I regularly publish equipment tips on this blog (for example here) in loose order. Today I’m going to talk about three things that you wouldn’t necessarily expect to find in my rucksack for a hut tour.
Number 1: The clothes line. This is perhaps a typically female piece of equipment :). On my tours from refuge to refuge, I make sure that the group spends the night in rooms instead of a dormitory if possible. The reason for this is not only the number of snorers, which can be dramatically reduced as a result. No, it is also easier to wash and dry your own clothes in the rooms. Functional shirts, functional underwear and even merino shirts dry overnight. Great for long tours! Probably the smallest and lightest of its kind is the clothesline from SeatoSummit. It is robust and durable – I’ve had mine for at least 10 years.
Number 2: The spork. The lightweight combination of spoon, fork and knife. Why do I always have a spork in my backpack? Not so much because the huts don’t have cutlery… but because I occasionally get really hungry for yogurt when I’m traveling by public transport before or after a tour or on a alpls crossing. On tour, of course, I only get it in the valley. But I want to be prepared so that I’m not standing in front of the fridge with wide eyes but no tools. The plastic spork is the lightest, but I love the sustainable titanium version.
Number 3: The Swiss Card. No, this is not a travel ticket for the Swiss railroads. It is a special pocket knife. Because every guide and every trekker should have a pocket knife with them. No matter whether you want to cut a plaster, pull a splinter out of your finger with tweezers or tighten a screw on your poles. A pocket knife does a good job. However, most pocket knives are really heavy. This is especially true for the outdoor versions. Not so the Swiss Card. At 26g, it is probably the lightest and most functional pocket knife on the market.
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