Hey Everyone,
Sorry if you haven't seen me around for a few days. I just got back from a three day backpacking trip that my Venture boys put together. Other than the 90 degree heat, thunder storms, and relentless mosquito's it was a fun trip. I think that everyone learned a new trick on this hike, such as how to cook in a down pour! I've just finished up cleaning everything (a.k.a. my post hike ritual). I know that when I step in the door I'm dog tired, smell like, well like Ive been living in the woods, and the last thing I want to do is clean gear. However, after a nice hot shower, with lots of soap, I find the energy to pull everything out, dry what needs drying, wash what needs washing, and inspect all my gear. I'm lucky that Christi is a hiker as well, so she understands the need to take over the dinning room and hang rain flies up from the chairs, and cover the kitchen counter with drying cook sets and filters parts for a day or two. Not to mention, I moved her decorative cooking apron to hang up my hydration bladder.
What's your post hike ritual? Do you get right to it like myself, or do you prefer to kick back, relax, and do it the next day? Also, if you have a really cool way of cleaning a piece of gear let me know. I'm always interested in learning a new way to do something!
See you on the trail,
Lance
I swiftly dry my bladder. I've had too much crapola pop up in the span of 24 hours in the tube.
ReplyDeleteHey Izzy,
ReplyDeleteYeah I have had my troubles with hydration bladders as well. Jason had a neat video a while back in which he showed how he uses a small fish tank aireator pump to blow air through his bladder to dry it. Although I havent done that yet Im really thinking about picing one up next time Im at the pet store.
Like Izzy, I dry my mositure sensitive stuff like bladder, tent, sleeping bag first. Then I wash my spork & pot. While all of that's drying, I put away all the little stuff until my pack is empty. So I guess I'm a "get to it" kinda guy.
ReplyDeleteI am a terrible procrastinator so I force myself to sit down, have a cup of tea, check emails and post and then get right to it. I agree - sorting out your bladder is important, but I also loft my bag, air out my shelter (it will obviously have rained in the UK), clean my boots each time I use them, and re-proof them every 3-4 uses, wash my technical kit with Nikwax/Grangers, replace used items like hot chocolate sachets, teabags, sugar, porridge etc, sort out first-aid kit if I've used that at all and then pack it all away for next time. I know if I don't do it all now, I'll forget (I'm terrible for that) and then find, as I sit in my tent next time, that I have no tea...!! For a Englishman, that's simply unacceptable. They throw you out of the UK for stuff like that.
ReplyDeleteYeah! I agree, a nice hot shower would do for my post ritual hike. Cleaning hiking gears and browsing the snapshots taken during the hike and transferring it to my hard drive.
ReplyDelete