Originally Posted By: bws48
It seemed to me they forgot to apply STOP (stop, think, observe, plan). It could have ended very badly.

I've read many such "day hike gone wrong" stories here and in other places to have decided that there is no such thing as a "day hike." There are only over night hikes that don't last that long.

I think most of us would agree that on a casual "day hike" you still need to be prepared to spend at least one night in cold and wet conditions, maybe more. Three days?


LOL Yeah, my GF thinks I'm nuts when we go on a 5 mile hike and I'm carrying a 15# bag. Granted, the bag itself is probably 3# of that, and I'm carrying her water too.

I carry, routinely, 2 qt water, 10 essentials, 1 MRE, a few power bars, FAK, PSK, and usually a HeatSheet Bivy on day hikes. Add in usually some sort of insulating shirt or jacket. That's for "good" weather hikes. If it's winter, I'll add an Esbit stove, and usually a second space blanket. Of course, that's in addition to whatever clothes I feel appropriate for the day. I might add a pair of wool glove liners and an extra pair of socks depending on the terrain.

So, yes, I think it's safe to say your idea of "overnight hikes that don't last long" is right on!