Ultralight psycho stories

imported
#1

Well, I thought this one might be a fun post. I browsed a few books at B&N about “Ultralight Hiking”, and have come to the conclusion that most of the authors are either nuts, or trying to fill up half a book with unrealistic ideas even they don’t use. So, list some ultralight ideas you have heard that are truly ridiculous.

  1. No TP, use only leaves or your hand!!
  2. Cutting toothbrush handle, then drilling holes into remaining handle to further lighten!!
  3. Pulling tags off of clothes, not because they are irritating, but to save the 1 gram of weight.

Ok, go on, you know you have some stories too!!

xtn

airferret

#2

ummm… i cut the handle off my toothbrush… :oh
but i might add that i’m very picky about my toothbrush and the one use has an insanely longhandle, and me with little hands and a snack size ziplocto put it in… well… it just made sense. :lol

LarsyParsy

#3

No TP sounds like a good idea - use your hand BUT ONLY if you have water, and a squirt bottle helps too! It sure feels better and can help prevent chafing. (once you spend time in a country that doesn’t use toilet paper - it’s hard to go back to it - seems so unsanitary… but hey, no need to share my problems with you, eh?)

P.S. i cut the handle off my toothbrush too. Double uh-oh.

P.P.S. Cutting corners off your maps. Now that’s silly. I just burn 'em as i use 'em in my zipstove. I’ve done the same with pages in a book that i read on the trail - seems sort of sacreligious doesn’t it? Is it? Even if you know it’s a best-seller and there are 5 million other copies out there?

One Timer

#4

This wasn’t intended as an insulting post to those who do these things, though some may think of as so…

But, again, using hands to wipe your arse? :eek: Hmm…I’ll pass. Leaves are ok (careful, no poison sumac/ivy/oak !!!) but I don’t think I could use my hand, squirt bottle or no.

I admit I thought about my toothbrush, but then the dentist gave me my free cheap one that is pretty small as is, and fits in the convertable Tic-Tac container quite well.

xtn

:slight_smile:

airferret

#5

No, I’m not talking about hands or leaves. (I started a new post for that - or rather “the disposal of…”). I see hikers on the AT spend the time trimming to save grams, and then carry 2 liters of water when the next water source is only 3 miles away. Silly, silly, silly :boy

One Timer

#6

I heard a story last year involving a thru hiker from 2000. He had decided on the no TP route and was going to use what was available to him.

After a few days of trying this out, his hiking partners heard him screaming somewhere in the woods, only to find out that he had used stinging nettles. Ouch!

Pushing Up Daisies

#7

Doesn’t everyone cut off the handle? I get my wife to carry everything including the beer.:cheers

Bushwhack

#8

Using leaves works except in the spring and fall when there are no green leaves, only dead and dry ones.
I just buy a small travel tooth brush, no handle to cut off.

Darth pacman

#9

On an extended hike in Wyoming several years ago I ran out of TP. Had to use grass. In the morning while the dew is still on the grass you get a wash and a wipe. Most refreshing!

Uncle Duke

#10

I use a travel toothbrush. What weighs less TP that gets lighter every time you use it or a squirt bottle? A few times I ran out of TP before my next town stop and there are some nice broadleaf plants to wipe off with. Only did that when i had to:smokin

Chef

#11

Here are some super ideas for being able to decrease pack weight and they have been proven historically time and time again. (1) people who have been trapped during earthquakes for days beneath building have survived drinking their own urine—so couldn’t we carry a lot less water? (2) The air we breathe out contains a lot of oxygen so we can breathe it again and again–proven fact. Likewise the food our body processes has many nutrients left in it—so couldn’t we save once heck of a lot of weight here? Heck, we see dogs eating the stuff all the time (3) that toothbrush can be used on both ends—so no need for TP at all—just rinse it off and use it. :lol

Ultralight

#12

Read about a guy who rationed his tp to 10 squares a “sitting”. He may have used a wet wipe afterwards, I don’t recall. I did like the burn the tp tip.

Alligator

#13

Ever see a dog “do the scoot” to relieve the glands around its …ummmm…anus? Scoots along the ground (or your carpet…) no T.P. needed!
Oh yeah, cut your pack straps - reeeeeal short. Saves weight and time since you won’t have enough strap to release it to get your arms through - just leave the suckers in one position. :wink:

Peep

#14

Last year, Crumb, a 3 time thru-hiker let me in on an ‘alternate’ way to save tp, using only 1 square.
Do your business, tear off a square, poke your finger thru the middle. THEN… (here’s the ‘alternative’ part)… THEN… proceed to clean the “rim” with the finger and stick it you know where, squeeze the tp around your finger with the other hand and pull finger clean through. Voila! One roll jumbo should last the entire trip!
I never did try this, but hyoh- or should I say wyoa
happy hiking!

Side note- anyone going to be b/t Damascus and Scales this weekend? I’m heading out on that section again for a couple days- Virginian is that too far for you?

Macgyver

#15

Last year, Crumb, a 3 time thru-hiker let me in on an ‘alternate’ way to save tp, using only 1 square.
Do your business, tear off a square, poke your finger thru the middle. THEN… (here’s the ‘alternative’ part)… THEN… proceed to clean the “rim” with the finger and stick it you know where, squeeze the tp around your finger with the other hand and pull finger clean through. Voila! One roll jumbo should last the entire trip!
I never did try this, but hyoh- or should I say wyoa
happy hiking!

Side note- anyone going to be b/t Damascus and Scales tomorrow thru Saturday? I’m heading out to that section again for a couple days- Virginian is that too far for you?

Macgyver

#16

I hope no one let Crumb put his hand in their gorp bag!

Max

#17

hey, i got an idea. just take 1 sq. and reuse it.:wink:

magic (ga>me03)