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July 4, 2018 By Infuze

Surviving The National Parks Crowds This Fourth Of July

For outdoor enthusiasts, the best and only way to truly celebrate the Fourth of July is to spend it in the National Parks. The National Parks are home to some of the most beautiful natural spaces in the country and the world. While others might enjoy a day of fireworks and grilled hot dogs, you’ll enjoy a night sky full of skies, and a meal of summer sausage and noodles cooked on a simple stove. There’s no doubt that the Parks are full of adventure and wonder, but they’re also full of hazards and risks. No, we’re not talking about the bears in Glacier or the wolves in Yellowstone. We’re talking about your fellow visitors. To help you best enjoy your Fourth Of July getaway in the Parks, Infuze has put together this handy guide.

Get Off The Roads And Onto The Trails

We all love the National Parks because of the many ways that they can be enjoyed. Some love paddling through the Everglades, while others love climbing the Tetons. Others choose to admire them from the comfort of their car, and more power to them. But they have a tendency to clog the roads, and the infamous animal jams can occur anytime a deer pokes his head out from behind a bush. To avoid these traffic jams, spend more time on the trails. You’ll be shocked by how quickly the crowds thin out even just a mile off the trailhead. You’ll quickly find that you’ll have a part of the park all to yourself, where you can truly enjoy nature to its fullest.

Pack It In, Pack It Out

The National Parks are a major draw for visitors from all over the world. While this is a great way to create new defenders and champions for these spaces, it is also a great way to clutter these spaces up quickly. Despite the Park Service’s commitment to leaving no traces, their visitors are less committed. Be cognizant of what you’re bringing with you into the park, and make sure to pick up after yourself. Don’t litter, and try and bring reusable containers with you rather than single serve packaging. Also, be aware of your eating habits. Don’t share your cheese crackers with that chipmunk, it’ll only encourage them to continue this harmful habit. If you find a bear-proof trash bin, make sure to seal it completely after you throw your trash away.

Take Nothing But Pictures, Leave Nothing But Footprints

After being a part of such a beautiful landscape for even a few minutes, it’s tempting to bring a part of that landscape with you as you leave. Surely a simple stone or a prickly pine cone won’t be missed right? Wrong! Part of loving and protecting our parks is leaving everything the way you found it. You might not realize it, but that pine cone could be a part of some creatures home, or food resources. Instead of bringing physical parts of the park home, feel free to document every part of your trip with your camera! You’ll love looking back at your pictures and sharing them with friends and families.

If you’re not the type to take pictures and prefer to live in the moment, try taking a mental snapshot. Sit still for a few minutes and let your senses go to work. Take a deep breath, and pay attention to what you’re smelling. Listening for the rustling of the wind through the trees, the tumbling of water across rocks, and the chattering of creatures. Watch the landscape gently twist and shift as the sun moves, and clouds float overhead. Let all of this sink in, and you’ll make the Park a part of you.

Plan Ahead

The fact is, Fourth of July is one of the most popular times of the year to visit the National Parks, making planning ahead even more important than a regular trip to the Park. This means that you’ll need to reserve your backcountry permits or campsites far in advance. Make sure you have enough food to last for your visit as nearby stores, or shops within the park may face shortages on popular food choices. Finally, make sure you’ve got plenty of gas in the tank, as you might be driving more slowly through the Park due to the amount of traffic.

Enjoy your Fourth of July adventure and remember to stay hydrated on your trail travels. With the Infuze Hydro Camelbak filter, you’ll get a quick sip of your favorite drink enhancer whenever you want it thanks to our unique design.

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.

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!

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