Podcast: Download (Duration: 31:53 — 32.0MB)
Today on The First 40 Miles, the Top 5 ways to show your love for America’s public lands. Then on the SUMMIT Gear Review we’ll show you how to sleep in pure comfort on a pad the size of a Nalgene bottle. Then ditch the toothpaste and try this simple DIY option for a clean mouth. Then we’ll leave you with a little trail wisdom from a brilliant German theoretical physicist.
Show Notes: Episode 033
Opening
- This week’s backpacking trip!
- Our Challenge: Finding a backpacking adventure within 30 minutes of our house
- Nestucca River area of Oregon
- Flying by the seat of our pants again…with stories to tell in future episodes!
Top 5 Ways to Show Your Love for America’s Public Lands
Go to Volunteer.gov
- America’s Natural and Cultural Resources Volunteer Portal
- You can find volunteer opportunities in your state
Use the Land!
- Get out and use the land
- Use it or lose it!
Be a Good Steward
- Follow the rules of the trail
- Pick up after yourself
- Leave it better than you found it
- Read trail signs to find out about do’s and don’t’s
Teach and Inspire the Next Generation
- Check out Episode 029, SHORT + SWEET: The Children + Backpacking episode
- Volunteering with Boy Scouts of America or another youth serving organization
Learn about the Different Public Lands Near You
- BLM, National Parks, National Forests, National Recreation Areas, National Wildlife Area, Wilderness, etc.
- Tribal Lands
- State Parks
- Private Lands are also an option for day use (Weyerhauser, tree farms)
SUMMIT Gear Review™: Klymit Static V2 Sleeping Pad
Structure
- 30D Polyester Top/75D Polyester Bottom
- Called the V-shape chambers limit air movement and heat loss
- Springy Green (looks like the color from new growth on Douglas Fir)
Utility
- R-Value 1.3, which makes it perfect for summer
- Compresses down really well and really quickly
- Chambers evenly distribute the air for great comfort
- Static V pad can be inflated with just 10 – 15 breaths
- Easy-to-use push valve allows for super quick deflation…
- Tons easier to deflate than the Thermarest self-inflating pads
Mass
- 4 x 8 inches (size of a Nalgene water bottle) when packed in its stuff sack
- 33 ounces
- When it’s inflated: 72″ x 23″ x 2.5″
- Won’t be knocking people off the trail with your huge closed cell foam pad strapped to the back of your pack
Maintenance
- Repair kit included
- Always the risk of puncture with open cell pads—bring repair kit
Investment
- About $60
Trial
- Really did inflate with 15 breaths!
- Easy to deflate
- Very comfortable
- Low R-Value means this is a summer pad
- A piece of gear for women who get bruised hips from closed cell foam pads. Klymit has an Insulated version called the Insulated Klymit V, 25 ounces (just 9 ounces more), 4.4 R Value, $90
Backpack Hack of the Week™: DIY Tooth Powder
- Baking Soda…and mix with a few drops of essential oil. Put in a teeny screw top lidded plastic jar.
- Definitely for the brave hearted! I love it!
- To use: Just wet your toothbrush, dip it in and brush away!
- FYI, essential oils are strongly scented, so pack your tooth powder with your food so animals won’t try to chew through your pack to get it.
- You can also just leave the baking soda unscented
Trail Wisdom
“Science cannot solve the ultimate mystery of nature. And that is because, in the last analysis, we ourselves are a part of the mystery that we are trying to solve.”
-Max Planck