Inexpensive Useful Items

[tomba]

Handi Wipes. Lighter than a pack towel and absorb water more easily - easier to wipe condensation from a tent fly. Can we washed and re-used for a few trips.

[caddis]

Foil pouch.

It's in my pack in case I decide to keep/cook some fish in the coals of a fire but that idea has been nixed since the sierra's are apparently about to explode. However, it makes an excellent windbreak for my stove

[Ikan Mas]

Small flint and steel set. Starts the old Simmerlight way better than a match or lighter. Never runs out.

[artrock23]

Small package of nylon cord. In a pinch, it can be used for guying-out a tent in wind, hanging food in a tree, erecting a waterproof shelter to cook under, and countless other things.

[calipidder]

NiteIze gear ties

I use them to lash my trekking poles, tie my headlamp up in my tent, hang my solar charger from my pack, etc etc etc. They also serve dual purpose: at home they keep all my cables neatly organized!

Also, a buff. Or buff-like tubular bandana. I wrote about all the uses here and found another good one here.

[cloudlesssky]

This last trip I added two items:

1) Gerber LST knife (0.6 oz! $12) - replaced a much heavier knife;
2) an extra SPF20 chapstick ($1) to tuck into my bear canister

I realized the prior trip that if I lost my chapstick I'd be a very unhappy camper. The dry environment at higher elevations really makes this an important item. Chapped lips are nearly as annoying as blisters in my book. And sunburned lips are really a bummer.

[longri]

2) an extra SPF20 chapstick ($1) to tuck into my bear canister

There's a theory that if you use chapstick you'll need to use it and if you stop using it you'll adapt and will no longer need it. I don't believe this. But I have found that on spring ski tours my lips burn despite using chapstick and the rest of the year they almost never burn even without using any. I'm not sure what that means except that outside of spring skiing I rarely carry it.

[bluefintu]

Water bucket, 1/8"x 50' rope and 10-12 safety pins to wash and hang clothes. Also what everyone else said, except for the gold. I may take my gold pans for future trips.

[KathyW]

A number of years ago I found a pair of inexpensive lightweight gloves at my local running gear store. They were sold under the Asics brand and I wore them scrambling all over the place without getting holes in the fingers. Before I found these gloves I was wearing out gloves really fast (I don't like the gloves without fingers because they don't keep my hands warm enough). In cold weather I sometimes use them as liner gloves. I lost the gloves before they wore out. I went back to buy another pair or two only to find out Asics does not sell them anymore. I bought their new lightweight glove and holes in the fingers within a couple of trips where I used my hands. I searched and searched online until I found gloves that looked just like them at Performance Bicycle. I ordered two pairs and they seem to be the same gloves with the dots on the palms that used to be sold under the Ascis brand. Here they are: http://www.performancebike.com/bikes/Pr ... 1___000000" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

So far, out in the field there seems to be no difference between these gloves and the Asics gloves except for the Performance logo.

[SolitaryRefinement]

Zip-Locks from here to eternity. Hold everything from things I like, to things I don't like.
Foil is also awesome, as are handi-wipes, bic lighters, and trash bags.