For a hike to be successful and enjoyable, you need to get a good night's sleep. Mountaineering, hiking, hiking, cycling, motorcycle or auto tourism - in each case, special equipment is required. Every lover of active pastime faces the question of choosing a sleeping bag.
At the moment, there are many sleeping bags from different manufacturers, as well as their types and types, which makes the choice when purchasing an extremely problematic and time-consuming process. We will try to tell you in detail how to choose the right sleeping bag so that your camping trip or outing will be not only exciting, but also comfortable and safe for your health.
How to choose the right travel backpack
Every novice tourist is faced with the need to choose a backpack. If you decide to go to wild places where it is not possible to buy something you forgot at home at any time, then the backpack should contain everything you need for an autonomous trip. Let's look at how to properly assemble a tourist backpack and analyze the main types intended for long hikes.
In this article we will try to figure out how to choose the right travel backpack? What are the differences between urban and hiking, men's and women's backpacks? What nuances are important to pay attention to when choosing?
Methods for purifying and disinfecting water in natural conditions using improvised means
If you need drinking water in the wild, finding fresh water is only half the battle. In order to drink it and cook food with it, the water must be purified and disinfected. And it is necessary to firmly know that any water must undergo purification, if necessary, and disinfection before use.
Water suitable for drinking or cooking must be absolutely transparent, odorless, colorless and tasteless. Turbid water is a suspension of particles of various solids. Turbid natural water must always be pre-purified.
Which fishing hook is better and why?
A fishing hook, although small, is the main part of fishing equipment. But now there are many varieties of hooks. Which one is better and more correct to choose? It all depends on what kind of fish, at what time of year and with what baits you are going to catch.
The most common are the following types of hooks: single, double, triple, with a long or short forearm, straight or curved, with a ring head or a spatula head in various combinations. The hook number (size) is the distance from the shank to the sting, measured in millimeters. The smallest hook is 2.5, the largest is 20, if you don’t take into account very exotic ones for huge fish and special gear.
Protection from mosquitoes, midges and other insects
In the warm season, almost all of us are bothered by mosquitoes, midges and other insects. This is especially true for summer residents and lovers of outdoor recreation. Mosquitoes and midges are annoying not only on the street, they buzz and bite in city apartments.
TO mosquito bites, most of us treat it without much attention: unpleasant, of course, but not scary. However, we should not forget that a common mosquito can easily cause quite serious troubles or complications. If you scratch the site of a mosquito bite, you can develop an allergy or even get an infection. It is worth emphasizing that arboviral diseases are transmitted through the saliva of mosquitoes, which after a few days can lead to fever or even encephalitis - inflammation of the brain. Therefore, it is necessary to fight mosquitoes without any twinges of conscience.
A mandatory attribute of any hike or just outdoor recreation is a tent. The question of choosing a tent is quite complex and is determined by many different factors. Buying a tent will not be difficult, since today there are a huge number of options on the market - tourist, expedition, camping and others. Each tent has certain parameters and features: size, weight, number of seats, entrances and vestibules, quality of fittings and seams, water resistance, quality of impregnation, and others. All this matters and affects the cost.
First you need to decide: for what purpose do you need a tent? The answer options can be reduced to three main ones:
Homemade fishing rod or spinning rod holder
The oldest and most common "grandfather's" method of holding a fishing rod is an ordinary spear, which fishermen cut right on the shore, from coastal trees, after which the stands are simply stuck into the ground or sand. But, besides the fact that this causes great harm to the trees, such stands are not very convenient; there is not always something to make from on the bank and where to insert it (for example, a bank made of concrete slabs). Moreover, such supports can even damage the rod, especially when hooking. It is much easier to make a simple device yourself - holder for a single fishing rod or spinning rod, or a group stand once and use for many years.
Boat motor from trimmer
The idea of a lightweight outboard motor for a small boat, including a rubber one, is of interest to many fishermen and others. A motor that could become an alternative to an electric motor with heavy and expensive batteries and a short power reserve plus the inability to recharge in nature is a dream for many. If you add the relatively low price and versatility, that is, the ability to use it for other useful purposes, then the trimmer motor (strimmers or lawn mowers - call it what you want) is not a bad option at all. And if you already have a trimmer, then it wouldn’t be a bad idea to use it as an engine for a boat.
Why a trimmer? Lightweight, modern, low-drinking motor with a built-in tank, with ready-made controls: gas handle, starter. There is even a long “leg”, what else do you need?
For a successful hunt, an animal or bird must be called to the hunter’s position. The simplest and most common way is to imitate their feeding or mating call using a decoy. We won’t dwell on the need for decoys when hunting; if you are here, it means you understand this. There are two types of decoys: electronic and wind. A wind decoy creates a certain sound, similar to a whistle. This is a whistle, it is not expensive, there are many ways to make such a decoy yourself, it does not require power. This is where its advantages end. There are not many disadvantages, but they are very significant - it is difficult to find the identity of the sound of the decoy and the original, often it is not possible at all, one decoy is only one sound (of one animal or bird), limited volume, and therefore the area of audibility, well, you have to blow - once or twice nothing, but the whole hunt...
Do-it-yourself automatic hooking for fishing rods and spinning rods
Auto hooking is often used when fishing - it increases the catch, allows you to fish with a large number of gears, allows you to do something else in parallel with fishing, and also makes it possible to catch fish without being present at the moment of the bite. Of course, you will not achieve a 100% catch when biting using auto-hook, but even without it, the bite does not always end with fish in the cage. But with a good bite, the chances of hooking a fish when using automatic hooking are often greater than when hooking manually, when you may simply miss the optimal hooking time. That's what fishing is all about, anything can happen. There are various schemes for automatic hooking, all of them are easy to make, so making them yourself is not difficult, but you can also look for them in stores - for the lazy. Further material for those who want make your own auto-hook for a fishing rod or spinning rod.
At the end of last season I tested the Term-a-rest Neoair xlite inflatable and really liked it. The advantages include high thermal insulation properties (R-value > 3) with low weight (350-460 g) and a huge plus for sleep comfort. Of course, he also has his shortcomings, but that’s not the point now. You need to inflate this mat with your mouth, which is quite simple, but there are several nuances: Firstly, the temperature of the air from the lungs is higher than the surrounding air and, therefore, after some time the mat is deflated due to air compression during cooling. Secondly, moisture from the lungs enters the mat and is deposited there on the walls, reducing thermal insulation and increasing weight. I have no idea how to dry this rug, so I thought about a pump. On the American Internet I found a very successful version of an ultra-light pump for mats. But, as usual, we don’t have all the goods from the nearest supermarket, which by some miracle, in terms of diameters and threads, are ideal for camping equipment (this is not the first time I’ve encountered this). Therefore, I modernized the design to suit our realities.
To make a pump for a mat we will need:
- plastic lemonade bottle - any
- Garbage bag, I used a 60 liter
- A piece of rubber or neoprene ~3mm thick, rubber is better, but I only had neoprene
- Fine tooth hacksaw - I used a hacksaw
- Knife with a narrow blade
- Scissors
- Sandpaper
Let's get started (I apologize in advance for the quality of the photo - my daughter helped me take pictures, it was a debut for her :)). The first step is to saw off the neck of the bottle just below the ring on the neck. The safety ring that remains from the plug after the first unscrewing must also be removed. Carefully sand the cut area or cut off the burrs with a knife.
The next step is to cut a hole in the plug with a diameter slightly larger than the diameter of the valve on the mat. An exact match is not necessary here, the main thing is that the flap of the mat fits easily into the hole. This operation is convenient to do with a short thin knife.
Next, you need to cut a washer from neoprene or rubber with an outer diameter equal to the diameter of the plug, and an inner diameter slightly smaller than the diameter of the mat valve. Our American colleagues are deprived of this step because you can buy this washer from them in the plumbing department and it will fit perfectly with their bottles and rugs.
If you make it from rubber, then you can give a small allowance. I made it from neoprene, so the first version of the hole turned out to be too large, the neoprene stretched and let air through. I had to make the second option - smaller.
Now we need to make a chamber in which air will be pumped. Any package can be used for this. I took “extra strong” garbage bags. The bottom corner of the bag needs to be cut off so that the resulting hole can be pressed onto the neck of the bottle.
All that remains is to insert the rubber washer into the cork and screw it onto the neck of the bag.
If you made the gasket from rubber, this is the end of the process; if you made it from neoprene, like me, you will have to tinker a little more. The fact is that neoprene is much softer than rubber and when pumping air the pump can fly off the valve. Therefore, for control, I also put on a rubber band for money to hold the pump on the valve
Now you can pump up. This is done by capturing air through the neck of the bag and then squeezing the bag itself (below there will be a video demonstrating how to do this). Don't forget to open the valve on the mat. There is no need to rush, otherwise you may damage the package. Pumps up pretty quickly. I only tested it at home, I wonder how this pump will behave in the forest, where there is rain and other weather conditions.
The weight of the entire product was less than 20 grams, which is noticeably lower than the proprietary solution. The maintainability of such a pump is very high; if you are afraid that the bag will burst, you can use two bags, inserting one into the other, or take a spare one with you.
As a result of testing, it turned out that with my mouth I inflate a size L mat (196x63 cm) in 1 minute and 16 seconds and in 16 breaths, although my lung capacity is larger than the average. At the same time, I begin to experience mild hyperventilation. And with the help of a pump, I inflated the same mat in 5 minutes and in the end the neoprene gasket could no longer withstand the pressure and released air. I had to blow through my mouth a couple more times. Apparently, it will be necessary to replace neoprene with rubber and repeat the experiment. Here is a video demonstrating how this pump works.
To summarize, we can say that the prototype turned out to be quite functional, but in the end the pump cannot cope with the increased pressure, requiring a final pumping with the mouth. There is still room for improvement here. But overall, I’m pleased with the preliminary results; I’ll test it in the fields.
Those who like to spend time outside the city, but rarely go hiking, know how difficult it can be to keep matches dry, quickly light a fire or prepare a hot breakfast. However, experienced travelers can easily make homemade items for a hike with their own hands. Each of these devices will make life much easier for beginners and experienced tourists at a minimum cost.
Camping jet stove
Perhaps this is the most expensive tourist homemade product for a hike that will be discussed. The fact is that to make it you will need to purchase two small stainless steel mugs in advance. This stove makes it easy to heat water for tea or fry eggs. Of course, a gas stove is much more convenient in this regard. But the gas may run out, and this small device runs on firewood, which can be found in abundance in any planting.
To work you will need:
- inexpensive mugs with a diameter of 10 and 12 cm, made of stainless steel;
- masking tape or strip of paper;
- a stainless steel strip 25 cm long and 3-4 cm wide.
In addition, you need to prepare the following tools:
- grinder or hacksaw;
- roulette;
- hammer;
- drill and drill bits;
- marker;
- pliers;
- core;
- metal scissors.
What do we have to do
In order to make such a homemade product for a hike, it is important to act very carefully and in accordance with the following instructions:
- We start by processing a mug of smaller diameter. First of all, cut off the handle - it will not be needed.
- Now we carefully grind off the places where it is connected with a grinder using a cutting disc. If necessary, we help ourselves with pliers. The result should be a kind of stainless steel glass.
- Stepping back about one centimeter from the edge of the workpiece, apply masking tape around the circumference. Peel it off again and mark the strip into 12 divisions. This is necessary in order to drill 12 holes around the circumference of the workpiece at the same distance from each other. If you don’t have tape, you can use a regular strip of paper, moistening it a little with water.
- We transfer the markings back to the mug, paint over the necessary places with a marker and use a drill and drill bit to make small holes.
- Remove the tape and drill out the resulting holes to a diameter of 10 mm.
- Let's move on to the bottom of the workpiece. There you need to mark 21 holes. To make it look beautiful and neat, you can outline the outline of the bottom on a sheet of paper in a checkered pattern and start by marking the holes there.
- Having slightly moistened the paper with water, we glue the workpiece to the bottom and core the places of future holes. We mark them with a thin drill, and then increase the diameter of each to 7-8 mm.
- Now let's start working with the second, larger mug. We turn it over and mark a circle with a diameter of 10 cm in the center on the bottom.
- We drill a convenient hole in the center of the mug and cut out a circle with metal scissors.
- In the upper part of the mug, also stepping back a little from the edge, we drill several holes with a diameter of 10-12 mm, evenly distributing them around the circumference.
- We assemble the stove. To do this, turn the large mug upside down and insert into the resulting hole a metal glass with holes made from a smaller mug (in the normal position, bottom down). It will be difficult for the workpiece to fit in, so you can place a small board on top and gently tap it with a hammer.
- All that remains is to make a cross. For this you will need a steel strip. We cut it in half, then cut each half in the middle so that the parts can be inserted into one another.
The stove is ready. If you install it on a flat area and heat it, the fuel supply is enough even to boil a kettle. In this case, the handle will remain cool, so that the device can be safely extinguished or moved to the desired location.
"Bombs" for the fire
When considering homemade products for hiking and tourism, it is impossible not to pay attention to lighting a fire. Those who often do this outdoors, especially after rain, know that this is not an easy task. To ensure that the fire always flares up quickly and easily, it is better to stock up on special paraffin “bombs” before going out. They are very easy to make. You will need:
- egg cartons;
- cotton fiber, such as cotton wool;
- wax candles (2-3 pieces).
Everything is done very simply. Place a ball of cotton wool into the cells of the cardboard stencil - it is better to tear it and compact it a little. Melt the candles in an unnecessary tin can in a water bath, after cutting them into pieces.
Pour melted wax into the cells with cotton wool, wait until everything hardens. Using a utility knife, cut the stencil into pieces and wrap each “bomb” in cling film. Each piece set on fire with a match or lighter will burn stably for at least twenty minutes. This is quite enough to dry the wet brushwood a little and light a fire.
Bottle filter
Here's another useful homemade product for a hike. With its help, you will not be left without tea, even if the entire supply of drinking water is used up. The main thing is that there is a small river or river nearby.
To make a simple filter you need to prepare:
- plastic bottle;
- a small ball of cotton wool or 3-4 cotton pads;
- plastic bag;
- a piece of cloth, for example a clean handkerchief;
- a package of activated carbon - if you don’t have it, a few charcoals from yesterday’s fire will do.
Operating procedure
The scheme for creating a homemade filter is very simple:
- We cut off the bottom of the bottle and make several holes in the cork. Screw on the cork and turn the bottle upside down.
- We plug the neck with a wad of cotton wool or place 2-3 disks there.
- The next layer is crushed activated carbon tablets. The more there are, the better. If you use charcoal, then you should break the pieces a little so that they lie as close to each other as possible.
- Cover the coal again with cotton pads or cotton wool.
- To prevent the filter from becoming clogged, place a clean handkerchief on top.
- Cut off a corner of a plastic bag or make holes in it. Place the cellophane in the bottle.
- Now add a layer of clean river sand. If there are small pebbles on the shore, you can also use them, placing them in the topmost layer.
Note! The layers should be such that there is room on top for water.
The filter from scrap materials is ready. The water obtained in this way must be boiled (at least ten minutes) in order to finally get rid of various microorganisms and pathogenic bacteria.
Hot gun without electricity
It happens that while on a hike you need to fix something urgently. How to do it? Your best bet is to grab some hot gun rods from home. But how to use them? Now you'll find out.
To make a camping hot pistol you will need:
- lighter;
- can;
- insulating tape.
It’s very easy to make such a useful and necessary homemade product for a hike:
- Using a knife, we cut off the bottom and top of the can, and cut it lengthwise so that we get a sheet of thin tin;
- we roll a small bag out of it and fasten it with electrical tape;
- cut off the tip so that the glue passes into the hole;
- using electrical tape, screw a lighter onto the bottom like a pistol trigger;
- Insert a glue stick into the hole.
The device is ready! Now it will be very easy for you to seal a torn boot or make minor repairs to your equipment.
Trips
If the big city isn't your thing, you like to travel, or you're looking to get started, then you might need some information about what you can do in extreme conditions to survive.
There are many ideas on how to make things that will help you on your trip.
You can make many useful tools with your own hands, and you can learn about some of them below.
1. Quickly ignite a fire for active tourism
In wet weather, you may have problems starting a fire. So that this does not bother you, make preparations that will help you quickly and easily light a fire.
You will need:
Fuzz (threads) sticking to clothing or cotton fiber
Cardboard packaging for eggs
Wax from old candles
1. Place the fiber into the egg holes.
2. Melt the candle wax.
3. Pour the melted wax onto the fibers in the carton.
4. Wait for everything to cool and dry.
5. Cut out the blanks as shown in the image.
When lit with a match or lighter, each of these blanks will burn for up to 20 minutes.
You will need:
Two identical plastic jars
Baking paper
Wire or rope to create a handle
Small battery operated candle
Glue stick
Adhesive tape
Drill or awl
Super glue
1. Clean the jars of any debris and grease. You only need one jar lid.
2. Measure and cut three pieces of baking paper to fit inside the jar.
3. Glue the ends of all three parts together to form a tube that can be conveniently inserted into the jar.
4. Make a hole on opposite sides of one plastic lid (from a jar).
5. Insert the wire into the holes and bend it to form a handle.
6. Make a large hole in the other lid. This time the holes are on top.
7. Insert the candle inside the hole (there will be a switch outside). Secure the structure with glue.
8. Now glue the lid with a handle to the bottom of the jar, and simply screw the top lid (with the candle) back to the jar.
3. What should a tourist do in the cold - hand warmer
You will need:
Calcium chloride (or something that contains it)
2 bags of different sizes with zipper
1. Pour some calcium chloride into a large bag.
2. Take some water into a small bag.
3. Place the small bag inside the larger one.
4. Upon contact with coolness, calcium chloride begins to heat up, and you get a comfortable hand warmer.
4. Wood-burning stove made from tin cans for lovers of outdoor activities and tourism
You will need:
2 tin cans (diameter approximately 7.5 and 10 cm)
Metal cutting scissors
Can opener
Screwdriver or awl
Ruler
1. Cut the bottom from a large jar. Make holes in it to turn it into a ring.
2. Place the ring on a jar of smaller diameter.
3. Make several holes in a small jar (top and bottom, large and small).
4. Insert the small jar into the larger one.
5. Mobile stove for lovers of extreme tourism
You will need:
Small metal box
1. Cut the cardboard so that it fits comfortably in the tin box.
2. Melt the wax.
3. Fill the cardboard with wax. Fill so that there are no empty holes.
Ready. It will burn long and hard.
6. What a tourist needs: one thing fresh coffee bags
You will need:
Paper for straining coffee infusion
Dental floss
Measuring spoon
1. Place straining papers in measuring spoon.
2. Add 1-2 teaspoons of coffee.
3. Use dental floss to secure the coffee paper.
4. Cut off the excess (if the tail of the paper is long).
5. Place all pouches in a ziplock bag to help them last longer.
To brew coffee, use coffee bags in the same way as tea bags:
1. Place the bag in a cup and pour boiling water over it.
2. Wait a few minutes.
* Boiling water can be poured for you free of charge on the plane, airport, cafe and other places.
3. Before drinking coffee, remove the bag and throw it in the trash.
7. Very interesting ideas: mobile toilet paper holder
When it rains, toilet paper can get wet. But if you make a holder like this, you can get rid of this problem.
1. Prepare a wide plastic jar.
2. Remove the lid and put toilet paper inside.
3. Make holes at the top and bottom and insert wire to make a handle.
4. Cut an oblong hole to insert the paper.
8. How to make an organic spray to repel bugs from plants
You will need:
1 head of garlic
1 small onion
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 liter of water
1 tablespoon liquid olive soap
1. Place the garlic and onion in a blender and blend until liquid.
2. Add 1 liter of water and a tablespoon of cayenne pepper to the contents.
3. Cover the mixture and leave for 1 hour.
4. Strain the mixture through cheesecloth and add 1 tbsp. l. olive soap.
5. Fill your spray bottle and you can use the contents to repel bugs from your plants.
9. DIY compass
This craft can be done with your child, it is so simple.
You will need:
Plastic cover
Magnet (rod)
A piece of cork or foam
Some water
1. Use a knife to cut a piece of champagne or wine cork.
2. Pass the needle along the magnet several times, but only in one direction. If you did this enough times, the needle will also become a magnet.
3. Pour water into the plastic lid.
4. Place the cut circle from the cork on the water, and place a needle on top. Take your time, make sure the needle lies flat.
Soon the needle will begin to rotate slowly and its tip will begin to point north.
10. DIY snowshoes
11. DIY water filter
12. DIY hammock
Everyone loves tourism. And if someone claims that he doesn’t like it, it means that he simply lacks comfort in the field. A selection of homemade ideas for hiking will help you find comfort in a forest clearing. It is not difficult to make these things with your own hands. And the tourist will only need available materials.
Fire and hearth
A camping trip is impossible without a fire, so the list of must-have crafts consists of “fiery” accessories. For example, a small burner made from a tin can.
On such a fire you can easily prepare a dish for one person or boil water. It is important to remember that the container gets hot, and you should not grab it even half an hour after use.
If you equip the grill from an old refrigerator with metal legs, you can get a mini-barbecue for a quick lunch. When there is no time to make a fire, such a device will save a tourist from hunger.
Another option for a compact fire is a tin with a folded piece of cardboard. The device will burn due to the air in the cavities of the corrugation. For better results, you can impregnate the paper with flammable fuel. You can't cook dinner over such a fire, but you can warm your hands.
This structure will help support the fire. As it burns, the wood will be fed into the fire, rolling toward the center.
Amenities and comfort
A long hike involves staying in a tent. Tourists will find this compact toilet paper holder useful. To make it you will need a plastic cup of a suitable size. Most likely, a new roll will not fit into the container, so it makes sense to stock up on already started packages.
In order not to struggle with plastic utensils and not to carry heavy utensils to the mountains, it is recommended to shorten an ordinary spoon and fork. The handle of the device is wrapped with paracord according to the bracelet weaving pattern. The resulting keychain can be attached to a backpack or belt bag.
And if you left the utensils at home, you can make a spoon in five minutes using a plastic bottle. It should be cut according to the pattern shown in the photo.
The model of such a washstand is most likely familiar to everyone from childhood. But the idea still helps out tourists and summer residents.
This preparation of dry leaves and natural rope will help light a fire even after rain.
Lifehacks for tourists will be excellent instructions on how to find comfort in the field. To do this, you only need available materials and a little time.