My current day hiking kit is a camelback + jacket. Its really a tiny pack with a hydration bladder so its hard to not take with. Inside is water a comfort kit ( fak+ survival kit) about .5 kg plus some water and snacks. Great for hiking/ hunting because its small.

Cheap enough* to get one to stash in the truck for unplanned hikes.


TRO


(* buy em used at Goodwill or on ebay)

I have a big Camelbak as my primary BOB -- I've learned not to keep water in it, but I do have water to put into it if I need to walk and I have time to transfer it.

A smaller Camelbak is my go-to bag for any sort of hiking. It's got a large bladder but otherwise very limited room inside. Perfect for a PSK, a small FAK, some sunscreen and a snack. I have a couple of MOLLE pouches that get attached to it when I need a little more storage.

My smallest Camelbak is a lumbar pack that holds a little water and a few other things. I use it mostly for running and biking.

I use a CamelBak Rogue for summer 3 gun matches (I go through 70oz and a couple of GatorAides a match)... picked a Blackhawk 100oz Cyclone pack off the prize table at Ft Benning and use it for my car's GHB... like ChaosMagnet don't keep it filled but have bottled water available... like the bite valve on the CamelBak much better than the Blackhawk..

I was never a fan of older Camelbaks, as they always leaked on me. The newer ones though, are excellent. Much more durable and no problems with leakage. Here's what I usually take hiking, give or take a few items depending on where I'm going:

I bought myself a camelbak transformer this year. I didn't need a military pack specifically but ran across it somewhere and liked the removeable pouches. So I take just the basic pack when biking which has a small sipper pocket at the bottom where I put a basic PSK. Then if we hike or travel I add on the other one or two pockets.
Wife thought it was silly at first then decided she wanted one so we got her one and my son the skeeter.
Both kids have mini-mule's ar wrapped for Christmas now.

I think mine might get them too!

and I corrected my spelling, hate being stuck with a sub-standard web browser
We are starting to do hiking now, kids enjoy it a little more that biking since they can interact more.
I just wish they had something between the mini-mule and the scout, the mini-mule is a little small but the scout a little too big.

If you cannot get, in the pockets:
1 x RSK or Altoid survival kit.
Poncho or Heatsheet.
Knife / Multitool.
Head torch.
Map & Compass.

bin it because it is too small.

These mini-mules are pretty small, but do have a couple small pockets.
Thats one reason for the buckle whistle, one less item in the pockets.
I want to find some kid sized ponchos, not the one time throw away ones but not too expensive either since they will be growing out of them.
My son's birthday is January, he will be 6 then, I'm thinking of getting a small multitool like the Leatherman Squirt PS4.
I found Wigwam makes good kid sized hiking socks and they look like they stretch to span several sizes so they shouldn't grow out of them in a year, so I plan to get two pair for each, one to wear and one spare in the packs.
I don't know if they are quite old enough yet to need a psk, we don't go on long hikes way out in the woods where they could get lost, it would be more of a wander off if we turn our backs for two seconds, so thats why the whistle so they can blow if it they can't see us and we can listen for it.

And I forgot the little Rite in the rain notepads which came today, yes they are not survival related but I bought the outdoor journal one after they saw the freebie in with a recent order I made and wanted their own.

hey eugene, i'm with you on this one. i carry them and do consider them very much survival related. there are many situations where a simple piece of paper could make a difference. i don't leave home without a small pad of rite in the rain - along with two golf pencils and a fisher pen.

My favorite day pack is a lumbar (waist) type - the Mountainsmith Day Pack. The problem with any lumbar pack is that it is very easy to make them so large that they become heavy and bulky, invariably slipping down and causing stops for readjustment, etc. Mountainsmith gets around this by offering pack straps ("strapettes") that support the lumbar pack well enough that everything stays in place without encumbering the hiker's upper back. With weight centered at waist level, this unit travels through brush and up rocky slopes very nicely. The pack straps also neutralize the one obvious disadvantage of a lumbar pack - if the waist buckle fails or opens for any reason, the pack and its contents instantly fall away, sometimes with disastrous consequences.

I have been trying one out over the last few months, and I am pretty happy with it. Definitely get the strapettes if you are going to put anything in the back beyond lunch and a toothbrush. With a capacity of 850 cu in, it can pretty well handle normal day hiking requirements. I must admit the "hydration system" is terribly retro - two mesh side pockets that hold one liter containers - you know, the ones where you must pull the container from the pocket, unscrew the lid, and lift it to your lips. Works just fine for dinosaurs like me. At least I can truthfully say that my pack doesn't suck.

The usual disclaimers - I am just a satisfied customer.

Ohh, seeing the picture earlier in the thread reminded me I didn't post one of mine


For a fairly small pack it holds quite a lot. I pulled the Ax out, that was the night I got the saw and repacked. The fishing pole and gear above it and a few extra zip lock baggies above that. Then the Buck 110, mini binoculars, hiking pants and thin gloves. Two 3 AA LED Maglights and 2 pair of hiking socks. GPS, spare batteries next to it. Bottle of quarters, bottle of matches, lighters, match safe, magnesium fire starter. 3 of the 6 zip locks below that have 4 Clif Crunch each (family of 4), one has 4 Clif Mojo bars, two have snacks like trail mix, beef jerky, raisins, peanuts, etc. Then hand sanitizer and sunblock and some more matches above those and finally the PSK. Then there is a digicam in its case on the pack strap.

This pack has 6 pockets, one for the bladder, one for the PSK and sunblock and sanitizer. Then two removable pouches with two pockets each so some of the redundant gear like the two lights, two pair of socks, two pair of gloves and the food bags get split between them so if I want a lighter load I can leave one pouch in the truck and still have nearly the same gear.

Paul810,

What is the name of the Fiskars knife? How do you like it?

Like Hikermor, I use a fanny pack, but reserve it for warmer weather. (Outside of our short summer, I want extra clothes
in my kit so migrate everything into to a short hike backpack the rest of the year.)

Especially with a grouchy back and hip, I find that once I add water, the fanny pack becomes uncomfortable unless it has a strap or two to support the weight with my shoulders.

It's a Fiskars/Gerber Brush Axe. I like it, it's great for clearing out overgrowth on the trail and chopping/splitting branches for a fire or shelter.

The only downside I've found is that it doesn't come with a sheath. Supposedly the newer Gerber version does, but I just made my own, so no big deal.

Nice. My pack is ofter 'food heavy' but that's because I'm often "hungry".

My goal is to make my pack so light that there is NO reason to leave it behind - Ideally 1 kilogram (2.2 pounds) of contents without food/ water. So no axe or saw.

There is never a good reason to leave a pack behind. You pack it, you carry it. Put it down only when you are in camp.

1 kilo = 1 kilogram as in 2lbs? Or does Kilo not mean kilogram here?

Under 1 kilo without food and water can definitely be done, depending on your expectations for the pack.

The little pack I use for short day hikes/trail-running weighs 4lbs 11 ounces with water and snacks, without water it weighs under 2lbs. I started with a Camelbak Hydrobak, which holds 1.5L of water. Then I added the following:

-2 Cliff bars
-1 packet of peanut butter

-Princeton Tec headlamp (no strap, mounted on the pack's own strap)

On a mini quick-link attached to outside of pack:
-BSA Hotspark
-Fox 40 Micro whistle
-Leatherman Style PS [replaced the scissors for a knife blade]

Plastic ziploc bag with:
-Disposable poncho
-Coffee filters
-brightly colored bandana
-Spare headlamp batteries
-moleskin
-package of tissues
-MP-1 water purification tablets
-small plastic signal mirror

It's not exactly an over-night bag, but it's small and light enough that I don't even notice I'm wearing it. Therefore, I've got no excuse not to have these basic supplies with me, even if I'm just going for a short walk in familiar territory.

The walking kit in my truck is built on a Camelbak Rim Runner and can carry more than a kilo, but won't let me carry too much. It has a 100 oz bladder that I leave dry.

When needed I'll fill the pack and bladder from resources/water stored/rotated in the truck kit. Those bladders can get funky when wet. The things that are in the pack now (MSR Pocket Rocket, Ti & SS pots/cups, water filter et al) are part of the 96 hr system. What goes for a walk will be determined in the moment based on conditions and weather. I figure on a max of 15 pounds.

What do you do with the coffee filters?

I use and recommend the Kelty Oriole in summer and winter. The lumbar pack has a large belt and multiple compression straps that you can pull tight to center and stabilize the load. I tend to pack heavy, and this lumbar pack hauls it all. The outside mesh pockets will each hold a 16oz water bottle. I have the grey one, and my wife has the blue. When looking for a picture to post here, I found a website that has them on sale...no affiliation. http://www.bobwards.com/KELTY-Oriole-Waist-Pack-49952

I'm not sure what he does with coffee filters but they're near-universally recommended for the initial straining of water prior to sterilization. I'm aware of the fact that most of the people that include coffee filters have probably not tried them for that purpose; a few people say they don't work at all. I admit that some of my kits include them and I'm embarrassed to admit I've not tried them, either. I'm researching better pre-filters and waiting for better weather.

Phaedrus... there are a couple of pretty good videos on the net with DIY filters ... PVC pipe, fibrous material, and activated aquarium charcoal...

the Sawyer double bag system is pretty slick if you have the room..the 'gray' bag is always non potable and can be submerged with a pre filter

The boy didn't want to pose with his but the girl did

My current dogwalking/bikejoring around town (and on the C&O Canal) pack of choice is an old Camelbak H.A.W.G.

I'm not using a bladder in it during the fall-winter-spring and am instead using that space for a Becker-Necker, chemical hand warmers and other items. In the outside middle expandable pocket I'm carrying a 32oz Nalgene canteen for my pup's water.

I have quite a lot of stuff in it - including MoJo bars, First Aid, the usual survival PSK stuff, Esbit pocket stove, titanium sierra cup.

I like the HAWG very much - for its durability, pockets and the carry handle on top.

That's just awesome!!

Now I'm trying to figure out whats the safe temperature/age range for winter hikes
I took a new position at work so I'm no lonmger working every weekend so now I have the time to go out some.

For our Beaver and Cub Scouts (5-10 y.o.) our group stops outdoor excursions at -10C or if it's below zero and raining. (Some parents find that too cold and don't bring their kids to those outtings, partly I'm sure because we encourage parents to hike/snowshow/toboggan with us.)The reasoning for that cut-off point is equal parts liability and enjoyment.

Personal Example: There was a cold rain (below 0C) here yesterday morning when my 8 y.o. and I started our hour long hike through the forest to the beach. The temp continued to drop and the rain got worse. We were dressed appropriately but his gloves got wet, as kids gloves usually do when they toss them on the wet and windy beach instead of stowing them safely in their packs so they can better explore everything they see. (Despite mom's request and warning.) His hands got pretty cold ("Mom, I think I have frostbite") and he shed some tears when he realized that gloves were pretty useless as they started to freeze with ice and sand. I reminded him of the extra dry pair in his pack and it didn't take long for the smiles to come back as we hiked home through our first real snowfall of the year. Important lesson learned (and prepared for!) but not something I can do with my little Scouts, and not something I'd do if we weren't adequately prepared with extra clothes, pocket warmers, etc.

The nice thing about a backpack based system is that there is extra room in there.

(for food, my jacket, binos, DW's fancy sun hat, collecting trash, umbrella, etc. and so on...)

I just got a new pack for DS tonight but didn't get a camelback. I got him a regular pack (Broadstone, not sure which model) because he's already carrying a lot and finding water in our area isn't a challenge. Making it drinkable is.

I'm building one of these to keep in the truck for unplanned hikes...Which I do pretty often

I was going to say not to leave water in it. Every time I have done so, even purified and refrigerated, it has gone bad on me.

Very nice! You've packed a lot in there.

I picked up a new 30 litre pack today from MEC. It is priced decently and has features that compare with similar BD packs which are much more expensive. http://www.mec.ca/AST/ShopMEC/HikingCamping/Packs/DayPacks/PRD~5024-833/mec-spirit-30-daypack.jsp

I normally carry a TNF Recon bookbag for everyday carry. Although rated at 30 litres it is a 25 litres at best. It is good for my evening University classes and for geocaching. It is somewhat useful as a dayhiking bag but not large enough for a quicky overnight bag. The larger 30 litre one will do just fine. (I actually looked at a 40 litre bag too but it is just a tad too large for airplane packing.) My thoughts are that I will keep this pack loaded up and ready to go for longer day hikes and warm overnighters.

I also want to create a 2 stage BOB system. The 30 litre bag will carry the immediate items and a second larger 50 litre bag will serve as a mainstay. I have a modular philosophy to my equipment. For example, my FAK is a modified AMK .5 and the mini survival kit is a modified AMK DR pocket kit. I can put one in each leg of a set of cargo pants. The BOB will also be modular with the smaller bag serving the immediate needs and the second will encompass the things the smaller bag would miss. Both will be reasonably light. Light is easier to carry and if I have a female or youth partner then I can have them be outfitted as well as a team. My reasoning is that if the BOB(part A) is in the vehicle and BOB(part B) is stored in the garage and ready to go I will have additional flexibility.

Now off I go. I have to make a list of what to put into each bag and test out the loading.

Snake -- yes, I add water just before the hike. ( I also carry a water bottle -- or 2 -- in the cab.)