| A backpack with wheels and the other backpacking | | | | fire-starters, since wax paper will usually burn even |
| gear ideas it inspired. | | | | when wet. |
| I wouldn't have thought a backpack with wheels | | | | Pillow/Waterbag |
| would actually work for backpacking, but when I saw | | | | When I need to carry more water I use the plastic |
| the web site for the "Wheelpacker"(TM), I was | | | | bladders from boxed wine. They are light, strong, and |
| impressed. You wear a frame that attaches you to a | | | | I inflate the bag with air to use as a pillow too. To |
| wheeled pack. It can even go over logs and rocks. It | | | | market a dual-purpose water container/pillow, it just |
| started me thinking about what other backpacking | | | | needs a soft removable covering of some sort. |
| innovations are just waiting to be marketed. Here are | | | | Jacket Backpack |
| a few of the things I came up with. Steal these | | | | Why not a frame-less backpack with a jacket that is |
| ideas, please. | | | | a part of the pack? It can be folded out of the way, |
| Inflatable Frame Backpack | | | | and the pack would have normal shoulder straps. |
| With frame-less backpacks we often put folded | | | | When wearing the jacket, though, it would stabilize |
| sleeping pads in the pack for cushioning against our | | | | the pack, keep you warmer, and make it easy to |
| backs and some support for the load. Why not just | | | | push through heavy brush, because it wouldn't catch |
| have the part of the pack that rests against the | | | | on things as easily. It is something like wearing a large |
| user's back inflate. With the same technology used | | | | jacket over a backpack, but with the weight-savings |
| for lightweight self-inflating sleeping bag pads, it would | | | | and stability that come from combining them. It could |
| only add about six ounces. The backpack could then | | | | be called a "Jacket Pack-it." |
| double as a foot-bag/pad for sleeping. | | | | Backpacking Game |
| Taking this idea further, I imagine a self-inflating | | | | Print a chess/checkers board on a jacket or |
| backpack that folds out into a sleeping pad. The | | | | backpack, and you have a carry-along game that |
| backpack "frame" would be the pad, in a "U" shape | | | | weighs nothing extra. Great for spending hours in the |
| for some rigidity in the pack. Self-inflating sleeping bag | | | | tent waiting out the rain. If you don't carry the |
| pads are as light as 14 ounces now, and frame less | | | | pieces, stones or pine cones could work as checkers. |
| packs 12 ounces, so the combination could probably | | | | Backpacking gear ideas and innovations keep popping |
| be made to weigh just 20 ounces. | | | | into my head as I write this. Most are based on the |
| Wax Paper Food Bags | | | | idea of "dual purpose" items. They may work, some |
| Put backpacking food in wax-paper packaging instead | | | | may not, but it is an entertaining dose of inspiration |
| of plastic. The packages then double as emergency | | | | from a backpack with wheels. |