Have you ever seen someone just freeze up after dropping something important? My buddy dropped his trimmer on the driveway and it dented the casing so bad the blade wouldn't even sit flush anymore. He ended up just buying a cheap one from Walmart that actually worked better than his old one somehow.

A 7 pound pack sounds like you were already pushing it with just water weight though. One bad day of being thirsty doesn't mean everyone needs to carry a gallon of water for every trip. Maybe just plan your route better next time instead of blaming the whole gear philosophy.

Does the cold actually slow the bleeding for you, or is it more about numbing it so you don't feel it as much? I've tried that and it just makes the cut look worse before I hit it with warm water. Curious if the order matters that much or if it's all the same in the end.

Keep your wrist loose not your trowel loaded heavy.

Read an article saying Michigan courts are already leaning toward throwing out the really long confidentiality periods.