MYOG - Backcountry Plate from a Water Jug
For those of you who are new to backpacking or hiking and are not familiar with the term MYOG, it stands for Make Your Own Gear. Many backpackers, especially ultralighters, are always striving to reduce weight where possible, so they either improvise off-the-shelf gear or they make their own from various materials.
Since we were car camping on this tour of the Slot Canyons, we were able to take some luxuries with us in the Jeep. We were able to stock a cooler full of steak, veggies and a few adult beverages. We even brought a small grill to cook everything on. One thing we forgot, plates. Now, yes, we could probably just pick the steak up and eat it like our long lost ancestors did, but we are a bit more civilized today. Heck, they didn't even cook their meat, just ate it raw with their bare hands. Even though we were car camping, we were still about 1.5 hours from the nearest store, and they would probably be closed by the time we got there. Having spent quite a bit of time in the backcountry and even frontcountry camping, you get pretty creative and learn to improvise.
We had brought 4 gallons of water, and after the first day, we had consumed one of those. Looking around the back of the Jeep for something that might work for a plate, I spotted the empty gallon water jug. I noticed it had two flat sides that would be the perfect size for a plate. Taking out one of my 10 essentials, a knife, I began to cut the two larger flat sides of the container.
The resulting plate was fairly sturdy, had rounded sides to keep the juices from running off the plate, easy to lick clean (a necessity in the backcountry), and even though we were not backpacking, it is extremely lightweight and resistant to breaking in your backpack. I have a trip planned for this summer, I might try this out as my go-to plate.
On most of my trips in the past, I've carried the Orikaso plates which are made of pretty much the same material, but require you to perform Origami to use them. I have always liked the Orikaso, but I'm thinking my Water Jug Plate might be a winner.
A variation on this I've seen is to cut out the bottom and use it as a bowl.
Give me your thoughts.
Since we were car camping on this tour of the Slot Canyons, we were able to take some luxuries with us in the Jeep. We were able to stock a cooler full of steak, veggies and a few adult beverages. We even brought a small grill to cook everything on. One thing we forgot, plates. Now, yes, we could probably just pick the steak up and eat it like our long lost ancestors did, but we are a bit more civilized today. Heck, they didn't even cook their meat, just ate it raw with their bare hands. Even though we were car camping, we were still about 1.5 hours from the nearest store, and they would probably be closed by the time we got there. Having spent quite a bit of time in the backcountry and even frontcountry camping, you get pretty creative and learn to improvise.
We had brought 4 gallons of water, and after the first day, we had consumed one of those. Looking around the back of the Jeep for something that might work for a plate, I spotted the empty gallon water jug. I noticed it had two flat sides that would be the perfect size for a plate. Taking out one of my 10 essentials, a knife, I began to cut the two larger flat sides of the container.
On most of my trips in the past, I've carried the Orikaso plates which are made of pretty much the same material, but require you to perform Origami to use them. I have always liked the Orikaso, but I'm thinking my Water Jug Plate might be a winner.
Give me your thoughts.
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