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June 21, 2018 By Infuze

Keeping Clean In The Backcountry

As we hike through the wilderness, we just accept that getting a little dirty and grimy is part of the experience. In fact, many of us relish this chance to run away from showers and just enjoy that earthy feeling for a while. Keeping clean, however, is an important part of staying healthy in the backcountry and enjoying your adventure to its fullest. We think about cleanliness at lot here at Infuze, it’s why we made our Camelbak filter. So we’ve created this quick blog post on some ways that you can keep clean in the backcountry.

Wash Your Hands

We shouldn’t have to say this, but your parents were right, keep your hands clean! This is especially true in the backcountry, as dirty hands can move harmful bacteria from your hands to your mouth, or eyes which can lead to illness. Hand sanitizer is great but doesn’t get your hands as clean as you might think because hand sanitizer doesn’t do much to actually break up and wash away any dirt or bacteria. Anytime you’re about to make or eat a meal, and especially after you’ve pooped, it’s important to thoroughly clean your hands. We suggest you find a biodegradable soap to bring with you to the backcountry to help you stay clean.

Clean Up Your Dishes

After every meal, it’s important to take some time and clean up after yourself. You can save water by scraping your cooking surfaces with a spatula or scraper and put these food scraps into your trash bag to pack out with you. Do not scatter food scraps around your campsite, as it can attract critters, and isn’t good for the environment. Boil some water, and use a light soap to scrub your cookware and your plates and bowls. If you have a container use you to eat out of, you can swish some of the boiling water around in it to quickly clean it. Scatter this grey water at least 200 feet from your campsite, and at least another 200 feet from any water sources.

Wash Your Private Parts

One of the most important parts of keeping clean in the backcountry is washing your private parts. While you might not have to worry about this if it’s just a quick weekend trip, it’s definitely something you should practice if you’re in the wilderness for more than a few days. Use water, some soap, and a handkerchief to scrub down these parts every now and then. You’ll keep clean, and you’re less likely to start chafing down there. Just make sure to never use soaps of any kind directly in a water source. Any time you clean yourself, you should be about 70 paces away from a water source.

A great way to avoid bringing toilet paper into the wilderness, and to keep your privates clean is to practice the “backcountry” bidet. After you’ve finished pooping, wipe your bum with rocks or snow. With soap and a water bottle at the ready, fill your mouth with water, and dribble some into your hand. You can then rinse your bottom with the water. Put some of the soap in the dirty hand, and then fill your mouth with water again. Scrub your hands together to get them nice and soapy, and then slowly dribble the water out of your mouth to wash away the soap. Your bottom and your hands will be clean!

Wash And Dry Your Clothes

If you’re going on a longer trip, and the weather is cooperating, you might consider giving your travel clothing a quick cleaning. If you’re near a lake or river, you can simply dip them in the water, and then leave them to dry out in the sun and wind. If your clothes are starting to smell a little funky, and your socks can stand up on their own, it’s probably time for a deeper cleaning. Bring a pot of water 200 feet away from the water source, and use your soap to scrub down your clothes. If you’ve got the time and the inclination, you might even boil some of this water to really get the crud off your clothes.

Another way to keep clean while adventuring is by using an Infuze Hydro. It’ll keep drink enhancers from gumming up your water bladder thanks to its unique filter design. So, the next time you take off on a grand adventure, make sure to clean up your act and stay fresh!

June 7, 2018 By Infuze

The Pros And Cons Of Using A Water Bladder

Water bladders, hydrations reservoirs, or Camelbaks. Whatever you call them you know that they can be really handy, and that more and more outdoor enthusiasts are using them. Their popularity is obvious, but they come with unique drawbacks that few think of when they first fill them up. Infuze has spent a lot of time working with these water bladders, so we’ve put together a quick list of pros and cons of these systems.

The Pros

Camelbaks are considered one of the “must have” items for modern hikers, and they can be seen on nearly every trail. Their popularity is because of their ease of use, and their storage size and packability.

Ease of use

This is perhaps the most obvious benefit of using a water bladder. Camelbaks are quick to fill, and easy to use. Just slid them into your backpack, whether that be a designated hydration sleeve, or just an open space in the bag, and then run the tube along your shoulder strap. Now you have a steady stream of readily accessible water that you can sip from as you move. This helps to keep you hydrated while you’re powering down the trail. Smaller, more frequent sips of water are a better way to hydrate while you’re doing any form of high-intensity activity. They keep your stomach from filling up, and you’ll introduce water frequently into your system.

Storage

The popularity and proliferation of water bladders and Camelbaks have actually influenced how outdoor gear companies have started designing their backpacks. Even many small day bags are now fitted with some kind of sleeve to store the bladder itself, and then a small opening at the top of the bag to allow the tube to run through it. A water bladder is typically relatively flat even when full, meaning that they don’t take up any valuable space in your bag that could be used to store food, tent poles, or an extra pair of socks. Plus, a water bladder is a lightweight way to carry several liters of water.

The Cons

But just because water bladders are popular doesn’t mean that they got everything right. There are some design flaws that make bladders less than perfect. While that doesn’t keep us from using them, it does keep us thinking about clever solutions.

Cleaning

While it’s easy to fill up a water bladder, and even easier to use them, they can be quite tricky to clean out. Many brands, Camelbak included, use a twist off cap type opening to fill the bag. A clever design, but one that makes cleaning difficult. If the bag isn’t cleaned frequently, mold can begin to grow. This is especially true for the tube itself. Many manufacturers sell specialized cleaning kits, but these can be expensive, and it’s just one more piece of gear to keep track of back at the trailhead. Similarly, using a water flavoring or water enhancer in your Camelbak can accelerate the growth of mold and leave your Camelbak feeling sticky and gross.

Hard To Keep Track Of Your Progress

While it’s easy to take lots of little sips out of your Camelbak, it can be hard to track just how much water you have left in your bladder. For a seasoned hiker, all they might need to do to check how much water they have left is to wiggle their shoulders and listen for the sloshing of the water. But for those carrying heavier bags, or new to using a water bladder, they only way to know how much you have is to open you bag, dig out the bladder and look, or simply suck it dry.

Make The Most Of Your Water Bladder

For all of their cons, water bladders are popular for a reason. They keep us hydrated, they’re easy to use, and they practically disappear into our bags. When designing our Infuze Hydro, we addressed one of the most common complaints we heard. Using a water enhancer in a Camelbak would just leave sticky syrups in the body of the bag, making an already tedious clean up even more taxing.

Our Hydro, however, acts as a Camelbak Filter. Using a unique cartridge design, you can turn a dial and run water through the enhancer syrup to get a quick sip of flavor. When you’re ready for just water, flip the dial again, and enjoy an uninterrupted flow of water. Make a great design even better with Infuze.

April 23, 2018 By Infuze

Our Favorite Backcountry Meals

Here at Infuze, we’re the first to champion the benefits of staying hydrated on the trail. It keeps you healthy, warm, and focused. And with the unique clip-on filter of Infuze, you can enjoy the great taste of water enhancers, without having to clean them out of your Camelbak or water bladder. But we also recognize that to hike your best hike, you need to be well fed on the trail. We’ve thrown together a list of our favorite backcountry meals that are sure to leave you salivating.

Gado Gado

While this meal sounds like a video game character, it’s actually a dish from Indonesia. It’s a wonderful medley of noodles and sauce. We make our sauce using peanut butter, brown sugar, sunflower seeds, soy sauce, vinegar, and a few re-hydrated veggies. We boil the noodles, and then heat the peanut butter in a pan, slowly adding the soy sauce, vinegar, and brown sugar to add taste and to thin the peanut butter. We add the sunflower seeds and veggies last and mix them in. Serve the sauce on a hearty bed of noodles for a delicious and filling meal!

Pizza

Yes, you can bring this front country favorite with you to the backcountry! We typically bring some dry yeast with us, as well as sugar, salt and flour into the wilderness so we can make baked goods after a long day on the trail. With a little patience, you can make a tasty dough using these ingredients and some purified water. We make our sauce using dehydrated veggies, tomato paste powder, and a few spices. We oil our fry pan and stretch out our dough, letting it bake for a few minutes. Next, we’ll flip the crust and add our sauce, a few slices of cheese, and even a slice of summer sausage. Cover that and bake it for a few more minutes. At the last minute, add a dash of water to the pan to create steam so your cheese gets nice and melty. It’s just like your favorite slice back home!

The Ultimate Hot Chocolate

Ok, it’s hard to picture a drink being a meal, but you’ll see why after you read what we put in our Ultimate Hot Chocolate. We pack a baggie of cocoa powder in with us for every backcountry trip. But we don’t stop there, we’ll mix in a spoonful of powdered milk (“cow pow” as we call it) for extra creaminess. Next, we add a dash of cinnamon, with just a drop of vanilla. But we’re still not done, we mix a hearty scoop of peanut butter and just a dash of regular butter. We stir or shake this concoction up until it’s all blended together. We just skip counting the calories on this drink in favor of appreciating its flavor!

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Dinner Is Served

Every outdoor enthusiast has a favorite meal they make while camping or backpacking. What’s yours? Don’t forget to complement your backcountry banquet with a tasty beverage. A water enhancer can make the water from your Camelbak extra tasty and is a perfect way to finish a meal.

April 9, 2018 By Infuze

Quick Tips For Staying Warm On Your Next Outing

We’ve all been on that trip where we were caught out in the cold. An unexpected storm rolls in, you left your down jacket in the car, or your feet got wet during a river crossing. Getting warm in the wilderness can be challenging sometimes, but luckily, Infuze has put together this quick list of tips to help you stay warm on your next outing. When you’re looking for a way to put water enhancers in your Camelbak, check out our Infuze Hydro!

Hot Drink

A long-time favorite of any regular camper and backpacker. A hot drink before bed or right as you wake up can warm your body and soul. Sometimes just the extra heat from the beverage is enough to warm your hands as you hold your cup. A calorie-rich drink like hot cocoa also provides your body with more nutrients to burn and heats your body that way.

Hot water bottle at night

One of the unsung heroes of the backcountry. Most water bottles are durable enough that you can pour hot water into them without fear of them melting or releasing chemicals. Before you head to your sleeping bag for the night, do yourself a favor and pour the last of your hot water from your round of hot drinks into your water bottle. As you sleep, tuck the warm bottle against your stomach, near or feet, or by your head. The ambient heat from the warm water will diffuse from the bottle, and warm up you and your sleeping bag.

Layers

Most people are probably rolling their eyes at this tip. Of course, if you want to stay warm you’ll bring an extra layer. But layering is an art form, and there are little things that even pros sometimes miss. As you pack for your outing, make sure to take the weather into account. Based on climate and elevation, you’ll experience different weather patterns, but cold can be experienced in any environment. Make sure you have a good base layer, a cozy mid-layer, and outer layer to cut wind and rain. When you’re heading to bed, it’s never a bad idea to pop a knit cap or beanie on your head. You’ll thank yourself later when you sleep soundly through the night with a warm noggin.

Movement

For many, when they get cold, they literally and figuratively freeze up. They start shivering fiercely and don’t want to move for fear of exposing themselves to more cold. Resist this tendency to freeze up, and get moving. Even gentle movements like walking, or swinging your arms and legs can increase the circulation in your appendages and you’ll warm up faster than if you were to sit still.

Hydration

Counter to popular belief, staying hydrated does help to keep you warm. Your body uses fluids to stay to maintain its core temperature. Many studies of hypothermia have found that dehydrated patients experience symptoms of hypothermia faster than hydrated ones.

So when you’re ready to stay warm and stay hydrated, check out Infuze. Our unique clip-on filter lets you get the great taste and benefits of a water enhancer, without exposing your Camelbak to any sticky syrups or powders. Check out our product, and order yours today!

March 26, 2018 By Infuze

Proper Hydration Requires Sodium And Water

One of the most frustrating experiences you can have in the backcountry is being dehydrated. Dehydration occurs when you lose more fluids than you take in. Dehydration comes with a slew of annoying symptoms like fatigue, headaches, and extreme thirst. It’s not something any backpacker enjoys experiencing. But often, backpackers feel that dehydration can be avoided simply by drinking more water. In fact, proper hydration requires that you also maintain proper sodium levels. With Infuze, you can put hydrating, sodium-rich, drink enhancers in your Camelbak to avoid these symptoms.

Doesn’t Water Keep You Hydrated?

Simply drinking more water when you’re dehydrated will only temporarily relieve the symptoms of dehydration. Drinking too much water can actually throw your sodium balances out of alignment. The result is that you’ll continue to experience the symptoms of dehydration even after you’ve had some water. When you drink too much water, your kidneys create more urine to bring your body back into balance. Alternatively, if you have too little water, your kidneys will conserve any remaining water. This triggers your sense of thirst.

But Doesn’t Salt Make You Thirsty?

We often associate sodium with salt. Eating a basket of salty french fries will leave you feeling parched and in need of a glass of water. So why would we want to use salt to stay hydrated? Salt actually plays a vital role in maintaining our hydration levels.

So What Does Sodium Do?

Your body has two ways to store fluids: intracellular fluids that are inside your cells, and extracellular fluid that flows around the cell. Water delivers nutrients to your cells and removes toxins and waste from the cells. Salt’s role in keeping you hydrated is to keep some water out of your cells. Proper hydration requires that a balance of water inside of and outside of the cells is struck. Sodium helps to regulate the body’s blood volume, blood pressure, and pH levels. This allows your muscles and nerves to work properly. That of course, let’s you push through that extra mile, climb that last peak, and paddle around that unforeseen bend.

How Do You Keep That Balance?

Lucky for you, it’s increasingly easier to maintain your water and sodium balance while traveling through the backcountry. Beyond putting salt on your rations, there are many drink enhancers that are chock-full of electrolytes. Electrolytes help to move electricity through your body and let you move your muscles. These drink enhancers help boost your levels of sodium, that in turn helps you stay hydrated.

Infuze Is Here

Avoid the headache, Infuze hydration filters make it easier than ever to stay hydrated on your adventures. Our unique drink enhancer filter keeps syrups and flavorings out of your Camelbak, and with a flip of a dial, you get the sodium you need to maintain your hydration levels. So the next time you head out into the wilderness, bring your water purifier, your Camelbak, and of course your drink enhancers and Infuze to stay hydrated and happy.

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