My biggest mistake was letting my water filter freeze on an overnighter, didn't realize till I got home and developed a case of the "hershey squirts". Learnt my lesson!
Bumble bee tuna packs have a small collapsing spork in the top of the packet (Dollar Tree has them). It weighs like 2 grams. Throw one in your ditty bag and I'll always have something to eat with. I lost my spoon in the Smokies and it came in pretty handy for me. Olive oil is a great additive to foods for extra calories. It's a healthy fat and a slow burning calorie, perfect for hiking.
My biggest mistake was recent, on the Foothills Trail. I thought I was being smart and cutting down on waste, so I opened the spice packets for the Vietnamese Pho I was bringing and dumped it in with the dry noodles in freezer bags, in advance. Great idea, right? Wrong! The spice was so pungent, it permeated everything in my food bag, nothing was spared. I had to eat Vietnamese Pho flavored gummy worms, coffee creamer, tortillas. I couldn’t escape the taste or smell. My quilt, tent, clothes, everything smelled like it! Luckily bears must not like Vietnamese Pho…. Never again!
Good tips, Jeremiah! Trying to figure out what to carry is a super tough challenge. I'll have to add that Fuel Adapter to my Christmas wish list. You touched on food already, but I think too many people go straight to the freeze-dried food packs or MREs. They are okay at best and the portions are too large. Most people only go out for a day or two so I like to encourage creative cooking instead. I'm a big fan of dehydrating proteins and using them with regular food. Thanks for sharing. I hope that you have a Happy Thanksgiving!
Maybe split the freeze dried meals in half. A freezer zip lock will let you store half the meal for later and then you can pour boiling water in that freezer bag when you are ready for the next meal
@@JeremiahStringer thanks, brother! Yeah, I've done that a couple of times. It worked really well with the biscuits & gravy, where I was able to also cook up some eggs on the side. Thanks for responding so quickly and for always putting out such good content.
Excellent tips! Got to get one of those fuel transfer systems! Nice pair of Kicks! Olympus is my favorite as well! was funny to see how much chocolate you keep on hand...for late night snacks. Mistakes...not taking enough TP and taking way too much food!
Senior Hiker 77 is the BEST! 💚 Gotta be careful and use extra caution with those fuel transfers though; anything involving fuel can get dangerous. Great information and video!
Never (or almost never) carry one of those battery operated pumps to Inflate your sleep pad. Thought that would be more efficient than the bag inflating method.(not). It was way too loud! It sounded like a plane on the tarmac revving up for takeoff! Inflate bag if with folks nearby.
Good advice! My biggest mistakes… so far. 1) Not packing enough TP. Thank goodness I was able to swipe enough from a pit toilet on day 3. Consequents-ruined a perfectly good bandanna. 2) Adding too much pepper seeds to my instant mashed potatoes. I thought I’d packed green chile seeds to spice up my meal. Nope, ghost pepper seeds. Consequents- No bueno. No refrigerator to put my TP in. 3) Forgetting to pack my pillow. Consequents-Sleeping with my head on a Cnoc bag of water in 30° temps. Consequences are real, folks.
Always, always check your campsite before you leave. There's nothing like hiking all day to realize your tree straps are still on the trees at the last place you camped.
If you’re cooking on the ground, don’t sit on the ground. If you spill boiling water, you can’t move fast enough to avoid it, and If you’re sitting criss cross. 😱 We make our scouts kneel while they’re cooking. You can probably stand up before the hot water gets you, but worst case you only scald your knees.
Great tips. Biggest rookie mistakes I saw on the AT were someone hanging their bear bag directly over their own tent. Then the other was the guy that hung his bear bag from a limb about 5 feet from my tent. Fortunately no bears showed up but I had my phone ready just in case😂
That did sound funny. Phone for pictures, not to call for help. Black bears are pretty chill and not a big fear for me. Very few carry bear spray for long on an AT thru hike.
Remember to back flush your water filter and check it before you head out. Learned this one the hard way at Red River Gorge. Luckily, I had 12 gallons of potable water in my truck, but I did have to hoof it all the way back and carry more water much further than I wanted to.
I forgot to pre-soak/backflush our filters prior to a RRG hike and that 2 minute filtering process turned into 45 minutes of frustration trying to squeeze enough water through a pin-hole to meet our needs. Before our next trip I backflushed and let them soak for a couple days and they worked like a firehose.
Pre-soaking the hollow fiber water filters is important. When you get to that first stop and realize that your throughput is almost zero - it really screws up your plan right out of the gate. I was on a trip where we had limited water, but one known source was about five miles into the hike and a big climb so I decided to only carry limited water and then tank up for the rest of the day and for the dry camp that night. Went to filter and it took seemingly forever to get on the trail again. Ugg.
First aid kits aren’t just for backpacking trips. Take them on day trips to. Also, keep an emergency Mylar blanket in them too. This was a mistake we made once. Luckily another hiker who was prepared came through. Don’t make my mistake
The first aid kit is a good point. I removed a bunch of stuff from mine when I first got it. After a couple trips without using it, and experiencing other problems, i added a couple custom things. Tums and Benadryl are in there now. I've also added some gear tape, some compressed cotton wipes, Thermacell refills, a small chunk of cordage, a backup lighter, and a couple packets of bug lotion. That way it has at least one thing I use on almost every trip, and that's a good reminder to be on top of those supplies. I'd imagine that I could be in rough shape when I actually need that stuff only to find out it's expired and/or rendered ineffective. So keep that first aid kit current, carrying expired medical supplies is a rookie mistake.
Thinking more socks is going to make a difference in cold, wet conditions. Move on to waterproof socks and save those SmartWools for when things are dry or temps are warmer.
The only thing waterproof is a frog's ear. The reason to wear wool in the rain is to stay wet and warm instead of wet and clammy. Dry feet are a myth in the rain. I have gone weeks at a time with wet feet in SE Alaska rain forest.
My biggest mistake was letting my water filter freeze on an overnighter, didn't realize till I got home and developed a case of the "hershey squirts". Learnt my lesson!
Oh no! The hershey squirts XD
Bumble bee tuna packs have a small collapsing spork in the top of the packet (Dollar Tree has them). It weighs like 2 grams. Throw one in your ditty bag and I'll always have something to eat with. I lost my spoon in the Smokies and it came in pretty handy for me. Olive oil is a great additive to foods for extra calories. It's a healthy fat and a slow burning calorie, perfect for hiking.
I would be super handy if I forgot my spoon
My biggest mistake was recent, on the Foothills Trail. I thought I was being smart and cutting down on waste, so I opened the spice packets for the Vietnamese Pho I was bringing and dumped it in with the dry noodles in freezer bags, in advance. Great idea, right? Wrong! The spice was so pungent, it permeated everything in my food bag, nothing was spared. I had to eat Vietnamese Pho flavored gummy worms, coffee creamer, tortillas. I couldn’t escape the taste or smell. My quilt, tent, clothes, everything smelled like it! Luckily bears must not like Vietnamese Pho…. Never again!
I've done the same thing with wine before lol
Shot out to the rotisserie Ranger! Got the job done! hahaha great stuff man!
That's right lol
Wow, nice of you to mention one of my older videos. 👍
Any time
One mistake is NOT starting the video with "WHATS GOIN' ON HIKERS" :D
Lol that’s hilarious
what he had to say applies to all self-propelled activities.
Good tips, Jeremiah! Trying to figure out what to carry is a super tough challenge. I'll have to add that Fuel Adapter to my Christmas wish list. You touched on food already, but I think too many people go straight to the freeze-dried food packs or MREs. They are okay at best and the portions are too large. Most people only go out for a day or two so I like to encourage creative cooking instead. I'm a big fan of dehydrating proteins and using them with regular food. Thanks for sharing. I hope that you have a Happy Thanksgiving!
Maybe split the freeze dried meals in half. A freezer zip lock will let you store half the meal for later and then you can pour boiling water in that freezer bag when you are ready for the next meal
@@JeremiahStringer thanks, brother! Yeah, I've done that a couple of times. It worked really well with the biscuits & gravy, where I was able to also cook up some eggs on the side. Thanks for responding so quickly and for always putting out such good content.
Excellent tips! Got to get one of those fuel transfer systems! Nice pair of Kicks! Olympus is my favorite as well! was funny to see how much chocolate you keep on hand...for late night snacks. Mistakes...not taking enough TP and taking way too much food!
Never wanna be hurting for toilet paper
Senior Hiker 77 is the BEST! 💚 Gotta be careful and use extra caution with those fuel transfers though; anything involving fuel can get dangerous. Great information and video!
Senior is awesome!
Never (or almost never) carry one of those battery operated pumps to Inflate your sleep pad. Thought that would be more efficient than the bag inflating method.(not). It was way too loud! It sounded like a plane on the tarmac revving up for takeoff! Inflate bag if with folks nearby.
I like my inflate bag with the nemo tensor
Good advice!
My biggest mistakes… so far.
1) Not packing enough TP. Thank goodness I was able to swipe enough from a pit toilet on day 3. Consequents-ruined a perfectly good bandanna.
2) Adding too much pepper seeds to my instant mashed potatoes. I thought I’d packed green chile seeds to spice up my meal. Nope, ghost pepper seeds. Consequents- No bueno. No refrigerator to put my TP in. 3) Forgetting to pack my pillow. Consequents-Sleeping with my head on a Cnoc bag of water in 30° temps. Consequences are real, folks.
Two tough lessons
@@JeremiahStringerOh, and make sure to take the little desiccant pack out out your dehydrated meal before you pour in the hot water and eat it.😉
Instead of boxer shorts I have started to ware running shorts. No need for boxer shorts and no need for hiking shorts/pants.
Good thinking
Happy Feet are the key to enjoying a trip
Yes indeed!
Always, always check your campsite before you leave. There's nothing like hiking all day to realize your tree straps are still on the trees at the last place you camped.
One time I left the suspension system for my tarp. I know the pain.
If you’re cooking on the ground, don’t sit on the ground. If you spill boiling water, you can’t move fast enough to avoid it, and If you’re sitting criss cross. 😱
We make our scouts kneel while they’re cooking. You can probably stand up before the hot water gets you, but worst case you only scald your knees.
Oh, that is a really smart tip
He doesn't share chocolate FYI LOL
Lol got to catch me on the best of days for that XD
As always, another great video with great advice!
Thank you so much
Great tips. Biggest rookie mistakes I saw on the AT were someone hanging their bear bag directly over their own tent. Then the other was the guy that hung his bear bag from a limb about 5 feet from my tent. Fortunately no bears showed up but I had my phone ready just in case😂
Bear spray or phone? Always a conundrum.
That did sound funny. Phone for pictures, not to call for help. Black bears are pretty chill and not a big fear for me. Very few carry bear spray for long on an AT thru hike.
@@hikingmovie I ran into what I think was a bear one night and… I took out my phone to record it. #GuiltyAsCharged
Someone wanted to be bear food that night
Love my Hokas. Great tips!
Right on!
Stay salty my friend!! J & C
Stay salty
Having a fuel bottle scale also helps!
Amen to that
Remember to back flush your water filter and check it before you head out. Learned this one the hard way at Red River Gorge. Luckily, I had 12 gallons of potable water in my truck, but I did have to hoof it all the way back and carry more water much further than I wanted to.
I forgot to pre-soak/backflush our filters prior to a RRG hike and that 2 minute filtering process turned into 45 minutes of frustration trying to squeeze enough water through a pin-hole to meet our needs. Before our next trip I backflushed and let them soak for a couple days and they worked like a firehose.
Very good point. I've been there too
Pre-soaking the hollow fiber water filters is important. When you get to that first stop and realize that your throughput is almost zero - it really screws up your plan right out of the gate.
I was on a trip where we had limited water, but one known source was about five miles into the hike and a big climb so I decided to only carry limited water and then tank up for the rest of the day and for the dry camp that night. Went to filter and it took seemingly forever to get on the trail again. Ugg.
First aid kits aren’t just for backpacking trips. Take them on day trips to. Also, keep an emergency Mylar blanket in them too. This was a mistake we made once. Luckily another hiker who was prepared came through. Don’t make my mistake
Very good point. Always necessary to have a first aid kit.
The first aid kit is a good point. I removed a bunch of stuff from mine when I first got it. After a couple trips without using it, and experiencing other problems, i added a couple custom things. Tums and Benadryl are in there now.
I've also added some gear tape, some compressed cotton wipes, Thermacell refills, a small chunk of cordage, a backup lighter, and a couple packets of bug lotion. That way it has at least one thing I use on almost every trip, and that's a good reminder to be on top of those supplies. I'd imagine that I could be in rough shape when I actually need that stuff only to find out it's expired and/or rendered ineffective. So keep that first aid kit current, carrying expired medical supplies is a rookie mistake.
Yeah, gotta throw those expired supplies away
Or, and hear me out, use the knife to carve a spoon or chopsticks instead of eating with it.
Wanna know how I got these scars?
Lol that is a great idea
Great video!!
Thank you very much Thomas
@@JeremiahStringer You’re welcome!
Thinking more socks is going to make a difference in cold, wet conditions. Move on to waterproof socks and save those SmartWools for when things are dry or temps are warmer.
I like the seal skin socks
The only thing waterproof is a frog's ear. The reason to wear wool in the rain is to stay wet and warm instead of wet and clammy. Dry feet are a myth in the rain. I have gone weeks at a time with wet feet in SE Alaska rain forest.