Published July 20, 2026 02:46PM
If you want to flex your creative muscles, backpacking is the perfect exercise. Navigation, packing, planning, and logistics all require out-of-the-box thinking. And when it comes to gear, ingenuity is only bound by your imagination. Sure, you can spend hundreds, even thousands of dollars on high-end equipment that’s lighter, more durable, and streamlined for the trail—but some of the most useful pieces of kit are the cheapest, most widely available, and, often, weren’t designed with backpacking in mind at all.
Over the years at Backpacker, we’ve seen some amazing tricks, like ultralight shelters made out of Tyvek, improvised first-aid kits, frisbees used for everything from plates to emergency paddles, and tent stakes used as trowels. Here are seven more gear hacks that cost next-to-nothing and could level up your backpacking a notch or two. What these hacks might lack in tech and engineering, they make up for in sheer resourcefulness.
If you have more ideas like these, we want to hear them. Drop a comment with your favorite gear hack or tip, and we might add it to the list.
Tennis balls and PVC are cheap masseuses you can take anywhere
When I drop my pack at my destination, the first thing I wish I had is a masseuse. Short of that, the next best option is some self-myofascial release equipment (SMR)—read: tennis balls and sections of PVC pipe. Lie on your back, positioning the tennis ball under the knots in your shoulder muscles. Then, move your body around to give yourself a targeted massage.
The PVC works as a muscle roller. Break up that myofascial tissue in your thighs, calves, along your spine, and in your hips. It hurts so good. A 3- to 4-inch-diameter section of PVC pipe that’s three inches long is ideal for a roller. You can get them cut at your local hardware store. Pro tip: Wrap it in duct tape, and it becomes a spare tape roll as well. Extra pro tip: Use your ski straps to lash your roller to the outside of your pack.
Take a hot shower
This is not a very sustainable hack and might make environmentally-conscious folks cringe. But I’m including it for its sheer ingenuity. If you’re dying for a hot shower but don’t have access to one, you can make your own out of a black plastic trash bag. Put a few gallons of water into one and leave it out in direct sunlight for several hours. When you’re confident it’s warmed up, hang it from a tree and poke a few small holes in one corner. The resulting cascade of warm water will do your soul good.
You might be able to reuse the bag once or twice by tying off the corner of the bag you punctured. Or, just commit to the single-use. This trick is best used as a treat or in a pinch, rather than as a daily ritual. [Editor’s note: It’s not as cheap or as light, but Sea to Summit’s Pocket Shower is a reusable alternative if you’re determined to regularly shower in the woods.]
Ski straps are your best friend
These rubbery belt-like straps, originally designed to keep skis together, are one of the most functional supplies you can keep around. I’ve used them to fix snapped hiking poles, replace a broken sternum strap, attach items to the outside of my pack, secure packs to the roof rack of a car, and much more.
You will find more uses for these handy straps than you expect. And they’re easy to pack. I usually loop them around a shoulder strap like a roll of tape, so they’re accessible. You can also store them on hiking poles. A standard 12-inch length strap, like one from Voile, costs around $8. You can also buy packages of them with different sizes for $22 to $25.
Fishing hook and line double as an emergency sewing kit
Maybe you fish, maybe you don’t. Either way, a fishing hook and line are a useful addition to any backpacking kit. Not only could it be an essential survival supply, but it doubles as a sewing kit. Grab a cork, stick a couple of hooks in it, and wrap braided fishing line around it. Boom! You’ve got a spool of thread and a “needle.” Avoid monofilament fishing line. It won’t hold knots as well, and can kink up easily. Braided fishing line, like Reaction Tackle’s, will mimic a heavy-duty nylon thread, holding knots better and sitting flat.
Of course, you can also stick an actual sewing needle in the same cork and wrap sewing thread around it next to your fishing line. Having both is useful, but if you only bring one, the fishing line is at least dual-purpose.
If your hiking pants rip down the crotch, or your pack tears wide open, you’ll be grateful for this nifty field repair trick. (Just make sure you know the basics of sewing as well.)
Zip-top bags are the most compressible dog bowls around
There are plenty of compressible dog bowls out there, but none as cheap as the simple zip-top bag. Open it up, roll the top over halfway, and the bag becomes a makeshift bowl. When your pup is finished hydrating or eating, empty it and roll it back up. They disappear when stuffed into a brain or a pack pocket. And, of course, they’re reusable. When you get home, clean it out in the sink and save it for your next backpacking trip or dayhike with your dog.
Plastic shower caps make great boot covers
Plastic shower caps (like those you can get for cheap on Amazon or for free at some hotels) make excellent boot covers. The elastic stretches over the toe and heel, and the plastic keeps mud, dirt, and sand contained. If you want to bring your boots inside the tent for any reason, this is a useful trick. It’s also great for when you get back to your car and change out of your dirty footwear.
T-shirts and seam grip can prevent pillow slip
I constantly have issues with my pillow slipping around on top of my sleeping pad at night. To avoid this, I’ve started using a t-shirt to hold it in place. I fit the shirt over both the pillow and the pad, and voila! The pillow stays mostly in place all night. You can bring a clean t-shirt specifically for this purpose, or, if you aren’t afraid of the stink, just use one you’ve already worn. Alternatively, you can also use a few dots of seam grip on the sleeping pad to help your pillow stay in place. Leverage both of these tricks for maximum pillow security.
