Gear Review : Lightload towels

Forget to pack your first aid kit, and you might not notice unless you hurt yourself. Forget your packtowel, and you'll realize it on the trail at some point.

It's not an "essential" piece of gear, like a sleeping bag, that you can't leave home without, but it's just one of those things that you'll make a mental note not to forget it next time.

So when George from Lightload towels sent me a sample of his towels, I was eager to test them out so I could replace my beat-up brown washcloth with one.

The Lightload 12 in by 24 in towels come in a three-pack and sell for $5 - $6 (available on their website, REI, and many other retailers). Each one weighs 0.5 oz according to the manufacturer.

Once out of the plastic wrapping, you're holding a cicular disc that looks like a vacuum packed handful of kleenex. It's condensed incredibly tight. I assumed a disposable towel so light would rip easily, so I slowly negotiated it apart. But once it started to come apart, I realized it was actually much stronger than it appeared, and was actually quite soft and usuable. It is possible to rip these things by hand, but it's not easy.

The actual size is 11 in x 19 in about the size of a small kitchen towel, or about two giant washcloths stuck together. It's not quite long enough to tie around my neck on a hot day or around my head (is my head really that big?!).

It has a papery feel to it right out of the package, but it's tough and dries quickly. I got to test it out on a recent backpacking trip in Ojai, California where I put it through the not-so-tough paces of drying off my wet pot after cooking a meal and mopping up some spilled water on my groundcloth.

After arriving home, I threw the lightload towel in the washing machine and dryer with my other gear. I found the result was a much softer version of the towel...and we're talking feathery soft. There is minimal fraying, but nothing that would affect performance. It also results in a slightly larger size -- 12.5 in by 22 in.

After a washing

The only other product on the market that could compare to the Lightload towel is the MSR Nano Packtowel which weighs .4 oz., and costs $8 for one. The big difference is the semi-disposable nature of the Lightload towel. At under $2 a towel, if you often find yourself mopping up messy dinner spills, misplacing or needing multiple towels, the Lightload series is your answer. However, if you're looking for a more permanent solution, you might want to look at the MSR series.

The Lightload towel now has a spot in my backpack -- I'm definitely not going back to the grimy brown washcloth I used to use as a packtowel. At a half ounce, there's no reason not to carry one. If you want to get even lighter, you can always cut the towel in half, resulting in a .25 ounce towel (Lightload carries this size as well). Because I carry chlorine dioxide tablets for purification, the Lightload towel will act as a good silt filter when dipping into a lake. I can also see carrying an extra "just in case" towel for long-term hikes.

I also have a Lightload "beachtowel," which I plan to include in my travel kit and test out as a better substitute for hotel towels and beach towels while travel backpacking. Stay tuned!

My G4 is finished!

Notes/Alterations on my pack:

• The pack weighs 15.0 oz. That is, 3 oz heavier than the instructions would suggest. I would guess this is a result of so much reinforcement on the seams and the extra pocket (see below).
• I don't have any velcro on the pack whatsoever, even though the instruction call for it multiple times. I don't like velcro because it gets stuck to things (clothing), things get stuck to it (dirt), and it slowly wears out.
• In lieu of velcroed access pockets in my shoulder straps and my waist belt, I stuck craft foam inside and sewed it permanently shut. I like the idea of using spare socks as padding, but couldn't get behind the idea of stashing different pieces of clothing inside my straps. What if I need my spare socks (while my socks are drying out in the mesh pocket), or my gloves? There goes my padding.
  
• In every backpack I've owned, there's always been a small (or smallish) zippered pocket where I can stash smaller items that I don't want to be stuffed in a stuff sack risking it slipping to the bottom of my pack. So I created one on the G4. A cordura zippered pocket, approximately 6" x 4" for my headlamp, chapstick, purification tablets, first aid, lighter, and a few other things.
  
• Approximate cost of my backpack was $50. $40 for the kit from quest outfitters, plus tax, a black zipper, and a giant 1000 yard extra spool of thread (I ended up reinforcing stress points a lot more than instructed, and I didn't want to switch to the alternate color thread quest provided). Other supplies I bought, but wouldn't consider in the cost of materials: a chalk pencil, seam ripper, tape measure, and sewing machine oil.
• I did not sew any lashing loops into the bag, except for one on the bottom. I find daisy chains much more useful, and sewed quite a few on the top. I also put two opposite daisy chains on the bottom of the bag for strapping a larger sleeping bag or extra bed roll to the bottom. I never plan to strap the sleeping bag to the bottom, but have freqently ended up doing so.
  
• You could definitely get away with the weight-saving mesh rather than the standard mesh. I was surprised to feel how rough and unflexible the standard mesh is. Would make for easier bunching on the outside pockets too.

Wanna make one yourself? Stop on over at quest outfitters and pick up a kit for yourself. I got the #9107 kit with the cordura. My only complaint was that my "silver gray" is definitely more blueish than their digital fabric swatch might suggest.

Making a G4 pack!

A couple of weeks ago, I ordered a G4 backpack kit from Quest Outfitters, which includes everything you need to make a G4 pack (minus the sewing machine). It took me a weekend to pin and cut out the pattern, and since then I was waiting to borrow my sister's sewing machine. Now I'm on to the actual sewing portion! You can see the nearly completed shoulder straps in the above picture.

There's been a bit of a learning curve (I don't have much experience sewing), but so far so good. I'm following the instruction almost to the T, except for a few alterations (I'm thinking of permanently stuffing the shoulder straps and waist belt with light foam, instead of leaving them with velcro openings for stuffing socks in).

After this project, I'm planning on making a sleeping bag of my own design. I'll keep you updated on how the backpack goes!

Trail Recipes: Granola

Original recipe found here, slightly altered below.

Ingredients:
2 cups rolled oats (aka Old Fashioned Oats)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
7 teaspoons vegetable oil (I use Smart Balance Oil)
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/3 cup whole almonds (buy them sliced or diced if you'd like)
1/3 cup whole hazelnuts (buy them sliced or diced if you'd like)
1/3 cup raisins
1/3 cup coconut shavings (found in the baking aisle)

For the newbie chefs, note that you'll also need: An oven, cookie sheet (or substitute), two large-ish bowls, a measuring cup, and a teaspoon.

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1) Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

2) As my baking surface, I spray a cookie sheet with cooking spray, or you can line any type of baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil.

3) In one bowl, stir the cinnamon and salt into the oats.

4) In another bowl, stir together the oil, honey, brown sugar, and vanilla (Note: Put the oil in first to avoid major stickiness on the bottom of the bowl). Stir until combined.

5) Pour the contents of one bowl into the other. Stir with a spoon to get all the oats coated with the wet mixture. When everything is coated, grab a handful, squeeze it in your hand to make a ball of honey coated oats (this will lend to the granola's clumpiness). Do it 5-6 times with the mixture so that everything is clumpy, not just a bowl of gooey oats :).

6) Pour the mixture onto the prepared cookie sheet. Spread it out so it covers the pan, but don't smash the clumps too much. Also, leave some holes for even cooking.

7) Bake for 10 minutes. While it's cooking, chop up the almonds and hazelnuts. They don't have to be chopped perfectly. Also, feel free to use whole almonds and hazelnuts.

8) Remove the cookie sheet from the oven and use a spatula to lift and flip the granola. Sprinkle the almonds over the granola evenly and return the cookie sheet to the oven.

9) Bake for 5 minutes, then remove from the oven and flip the granola again. Sprinkle the hazelnuts over the granola and put the cookie sheet back in the oven.

10) Bake for 10 minutes, then remove from the oven. Flip the granola again.

11) Sprinkle the raisins and the coconut over the granola. This part can be tricky, so be careful: Turn your oven to a low broil. Now return the cookie sheet to the oven (preferably on a rack not close to the broiler) and broil for 25-50 SECONDS (check at 25 seconds). Any longer than that, and you will probably burn the raisins and coconut. If done right, this will make everything nice and crispy on top.

12) Pull the cookie sheet out of the oven and let the granola cool.

I usually separate the granola into small tupperware containers and stick them in the refrigerator for breakfasts and snacks. The granola makes GREAT backpacking food, you can put it in a ziploc bag and take it on the trail with you. It travels well, is little to no mess, and is extremely cheap to make (you'll wonder why granola is so expensive at the grocery store). In the frig, I've seen it last for 7-10 days, but if you're taking it out with you, I'd make a fresh batch before you go, and it's probably good for 5 days or so.

Also of note, I double the recipe when I make my own batch. I would suggest sticking to the above recipe the first time, so you can see if you'd like to make adjustments (i use slightly less salt and brown sugar). You can also substitute the almonds and hazelnuts for other nuts you might enjoy, as well as substituting the raisins for other dried fruit.

Enjoy!