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6K views 19 replies 14 participants last post by  RyanT 
#1 ·
Spring is here and a lot of people will be heading out on hiking and camping trips. Let's take a few minutes and talk gear people like to bring.



Food - Snacks. Sometimes I will carry a stove, fuel and mountain house freeze dried meal. However, 2018 I may be leaving the stove at home and take some Sopakco MREs. These are not military grade MREs. They have just the basics for a single meal.

Water - Water filter, such as the katadyn vario, or Saywer pointone.

Shelter - If there is a backpack involved, it has a rain poncho. This covers the shelter aspect. Here in Texas, we sometimes get thermal showers during the summer. The sky could be blue and not a single cloud. Then, within a matter or minutes we can have a violent downpour.

Matches and or lighter.

TOPO map, compass, GPS.

All of this is subjective to what the person is doing. I rarely if ever hike in a park or where there is a trail. As shown in the video, the vast majority of my time is spent in the woods.

In the video is a Glock 19. Because it was not in a holster, there was no round in the chamber.

Knife should be a given. On this trip I carried a swiss army knife.

First aid kit is missing. I several first aid kits, but they were left out of this trip. The most important thing in my first aid kit is a tick removal tool.
 
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#2 ·
My day hike gear list looks like this...

Camelbak Ridge runner (2005 or 2006 version):
1. AMK SOL bivy bag (shelter) nested in a stainless steel mug (water purification & storage) with folding handles.
2. AMK Ultralight .5 1st aid kit that's been tailored to my needs (1st aid) and in the 1st aid kit's carrying bag; a small zip lock with a mini bic lighter and 2 SOL quick tinder tabs (means of fire), an emergency whistle (signal), a signal mirror (signal), and a base plate compass (navigation).
3. My Swiss army knife- a Victoriaknox one handed trekker
4. My GPS (navigation)
5. A map (navigation)
6. Swedish fire steel (scout version) (means of fire)
7. 1 oz. sun screen (just good to have)
8. 1 oz. bug repellant (just good to have)
9. Meal or snacks (I pack enough snacks o have a little something to eat if I get stuck someplace) (just good to have)
10. A jacket (rain and warmth)
11. The poop kit: a You-Dig-It trowel, tp, and hand sanitizer (just good to have)

If it's going to be an over 10 mile hike OR with a group of people I'll also throw in my water filter.
 
#3 ·
The BSA 10 Essentials. My personal choices in parenthesis.
1. Knife (SAK)
2. First aid kit
3. Extra clothing (down jacket)
4. Rain gear (Frogg Togg jacket))
5. Water and water storage/treatment (2L Platypus and Katadyn Micropur tablets)
6. Flashlight or headlamp (Petal headlamp, extra batteries)
7. Food or snacks
8. Matches or fire starting materials
9. Sun protection
10. Map and compass

https://scoutingmagazine.org/2013/02/the-10-essentials/

In addition I carry:
Hand sanitizer and toilet paper.
Whistle for signalling
Cell phone
 
#4 ·
A good reminder. Some basics really are required. Even for a day hike, a severe mechanical injury may leave you overnight before assistance arrives, or you could get caught in a severe thunderstorm which has kept me hunkered down late into the evening. Spring and fall are often the most popular and also the most dangerous times for day hikers. Day-time temperatures and conditions can be warm and clear, but temps can quickly drop and weather is often more unpredictable making a day hike into a disaster if extended beyond the “day”.

EDC is an important part and for a purposeful trip outdoors, even a day hike, I will always have my HPG Kit Bag with me:


It’s not big enough to cover all the essentials but provides enough of the basics for most situations as well as a little redundancy. Main focus is on protection, navigation and signaling.

My standard day-hiking bag does fluctuate with the seasons; below is my cold-weather/winter day-hiking kit. I do carry a lightweight hammock during the summer as it’s simply the most comfortable to throw up and recline or even snooze under the shade of some trees and a cool breeze when it’s humid and hot out. For cooler, wetter temps, I like to always have something to sit on; small CCF pad or even an inflatable…something to get my backside off the wet ground for short breaks. If you spend a longer wait for a break in the weather, it’s pretty important to reduce your heat loss from conduction if sitting directly on the ground.









I always try to take some type of brew-kit if I have a small day pack (which is almost always). Not always a necessity, but it’s nice on cooler days when it hasn’t warmed up yet or if you want to take a lengthier lunch break:





As you mentioned, situation, season, and weather really dictate some of the finer points. You already mentioned not having a FAK which is a pretty standard item that often gets overlooked. Some people overdo their FAKs and turn them into “blow-out” kits. A small Ziploc with gauze, a little triple antibiotic ointment, and tape are all that’s really needed for a day-hike. Some have issue swith easily turned ankles, so an ACE bandage may be helpful. During hunting season, an actual blow-out kit may be advisable as well. I also always include hand sanitizer, sun screen (small tin of zinc oxide) and bug repellant as part of my “FAK planning”. A bug head net may seem trivial until you’re swarmed by no-seeums, mosquitos, or black flies. I’ve seen a couple young teenagers twist an ankle when they were more focused on keeping bugs out of their face than the trail they were hiking on…

Nobody plans for the need of illumination, but I can’t tell you how many day-hikers I’ve seen over estimate their travel time on longer day hikes and end up hiking a trail in the dark. Your EDC should already include small LED, but I keep a headlamp in my day hiking kit (as well as my Kit Bag), and they routinely come in handy.

Another often overlooked area is extra clothing. No, not a full change, but if you’re crossing several small streams or expect wet conditions, an extra pair of socks, rain pants/jacketed, and I often include a Windshirt and/or other insulation (puff jacket), all have come in handy at one point or another. Even in the Southeast during the summer, I’ve sat under my tarp waiting out a pretty serious thunderstorm that dropped the temperatures significantly. When sweaty and then stationary with a cool breeze, you can cool down quicker than what is comfortable. I’ve seen people with hypothermia in 70-degee temps…it’s all about the conditions.

Now is a good time to re-inventory your gear. Don’t throw out all your winter items just yet. I typically don’t switch to a dedicated summer bag until well into June in GA; some places may require a more robust day hiking kit well into July.

ROCK6
 
#5 ·
Some kind of comms to call the cavalry in case you are injured, or SPOT locator so we can find your body...

Most SAR body recoveries are of people who went out alone, didn't leave a trip plan with a responsible person who can call for help, if they don't return on schedule. Then they leave the trail and get lost or hurt and die of exposure if not prepared for a change in weather. Quite often within an hour's walk of a road or trailhead...

Cell phone with auxiliary battery pack, or ham 2-meter rig or both are good idea.
 
#7 ·
Subscribing to this thread; will add my own list of contents later.
 
#8 ·
I generally carry the same items I'm seeing listed by others, but not a stove or meals that require any preparation. For a day hike, or even a GHB or BOB, extensive meal prep and honest-to-goodness cooking are not a priority. I'll still have at least two means of fire starting.

I'm more concerned with things that would interfere with an in-progress hike, such as illness or injury. Although there would be a level of severity which typical dayhike items wouldn't be sufficient to address, I am willing to add a little weight/bulk to allow for a more comprehensive FAK than many casual hikers are inclined to carry.
 
#9 ·
Food - Foil pouches of Spam, cheese balls, breakfast bars, plastic cups of applesauce or diced peaches, jerky.

Water - 3 liters in a bladder. Less if it is winter or spring and liquid water can be found. More in the triple-digit days of summer/fall. Sawyer filter. Sierra Cup.

Shelter - Space blanket bivy and light down blanket if it might get cold at night and an emergency poncho if it might rain. Light windbreaker.

FAK - Kit I designed to handle mechanical injuries, blisters and serious cuts/abrasions/avulsions/punctures. Small amounts of various prescription and OTC meds.

Comms - Spot communicator/GPS

Nav - Map and compass and above-mentioned GPS.

Possibles kit - small knife, dryer lint, mag stick and fire steel, Bic lighter, headlamp, xtra batteries, Biodegradable TP, paper and pencil, 50 ft. paracord.

External - 4 3/8" SAK "Hunter", camera, occasionally a small tripod, maybe bear spray depending on where I am going.

Container - Badlands Superday or one of several fanny packs for shorter dayhikes.

Clothing - Except for hat socks and boots, everything else is situation dependent. Hat with a broad brim. Always a season-appropriate hat. Thicker cargo pants in winter/spring and lighter cargo pants with zip-off legs in summer/fall. Synthetic shirt with roll-up sleeves, also thicker on winter/spring and thinner in summer/fall. Boots are Moab Ventilators, Keene Targhees or Lowa Renegades, depending on likely conditions. Dr. Scholl's inner soles. Socks are REI medium hikers. My experience is that in my climatological area, a down vest or jacket isn't needed unless I'm headed to the mountains.

Funny how this looks exactly like my GHB setup for when I commuted 50 miles to work.
 

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#10 ·
If the camera on my cell phone were better I might take it instead of my camera. It's a Kyocera Brigadier, supposedly tough and water resistant, but the camera doesn't have the resolution I want and produces off-color pix I can't quite balance out in Corel.

Where I hike the cell service is nonexistent. If I had to use the cell for comms I'd literally have to climb a mountain. I have confidence that my communicator will get the message out if I need to.
 
#12 ·
Map and Compass – You need to carry a map of the area where you’re hiking and learn how to find your location on it based on the landmarks and trail junctions marked on it. It’s good to practice this, even if you’re just hiking in an urban park. Learning how to use a compass at a basic level soon follows. The first thing you’ll learn is how to find north which is quite easy and helps to orient your map so you can figure out where you are if you become turned around. That’s often all you need to know to find your way, but it’s nearly foolproof and doesn’t rely on batteries. GPS Receivers and Cell Phones are not part of the 10 essentials. You can bring them if you want, but nothing is more reliable than a map or compass.

Sun Protection – It’s always a good idea to carry a hat, lip balm, and some sunscreen to prevent sunburn when you’re out in the open. Sunglasses can also be very helpful, particularly in winter, to prevent snow blindness (which is temporary). If you’re very sensitive to the sun, you should also consider wearing special sun-proof clothing.

Insulation – The amount of extra clothing and insulation you bring on a hike really depends on whether you’re hiking near a city or in the backcountry, the average day and night temperature, and whether there’s a chance you might get stuck outdoors at night. For example, if you’re doing an all-day spring hike in the mountains, it probably makes sense to bring an insulated sit pad, an insulated jacket, sweater, hat and gloves along just in case you’re out after sunset.

Illumination – You should always carry a headlamp or a flashlight and some extra batteries. You want enough light that you can walk with after dark if you’ve been delayed, or that you can camp with if you decide to stop and wait until daylight.

First-Aid Supplies – When you go hiking, it’s important to bring a few first aid supplies along for yourself or for the other people you’re hiking with. The easiest thing to do is to buy a small personal first aid kit from Adventure Medical for about $17. You can also assemble your own for much less.

Fire – If you unexpectedly have to spend a night out because you misjudged the distance you needed to hike, you got lost, hurt, or someone in your group is hurt, you want to have the option to make a fire. This means you should practice making a fire and have the means to reliably light one if necessary. The most reliable way I’ve found to make a fire is to use a fire steel, which is a flint-like device that throws lots of sparks, and a fire-starter like cotton balls that have been covered with Vaseline. You can also carry matches for convenience, but these can get damp. Don’t waste your money on emergency matches that will burn 10 minutes under water; it’s just not necessary.

Multi-tool and Repair Kit – You don’t need a big knife when you go hiking. In fact, scissors are more of a necessity than a knife, so it’s best to bring along some kind of swiss army knife or leatherman-style multi-tool. That, a small roll of duct tape, and a few safety pins are all you really need to patch up broken or torn gear.

Nutrition – Hiking is exercise and you need to eat to keep your body going if you’re hiking for more than a few hours. It’s good to bring along healthy snacks with a good balance of carbohydrate, protein, and fat or a sandwich if you plan on hiking all day.

Hydration – When you go hiking it’s important to bring water with you and to drink it liberally. I usually drink a quart of water before I go hiking and then drink 1 quart after every two hours. You’ll feel better if you stay hydrated, particularly if it’s very hot or very cold, the water will help you digest snacks or meals, and eliminate waste. If you go for an all-day hike, it’s often good to carry a water filter or Chlorine Dioxide tablets so you can purify water from a lake or stream when you run out. I rarely carry more than 3 quarts on a hike (6 pounds of water,) and just resupply from natural sources as needed.

Emergency Shelter – It’s useful to carry an emergency shelter like an emergency blanket, emergency bivy, or regular bivy/sleeping bag cover if you get cold and wet or need to camp out unexpectedly. If this happens, it’s important that you avoid lying directly on cold ground all night because it will suck the heat out of your body. It’s best to bring a foam torso length sleeping pad or sit pad that you can lie on top of to remain warm. The pad doesn’t have to be full length, just long enough to fit from your hips to your collarbone.
 
#15 ·
Pictures....eventually. My list as follows (minimum contents):

- Camelbak HAWG (old style)
- 3L water; couple extra 0.5L water bottles
- small IFAK
- multitool
- firestarter kit including - strike anywhere matches, magnesium bar with flint, old pill bottle full of drier lint, a couple of BIC lighters. Some of this is kept in the backpack, some on my belt.
- small 5x6 tarp
- 100' paracord
- couple 55gal drum liners
- e-blanket
- food stuffs consisting of: homemade trail mix (currently dried blueberries, cherries, cranberries and granola. Have used walnuts as well, the granola is a trial), couple pouches of tuna, a couple of protein bars that don't get mushy in the AZ heat
- compass and map of area
- knife; usually in my pocket
- whatever pistol I grab walking out the door (on my belt)
- gloves!
- hat

Things I will add:
- couple lightweight tent stakes to secure the lower end of the tarp for a lean-to
- a little more diversity in the food
- water filter; I have one, just not in this particular pack
- GI canteen & cup
- small stove
 
#16 ·
20-25l backpack. Klean kanteen 40 oz stainless water bottle. Sawyer squeeze filter. Mora classic #2 carbon steel knife. Black diamond storm headlamp. Silnylon tarp/rain fly. 30ft paracord. Fire steel with paraphin-soaked cotton balls and jute twine. Map and compass. Clotting sponge, ace bandage, ibuprofen, moleskin, Neosporin. Tortillas and small jar pb or something similar. Oatmeal creme pies. Electrolyte mix. Brimmed hat, Light fleece, rain jacket, extra socks. Minimalist sandals. Picaridin bug spray (doesn't eat nylon, does ok for ticks and mosquitos) J frame or p-64 9mm mak.

Optional:
.22
Fishing rod
Hammock
Stove and cookset
Extra water bottle
Slingshot
Beer
Dog
 
#17 ·
20-25lMinimalist sandals. Picaridin bug spray (doesn't eat nylon, does ok for ticks and mosquitos)
I almost always carry a pair of minimalist sandals now. Good for in/around water, especially crossing rivers; plus they're good backups as you can hike with them for shorter distances.

Picaridin has proven both effective against pesky bugs and as you noted, safe around nylon and other synthetics...good stuff:thumb:

ROCK6
 
#20 ·
would recommend considering an actual hydration pack as your pack. In my experience, I just always drink more when I have my Camelbak with me, and a bite valve at the ready.

Recommend Camelbak, but plenty of other great hydration packs on the market in 2018... https://gearlobo.com/hiking/hydration-pack/

One other thought: many folks recommend some kind of solar phone charger, I don't. In my experience, for a 1-2 day hike, a powerbank is just easier and more functional.
 
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