A bandana can be one of the most useful items in your hiking and backpacking arsenal. On your next trip bring along 2 bandanas and experiment with them to see just how useful they can be.

Here are 10 good reasons to bring at least one bandana along on your next hike.

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Carrying matches or a lighter with you makes starting a fire a breeze. Just pile up some kindling and maybe a little dry grass then just toss in a match. You now have fire so get cooking.

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A sleeping bag liner can save you time, money and the sometimes horrible job of washing your sleeping bag. Just smell your clothes next time you come back from a trip and that should give you some idea of how valuable a liner could be.

Bag liners are made in all shapes and it is no problem to find one to fit your sleeping bag. Liners can be found in many different materials but mostly in silk for light weight and moisture wicking properties or cotton which is inexpensive and durable.

Cocoon Cotton Bag Liner/Travel Sheet

Often in the warmer months a liner can be used as a sleeping bag just by itself. A hot night in the south can sometime not get below 75 degrees and its tough to sleep in a standard bag. A liner will make you fill wrapped and protected without over heating you.

Most bag liners add 5 to 8 degees of warmth to a sleeping bag. Sometimes this can keep you from having to bring your winter bag and cut down on your backpack bulk.

REI Lightweight Fleece Bag Liner – Mummy

The sleeping bag liner’s greatest asset is coming home and just throwing it in the wash with those stinky clothes we talked about earlier and not having to worry about what crud you left hiding in your sleeping bag. This alone should have you getting one before your next camping trip.

A broken shoelace or boot cord can be a nightmare if you are out on a long hike.

It is best to carry an extra shoelace with you on an epic hike. Since most day hikes are a Go-lite type trip and you won’t have a lace with you here are a few tips.

If your lace snaps you can pull it out and just lace up the top portion of your boot around the ankle and cuff to give you better support. That will get you home on most day hikes but can be a bit painful on a long trip.

A second option can be used if you break your shoelace off near the top which is most common. Just recenter the lace in your boot and tie a Reef Knot. It is basically a standard shoe knot but without the bow. This tying method takes far less shoelace length to get a tight boot.

One of these lacing tips should get you home.

Heres how the tie a Reef Knot.