Summary: Show Notes: Episode 175<br> Today on the First 40 Miles, hockey may be better with Wayne Gretsky, but who are the people you want to backpack with? Then on today’s SUMMIT Gear Review, a gear repair that takes 15 minutes, and leaves your gear looking cooler, by far, than your friend’s gear. And we’ll share a hack from one of our listeners, Paul.<br> Opening<br> <br> * Backpacking is better with friends<br> * Backpacking with family is fun, but there are things you learn from friends that you may not learn from your family<br> <br> Top 5 Reasons Backpacking is Better With Friends<br> Shared experience that strengthen or develop friendship<br> <br> * We get together with our friends after trips to watch slide shows, we ask about upcoming trips, etc.<br> <br> They’re you’re “on-site search and rescue”<br> <br> * Solo is a gamble<br> * You may be fine…<br> * I’d rather be with a group who will have my back<br> <br> Efficiency—in gear and food<br> <br> * Share a stove. share a tent, share a water filter, share extra food<br> * A little risky, but there are things you can do to mitigate that risk.<br> * Stick close together<br> <br> Better decisions–perhaps<br> <br> * Everyone can contribute to problem solving<br> * Beware of groupthink, though.<br> * Not everyone in your group is a genius, and sometimes the most outspoken and persuasive one can be the biggest risk-taker.<br> <br> Learn things from each other!<br> <br> * This is the biggest upside of all.<br> * It means you’ll have this library of collective knowledge and experience.<br> <br> SUMMIT Gear Review: <a href="https://nosopatches.com/">Noso Puffy Patch</a><br> Structure<br> <br> * Shaped, colorful patches of nylon<br> * Permanent adhesive on back that repairs your gear<br> * Sleeping bags, down jackets, tents, tarps, anything made of nylon<br> <br> Utility<br> <br> * Clean damaged area with isopropyl alcohol<br> * Remove loose threads<br> * Remove paper liner from patch<br> * Center patch over damaged area<br> * Apply pressure from center to outside edges<br> * To make the patch stick permanently, you need to apply heat<br> <br> Mass <br> <br> * Maybe a gram, if that…<br> <br> Maintenance<br> <br> * No special treatment once the patch is applied.<br> * They say it withstands repeated washings, but this isn’t something we’ve tested yet.<br> <br> Investment<br> <br> * $5-15<br> <br> Trial<br> <br> * They say “The patches adhere better to fabric than tape and don’t gum up on the sides. Once the adhesive has been activated, nothing will pull them off.”<br> * They keep your gear going<br> * I had a cut in my Enlightened Equipment backpacking quilt. It looked like a knife cut. I patched it with a Noso Puffy Patch.<br> <br> Backpack Hack of the Week™: A Map for Everyone<br> Hack from our listener and friend, Paul: Always bring enough paper maps so that everyone has one. Bringing different maps is a good idea: one will give the elevations of lakes and major junctions, one will show forest cover, another will show trails that may not be on the other maps…<br> Trail Wisdom<br> We have the peculiar privilege … the freedom to walk this earth, see its beauties, taste its sweetness, partake of its enduring strength.<br> –Hal Borland<br>
