Backpacking Questions You Might Be TOO EMBARRASSED To Ask #7

I saw a brilliant improvised toilet on Girl In The Woods video once. Mosquitos were terrible, and her friend wanted to have privacy and have it bug free. They had a small light free standing tent, so she pulled the stakes, then opened the zip of the tent and pulled it over herself, so the tent is now on itis side with the door for a floor. The other sides were mesh, but not the floor. She put the floor side to the public to have a blocked view, yet she could see out the other mesh sides, and she then did her business through the door. Only took a minute to set up, they were taking the tent down anyway so it was just unzip the door, flip, and squat.

For the person who was tired on the 2nd day of hiking because nerves kept him up before he started, I would suggest that a planned day of rest be added to the hike. If you know, you're going to be tired, just accept it and plan for it. Sleep in and get caught up. I love your videos, Dixie! There's good reason you are so popular.

We were sitting around the campfire when we heard Bigfoot sneaking up on us in the dark: Turned out to be a bullfrog. In case you are lost, pooping near the trail is a sure way to attract people.

I went on an 11 day hike in bear country (Sunshine Coast Trail) with my brother who wears hearing aids. One day I heard a noise of breaking branches in the woods but my brother didn't, he eventually heard one of the loud cracks of branches and it turned out to be a small black bear. His hearing aid batteries lasted for several days and he brought extras. I would not recommend a solo hearing impaired person to go hiking in bear country.

Talking to hikers going the opposite direction is a great way to find out what the conditions are ahead (water crossings, water sources, bugs, campsites, snow on passes, etc.)

Another thing you can do about toothpaste is you can refill a travel size tube with your preferred brand. Just hold the 2 tubes tip-to-tip, keeping constant pressure and then squeeze from the big tube to the smaller tube.

An Odd Comment... I just got StarLink and now have massive speed and bandwith and I am going to watch (re-watch) your entire series. All three massive trails: The Appalachian Trail, the Pacific Crest Trail and the Continental Divide Trail... Finally... and better than anything Netflix has to offer.

Don't wash/rinse your drawers (or any clothes) in the water source. This is what little opsaks (or ziplocks) are for. Merino is remarkable at resisting odors. Carrying a WAG bag for poop emergencies has been worth the weight in the past, but if things are solid digging a hole after the fact works OK too. I think TOOB sells a little toothbrush kit with a tiny, refillable toothpaste tube. I swear by a trail umbrella these days. Instant shade, weather protection, and privacy. Thanks for this series Dixie.

I remember your quote from an older video . " If you've haven't crapped yourself on trail , you haven't hiked enough yet " 😂 True, and no comment..

I only hiked half of the Appalachian Trail last year before getting hurt and having to get off the trail. That makes me only half a snob who looks down on others 😁. Truth be told, among the older hikers (me, being one), we were just happy as could be to see that the next generation was out there enjoying the AT as much as our "Old Hippie" selves. Most people are happy to meet other hikers, unless they were loud and obnoxious. Tinker, Halfway '23

I used to worry about forgetting something on a backpacking or other trips. Probably because I often DID forget things! I’ve been keeping my own personal electronic packing lists for many years now, and they definitely reduce the stress (but they don’t eliminate it - still have to actually pack everything!) I have lists for different types of trips (day hike, backpacking, car camping, ski tour, etc), and even for different seasons. Best thing is, you can curate them: if you keep taking something but never use it, delete it from the list (unless it’s safety related). Wish you had something on a trip, or find a piece of gear you love? Make a note while in your trip then add it to the list when you get home. Making the initial list is the hardest part. But then it’s not as time consuming as you might think after that. I usually have things pop into my head in the days leading up to a trip, and make sure I add them to my list (or write it in a print-out). Anyway, confidence in your lists reduces the worry of forgetting something, and the burden of carrying stuff you never use.

My experience as a long distance hiker was that day hikers are often regarded as a potential food source.

Re/ the dog nails question (if that person or anyone else interested happens to be reading the comments): I use a 1/8" foam pad on the bottom of my tent. Mountain Laurel Designs has a variety of sizes and I found one that almost covers the entire floor of the Durston X-Mid Pro 2. It's relatively lightweight, adds a little bit of extra warmth, and mitigates potential damage from dog nails. That said, I didn't start using anything until I bought the Durston and became hyperaware of anything that could cause damage to my new super expensive tent. 😂I backpacked for many years in multiple different Big Agnes tents with no floor protection and had zero issues. 👍

I keep an excel spreadsheet of my equipment with notes by season, and tick marking off the items as I pack has really helped my nerves and OCD. Instead of reviewing my pack and instead of worrying and robbing sleep, I can look at my checked list and know what if have in my pack.

I wear hearing aids and carry a small soft plastic "jar" where I put my hearing aids at night. I keep a small desiccant pad in there also. Don't forget to remove the batteries to allow the moisture to evaporate from the battery holder. As far as wearing them at night, why? In spite of all the bear attack videos on YouTube, nothing out there wants to eat you. Unless you're in Africa.

This was great! For the greeting of fellow hikers, I always acknowledge another hiker with a hello, hi, good morning/afternoon/evening or enjoy your hike. I do this on purpose for safety reasons. We never know what happens out there on the trails, so it'd be the least of us to be aware of who was around us. Happy trails to all!

You are such a lovely human being, Jessica. I adore how you took every question seriously and answered it fully, without judgment. Thank you so much for your ongoing kindness and wisdom.

As a retired land surveyor it is cool to know that Dixie knows her pace.

Don’t make tea with your 15:09 funky shorts or panties in a water source. Some living critter has to drink that somewhere down the line. Instead, when you have the luxury of water at camp, gather enough water to do wash, get it hot, clean your clothes, then disperse the remaining water some distance away from any water source. Until you have those conditions available, just wear your funky shorts for an extra day, or go commando.

I love this! For my dog I use a liner inside the tent and I have used the nail caps. My dog is a diva and loves the attention he gets while placing the nail caps on (I do this when going on boat rides) and they last a few weeks. I recommend teaching your dog not to run out as soon as the door (at home) or tent when camping is key. My dogs are only to follow me through the door and in a calm manner and this was after one of my dogs popped my sleeping pad rushing out of the tent one morning.