branded backpacks? The Pognae line of baby carriers is super popular in Australia and Europe, and they’ve received tons of awards for their style, versatility, and overall quality. It’s a premium baby carrier that comes at a premium price close to $200. The company itself is based in South Korea and only over the past few years have these hipseat baby carriers been available in Europe and the US. We got our hands on their number 5 version for testing late last year. And to be honest, we were super impressed with it! Starting with the basics, it supports babies from 3 months old up to 3 years old, so it’s not ideal for newborns but we prefer using a good wrap for newborns anyway. The maximum weight is 44 pounds, which is pretty high for any baby carrier, second only to the LILLEBaby. It claims to have 6 carry positions, which is a little amusing considering 3 of those positions are just the hipseat alone without the rest of the carrier: one where you lay the baby down partially on the hipseat (a good position for feeding), one where the baby is sitting on the hipseat facing outward, and one where the baby is sitting on the hipseat facing inward.
Wildlife Precautions: On the trail follow common-sense measures like keeping a respectful distance away from animals and taking care not to come between large mammals and their young. At night, secure all food and scented personal products well away from camp. Often this is done by putting everything in a spare stuff sack and then using some nylon cord to hang it from a high a tree branch. You can also use a bear canister to secure things, even if the main concern is rodents stealing your food. To learn more read Food Handling and Storage for Backpackers and Campers. See even more information on Fjallraven Kanken Backpacks.
I updated my first aid kit with some other items and the helpful laminated first aid field guide that you get in class. I have a pre-packaged first-aid kit that I’ve supplemented with some Tenacious Tape if I need to seal a major gash. It helps to take a NOLS First Aid class; it will teach you how to actually use a first-aid kit and potentially save a life. Another benefit of the class is that they show you how you can customize a first-aid kit. Most of the time that I’ve pulled out my first-aid kit, it’s been to help another hiker. It’s been handier than I’ve imagined. One of the things you learn at the Tracker survival school is how to start a fire without matches. After the classroom demonstration, you get to do it on your own with help from the instructor. You learn how to make fire, shelter, find food, and in general, feel very comfortable living in the outdoors. You can use fire for light, warmth, a rescue signal, to cook food, and more. I try to have a lot of ways to create fire because each tool is small and light.
Lowering backpack weight trick : Ultralight pillow. Inflate one of your Ziploc bags and wrap it in your extra clothes and stuff sacks. The Ziploc bag will give it some loft and the clothes, some cushion. See more ultralight pillow ideas. Multi-use bandana. A bandana (yes, cotton) can be used for: Head wear or sun blocking neck tie. Hanging food or other delicate items off your pack. A slow drip coffee filter. Dish cleaner and sponge. Hot hand for your pot. Ultralight fire starter. Cotton balls (or lent from your dryer) plus the aforementioned Vaseline make an easy-to-light fire starter. It will burn slowly and can be stuck to anything. The slow burn can be crucial to getting wet sticks to catch. Find more info on https://www.backpackultra.com/.