ralph diaz wrote: > I raised this very same point about using a paddle float or any rescue > stuff for anything but its intended purpose, i.e. safety. > It's a fair test to pose the reverse equation: If need be, I can use my paddle float as a pillow. If need be, can I use a pillow for a paddle float? One might consider finding a small, inflatable pouch to use as a pillow and, in a pinch, as flotation. I lurk on a Digest that serves Go-Lite Backpacking fan(atic)s. The pack list recently submitted for a yak trip would make most of these folks curl up and twitch. Esbit stoves, tarps only, sleep-sacks (vs, actual sleeping bags), and generally little margin for mistakes or dramatic fluxes in weather/conditions. These folks count grams...not ounces. Setting aside the extremes of Kitchen Sink Canoe Tripping and 25# of gear and food for a two week mountain traverse, one might pose the necessity for making safety items pull double or triple duty. I am enthralled by the elegant, make-do solution, and admire the creative energy of those who can find multiple uses for the humble paper clip. I'm just not willing to stake my life on these ideas, or at the very least, compromise the best shot I might have at un-bunging some other faulty decision I may have made. Ralph's point inre use of PFD as seat cushions is a good case in point. The 'damage' that is done occurs slowly over a period of time and generally won't be noticed until the problem adds to an already dicey situation. When I go into the mountains in winter, I carry extra sections of closed cell foam to sit on, to base my stove, etc. I keep my actual sleeping rig separate, dry, and in tip top shape... it's too crucial to do otherwise. Stove fuel spills, winds blow things away, etc. That being said, I wonder how people 'triage' their packing lists....what's critical, what's elegant and multiple, what's sheer quirk & luxury? -Will *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced/forwarded outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
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