Sponge's Top 10 - Tools and Gadgets
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Sponge started with a $20 pair of poles from Walmart and has now advanced to these. Still under $40, these aluminum beauties feature cord grips (great for sweaty hands), locking clips and a folding design for easier storage. 11.5 ounces each - these are a tad heavier than carbon-fiber poles, but the aircraft-grade aluminum is also MUCH less prone to breakage.
For 3.2 ounces, you get a multitude of tools packed within a contoured casing with textured grip on both sides - SUPER handy for those times when your hands are sweaty or you're working in wet weather.
Weighing only 0.80 ounces and capable of supporting 100 pounds of weight - this hook is invaluable to get your pack off muddy ground or hang your water to gravity filter.
This invaluable piece of equipment weighs just 0.32 ounces. but allows you to attach a water bag (like the Cnoc?) directly to your Sawyer Squeeze? and then hang it to "gravity filter" a large quantity of water for cooking or drinking. Just be careful not to lose it, or order a spare like Sponge!
Sponge brought one of these with him on the Appalachian Trail and loved it - for just 3.2 oounces of weight, you can filter 3 liters of water - plenty to cook with and drink. Filling it is also super-easy using the sliding 'clip' - which also has a built-in loop for carabiner clips.
If you have loose straps on your pack or gear that drive you crazy - do what Sponge has done and pick up a 4-pack of these (available in black, green or tan). They'll keep your gear safe and sanity intact!
Weighing only 1.7 oz, this pad is friends with your butt. Which is good - because there are NOT many soft things in nature to sit on.
On long hikes you've have strategic opportunities to wash your clothes at campgrounds or town laundromats. Instead of spending WAY too much to buy small quantities of laundry soap out of a vending machine - tuck a handful of these into a ziploc bag and place them at the very bottom of your pack - below the liner even! One box will last you a TON of hikes :)
Weighing less than 3 ounces, this super-compact bucket is perfect for hikers wanting to safely put out a campfire - or those wanting to haul up to 10 liters (or 2.6 gallons) of water for camp use. Made of super tough 210D nylon with reinforced 420D handles, this can definitely handle the load.
On long hikes you've have strategic opportunities to wash your clothes at campgrounds or town laundromats. Instead of spending WAY too much to buy small quantities of laundry soap out of a vending machine - tuck a handful of these into a ziploc bag and place them at the very bottom of your pack - below the liner even! One box will last you a TON of hikes :)