On a long distance hike we all learn tricks we never read about in books. Like: Hanging washed socks on my pack with a safety pin, then when they are still a little damp tossing them in my sleeping bag so my body heat dries them completely. On a wet day an excellent fire starter is alcohol hand sanitizer but watch the blue flame. Filtering water through a bandana to remove the floaties before treating it were three tricks I learned the first week out. We know there are a million more tricks backpackers use to make their hike more pleasant.
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