Dual-purpose Backpacking Gear To Lighten Your Load Or Help In An Emergency

Hey y'all, Dixie here. Today I want to talk to you about some dual-purpose or even multi-purpose backpacking gear items. Having a heavy pack sucks no matter which way you slice it, so focusing on things that can serve you in multiple ways can help reduce your pack weight. I've actually made a video on this in the past also, so I'm not gonna go back over those same exact items, but if it seems like something is glaringly missing, like a bandana that has so many different purposes, or using your clothes bag stuffed with clothes as a pillow, then you might find those items in that video, so I'll link to it in the video description of this video if you want to refer back to that. The first item I want to talk about is chapstick. Obviously this can be used to moisturize your lips or if it's got an SPF and to protect your lips from the Sun, but also I have used chapstick for chafing in a pinch because I had some chafing between my thighs and I just needed something to act as a lubricant, so it can be rubbed right on wherever that issue is. Also as a friction reducer for feet if you're having some blisters pop up. I have also used chapstick for a raw nose. I've in colder weather especially had my nose just where it's running and you end up with like a crack on your nostril and it can be really painful, so if you've got dry nostrils or they're running and you need something to help protect the skin, I mean you can just take that thing and go around around in your nostril or put some on your finger and rub it on your nose. Chapstick can also act as a lubricant for any pesky zippers that seem to be getting just kind of stiff or caught up like on your pack or your sleeping bag. Just rub some of the chapstick on there and it should help that issue. And finally chapstick can be useful as a fire starter because a lot of times they are petroleum-based and so it's flammable, so just get you some on some other kindling of some sort and it'll help it burn longer. Next up is an umbrella. Now obviously I've mentioned before in the past that an umbrella can be dual purpose as far as protecting you from the elements. Not only is it good in the rain, but it can help block you from the Sun and create instant shade. But I have had an umbrella come in handy big time in a situation where I was being charged by an aggressive dog and just having the umbrella itself like a stick can be a deterrent. But popping that umbrella open, I mean dogs are like, what wizardry are you putting out on me right now? And they will stop in their tracks. So if you're gonna be on a trail where you're encountering any dogs or even livestock, it'd be worth a shot. Also I mentioned recently when I summited Ben Nevis in Scotland being pregnant and having to pee multiple times in an hour on a trail that had like hundreds if not thousands of people on it, I needed instant privacy and having an umbrella allowed me that ability to just pop it open and squat behind it so everybody didn't see the moon and the stars. And finally in a search-and-rescue situation, especially if you have a reflective umbrella, one of the silver umbrellas, and you can pop it open and closed to help like a helicopter that's searching for you from above notice your location, then it's a good use in that way if you're gonna be carrying one anyway. Next up is a camera battery. Now obviously they are used for powering your camera, but in a pinch can be used to make a fire. Now this one might seem a little out there, but I did think that it was interesting that you could actually make a fire by using a camera battery and some light thin steel wool. Steel wool is sort of a multi-purpose item itself. Depending on what your food pots made out of, you could use it as a little scrubber for that, but also an emergency fire starter with camera batteries, AAA batteries if you happen to use them with your headlamp, and then starting a fire if your lighter runs out of fuel, or maybe even to start a fire when it's wet. For my main source of fire starter, I'm gonna carry a lighter because they're easy, and then a very small mini backup lighter, but if you're in a situation where your lighter has been soaked, or it's busted for some reason, or you forgot it, you know, but you happen to have this camera battery and you remembered some steel wool, then you can use it to actually start a fire. You've got to connect the positive and negative with steel wool. The steel wool will ignite, then you can use it to light up some other materials you found on trail. The biggest thing that you want to make sure of is that you use a super fine steel wool. I made the mistake of getting one that was a little more thick, if you will, and it really was taking a lot of effort to try to make a fire with that wool. But while we're talking about fire starters with a dual purpose, if you happen to be somebody who eats Doritos, then if you hadn't heard already, you should know that they also act as a pretty good fire starter, and also Fritos, any of those greasy type corn chips. But it is good to always have some backup sources of fire starters because you never know when you need immediate warmth, or you want search-and-rescue to be able to find you, and a fire is a good way to show your location. Maybe you're out of fuel and you need to treat some water or cook a meal. There are a lot of reasons why you might need a fire, so that's one of the things that I'm okay having multiple redundancies. Next, tent stakes. Obviously they're used to help secure your shelter, but they can also be used to dig a cat hole, and using multiple instead of one helps get the job done a little bit quicker. Next up is your phone, and I did actually talk about this in the previous video that I did on this topic, but I thought of another use. So while obviously a phone is for communication, navigation, you can use it for journaling, entertainment, and music, but also as a mirror, specifically a tool to use for checking for ticks in areas that you couldn't see otherwise, and that way you don't have to ask somebody else to do it for you. Specifically, you know, in your booty crack or male genitalia, you know, maybe up under some of that. Even on your back, just whatever, where you need to see and you wouldn't necessarily be able to see otherwise. Next up is coconut oil. This one can be used in your food or coffee for extra calories, but also for a moisturizer on your body. It can help with issues like chafe, and there's actually some evidence that it can be used on minor abrasions and things like that to help prevent infection. Because it's an antimicrobial, using it on your body in general and especially in your armpits can help with hacker stench. And then if you want to get real crazy with hygiene, you could use it for oil pooling for dental hygiene while on trail. Next is a mylar blanket. This one, obviously it's intended purpose as like an emergency blanket for emergency warmth if you find yourself in a pinch, but also I've used this as a makeshift groundcloth when I want to cowboy camp. They're not super durable, so it's not going to hold up for a long time for that purpose, but it could be used as that. And then finally, if you're in a search-and-rescue situation like I was talking about with the reflective umbrella earlier, having it to wave and just make movement that's reflective can help search-and-rescue if they're looking for you from above. Next up is a bear canister. Obviously these are typically intended for food storage, but you can use them as a little table, as a stool to sit on, a portable washing machine because it can make it very easy to collect water, put some soap, and scrub things up, whether it's your dishes or your clothing. You can prop your feet up on it while you're resting. And then finally, you could use it as a drum for some entertainment. There were actually several fellas that I hacked with in the Sierra Nevada on the PCT that, you know, played their drum every night by the fire, and it was entertaining. Hand sanitizer, obviously a disinfectant for your hands or any other first-aid stuff like blisters, etc., but as many people know, it can also be used as a fire starter. And finally, sticks and leaves. I know these are not gear items that you're typically toting with you, but a little scrubber or sponge or rag to, like, clean up their food pot, and that's not really necessary. Even if you have some food that's kind of caked up on it, using sticks and leaves as your scrubber with some water is actually pretty effective. Well, alright y'all, those are all of the dual or multi-purpose items that I have for you this video. If y'all have any questions about them or if you've got other suggestions for dual-purpose items, I would love to hear about those in the comments below. Thank y'all so much for watching. If you found this video useful, don't forget to share with a friend, and we will see y'all next time.