On the CT I literally chose to wash my clothes in the sink rather than walk to a laundromat 😂 It wasn't just about the walk, but having to hang out for the full length of time to guard my stuff
Cold soaking is rare for me. Not because of flavor or anything like that, but warm meal can do wonders for mental health. It's generally comforting, and on these trips the impact of these little comforts are multiplied.
A new study indicates that leeching of things from plastic you don’t need to consume is a valid concern. Mylar bags would be a better choice for repackaging freeze dried food, for example, with the plan to rehydrate it in the bag before consuming it.
Mylar bags also have an inner plastic lining, as well as outter. I refuse to rehidrate in a bag, personally. My pot is a lunchbox, meaning it's water tight. Squared angles means it's easier to pack as well (round is hard to pack and leads to dead space)@@wanttogo1958
Funny but true vid. Another exampld is many thru hikers are too lazy to inflate a sleeping pad and instead claim their 1/8” GG CCF pad is “comfortable” 😬😬
Cold soaked soy sauce ramen with salmon was acceptable for lunch in the summer. However, the stoveless crap quickly wore off after a couple of weeks. 25 mile day - ok 1/4 mile side trail to see a waterfall - nope. Alpine snow melt water...no filter necessary. Drink straight from the source.
Yeah I can do cold soaking for lunches but not for every meal (yet). And sometimes! I still don't know if I trust that no marmots or pika have been through it. I'm sure the chances are slim but not none.
F! Cold soaking! If you don't want to carry a stove, buy ready to eat food. Anything that you just open the package and eat. Literally anything that you want to carry. I met one thruhiker on the A T that lived on pizza. He would by 2 pizzas in town, eat one and place the other in gallon ziplocs and survive on cold pizza until the next town.
This is a great alternative to cold soaking, HOWEVER, I feel like the weight you end up carrying in all that ready to eat food ends up being more than if you carried dry food and a stove. I do love a packed out pizza though and will carry it whenever it's available to me haha.
@@eliseott I carry a stove. I enjoy a hot meal after hiking all day. I agree the weight of ready to eat food isn't saving you any weight. It is lazier though.
They say "Necessity is the mother of invention," but this author says, "Laziness is the mother of invention." Using a few feet of double-sided velcro to hang CNOC for gravity filtering, for example. Or getting the tent with fewest number of stakes. Or putting up with a foam-mat instead of a blow-up pad. Or using gloves and hat instead of taking off pack to add/subtract fleece for warmth. Or using a bidet to avoid carrying/dealing-with toilet paper.
I have not carried a water filter since I had one of the first Katadyne, ceramic filters back in the 1980's. (they were almost two pounds, back then, and cost $200) If there are people living around, there is purified water somewhere. If there are no people, the water is fine. Get real, the fish in a small pond or lake are living in their toilet. It is okay. Remember that ALL backpacking media is partly funded by water filter advertising. ALL mammals have giardia in their systems except the few who drink chlorinated water. I have often drank water run-off from heavily-used pastures. All of the animals in a cypress swamp are drinking high-tannin water; maybe it is the secret to eternal life? (I usually carry some iodine tablets, just in case I do hear my guardian angel advising me, but I can't remember when I last used them. I do, mostly, hike in the mountains)
Um, add some ounces to your load out with a Big Agnes Rapid SL 3.5" air mattress with a 1/4" eva foam pad for a topper (Mountain Laurel has a pretty good deal on eva) and sleep like a baby for as long as possible. Don't worry about breaking camp just to keep up. Solitude can be relaxing. (Not on Big Agnes's pay roll.)
@@bionicdan1959 Protect your filter from cold/freezing temps and from being crushed. In temperatures colder than 40°F, I keep my filter in my sleeping bag at night and in an interior pocket of jacket or whatever I’m wearing. It’s a little inconvenient taking it on and off, but so is giardia. 🦠💦🌿
By the way, nice video and topic. I enjoyed it and learned a couple of things too or at least some things that will make me think next time I am on the trail.
No thru hiker is actually efficient unless they’re biking their hike 😂 so much faster and more enjoyable, to me at least (yeah even if I have to push my bike up a lot of places). When I’m not hiking I’m hammock camping, and while looking for my campsite I’ll pick up twigs and branches to cook on my twig stove. Hammocks and wood stoves/campfires go hand in hand. It’s also inherently safer since I just have to make sure no ones around when I enter the woods, and I will be protected by the solitude the wilderness provides.
I could say the same about biking, not efficient when you could drive...lol. Regardless of the method, it's always nice to save some energy while getting time outside.
After discovering bikepacking and as a serial hiker (3hrs a day just in my hometown living in a house) fuck wearing your gear on your back Shoutout to Ketchup Daddy, Beer Run, Green Mountain Girl and others
Brilliant video! I don't think efficiency, whether on trail or in camp, gets enough attention. Back in the "good old days," water treatment meant boiling, Aqua tabs, iodine or bleach. Backpacking filters hadn't been invented yet. Sometimes it was a long 30 minutes though if you were thirsty. Anyway, got any pro tips for cowboy camping? (Site selection?) If not enough for a video, maybe a short? I don't cowboy camp except in the winter because, at least in the east, bugs. Last time I tried it, one of my arms got out from under my quilt and my mosquito bites had mosquito bites.
Thank you !! Oooh i love this idea for a video or short! I often wonder if I'd be able to get away with it as much out east. In july out west I typically avoid it. I think the desert is the best place for it.
I try to add water treatment tabs to my water when I still have a minimum of half an hour of water left... kinda like leap frogging the water availability...
oh yes! this is another great / lazy way to get calories in. I talked a bit about breakfast essentials in a food video I did, which is what I use, but I'm sure there are a lot of good options!
On the CT I literally chose to wash my clothes in the sink rather than walk to a laundromat 😂
It wasn't just about the walk, but having to hang out for the full length of time to guard my stuff
Laundromats are such a time commitment!! It’s fine if there’s other hiker trash to keep you company but that’s not always the case.
expert level segue into the sponsored content.
“i love to cold soak!” is what i would say to myself before choking down another cold, soggy ramen.
Thank you! It helps when it’s stuff I’d be talking about anyway. And yes, gotta play the mind games to get through.
Cold soaking is rare for me. Not because of flavor or anything like that, but warm meal can do wonders for mental health. It's generally comforting, and on these trips the impact of these little comforts are multiplied.
I agree, I think this is why I can cold soak lunches but generally still bring a stove for my dinners.
Subscriber. Most insightful. I’ve been around awhile and learned from you the accordion pad application. Totally agree with each point. Thank you.
That’s awesome! Thank you so much for being here!
Subscribed! A lazy person will find an efficient way to accomplish a task. I tend to only boil water and not cook in my pot to avoid cleaning it.
yes! I try to do this as often as possible as well - great addition! thanks for watching and subscribing!
But throwing hot water into plastic bags instead? I don’t understand how hikers/backpackers don’t worry about leeching
A new study indicates that leeching of things from plastic you don’t need to consume is a valid concern. Mylar bags would be a better choice for repackaging freeze dried food, for example, with the plan to rehydrate it in the bag before consuming it.
Mylar bags also have an inner plastic lining, as well as outter. I refuse to rehidrate in a bag, personally. My pot is a lunchbox, meaning it's water tight. Squared angles means it's easier to pack as well (round is hard to pack and leads to dead space)@@wanttogo1958
And if you need to clean it, I use a finger and drink the wash water so I don't have to stand up to tip it out...
Funny but true vid. Another exampld is many thru hikers are too lazy to inflate a sleeping pad and instead claim their 1/8” GG CCF pad is “comfortable” 😬😬
this was me for wayyyyyyy too long 😅
@@eliseott yep. 12-15oz more and 12-15 breaths of air and we can sleep well again lol
It not laziness, it’s recognizing priorities and being as efficient as possible
yep, exactly!
So so true! I do a lot of these! Loved this video! Thank you!
thank you!! I love hearing it resonates with other thru-hikers.
Get strong. Carry More. Be Happy
Cold soaked soy sauce ramen with salmon was acceptable for lunch in the summer. However, the stoveless crap quickly wore off after a couple of weeks.
25 mile day - ok
1/4 mile side trail to see a waterfall - nope.
Alpine snow melt water...no filter necessary. Drink straight from the source.
Yeah I can do cold soaking for lunches but not for every meal (yet). And sometimes! I still don't know if I trust that no marmots or pika have been through it. I'm sure the chances are slim but not none.
I’m the person walking around camp until bedtime. What you do is better. Will work on that. 🥾
We all have those nights! All depends where you want to focus the energy honestly.
Really good practical stuff. Thx.
glad you thought so! thanks for watching!
You're not cold soaking the right things. Couscous with spices, tuna, and veggies is wonderful.
I’ve done this, I actually do cold soak a lot of my lunches I just can’t fully commit 😂 maybe one day.
@@eliseott I just don't want to give people the impression that all cold soaked meals are miserable. (Just most of them)
F! Cold soaking! If you don't want to carry a stove, buy ready to eat food. Anything that you just open the package and eat. Literally anything that you want to carry. I met one thruhiker on the A T that lived on pizza. He would by 2 pizzas in town, eat one and place the other in gallon ziplocs and survive on cold pizza until the next town.
This is a great alternative to cold soaking, HOWEVER, I feel like the weight you end up carrying in all that ready to eat food ends up being more than if you carried dry food and a stove. I do love a packed out pizza though and will carry it whenever it's available to me haha.
@@eliseott I carry a stove. I enjoy a hot meal after hiking all day. I agree the weight of ready to eat food isn't saving you any weight. It is lazier though.
Pizza has cheese on it. Do this in the wrong temps and you’ll end up with a bad case of food poisoning.
OMG SOS this is me for sure I’m so lazy. Off trail water never ever lol. Hitch hike yes always
Cowboy camping is the best whether on the trail or in the back yard.
I am with you on this one.
They say "Necessity is the mother of invention," but this author says, "Laziness is the mother of invention." Using a few feet of double-sided velcro to hang CNOC for gravity filtering, for example. Or getting the tent with fewest number of stakes. Or putting up with a foam-mat instead of a blow-up pad. Or using gloves and hat instead of taking off pack to add/subtract fleece for warmth. Or using a bidet to avoid carrying/dealing-with toilet paper.
yes yes yes. All the above! Great tips!
I have not carried a water filter since I had one of the first Katadyne, ceramic filters back in the 1980's. (they were almost two pounds, back then, and cost $200) If there are people living around, there is purified water somewhere. If there are no people, the water is fine. Get real, the fish in a small pond or lake are living in their toilet. It is okay. Remember that ALL backpacking media is partly funded by water filter advertising. ALL mammals have giardia in their systems except the few who drink chlorinated water. I have often drank water run-off from heavily-used pastures. All of the animals in a cypress swamp are drinking high-tannin water; maybe it is the secret to eternal life? (I usually carry some iodine tablets, just in case I do hear my guardian angel advising me, but I can't remember when I last used them. I do, mostly, hike in the mountains)
One benefit of using a filter is it forces you to take a short break which your body will be happy for a little bit.
oh yes, I do appreciate the forced water breaks, but using tabs just means you don't have to spend that break squeezing!
Never cook anything for breakfast or lunch - only ready to eat foods that you can eat while walking or airing out feet without additional effort
I love this addition! This is something I usually do but didn't think about including. Thanks for the comment!
Um, add some ounces to your load out with a Big Agnes Rapid SL 3.5" air mattress with a 1/4" eva foam pad for a topper (Mountain Laurel has a pretty good deal on eva) and sleep like a baby for as long as possible. Don't worry about breaking camp just to keep up. Solitude can be relaxing. (Not on Big Agnes's pay roll.)
I had a semi-similar setup on the CDT, don't think I can justify two pads for much longer but sleep can be worth the weight!
Secondary water filtration isn’t laziness-it’s Life.💦
I caught Guardia due to a unknown compromised Sawyer Squeeze. I was sick for 5 weeks! No fun. I'm doing both from now on!!
@@bionicdan1959 Protect your filter from cold/freezing temps and from being crushed. In temperatures colder than 40°F, I keep my filter in my sleeping bag at night and in an interior pocket of jacket or whatever I’m wearing. It’s a little inconvenient taking it on and off, but so is giardia. 🦠💦🌿
Would definitely rather die of dehydration than go off trail for water. I did it a couple of times on the PCT. Wasted steps. And why. Just why.
sometimes it is a necessary evil, but I will avoid it at ALL costs
Nice backpacking tips.
thanks!
By the way, nice video and topic. I enjoyed it and learned a couple of things too or at least some things that will make me think next time I am on the trail.
Glad to hear that!
Hello, my friend, good luck
Good video. Well spoken.
thank you!
Aqua tabs are a great back up, l always carry some just in case.
Cheers 🇨🇦
yay! me too, happy to hear others do the same!
5:28 - how can your butt be happy if you don't eat cold-soak food?
hahah personally I find that cooking dinners, cold-soaking lunches is my happy medium.
It’s Helpful. Thank youu ❤
thank you for watching!
I guess I am a workaholic then, (no, that does not mean when I hear the word work, I get drunk!) but I filter my water and add aqua tabs…sometimes.
Me too usually, but sometimes it’s so nice to just…not 😂
Great video :)
thank you!
❤from 🇮🇪
Thru-hiker laziness - still having your Christmas tree up in February 😉 (I know you probably filmed this a while ago...)
ahhahahah i was wondering if someone would notice that. I did film it a while ago...but not that long ago... still late January :') it's down now!
No thru hiker is actually efficient unless they’re biking their hike 😂 so much faster and more enjoyable, to me at least (yeah even if I have to push my bike up a lot of places).
When I’m not hiking I’m hammock camping, and while looking for my campsite I’ll pick up twigs and branches to cook on my twig stove. Hammocks and wood stoves/campfires go hand in hand. It’s also inherently safer since I just have to make sure no ones around when I enter the woods, and I will be protected by the solitude the wilderness provides.
I could say the same about biking, not efficient when you could drive...lol. Regardless of the method, it's always nice to save some energy while getting time outside.
After discovering bikepacking and as a serial hiker (3hrs a day just in my hometown living in a house) fuck wearing your gear on your back
Shoutout to Ketchup Daddy, Beer Run, Green Mountain Girl and others
lol fair, one day i'll get into bikepacking!
Nice melly
thanks!
Cool vid. 😊
thank you!
Is it lazy or smart to rest as much as possible in town
both
I agree with Andy, both!
I have a little trouble calling anyone lazy that's hiking 2 thousand miles.
Spring why not
Brilliant video! I don't think efficiency, whether on trail or in camp, gets enough attention. Back in the "good old days," water treatment meant boiling, Aqua tabs, iodine or bleach. Backpacking filters hadn't been invented yet. Sometimes it was a long 30 minutes though if you were thirsty. Anyway, got any pro tips for cowboy camping? (Site selection?) If not enough for a video, maybe a short? I don't cowboy camp except in the winter because, at least in the east, bugs. Last time I tried it, one of my arms got out from under my quilt and my mosquito bites had mosquito bites.
Thank you !! Oooh i love this idea for a video or short! I often wonder if I'd be able to get away with it as much out east. In july out west I typically avoid it. I think the desert is the best place for it.
I try to add water treatment tabs to my water when I still have a minimum of half an hour of water left... kinda like leap frogging the water availability...
Thank you for great information. Several drink companies are doing higher calorie drinks. I have not heard people talking about this for long hike?
oh yes! this is another great / lazy way to get calories in. I talked a bit about breakfast essentials in a food video I did, which is what I use, but I'm sure there are a lot of good options!
the definition of lazy is: unwilling to work or use energy. Disinclined to activity or exertion, not energetic or vigorous.
So how is hiking lazy?
watch the video :)
make me 🐴@@eliseott
I'm so lazy,I do all these things and I don't thru hike. 😉
I love it
LOL if they weren't lazy they would be working not hiking
hahahah
YMMV. I'm plenty efficient.
hell ya.
Filter, then heat or treat.
Aquatabs, so you don't have to filter said "a friend"? No thank you.
aqua-tabs will also make you have uncontrollable diarhea.
that has neverrrrr happened to me (or anyone I know), maybe something else was going on?
Nope. Common thread when we used them. When we got potable water it went away. We were stopping 4-5 times a day on those things. @@eliseott