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Useful Knots for Hikers: The Round Turn and Two Half-Hitches
The round turn and two half hitches is a useful knot to learn for many backpacking scenarios. Great for securing a line to a tree.
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![iPhone placed on ice to see the impact of freezing the phone battery]()
Hiking Tip: What To Do When Your Phone Battery Gets Too Cold
Your battery indicator doesn’t always tell you the truth. When hiking, here is what you should do if your phone battery gets too cold…
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![Filtering water through a Sawyer Mini water filter]()
Sawyer + Backpacking Part 4: Sawyer Mini, Micro and Squeeze Compared
I wrap up my series of Sawyer filter reviews by testing the flow rate of the Sawyer Mini against the Squeeze and Micro.
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Sawyer + Backpacking, Part 3: Should I carry the Sawyer Syringe?
It is more effective to use the Sawyer coupler or a Smartwater bottle nozzle to backflush your Sawyer Squeeze filter than to use the Sawyer syringe that comes packaged with the Sawyer Squeeze filter.
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Sawyer + Backpacking Part 2: Sawyer Squeeze and Sawyer Micro Squeeze Flow Rate
We continue our review of the Sawyer Micro Squeeze and Sawyer Squeeze, this time with different squeeze containers, including the Vecto, Evernew, Smartwater Bottle, and Sawyer Squeeze Pouch.
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![Items in Sawyer Micro Squeeze package: Squeeze bag, filter, back-flush syringe, connectors, packaging material]()
Sawyer + Backpacking Part 1: The Sawyer Micro Squeeze
We review Sawyer’s new Micro Squeeze water filtration system.
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![a tent and gear set up]()
10 Affordable Lightweight Gear Options for Backpackers and Thru Hikers
Ten affordable lightweight backpacking items that are a must for any trip.
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![Selecting a Charger]()
Choosing the Right Battery Charger for your Thru-Hike
Since many hikers carry phones and portable external batteries, we evaluated a variety of battery chargers and have some to recommend for long-distance hikers.
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Trail Maintenance for Lightweight Backpackers
This set of maintenance tools is great and it fits easily in the side pocket of my pack.
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Getting the Most From Your Phone’s Battery
You’re ready to hit the trail, your fully-loaded smartphone in hand. But how long will it last when you’re not near an outlet?
