Not cheap, but cheaper than knee-replacement surgery.

We've recently been converted to hiking with poles. I love the sense of 4wd I get and it inspires me to keep barrelling up switchbacks without getting fatigued.

The are almost impossible to use at the same time as an umbrella, but so far I've been pretty happy with them.

They are quite an investment, so you may want to borrow/rent a pair first to see if you like them.

Petes Pole Page, has some good info on using poles including a little tutorial.

Available from REI available for a whopping $199!

It all adds up.

I usually carry my car keys, a credit card, my insurance card and some cash. I have no idea why as I have yet to encounter a bear who takes Visa.

Still, probably better than leaving it in the car at the trail head for someone to snag.

You never know when you need to write home to mum.

With a little broken-off pencil you can find yourself a carrier pigeon, write on the back of the map and send messages home.

Can be sharpend with the knife if you're writing a whole lot.

Handy for keeping your lips from chapping in cold weather

It's also SPF and you can smear it on your snout to keep the sun out.

Keep your dentist happy.

We take a ¼ oz. container from REI and fill it with toothpaste. There's more than enough for two people on a 4-5 day trip.

Containers available from REI for 40•.

Light weight and cheap insurance for your the Photon Freedoms. I never know when my juice is going to die, so having an extra on hand I never have to worry.

Available from pretty much anywhere for around $5.

Ssshh… don't tell anyone else – this is our little secret.

Sometimes when you need to go in the wild, a few sheets of TP just won't cut it. That's when we reach for these little critters. Moist and antibacterial they take care of business.

Again… please remember not matter how gross it seems – pack out the used one with you, they'll take years to decompose.

Of course, taking this whole pack would blow our weight limits. So separate just a few and put them in a thin zip-lock sandwich bag. We figure about a sheet/day each.

I did read on a forum a recommendation to dehydrate the wet-ones for weight savings, and then add-water on the trail. What a brilliant idea. Haven't tried it yet.

You can get a big stash of them from Amazon for only a few bucks. Keep the lid on tight.

Yes it's toilet paper. What else can I say?

Last time I was at the trail head I saw a couple getting ready for their 4 day trip. They were packing in big loads. The conversation went like this:

Woman: "Honey, how much TP do you have"
Man: "I have tons of it."
Woman: "How much is tons?"
Man: "I have at least two full rolls."
Woman: "I'm bringing an extra."

I shudder to think what they did with 3 rolls of TP in the wilderness.

So here's my theory on TP – bring just what you need as you should be packing it all out with you. We figure about 10 sheets between us/day covers bathroom duties with some extras. We put it in a little zip-lock bag and bring an extra zip-lock for the 'dirties'.

We also carry a few wet ones for those days when it's bad enough that you might burn thro' too many sheets of TP.

I know what you're thinking – "Gee. Thanks for sharing.".

Available from your bathroom.

Yes, I said it right – the "sawn-off" toothbrush

It's pretty simple – take your favourite (lightest) toothbrush, cut off the handle, smooth it down with sand-paper and drill a few holes in the plastic for extra savings.

What do you mean you have better things to do with your saturday afternoon?

Available from your basement.

"Hyrdate or die!"

Isn't that the slogan of one of the Camel Bak marketing campaigns? It's pretty accurate and these Platypus Hosers allow us to do just that.

They fit perfectly into the back pouch of a Jam Backpack and the hose locates on your pack straps for easy access.

I found when I used to drink from nalgene bottles, I would not stop enough to consume enough water and would have headaches when I reached camp. Having full-time easy access to water allow me to sip while I'm trotting and it makes a huge difference.

Also, in my old-world of carrying a heavy pack, I found that I wanted to have an excuse to stop every so often to swig water and take of the painful load. It was such an ordeal each time. Gone are those days, and with Ultralight we just keep on moving and keep looking at the view.

Despite their effective marketing campaign, I chose the Platypus over the Camel Bak products are they are significantly lighter. Camel Baks come with big heavy fancy easy-access lids on their reservoirs, which add a lot of dead-weight.

Throw a couple of Platypus patches in your first aid kit, and you have some good insurance.

Available from Amazon for $19.95.