Backpacker Magazine – November 2008

How to Do Everything - Gear

Patch a tent hole, layer for extreme conditions, clean your stove, make an old bag warmer, and more.

by: Annette McGivney

Tags:
• Gear
|
• Sleeping bag
|
• Tent
|
• Stoves
|

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Hiking | Packing & Planning | Camping | Gear | First Aid & Health | Cooking

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Fix Your Tent | Warm Up Your Sleeping Bag, Your Clothes | Clean Your Stove/Pick the Right Matches | Two-Second Tips

CLEAN YOUR STOVE
Disassemble as much as possible and wipe clean, removing burnt gunk with a scrubby pad. Grease O rings with silicone lubricant and replace any cracked ones. If carbon has built up in the fuel line (hint: the flame is yellow and sputtering, not blue and steady), remove and scrub or sandpaper it. If your stove has a built-in jet cleaner, turn the burner upside down and shake lightly. Otherwise, use the stove's wire tool or a needle threader to unclog the jet hole.

SUPERCHARGE YOUR MATCHES
First, pick the right matches: big, fat, strike-anywheres. Melt a few paraffin candles in a double boiler and float matches in the wax for several seconds to completely coat them. Remove with tweezers and let them dry, match head up, on a piece of Styrofoam. Store in a watertight match safe or pill bottle. You've just doubled each match's burn time.

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