate to pee on the trail on a rock. They believe that the trail is already a damaged gateway into the wilderness and that peeing on the trail is the best way to minimize damage to the area.

Second, know and follow as many of the four objectives Leave No Trace outlines for backcountry:

1.      Minimize the chance of water pollution.

2.      Minimize the spread of disease.

3.      Minimize aesthetic impact.

4.      Maximize decomposition rate.

Believe it or, you should not urinate in a cat-hole. For one, urine contains salts that act as a preservative, increasing the decomposition time for the feces. Read more here to learn how to poop in the woods.


Urine is basically a sterile product and does not contain the pathogens found in feces. However, it does contain salts that do attract animals. If you are on the trail and need to urinate, in the old days, we used to tell a backpacker to just "find a tree". However, urinating on a tree puts salt on the bark that will attract animals that will ultimately eat the bark and destroy the tree. So it is best to pee on a rock that won’t pee back on you. Most backpackers still follow the guide line of selecting a site that is 200 feet away from water sources, trails, or campsites.

For women the lack of privacy also makes it difficult to urinate on the trail. For male backpackers, it is no big thing. He can take ten or fifteen steps off the trail and relieve himself while leaning nonchalantly against a tree, taking in the great views of the mountains and not even taking off his pack! For female backpackers, it can be a little more of an effort. As a result, some female backpackers may not drink enough water, just to keep from urinating on the trail. Insufficient water intake can result in dehydration and increases the risk of urinary tract infection (UTI) which must be treated with antibiotics, and would undoubtedly result in that female backpacker being taken off the trail. There are several small plastic funnel-type devices available such as the "Lady J" or the "Freshette" which will allow a woman to urinate while standing with a minimum of exposure.

Hopefully this backwoods pee tutorial will help to make the outdoors just a little more approachable. How about you? Do you have any special tips on how to pee in the woods?