Dehydrating food for the trail opens up many possibilities for the picky hiker. Cook it, dehydrate it, pack it, add water on the trail and…voila. It’s hard to beat a quickly-prepared, hot, tasty meal at the end of a long hiking day.

The problem: Food dehydrators can be expensive.

The solution: You can make your own!

Grab some duct tape, mosquito netting and a concrete form cylinder (5 bucks at your local hardware store) and head over to instructables.com for easy-to-follow instructions.

Nothing can ruin an otherwise great hike like chafing (aka “Monkey Butt”). It’s caused by constant rubbing (most often in the upper thigh/nether regions) coupled with moisture and bacteria build-up. Hikers with chafing issues are often identified by their requisite “duck walk”. While heavier hikers are more prone to chafing, it can happen to anyone at any time. To keep it from happening to you, follow the advice below.

Put simply, prevent chafing by lubricating during the day and keeping dry at night.

Pre-hike prep:

Clean area throughly before heading out. Much of chafing is due to bacteria build-up, so it’s best to start from a sterile base.

Just before hitting the ol’ dusty trail, apply BodyGlide. It’s the most recommended anti-chafing solution on the market, and smoothing some on will eliminate friction for the entire day. As a bonus, you can also put on feet to help prevent blisters.

During hike:

Wipe area with baby wipes or alcohol swaps to keep area clean and rash-free. Remember to reapply the BodyGlide.

Post-hike or in camp:

Wash area thoroughly, dry, then apply Gold Bond Triple Medicated Powder or plain ol’ corn starch. Keeping the area dry while sleeping is absolutely essential for quick healing and chafing prevention.

* Go commando. If wearing a skirt’s not your thing, simply try a hike without underwear (only try this in summer) under your shorts or pants. As long as you follow the above-mentioned essential steps pre- and post-hike, you shouldn’t experience any rubbing down yonder.

Any chafers out there have any better ideas for prevention or treatment? Please add them in the comments section below!

BackpackingLight

As its name suggests, BackpackingLight takes lightweight backpacking seriously.  Much of the site requires a paid subscription to view, but their gear list and tools section is free and awesomely thorough.  This winter backpacking checklist is specific, easy-to-read and print.

Section-Hiker

The blog’s author used this list when preparing for a winter trek up Mount Washington in NH. Many of the recommended gear links lead to his own reviews of said gear, making this list doubly useful.

Backpacker

The Backpacker editors put their hiker-heads together for this comprehensive list. Be sure to read the comments section for even more great winter gear advice.

What items would you add or subtract? Suggestions welcome!

Dave over at Compass Points wrote a eloquent account of a recent backpacking trip we took through Northeastern parts of Shenandoah National Park in VA.  I’d like to expand upon one passage in particular, as I think my readers might find it interesting:

We discovered a sandbar on the opposite shore, and when our shoes sunk there, we knew we had made it. On dry trail, we returned our boots to our feet – except Chris, who would continue this strenuous hike in, of all things, Crocs.

Yes, you read that right — I walked the next 10 miles in Crocs.  Eagles Crocs (go Birds!).  Here’s my review after trudging up the side of the ancient, stony Appalachian mountains, then steeply descending — headlamp-assisted — to our perch at Bird’s Nest Shelter: The Crocs…well…they ROCKED.

As any hiking buddy of mine within complaining distance knows, I have temperamental feet.  When they’re not cramping, they’re cracking, when they’re not cracking, they’re rubbing.  Seriously, my feet are jerks, often forcing me to give up hikes or cancel them before they’ve even begun.

We all know Crocs are great camp shoes because of their soft sole, relative durability, light weight, and carbon nanotube supermolecular (or something) rubber material that keeps microbes and their associated smells at bay.  Crocs aren’t thought of as a hiking shoe for several good reasons, not the least of which is the total lack of ankle support, or the fact they they’re only held to the foot by a tenuous rubber strap above the heel, which will probably give you a blister if you give it enough time.

HOWEVER, I needed footwear immediately.  My gorgeous Patagonia Drifters, which normally fit like warm apple pie, were now frozen blocks, and I was not going to hike 10 more miles to the shelter in frozen blocks, dry moisture-wicking wool socks be damned.  So I slipped on some socks, then the Crocs, got laughed at and chided the rest of the day, but I made it.  The Crocs made it.  My feet felt better at the end of the day than at any other time in my backpacking life.

Perhaps it was because the Crocs are so flexible that they allowed my foot to stretch fully while walking over boulders and roots, like if I were barefoot, and thusly prevented any sort of cramping issues.  Or perhaps what I should have done at that first river crossing was to take my boots and socks off, worn the Crocs through the river, then put my warm-apple-pie Patagonias back on and saved the Crocs for camp.

So, to recap, we’ve learned two lessons:

1. I’m an idiot whose river-crossing footwear decision-making abilities are lacking

2. Crocs excel as a hiking shoe in a pinch

I was surfing YouTube today and happened upon this video detailing various ways to make DIY ultralight backpacking gear from stuff you probably already have around the house.  Check out the video below:

Courtesy of instructables.com

Love taking your digital camera or camcorder on the trail but can never manage to get a perfectly steady shot?  Instead of scratching the camera’s bottom on a rock or tree branch, check out this ingenious tip from instructables.com.  You’ll learn how to make a trekking pole monopod, which is exactly what it sounds like.  Says the author, ” this simple camera mount doesn’t take up any space in my pack, barely adds weight to my trekking pole, folds up when not in use, isn’t permanently attached, and costs very little to make.”  Trekking Pole Monopod – instructables.com

Time for a cleanin'

If it’s been a while since you’ve hit the trail, chances are you’re lazy like me and were too tired returning from your last hike that you didn’t bother to properly clean your CamelBak, Platypus, pig bladder (jk), or whatever it is you use for trail hydration.  Luckily the folks over at Trails.com have put together a quick, handy guide on how to get your hydration pack clean and ready for your next trip.  (“How to Clean a Hydration Pack”–Trails.com)