Five cheap life-saving items to tuck in your backpack

Who doesn’t love camping? Picking up items that are adequate and do not eat up much space in your backpack is the biggest challenge for many adventure enthusiasts. From flashlights to knives, multitools, axes, lighters, compasses, paracord and what not, the list is simply unending. I am not here to repeat all these general items but a few unusual items which are not carried by many backpackers. So, let’s get started.

Magnifying Glass

The first thing that I would recommend fellow backpackers to always tuck in to their backpacks is a high-magnification magnifying glass. No, it’s not to examine fossils and rare-finds along your trek but a source of fire which you can always use during a sunny day and save on to your matches and lighter fuels for difficult hours. Yes, exactly the same way we used to burn paper during our school days when we read about this magic in our science class. I believe I don’t need to write about how to light a fire with a magnifying glass…haha! But the most important part is to choose the right magnifying glass which has enough magnification power to light a spark that leads to fire.

Needle and Thread

Well, you got this right. The very purpose that you are thinking about right now. This inseparable couple is a very useful in emergencies. This was the first thing that my mom put in my travel bag when I first left home to relocate to another city for a better job. Trust me, it is a life safer. While out in the wild, you will always be exposed to harshest of nature’s forms. The last thing that you would want is a torn jacket or pants. Once a fabric gets damaged, it’s life quickly decreases if not addressed to immediately. Apart from clothes, your tarp or even the tent is not immune to damages. A good needle and a thread are an important pick you should always have in your backpack. But the more important question is what type of needle and thread you actually need. The answer is two types – Always have two needles, one which is smaller in size and width, to sew light fabric and the other one needs to be bigger, the one uses to sew sacks (if you have seen manual sewing of sacks). The bigger one can be used to sew tents, tarps, shoes and even your backpack, which is the most prone to a damage.

Garbage Bags

Not just meant to throw trash, garbage bags can be put to multiple life-saving uses. You must have at least 10-20 bags in your backpack and don’t worry, they don’t take much space. A 30’s pack of medium sized garbage bags is almost equal to the volume of a flashlight but the use is as good as that of a flashlight. Apart from managing and disposing your trash responsibly in the wild, garbage bags can used in many other ways to add value to their ugly public image. 

The first basic use that a garbage bag can be put to is protecting your vital items like mobile phone, batteries, socks, notepads, or any other perishable items from water. You can simply add an added layer of protection by wrapping the things with a polythene garbage bag and seal them off with a tape.

The second use on the list is making a temporary mattress. Yes, in case you feel that you need an insulated layer underneath your back to keep you warm, you can fill up a few bags with branches and leaves and make quite a fluffy mattress to sleep on. It can also be used as a cushion or a pillow.

Candles

Slowly getting replaced by flashlights and emergency lights for camping essentials, candles can still turn out to be a true life-saver for you never know when the machine is going to ditch you, sometimes when you need them the most. Reasons can be many. Your gadgets have the tendency to get damp with rain or an accidental dip in a water source. They also have the risk of damage due to an accidental fall. What if they have a malfunction due to extreme temperatures? Manufacturer’s replacement guarantee wouldn’t be of any help in such a situation. You are on your own in the wilderness to take care of your very self. Apart from providing decent illumination, a candle can also help you in lighting a difficult fire that a matchstick or your brand-new fire steel may not be able to light up. Imagine you aren’t able to find firewood because it’s all wet out there due to a recent or an ongoing rain. What are you going to do to keep yourself warm? Just light up a candle and heat up your hands and feet a little with the candle to get some respite from the cold. You can even cook food if you have four to five candles with you. Just light them up and surround them with a few stones to make up a platform where you can put up your skillet or a pan to make a quick meal or coffee.

SuperGlue

I bet most of you don’t carry this magical life-saver on your camping expeditions. Believe you me, it can do wonders in direst of circumstances. You can use it to fix plastic items like a flashlight, radio, camera and what not in case any of these gets slightly damaged or broken in tough and demanding conditions out there. I also mentioned about fixing a torn shoe with needle and thread but before sewing you can apply a little superglue between the cracks to add more strength to it. Similarly, you can use it to fix almost anything in your backpack that is prone to damage in the wild.

Please comment which is your favourite item from the above five. If you want me to write a complete article on that item, do let me know.