Features of the hadronic interactions of cosmic ray particles that make it difficult to measure their energies and identities precisely also provide tools by which these limitations can be partially overcome, if the detector in question is properly instrumented. I review a growing body of experimental and theoretical work to demonstrate methods by which calorimetry of cosmic rays using thin calorimeters may be optimized, and performance improved, by the use of multiple methods to read out the energy deposited by the developing shower. Examples are given using scintillating fiber, Cherenkov readout of quartz optical fiber, and silicon dE/dx information.
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