New Day Trip Pack

Ok, so I'm 8 months pregnant, on doctor ordered take-it-easy time, and just received a couple of awesome Christmas gifts. The snow is flying and I have cabin fever. I'm itching to get out there so I'm amusing myself today by making a new day trip kit, specially designed for the preggo who can't carry much or go very far off the pavement. With a little luck, I'll test dive it over the next couple of days, by at least having a brew up.




Pack: High Sierra (no idea what model but it's really basic)
Boo Boo Kit (not shown)
Lanyard (not shown: Fox 40, ferro, LED, mini multi-tool)



Sharps: Fixed blade, Bacho Laplander

Fire Kit: LM folder, mini bic, SA matches (in Tylenol container), tea light, lip balm, hoof fungus, jute twine, lamp wick, small buck-style folder
>>> in med bottle: birch bark, pine chips, pine pitch and cotton balls

EDIT: this kit (minus the LM folder and a bic) are now back in the tea tin. which I intend to try to make char cloth in (using the lamp wick)

Shelter Kit: clear drop cloth, mylar blanket, nylon cord, emerg poncho and 2 x contractors bags (not shown)
>>> adding foam sit pad

Water and Cooking Kit: GI canteen & canteen cup, GSI tea kettle, esbit stove & tabs, bandana

EDIT: The LM folder and a mini bic are now stowed in the kettle, along with the fixings for a brew up.

Light: 3XAAA LED

Food/Drink: tea(3)/coffee(2)/instant apple cider(2) in zip lock (3) MRE hot chocolate, tuna & crackers, MRE spoon

EDIT: the tea & coffee are now in their ziplock bag inside the kettle, inside of the fire kit being stowed in there.



Everything on the black mesh bag, fits in the black mesh bag, and it all goes into the GSI kettle, along with the esbit stove.

Any suggestions to make it better/lighter?

NICE!

Jacqui... possibly a way to filter/purify water without the need to stop to boil it...a MRE/Mountain House entree just in case you need to stay overnight...do you carry a real GI poncho or GoreTex shell?...stay safe...57F degrees in sunny Florida...no chance of snow tonight

Thanks guys.

Les, I always dress (in layers) for the worst potential weather. right now that means either a winter jacket or gortex shell over fleece. My regular hiking kit has a gi poncho it, along with better shelter stuff and a change of clothes. this pack isn't going far off-road so it's much more minimalist.

i've got a tarp tipi en route and will likely put that in here for shelter. (Haven't git it yet so not sure about the size/weight. The specs say it's about 3 pounds.) For now though, my son wants to try to make one of cody lundin's super shelters, so I'm packing that stuff, hoping we'll get a chance to do it soon.

this kit is intended for a planned outting so we'll pack food as we go, along with more water. my son got some MH mac n cheese for Christmas, so that'll likely be the first meal.

i thought about adding another way to make water but, honestly, we're not going far so figure it's easier to carry the water we plan to use with us.

Seems like a pretty awesome kit. So that's what you're taking to the delivery room, I guess?

Stay safe and healthy!

What kind of fixed blade do you have there??

What about signaling? Signal mirror. Include a whistle at the very least.

I'd lean toward a headlamp rather than a hand held light, but that's just me lately. I'm a BIG fan of Princeton Tec EOS headlamps - I have them all over my house.

Personally Il don't care for cheap plastic ponchos. They are typically so flimsy. I'd rather stow large (30-50 gallon) bright (orange) plastic bags that can act as a ground cover and a rain/dew protector. Buy a box of them and share them with others. They make great gifts!! :-P

The backpack filled with leaves can act as a insulating seat.

I'd also include a map of the area, a compass, a GPS, extra batteries for the GPS, and a PLB.

I might recommend cutting cord into 16-20 foot lengths and bundling them. I cut a 100 foot hank of cord into six 16 foot lengths. That makes it easier to manage (less tangling) and MUCH more likely to be used on a regular basis - for all sorts of things. Maybe keep one 50 foot or longer length of poly line (stretches less than nylon).

Suggest including water purification tablets and a zippo hand warmer with a 4 oz. can of zippo's cleaner burning (than most) lighter fluid.

A couple of thoughts if you really want to go lighter (I have plenty more if you're looking to go the ultra light route but I doubt this is the forum for that).

Knife: Both the Izula and Bravo Necker weigh less than 1.5oz and they will chop down a tree.

Light: The Four Sevens Mini is 200+ lumens and weighs 0.6oz. It also has several nice distress modes (beacon) that last for weeks.

Saw: I doubt your saw weighs much but this saw is so small you can carry it in your front pockets. I've cut through 12" trees with mine.

A CanteenShop GrillTop Stove will allow you to boil water in your canteen cup - thus ditching the kettle and stove. I really like your kettle by the way. I have one and use it regularly just not when trying to stay light.

Take the rope off the spool. You'll shave another ounce (hey, it adds up! Especially when you're carrying enough of a load up front!)

I've never had good luck with that brand of emergency blanket. I've had much better success with AMK.

Ultra Sil tarps and ponchos are awesome but pricy...

Does this help?

I've used both the Bacho Laplander and the Unbelievable Pocket Chain Saw. They both cut VERY well. If you want a saw that is used regularly then go with the Laplander - or a Silky saw. If you want a compact saw for emergencies then the Unbelievable Pocket Chain Saw is an excellent choice.

Cutting through something must larger than my arm doesn't do much good in the fire unless I split it ... and I really don't like splitting logs. I find enough smaller stuff to do what I need to do. If I'm cutting something that big I'll bring a larger bow saw such as the Trailblazer Take-Down Buck Saw and bring a maul & wedges.

These days I carry a Silky Pocketsaw, though I can't recall the tooth size - it has a black handle.

haha! We've got our hospital bags and baby packed and ready to go, Bingley. I'm just biding my time until this baby decides she's ready to make her big entrance.

That reminds me, I need to pack more snacks for hubby.

Hand warmers are a great idea, Grady, thanks! I'm skipping water procurement for now but will definitely add tabs or a filter when we start doing more miles again.

Thanks for the great ideas, Ken!

I have a whistle on my lanyard and another on my keychain.

A headlamp is a no-brainer too. I just don't have an extra one on-hand right now.

The poncho is mostly for protection from the wet ground, an unexpected downpour or one of those classic moves that only a nine year old boy can produce.

We aren't going to be going very far from home or my jeep in the foreseeable future, so I'm skipping navigation for now, but will address that as we increase our mileage again in the coming months.

The fixed blade is an inexpensive one that my son bought for me whioe we were on our mom-son mother's day camping trip this year. It's stamped "Valor 449 Stainless". It's full tang, good weight for me and nicely balanced. Not bad for under $30, even if it is a little too small for some of the kitchen prep work I've asked it to do. It's held up very well to batoning wood though.

Thanks so much, Gulliamo! These are great suggestions. I'll definitely take them to heart as I upgrade this kit.

FWIW - this pack came into being because I recieved the laplander, kettle and mini esbit stove for Christmas. Everything else was pulled out of storage. I didn't want to spend money on a new kit but had the itch to build a new one, more in line with my current physical condition and limitations.

I love the kettle! It is one of our most used items while car camping.

I'd like to hear about your experience with the stove. For example: is it usable without a windscreen?

Jackie, a nite-eyes headband,http://www.campmor.com/outdoor/gear/Product___80393
might let you use your flashlight as a headlamp whne needed or a flashlight. Seems like I find them at Wal-mart, Lowes, Home-depot. Maybe your Canadian Tire?

Thanks for the tip, JPickett. I'll definitely have a look for them!

Or you can make your own headlamp holder...
http://www.benvelo.com/flashlightholder_mini_1.htm

Good luck. I just got word today, that my coworker had her baby on the weekend - a full month early! But the pictures show a normal healthy full size baby, definitely not preemie. Maybe the doctor goofed on the date?

I suspect that baby is going to pop out holding a Fenix EO1.

Advice taken to heart update:

I ditched the disposable ponchos, the mylar blanket, the plastic drop cloth and the poly cord. Oh, and I ate the spicy Thai tuna snack pack. Just the fish and crackers, not the box, btw.

I added duct tape, a rubberized GI poncho (German-issue), about 30 ft of paracord and a Thermarest (Thermal) Z-seat. I also put the canteen stove back on my canteen cup/bottle kit, so I can cook and boil at the same time.

The poncho is a significant weight addition, but well worth it, I think. Especially in the colder, wetter months. It's rubberized so should give better rain protection the the nylon one I have in my GHB.

I've packed some bannock mix for a little outting tomorrow. Along with our selection of hot drinks, it should be a nice break. Can't wait to finally try out my new kettle and tiny esbit stove!

I've also updated the fire kit. It's now got: jute twine, a cotton lamp wick, a med bottle of pine shavings/pine pitch/birch bark/cotton balls, small vial of strike anywhere matches, a mini bic, a ferro rod with mag bar attached, a small tube of lip balm and a small folding pocket knife. It's all housed in the tea tin with tight fitting lid. I've got a few veggie rubber bands on there now, but will upgrade those to ranger bands soon.

I haven't weighed it but I've got a cat that weighs more than it does.

BTW - I couldn't help myself. I looked at those Fenix lights today. NICE!

You will like the Fenix lights. I find myself getting new ones all the time.....

I have a question for you since I see you are in Ontario as well BPJack. Does it ever stop snowing in this darned province?

I am shoveling my driveway here so often I think I soon may have to pack a survival kit for that alone.

I have a Fenix TK10 sitting on the table next to me. I mostly use it as a spotlight to locate the dog out back ... but when outdoors I much prefer my Princeton Tec EOS headlamp - great light for the size and gives me use of both hands.

I prefer a nylon poncho - MUCH lighter in weight. Campmor.com sells a decent one for the money. In cool weather the addition of some closed cell foam can be a lifesaver. Even a small piece on the seat of a nylon camp chair can make a big difference.

Personally I'd skip all the tinder stuff and bring Vaseline soaked cotton balls in a plastic bag. They light with a spark when turned inside out and last a decent amount of time so additional small wood can be added. Plain cotton just burns too fast.

You just reminded me, KenK - there are cotton balls in the vital with the wood shavings, and a tube of lip balm in the fire tin. That's a tinder combo that's never let me down. i could just carry those, but I like practicing firecraft.

I love my nylon poncho. It's small, light and versatile. It lives in my ghb, which doubles as my regular (i.e. not pregnant) extended dayhike pack. The rubberized one cost the same ($29.99 regular, on sale for $19.99 at my local army surplus store.) It's heavier and bulkier but also more durable and more waterproof.

Has been pretty constant in some places this year, Taurus. We've got enough here for good toboganning and not enough for me to feel guilty about not helping to shovel.

So what is the advantage of the rubbery ponchos over the nylon ponchos? ... other than providing super cool science projects on a hot summer day.

About the use of closed cell foam to insulate one's butt on a camp chair or bench ... Years back, when I was more involved in my son's Scout troop (he'll turn 18 in May so I've faded away from troop activity - planned it that way) it was really cold out and I found and used a small sheet of corrugated cardboard as insulation on the seat of my camp chair. As usual, while I was up doing something someone else sat on my chair and was shocked by how warm it was because of the cardboard. Ever since then winter trips will find the adults hunting for corrugated cardboard for their chairs. Pretty funny.

I have a Sea-To-Summit Silnylon tarp poncho that should be very resistant to heat, and it is very light and packs very small. It is not cheap.

Ken, as for sitting on cardboard, it works well, it just tends to disintegrate when wet. I just use my sleeping pad so I don't carry two items.

Backpacjack'

Excellent bag for your purpose. Two suggestions. Make sure you have a GOOD bag for the kettle if you are going to use Esbit tabs - very sticky black crud that rubs off on everything else. If you want to go lighter, a Ti pot/cup (I use a Snow Peak 700) over a lighter bottle will reduce some weight and in either case you don't need both the cup and kettle. Thanks to the crew here for the knowledge, I had the Snow Peak for over a year (got in a trade) but did not think to try it over a bottle. I carry both, but I am not weight challenged like you are (my weight challenge is not so much what I can carry! :-).

The best,

Jerry

That was my thinking when I got it. Makes a great shelter in our cold wet climate. I haven't used it with a campfire yet, and have to admit that I'm curious about the melt factor. My unrubberized version just gets little pin holes in it sometimes.

Thanks Jerry!

I put a bandana in the kettle for both prefiltering water and for wrapping the sotve after use. A little bag may work better.

This pack is going to a platform for a new more robust dayhike kit as I start putting the miles back on. The older I get the ore I lean towards to a more minimalist and bushcrafty set-up. I'm sure it won't be long before I tweak it again, and going lighter will be on the To Do list.

FWIW, I've got my eye on making some leather puches while I'm on maternity leave. I'd like a couple for my fire and food kits.

We went for little test drive today!

My son got a new GT Sno Racer for Christmas and I got some new gear too. He's had a chance to try his out but I hadn't so we did a little combo today. We headed out hill down behind the Oshawa GM plant, beside Lake Ontario, that has a smattering a trees around it. (It's right beside a road and subdivision so not at all off-roading for this preggo, but with a couple of key elements we were looking for.

We found a big ol' tree beside a decent sized hill. I'm pretty sure the temps and winds there were worse than the weather network was noting in the city centre. While his gave his new sled a work-out, I sat down to brew up so ramon noodles and hot chocolate on my new gadgets. Climbing up and sledding that hill, and climbing the tree we set up beside, built up an appetite. Sitting and eating his noodles cooled him off enough that he was ready to go home by the time we were finishing eating. All and all, it was a great couple of hours.


DRESSING FOR THE WEATHER

There was snow on the ground and it was an overcast day, hover around freezing, with a pretty steady 15 km/hr wind, so we bundled up to stay warm. We both wore thermal long johns, thick merino wool socks, wool blend hats and winter mitts/gloves. He wore a pair of fleece pants, a long sleeved thermal top and a cotton/poly blend top, under his snow pants and jacket. I wore thick cotton/poly blend pants on the bottom, and a LS thermal top, mid-weight merino wool sweater and a fleece jacket under my down jacket. (I really need to get a new pair of rain/snow/wind pants to fit this preggo body of mine!) He wore Sorrel insulted boots and I wore my Kamik insulated rubber boots.



GEAR LIST





In addition to my pocket carry EDC, I also brought my new day trip pack, designed specifically for trips like this. It'll be the foundation for a new extended day hike/overnight kit once I get through the birth/newborn filled next month or few, but for now It's intended just for a comfortable trail side pit stop than an overnight.

FAK: AMK field trauma kit with added triangular bandage, maxi pad and one person Heat Sheets.

FIRE KIT: jute twine, a cotton lamp wick, a med bottle of pine shavings/pine pitch/birch bark/cotton balls, small vial of strike anywhere matches, a mini bic, a ferro rod with mag bar attached, a small tube of lip balm and a small folding pocket knife. It's all housed in the tea tin with tight fitting lid. (It's also got a small mess bag to hole the contents when I use the tea tin to make char cloth.) I've got a few veggie rubber bands on there now, but will upgrade those to ranger bands soon. I only used the mini this trip, which found a challenge in the cold today.


COOK KIT: 1 full GI canteen, 2 canteen cups, GSI tea kettle, esbit stove & tabs, bandana, a LMF spork and a MRE spoon. I also carried a canteen stove and a small stainless steel copper bottom fry pan. WE also found a sealed bottle of water on the way in.


SHELTER KIT: duct tape, a rubberized GI poncho (German-issue), 6 tent stakes, about 30 ft of paracord, about 25 ft of poly cord, Thermarest (Thermal) Z-seat, 2 x contractors bags. I also took a small wool blanket with us today, which was the only component of the shelter kit I used.



SHARPS: Fixed blade, Bacho Laplander (didn't use either today)

LIGHT: 3XAAA LED (Not used today)

FOOD: 2 packs Mr. Noodles (chicken for him, beef for me) and 2 MRE hot chocolate packs. I also had a bannock, some peanut oil and a zip lock bag of hot drinks (hot chocolate, tea, coffee, apple cidar) but we didn't use any of them today.


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What I Learned Today

My new GSI tea kettle is AWESOME!! (Thanks again Ninja!) It was not quite enough for us today but will be prefect when I'm out on my own with the new baby.
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The esbit stove worked great, (Tipping my hat to Ninja again!) if a little slower than I would have liked. I used 2 blocks of fuel to get one kettle full of water to an almost simmer. I imagine that would have been better if I used a wind screen or built a shelter. An open fire would have worked better but they aren't allowed where we were. Besides, the point was the try out the new stove/kettle combo!
[img]http://i341.photobucket.com/albums/o374/bacpacjac/924_zpsa91cc1a6.jpg[/img]

We covered our canteen cups with aluminum foil while the noodles cooked, but it wasn't enough to keep them warm enough to both thoroughly cook..
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The canteen cups cooled down quicker than we could consume the noodles and broth. Cozies should up the insulation value.

The wool blanket, folded a few times, made a great seat on the cold damp ground for this preggo.
[img]http://i341.photobucket.com/albums/o374/bacpacjac/th_937_zps28479f72.jpg[/img]

Nine and half year old boys do not notice the cold when they are racing down snow hills, regardless of mom shivering on the sidelines.
[img]http://i341.photobucket.com/albums/o374/bacpacjac/947_zps2f9b1216.jpg[/img]

Thanks for looking. Now get there, play safe and have fun!

Here's a look at what Jerry is talking about:

The esbit stove after it's first use:

The bottom of the GSI kettle fared much better:

Great kit , nothing to add here. But I saw the picture where you light the esbit cube with a lighter, so I want to add a small note about that.

If the lighter decides to quit working during the trip, there is still a way to light the cube with sparks only.

Watch this video :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mXtrOdvIWeQ

Great pics! I think you'll find the windscreen helps tremendously! Here's a link to the one I use in my review here:

http://adventurereports.blogspot.com/2013/01/condor-h2o-pouch.html#more

This is my my "lunch kit". I took it out today as well.

Thanks gulliamo! I had my fire kit with me and could have tried the ferro rod, but I was stubborn. It was cold and I just wanted to get it going. I've never started a hex cube that way but have seen it done a few times. It's on my To Do List though!

I was wishing for a zippo though. Maybe I'll add one to my birthday wish list. I am going to upgrade to butane lighters in my kits and EDC, with a more simple ignition system. I've got a couple of Robson's that have never failed me, so may just go with those until the Zippo fairy arrives.

We've got a bathroom reno project we're working on right now. (Ok, not me. Not me at all.) I've added aluminum flashing to the shopping list, and intend to make a little wid screen for this and my larger esbit stove. Keeping it up off the ground should help too.

Is the cat's ass when it comes to stoves? No. But I love it. It's a nice piece of kit, in that it's small, light, simple and verstaile.

My Grandma always said that if you're set for a brew-up, you should be in pretty good shape - you've got heat, water and at least enough protection from the elements that you can sit and drink it.

I've got a couple of those Ronson ones too, Izzy, and agree that they're great. Not sure why i haven't updated my Bic sooner. I've never tried a peanut lighter, but have to admit, I like the convenience factor of not having to refill the lighters in my kit. Of course, I still have to check them regularly anyway so definitely worth looking into.