My Dumbest Backpacking Mistakes #4
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- Опубликовано: 7 июн 2024
- Other Dumb Mistakes: • Dumbest Mistakes
00:00 Hey Y'all
00:33 Holding My Trekking Poles In A Way That Could Kill Me
02:03 Using My Stove Next To Dry Leaves
03:11 Emergency Blanket
05:34 Zpacks DuplexL in Iceland
07:06 Wearing Headphones While Hiking
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"IT WAS FOR SCIENCE, OKAY?!"
I love this exclamation. I need to find a way to weave this into my next team meeting.
It would make a good t-shirt!
I hiked half of the Appalachian Trail last year before blowing my knee out. I never listened to any music except that which I played on my guitar. I didn't miss it, and I got to think about life more deeply than I could have if I was surrounded by distractions. I hiked alone probably 85% of the time, and I was probably one of the most exhausted hikers on trail, but I enjoyed the peace and quiet of the forest as much as I enjoyed spending time with other hikers at campsites, shelters, and hostels.
I figured that a thruhike would be a great way to celebrate turning 70 and temporarily retiring. I will go back to work after a knee replacement, and probably attempt a thruhike again in a couple of years.
Tinker, halfway '23
Thanks for being transparent and humble. You are so relatable to people from all walks of life (as long as they're on a trail somewhere). ✌️
In my neverending quest to lessen my gear-clutter and gear multifunctionality, I found a poncho that doubles as an emergency blanket that is just large enough to cover my 30L pack. It can be turned inside out, and it has a reflective side and an orange colored side.
So... whats it called?
You’re not gonna tell us what it is??
The masses want to know! 😂
Yikes! I think RUclips keeps auto-deleting my replies. 😅
(Alright, let me try this)
It's a no-name poncho.
'Emergency poncho' is the search term I used on a mass online retailer website I bought it from. I think RUclips (or moderators) won't allow me to disclose any further specific info. 😅🤐
I think that's about the best I can 'legally' do, folks! Let me know if it works for ya!
@carolinerat2155
@nathanlickhart3876
@Art-at-the-Fortress
@xocilguevara3429
I frequently have to remind myself "No Multitasking!" while moving.
Using a bone conduction earphones is one of the best purchase I've had when it comes to hiking in the wilderness where you need to be alert at all times. I wear Shokz OpenRun and it is rainproof, extremely durable, not easy to lose because it comes in one piece for both ears, long battery life even with short charging time and most of all, my mobility with wired vs. wireless earphones is like day and night. It doesn't even hurt or strain my ears when wearing it for long periods.
I am a big bone conduction headphone fan also, it's the only way I feel comfortable listening to a device while walking, biking, hiking etc now.
I have the same pair and while I do like them a lot, I’m not sure about the whole bone conduction thing. When I lift them off of my ears I can still hear them at the same volume.
@@lifegiveslifeto You can still hear them because sound waves still conduct thru air. Unless you're in an extremely quiet environment, others can hear the sound. It's like listening to mumbled voices when your outside a room of people talking, but when you press your ears against the door, you can hear it clearer cause it conducts better when there is contact.
Bear regarding that trekking pole: "Look, I just found a shish kebab on the trail!"
😂😂😂😂
Good tips 👍 “a smart man learns from his experience, a wise man, learns from the experience of others“ thanks for sharing for all of our benefits
Dixie is such a good role model, for everyone in the outdoor community. I love all the videos and hope to see many more!
I packed for an overnight alone and assumed that the charging cable in the bag with my power bank would work with my phone (which I was using for primary navigation).
Nope.
That cable was one that charged the power bank - it was not compatible with my phone charging port. Found out with my phone at 25% at dusk.
I’m now the proud owner of a couple of triple-headed charging cables so that this never happens again. And I still double-check.
My backpacking partner taught us both the leaf lesson while cooking- her canister turned over and those dry leaves went up so fast she barely got it out with her water before it caught the tent on fire too- neither one of us will make that mistake again!
Yes. Most set-ups for stoves are inherently unstable. We once had a very serious scalding injury on a canoe trip because somebody tipped over a top-heavy pot of boiling water on themselves. So, all kinds of hazards with the stoves. . .
@@johnalden5821 yes and usually so far from help/relief especially burns! Oh the agony!
@@sheilasunshine9173 Well right. We were well off the grid in the Maine North Woods. No roads. We had to call in a float plane to evacuate the injured person to Millinocket.
As far as trekking poles go, there is also a right and wrong way to loop the lanyard over your wrist while holding the handle. If you loop it wrong, you can easily dislocate your thumb during a trip and fall. It would be hard to describe the proper looping method, but I have seen at least one youtube video that shows it.
She actually shows it in one of her videos, but I have no idea which one it was now.
When putting your hand through the strap insert hand up through the bottom of the loop. NOT through the top of the loop!
It’s easy to describe… Under-over
I love looking for the HW logo at the beginning of the videos.
Thank you for the trekking pole re-enactment. I couldn't envision the incident from your previous short.
I recently started hiking with bone conduction headphones. They're pretty fantastic. I can hear everything around me, my ears aren't blocked up and filled with sweat whenever it's hot out, and they're comfortable
To help with signaling. you can use your cellphone like a mirror in bright sunlight at an angle hand in front offset.aimed at the passing helicopter, signaling three flashes of light.
I recommend an emergency bivy over a blanket. Much easier to stay warm and dry as it traps body heat well. Sol emergency bivy weighs 4 ounces. Keep it in your essential 10.
The clip of your "It's for science, okay!" will live forever in my head rent-free. 😄
*Also, I recommend 'open-ear' buds such as the Sony Linkbuds (not the S model)*
Huge fan. I agree we all make mistakes but they are the best way to learn lessons that you remember. As a father of three grown kids, an NCO in the Army, and a former Scoutmaster. Learning from mistakes, while embarrassing and uncomfortable really is the best way to learn.
Worst mistake I ever made was not asking about status of water sources in Big Bend Nat’l Park. Back in December of 1979 I went backpacking for the first time in the Chisos Mountains, and it just so happened that Boot Springs had water flowing & we were able to fill canteens there. Three years later I went hiking there & assured my friend “there’s water at Boot Springs - what we have is plenty since we can refill there”. Needless to say, on the second trip there was at best a muddy puddle full of dead leaves, and we had a hard time making it back down to the basin. Ever since I’ve planned on there being no water available wherever I go hiking or camping. If there’s water available, good. If not, at least I’m not at risk of dehydration & heat stroke.
I appreciate the warning, “Don’t try this at home…or in public.” 😂
Better for signaling is a small, light signal mirror - learn how to use it and you can be seen for MILES, even on overcast days. (But still carry the emergency blanket for other reasons!)
I came here to say this. 👍
Arguably, my dumbest was not starting sooner!
One GREAT option for listening on trail is bone induction headphones. They do not block your ears at all and you still get stereo sound (important for a lot of music). The sound quality has come a long way - still not as good as full earbuds, but plenty good when you need to hear your surroundings. Transparency mode on airpods (and some other buds) is also getting pretty good, but not sure I'd trust it to hear the quieter sounds like a rattler.
STORY TIME: When I was a young hiker, about 30 years ago, I had a dangerous encounter with an elk because I was wearing headphones. It was in some tall brush next to the trail, and I came blazing through and scared the crap out of it. Luckily it bolted off instead of being aggressive, but had it not had an easy escape path, I could have been on the wrong end of a massive rack of antlers. Don't block your hearing holes.
My daughter and I watched that video where you neatly impaled yourself. Shortly after that, she caught me doing that same thing and yelled at me. Actually, she has a habit of pointing out my questionable decisions. 😜
😂 she loves you
Those emergency blankets can save your life, and not just when hiking. I always have one in the glove compartment of my car.
Thanks. As for stoves, I use a plastic foldable tripod stove holder. It makes the stove immensely more stable. If boiling water tips over and lands on you, you get serious burns. If it spills somewhere else it makes a mess and you lose the water. So it's definitely worth it to use this item even if it weighs another 70 grams or so.
Yup, I got a ride from a Canadian park ranger to the ER with burns from boiling water back in 1992 while bike packing the San Juans and Vancouver Island.
@@backpacker3421So sorry to hear, must have been very unpleasant to say the least. I also had a boiling water accident years ago (thankfully not on a camping vacation). Some boiling water land on my hand and I had second degree burns (skin was all blistered up) that took a few months to fully recover. Had I been in the back country it would have been very tough, would have had to call search and rescue.
As someone who works from home with my toddler I really enjoy having open headphones, my wife got me open earbuds for Christmas and they fit around your ears but sit just in front and thus don’t block the ear canal. Allows me to take phone calls or listen to media while I work and still keep an ear out to keep track of my daughter
Happy New Year, Jessica!
You cracked me up, bigtime when you emphatically said, "IT WAS FOR SCIENCE, OKAY?!" Hahahahahaha!!!
Thanks for all you do, and for the joy you bring to us all! God bless you, real good!
Yesterday snowshoed into a familiar area in the Sierras on the PCT while it was snowing. Took a wrong turn, lost the trail, snow covered my trial, overcast and could not see landmarks, had to call for help as the sun went down. Sun dropped, temp dropped to 18degrees F and I left emergency shelter in other pack. It was a long cold 3 hour wait in stiff frozen cloth and a slow walk out from attempting to recover from violent shivering the left my leg and arm muscles cramping. I made a series of mistakes, but could not believe I left such a compact inexpensive survival tool.
As always; honest, specific, clear, and helpful. Cheers.
It was for science! I'm so glad you did it so we don't have to. I am one of the few people who doesn't need to learn stuff the hard way... I'm glad you do the hard work that I benefit from!
Thanks for sharing these. Coming from California where we have had so many fires, I really do take the time to clear around my cooking spot. I used to hike with both hands hooked around the base of my backpack straps. Then I fell one time (with a daypack) and landed nose and forehead first, unable to unhook my hands in time to protect my face and head. Had a minor concussion from that move.
The dumbest mistake I made could have had fatal consequences if it weren't for the quick thinking of my buddy. Always unbuckle the straps of your pack when crossing a stream, especially one with a boulder floor and thigh deep fast moving water.
I took a step and dropped in deeper than I was expecting, lost my balance and the water swept me, bag first, over onto my back. I was only like that for a second or two when my buddy grabbed me. Thankfully.
To follow up on the one earbud advice. Most music is mixed in stereo (broken up into L&R audio) so go to your phone settings and set it up for "Mono" so that everything comes out of both sides. That way whichever one you're using you'll always get the full sound..
On Android go to settings>accessibility>hearing enhancements
I'm sure Apple has a similar option
Bone conduction headphones work surprisingly well, and since they aren’t in or covering your ears you maintain your situational awareness. I highly recommend them for outdoor sports or recreation. I use the shokz brand, but I think other companies have caught up.
Great video as always Dixie. When I started my AT thru hike, I did what everyone else did and used the small 110g gas canisters. With a pot on the stove, it has a very small base and tips easily which happened to me twice. Fortunately the water was only warm and didn’t burn. But every year someone’s pot tips and second and even third degree burns on the feet from boiling water derails their hike. So I started using the 227g canisters. Much wider base, more stable and last twice as long. Yes a bit more weight and the canister doesn’t nest in my cook pot but worth it for the safety and bonus fewer canisters ending up in the landfill.
I appreciate this comment as I'm a newbie backpacker and figured the smaller canister was lighter. Makes sense about it being more prone to tipping.
We had a serious scalding incident on a trip, just like you mentioned. So I am the nerd now who actually uses the tripod base with the canisters, to add some semblance of stability.
On earbuds, there are sets that have sound passthrough, so you can have it in both ears. You can get this with sound suppression, that will kick in after so many decibels (useful for hunting) and sound enhancement, so you can hear what is going on around you even better.
Glad you found this helpful. Happy hiking!!!
The dead leaves on was something I'd noticed too. I use an alcohol stove, so I'm SUPER cautious about tip overs.
Thank you. Happy New Year!
i love this series! so helpful
True story, dumbest mistake ever. Get to hiker camp in Yosemite, (can stay there night before you hike with a permit.) Open a can of white wine. Couldn’t finish it all. My miserly self “saved” the wine in a water bottle. Next morning, pack up to hike out. Oh, my water bottle needs topping off with water, so do so. Head out. Getting low on my first liter, no water for miles, but I know that I’m good because I still have a full liter. Time to break it out. WINE WATER!? Looking back, yeah hilarious, but at the time I had a long way to go to get to more water and it was hot. Wine water in that heat could have proved dangerous. Moral to my story is IDK, red wine?
I much prefer these experience videos to the gear promotion and review videos. Keep it up.
For science!
I am definitely with you regarding feeling lonely and the need to hear a human voice in the form of podcasts or music. I found a space blanket that is light yet still pretty durable so I use it as a ground cloth for my tent. I never forget it and I think it gives a little boost of warmth as well.
Your posts are absolute GOLD for the backpacking community - I learn every time I click play. Thanks for contributing your knowledge! 🙏
One thing to remember is that most earbuds made today (even budget) have an awareness mode. It allows you to hear outside noise but still enjoy your music, podcasts, or audiobooks. I use it when I go out for my walks mainly because I can't just use one earbud. I get dizzy with just one in.
Dixie I really enjoy and learn from your videos. I do some day hikes, but more into cycling. On the ear bud issue, Taylor the Nahamsha recommended on one of her videos Shokz OpenRun Mini Headphones. I got a set and I use nothing but them now. They work on bone conduction so they do not go in your ears. I was amazed at the music quality.
I second these. I use them for running so I can hear cars etc
I have a cheap pair that I bought just to try, and I love them.
Thanks, Dixie, great list! Use a SOL Heat Sheat - much sturdier and slightly heavier than a regular emergency blanket.
I store my emergency blanket within my first aid kit. That way I never forget it. In case it is a useful trick for someone else :)
Thanks for Reminding us of all the stuff most do. As far as the emergency blankets is one of the BEST ! I have atleast one in every pack that I have . I also have a couple in my car it self. Also I always have atleast two way for water if not three. THINK DONT SINK
Its better to be SAFE SORRY TAKE CARE ALL SAFE TRAILS TO ALL
Yes Dixie, all, of the above, Yes, Happy New Year. Love all you do. Oh, dedicated one.........
‘It was for science !’… had me laughing there. 😂😂😂
Great video, Jessica...👍
Thanks Dixie. Besides the wisdom, just seeing your video keeps the dream alive in many of us who will rejoin the hiking club again...especially after those pandemic years that locked us all down and made us fat.
Thank you for all the things you do for science. 😉
Always interesting info ❤
I keep the trekking poles around my wrists usually
Thank you for your scientific exploration of the duplex's limits!
Nice video. Makes me want to get on the trail.
Great info! TY!
Dixie I’ve been BPacking for only about 10-15 years primarily as a weekend warrior & have made 99% of these mistakes like a lot of folks. But I’d like to say you’re amazing and don’t let all the keyboard warriors get ya down telling you how you could be better while your out hiking and their sitting on their couch
Thank you for sharing this list of mistakes. On the business of earbuds I would suggest bone induction earbuds (?) might be better choice. After using some in several settings I’ve been impressed that while I heard music well they didn’t mute outside noises thus helping me keep situational awareness while being entertained. Though I don’t use either type earbud when I’m hiking.
Happy new year Dixie
Thank you, Dixie, for real and transparent. My question is, how should I carry my trekking poles?
Halo Dixie I'm glad you're okay after being rescued. I do have a suggestion for signaling aircraft. I came up with an idea of my own and I've used it with my hunting buddies to let them know which Ridge I am on.
I use the screen on my cell phone with it on or off to reflect sunlight like the mirrors in first aid kits from my days boy scouting . Obviously you would need direct sunlight but it does work!
Be safe out there and thank you for sharing your wealth of information.
Only had 1 strap for my tent because the other one broke so when I fastened it to my backpack I just did the best I could. Ended up walking 21km (13 miles) without my tent because it'd come undone with only the 1 strap to hold it to my backpack. Walked back and found it but it was still a bummer.
Great video as always D.
Great tips, Dixie. Also Happy New Year. Am praying that you'll be able to get back out there in 2024. Take care and stay safe. Anything new since your stress test?
I have learned the hard way not to blindly trust the cairns I see on the trail.
Can’t really trust other hikers either! They’ll unwittingly send you in The wrong direction or say something is much closer than it really is
Thanks for the video
If we examine human behavior, you might begin to think that we are designed to be makers of mistakes. We ALL make mistakes. A saying goes that “a smart person learns from their mistakes. And a WISE person learns from other’s mistakes.” The other side of that coin says, “some folks seem to never learn”.
The proof of learning ANYTHING, is a change in behavior to add - or avoid - situations relative to the learning.
Courtesy of Half Vast Flying
Have you done a video on setting up your tent on wet ground after a rain. Anything special you do in those cases?
I wear rechargeable earbuds all the time and I always only ever wear 1 at a time so I can hear what's going on around me. While hiking it also means I can listen to audiobooks or podcasts while the other earbud charges up. On a 2 week hike I only needed to charge my earbuds twice.
Happy new year 2024
My phone stays off and packed away during my entire hike until pick-up time. Always set my stove up on a flat rock. Never listen to any music but nature. Have never carried an emergency blanket although my sleeping bag R-value is overkill for three-season. I did similarly push the extreme wind limits of my Six Moons Lunar Solo tarp tent one night on Froze-to-Death-Plateau in Montana, but it held up.
It's safe to say that a trecking pole tent is not the best choice close or north of the arctic circle.
Leaves, or tiny ground material on bottom of pot can catch fire and flick off when on fire. So my lesson learned
Thank You!
simple mistakes that we will all learn from. thanks Dixie.
Thank you for sharing.
Courtesy of Half Vast Flying
I didn't want electrolyte powder in my water bottle overnight, in my tent, in bear country and I needed it for leg cramps in the night. In my leg panic, once outside my tent i in the dark, I took my food bag down and thought I'd just dump the packet into my mouth and be done with it. NEVER DO THIS!! Just about burned my throat out. This sounds like a no brainer, but thank goodness I had a partially full clean water bottle by the fire pit that I could wash the burning crystals down with. Oh and I shouldn't have let myself get to this point in the first place. It was a tough day, but this experience added to the insanity and it should have been prevented... Live and learn (hopefully)! Thanks y'all!
With earbuds, get the bone headphones, something like Shokz Openrun. That's been the biggest gamechanger for me. I can listen to music, while not having my ears blocked, and also not being loud to other people.
Love watching your videos for around 5 years now. Let's get together next time you get to Shanendoah. We will hit the trail.
Another option for music would be Walker’s Razor XV 3.0 w/ Bluetooth…let’s you listen to music while still being able to hear the world around you, plus as an added bonus if any nearby sound is loud enough to damage your hearing, like a gunshot, it is automatically blocked without noticeably interrupting your ability to hear everything else
My two cents: I was day hiking a few months ago and tripped over a root and the handle of my trekking pole hit my face (near my eye), so not sure there is any safe place for holding trekking poles when you trip and fall on trail.
I don’t dare wear even one earbud while hiking due to the distraction, wish I could though.
My recurring mistake is not following trail turns closely enough. I sometimes follow an obvious path that is not the trail due to my preconceived bias on where the trail ‘should’ go. Another reason to be as observant as possible.
Mistake N° :
1. A-frame tents.
Igloo or Dome are the way to go. They don't need ground anchoring spots to be seted up, so they are over any ground conditions, and tent pegs weight and shapes. And last but not least they are wind proof... so also it's very dumb to go camping in an open field without them.
2. Single wall tents.
Two wall tents saves dealing with condensation, temperature isolation, wind blowing resistance and friction. You may say heavy... 🤔Mmm... well there are UL versions, but mostly you save weight with tha tent pegs... Coz you only MAY need 4 UL titanium hook shape pegs for tha main structure, and only 1 or 2 heavy ground grabbing ones for the vestibule/s (and maybe only this last two...); we also have stones, logs, etc for anchoring spots... So... ¿TRULLY HEAVY...?...🧐🙄...C'moooon y'all... tell that to 80's hikers.
Get a back pack capable and comfortable to carry heavy weight and those few pound shall be absobed and able to be carryed by any body. Or is it that y'all consider how heavy camera filming gear weights...😤
3. Inflable mattress
Foam mattress are tha real McCoy... Coz you don't deal with punctures, blow inflation condensation and effort to pump it.
You may say : Foam mattress are bulky and uncofortabe...🤨🙄🧐...well...🤔
A. Put it on top of the back pack or much a lot better under it, an you'll see how you save your backpack to be worn out at the bottom.
B. Put it between the ground shith and the tent floor and there you shall see how y'all wont have to deal with it while sleeping, and shall take profit of isolation from the cold ground...😉
TIP : Don't wait to use emergency blankets in radical extreme situations. Wrap the foam mattress with it all around, so you shall have 2 or 3 layers in both sides of the mattress, put it as I mentioned before, and there you'll have a great isolation and less noise use of that emergency blanket.
One way to mitigate spearing yourself with your trekking pole(s) is to go ahead and get the rubber tips that you can buy for most brands of poles. The rubber tips don't really add much weight, and over time they help avoid the endless poking of holes in some of the more heavily traveled trails like the AT. And yes, they de-weaponize the poles.
both ends of a hiking (or ski) pole. I once got tumbled be a guy running by and the rubber handle "stuck" to my face to the tune of 6 stiches. I was lucky in that the local hospital had excellent surgeons.. but for 45 minutes I looks like I was peeled open.
I will follow your safety tips, Thank you!!! And I hope your every wish and dream come true IN 2024 !!!!!
Good informative video Dixie. Another thing that bothers me when on trail or seeing it being done in videos is not having a basket on the trekking poles. To me it does not reduce that much weight to remove them, and I know people lose them, but without one, it is the same as hiking with a spear. Not sure if the basket would be of big help from further penetration into a body part, but I feel better hiking with my baskets on the trekking poles.
.. Trekking pole baskets are for snow and the smaller solid cupped ones for soft grounds like sand and mud ... on hard dry trails the open tips are the designed norm .... the rubber caps are for hard finished surfaces such as road walks or town sidewalks to prevent slipping out on finished surfaces ... or protection of yourself and gear while secured to your backpack ..
I know exactly what each part does, what it is used for, but I feel the baskets, mud, snow or what ever condition you want to use them for should remain on.
Oh damn. That trekking pole thing is so dangerous. So how would u hold it ?
..by the handles with the tips on the ground ..
@@rockytopwrangler2069 so was she holding it the wrong way around?
Interesting!
How about making a video discussing the in case of emergency gear a backpacker should take along? I see plenty of videos on what not to take and the race to the lightest packs videos. A lot of the equipment lightweight hikers advise leaving at home is based on their not-yet-needed items. An emergency blanket, cordage, means of starting and maintaining a fire, etc., can still be simple and lightweight but invaluable in an emergency.
I have knocked over a fair few Camping Gaz single burner stoves, but they’re a silly design of canister !
Tough chick, Ms. Dixie Chick. Spending a cold, wet, windy night in an insubstantial tent rates high on my "avoid" checklist. "For science" I get (and admire), but after a while Type 2 adventures get long in the tooth.
Your comments about earbuds are an issue with me as I wear hearing aids. I'm 73. My very recent research tends to suggest that BONE CONDUCTING HEADPHONES are the way to go. There are a few choices available. For me, Phillips has a good model, which has a USB C charging connection. It appears to be the only brand that does so. I'm hoping to have one by April, when it's hiking season here in Australia. It's too risky now with temperatures and fires and track closures.
Thanks for these tips. I am thankful for the CC tab so I can pick up on the odd spoken word I miss.
Love your videos Dixie and how honest you are. I am relatively new at backpacking and am planning a 5 day spring trip. Is an iphone battery bank really necessary to take on this length of trip? I am trying to shave some weight off my pack but want to use the iphone in an emergency or if I cannot resist taking a spectacular photo. Would love a video posted on your experience with this. Or anyone reading this have any advice?
You will absolutely need a way to recharge your phone on a 5 day trip. Have you ever NOT charged your phone for 5 days? How you do that is up to you but you should definitely plan on have a way to charge your phone.
Another common mistake hikers make is to descend steep slopes/rocks with their back towards the slope. It is safer to descend facing the slope/rocks where one can use their toes (not heels) and fingers (not the heel of the hand). One should “down climb” instead of scooting on her butt.
My number one mistake is not backpacking enough :)
As long as you learn from your mistakes, it ain't so serious. The Heetsheet Emegrency Blanket(from AMK) is bigger, tougher, and quieter than mylar. They are reusable. I used to give them to my Boy Scouts when they completed my Wilderness Survival Merit Badge course. Good Luck, Rick
.. sometimes you don't get a second chance ..
@@rockytopwrangler2069Yeah, I saw that plenty in the Army 5 decades ago.