Mar 20, 2012

Washing Clothes on the Trail

To wash clothes on the trail, get a 2 gallon zippered ziplock bag and label it “Wash”.  Every couple days follow these steps:
1. Place clothes into bag
2. Add water (cool or warm – not hot)
3. Add two drops of Campsuds or Dr. Bonner's
4. Massage bag for a few minutes or carry on backpack where it cannot leak on dry items.
5. Drain water by broadcasting away from camp area or into campfire ring.
6. Refill water in bag - shake to rinse suds from cloths
7. Add two drop of bleach to sanitize and agitate for several minutes.
7. Drain water into sump area
8. Hang out cloths to dry, or pin to outside of backpack
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Seam Sealing Silnylon

Looking for info on seam sealing my new Stoic windshirt, I found this great article from seekoutside.com on the process:

Seam Sealing Instructions

Our tents and tarps need to be seam sealed to provide the best protection from the elements. Seam sealing is a simple process, and should take less than half an hour. Although you can seal seams without pitching the tarp or tent, it is easiest and cleanest  to pitch them and seam seal the tents and let them dry a bit. You need a couple hours of pretty good weather to let the sealer dry. It should be noted, that when finished, it is normal for the seam to feel tacky to the touch, but not be wet.
To perform this you will need:
  • A clear silicone based sealant e.g. a small tube of clear GE premium waterproof Silicone sealant available at hardware stores.
  • A 1/2″ foam brush
  • A few ounces of odorless mineral spirits
  • A clean container to mix the silicone sealant and mineral spirits
Here are the steps:
  • In a clean small metal or plastic container , put in some of the clear silicone sealant and add in some odorless mineral spirits.  I mix it to more of a room temperature buttery consistency.  With GE I use only a small amount of mineral spirits but with the others I need to add more.
  • Once you have the consistency, I find it easiest to dab some on the corner of the foam brush and spread on the seam. It is easiest to do this while you are inside the tent, since it’s easier to reach the whole seam. Lower seam portions may need to be done from the outside and you certainly won’t harm anything from doing the outside or both sides.
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Mar 7, 2012

Backpacking Mac & Cheese

1 Box Kraft Mac & Cheese Thick and Creamy
2 1/4 Cu Water
1.5 Tbs Olive Oil
Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning to taste.

Boil water, add noodles and boil 2 minutes or until flame goes out
Pour into quart freezer bag, in FBC koozie.  Soak for 15 minutes.
Stir in cheese, chicken if you have some, oil, and Tony's.

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Mar 6, 2012

Georgia AT GPS Track and Waypoints

I've merged tracks and waypoints I've found for the Georgia section of the Appalachian Trail; Springer Mountain to Dick's Creek Gap.  I'll add the rest of Georgia waypoints soon.  Shelters and track are there already.  Points of Interest were gathered from Backpacker magazine.

In Garmin and GPX formats.
georgia-appalachian-trail.gpx
georgia-appalachian-trail.gdb
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