We got a bit a of a Spring preview recently, and it got me itching to get out hiking. The Ides of March find me still housebound, but I'm playing with my day hiking kit this afternoon. It's also going to function as my GHB. It's a work in progress and I'd love your suggestions.

There no kid in this kit, although I'll very likely hike with my own or my Scouts when I use it. All my kids have their own kits. The 24 and almost 10 year olds can carry their own, while the baby's rides in the bucket of her stroller. (She won't always be with me when I use this kit. She has clothes, blankets, diapers/wipes/cream/baggies, water/formula/bottles and FAK in her kit. My Petzle e+ Lite headlamp is in there as well, along with an LED glow stick, multi-tool, and a few other goodies. This way the baby's bob can go with whoever she's with at the time.)

With no further fanfare, here's a list of the contents of my bag as it sits now. No idea how much it weighs. Probably too much but it's comfortable in the living room. :-) The water and canteen cup are particularly heavy and are on the upgrade list. I've already noticed that I'm missing a headlamp, and I haven't added bug juice or sunscreen yet either. I think I'll add a baseball hat too.

BACKPACK - generic daypack-sized Kodiak brand from Walmart

LANYARD - Fox 40 whistle, LED squeeze, mini multi-tool, mini BIC

FIRE KIT - (In leather pouch with lanyard) ferro rod, bic, tampon, jute twine, char cloth, Altoids tin

TOOL KIT- (In red pencil case) fixed blade knife, LED, small chem light, garbage bags, duct tape, extra batteries (in Plano box), signal mirror, quarters

FAK - AMK Field Trauma Kit + triangular, Mylar blanket, LED, maxi pads, H2O tabs, breastmilk bags, OTC meds, purelle

SHELTER KIT- (In USGI molle canteen pouch With H2O Kit) poncho, paracord, bungee cord, tent stakes, Heatsheet (2p), silk sleeping bag liner, chem warmers

H2O KIT - (In USGI molle canteen pouch with Shelter Kit) USGI canteen, canteen cup, canteen stove, bandana, BIC (+FAK - tabs, bags)

CLOTHES - (in dry bag) merino socks, LS wool shirt, lined wind pants, Flo O thinsulate watch cap, liner gloves, (2) emerg ponchos, fleece jacket

FOOD - (In ziplock bags) cliff bars, coffee, tang, titanium spork

UPDATE: The kit will be the basis of my overnight kit. It's compartmentalized so I can easily upgrade for foul weather or more off-the-beaten path trips. Changing out the lightweight poncho for a more substantial shelter & sleep system, adding an axe or saw, or throwing in more robust cook & food kits, for example.

I'd probably get rid of the chem light, perhaps replacing it with spare batteries for one of the flashlights. I would definitely add a full-size multitool and a signal mirror. Does it make sense to add a way to charge your cellphone?

Spare batteries! Thanks Chaos! I knew I was forgetting something. I do have a little Plano fly box with extra batteries for each power-sucker. It's part of the tool kit.

Weirdly, I don't have a cell phone. I do have quarters for payphones and just added a signal mirror to my tool kit. Thanks again, Chaos!

I'm more likely to go outside without my pants than without my cellphone .

I should also elaborate that I EDC a photon, bandana and Leatherman Wave (along with a ferro rod, maglite solitaire, cotton balls in sheath) and a key chain with - photon, SAK, fox 40 whistle, key fob with prescription & otc meds, and paracord.

Weather appropriate clothing for someone sensitive to the cold can also be assumed. (I.e. wool, fleece and synthetic layers)

It took me a long time to break my blackberry addiction. Now I find it easy to live without. I do want one for emergencies though.

Jacqui... when you get a chance, change out the Maglight Solitaire for a Fenix E01 or similar AAA lithium LED... a couple of neoprene "O" rings around the body will attach one to the temple bows of a pair of glasses to make an improvised head lamp

Thanks Les. I've been wanting to upgrade that light and they sell Fenix at the local military surplus store. I'll check it out!

Agreed, the Solitaire is not great. The E01 is inexpensive, bombproof, and has excellent runtime (if not the greatest output or tint). The ThruNite Ti is about the same cost with better tint, and the option of low output for long runtime and high output for when you need it.

Thanks Chaos!

EO5.....looks like same size and twice the output at 27 lumens.LOOOOVE mine for sure,thats a top quality build for sure,just plain excellent.

Fenix makes fine products but in researching Im seeing the S2 and S3 bulbs have serious quality issues so smart money says beware on lights with them,surprised how many reports of failure,etc with those.

Just bought ten various lights at Deal extreme last night,4 cheapies to replace the Harbor Freight trash I have around house (They 'sorta' work,horrible quality) and some sipiks for vehicles,low cost ten dollar lights that have good press for value,build and output (80 to 200 lumen ranges) over at candlepower forums for a sub 10 dollar light.IE,switches can be bulky at times but will turn on/off,just may have to do it more than once on occasion.Bargain lights.

For carry lights I'll stick to Fenix.Just astounding quality.Thank you all for teaching me about them.

I'll let ya all know if the Sipiks are worth it in real life.

Do you still have payphones? Seriously, about 5 years ago I was out and about (did not carry cell phone at the time), needed to call. . .and no payphones to be found anywhere. They seem to be disappearing. I now am forced to carry a cell phone because there are no payphones where we live. . .

So, maybe find the cheapest pay as you go dumb cell phone and add it to your kit. And a battery powered charger for it. . .just in case.

Even worse they can charge 3 bucks for a one minute LOCAL call!!!! Carry lots of change if thats the plan.BTDT.

What do you get from your Nokia that makes it worth carrying for you?

I did have a cell phone for a little while last year. Got one of those Wind Mobile pay as you go plans and a knock-off blackberry from Japan. Thing just stopped working one day, and because I never used it, I kept forgetting to take it in to get it fixed. Turns out they charge a $50 deposit to get to send it for repair and don't offer loaner phones. Might as well pay the $60 and get one of their base model phones or switch to a new carrier and plan. Then I had a baby and forgot all about it until right now.

this is a repost, but if anyone is looking for a relatively inexpensive, high intensity 2 x cr123 light capable of disorienting man or creature you might look at

http://www.solarforceflashlight-sales.com/

I've been happy with my Solar Force L2N body.... $13.00
320 lumen LED module.... $11.50
2 pack of cr123s ..... $5.00

shown with a Surefire 6P for size comparison... I carry this to places the State of Florida does not allow me to carry a pistol... I accidentally flashed myself and was seriously disoriented for at least 3 minutes... they make an 830 lumen module that probably double as a fire starter

For an emergency cell phone to carry outdoors, I'd consider looking into the SpareOne Emergency Phone.



Touted features include:

• Talk-through, waterproof, floatable packaging
• Powered provided by a single AA battery (comes with 15 year lithium)
• Lightweight & slim design (75 grams)
• LED Torchlight (up to 24 hours of continuous light)

I don't know much more than what is on the website, but it seems worth looking into.

I thought it seemed familiar when I saw it in the CES coverage earlier this year .

I look forward to that post, Izzy! :-)

Cool! This is the first I've heard of this. Thanks, Dennis!

Interesting phone but at $99 is way overpriced for a basic 2.5G phone. 15 year battery life is impressive (Energizer Lithium AA) but will the networks be there in 15 years time?

I recently picked up a couple of $7-8 unlocked Samsung GT-E1200s as backups from a local supermarket. Cheap enough to keep a few as an emergency cellular phones. One for a vehicle, one for the home and one to keep in a BOB etc without worrying about having one getting lost, damaged or stolen.

A few updates this morning as we prepare for the first of three road trip weekends in a row:

-added my new cook kit but it's too big for this bag, at least in this configuration. I think I'm going to add just an alchy stove and fuel to this pack's shelter/water kit for dayhike purposes, and then throw in the bigger cook kit for planned overnighters.
http://forums.equipped.org/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=257963&page=3

-swapped fixed blade knives in favour of my favorite Rukko
-added headlamp
-removed small snap light and added LED glow stick
-added a couple of chem body warmers
-added my Frontier straw filter

Had a chuckle last night thinking about payphones in the wilds. I really need a new cell phone! (BTW, I do have an old deactivated one in my Jeep, believing that it should be capable of a 911 call.)

I fiddled a little more before we left yesterday and took some pics this morning. (Pics or it didn't happen, right?)

PART ONE

The pack as it sits right now:


Top outside pocket: couple of emerg ponchos and my lanyard


Lanyard: Gerber Clutch, Fox 40 whistle, mini Bic, squeeze LED


Middle outside pocket: fixed blade, fire kit lanyard and a pen


Contents of fire kit lanyard: ferro rod, mini folder, char cloth, tampon, jute twine


Bottom outside outside pocket: a couple of garbage bags


Side pockets: Clif and granola bars, extra water bottle

The bags within the main bag:


FAK:


FAK contents: AMK Field Trauma Kit fortified with squeeze LED, maxi pads, extra latex gloves, condoms, blistex, duct tape, mylar blanket, triangular bandage, extra bandaids, extra alch prep pads, vaseline, moleskin, blister pads, extra gauze pads and resealable breast milk bags


Tool Kit: LED glowstick, LED flashlight, frontier straw filter, H2O tabs, LED headlamp, spare batteries (in Plano Fly box) altoids tin (char cloth, tampon, jute twine, bic)

DAY HIKE PACK CONTENTS UPDATE PART TWO

Cook Kit: (in black nylon stuff sack) bandana, adjustable flame lighter, match holder (SA matches and cotton balls), H2O tabs, hobo stove, penny stove, fuel, aluminum foil


Extra Clothes: (in red light dry bag) hat, gloves, merino wool socks, merino blend ls shirt, lined wind pants, fleece jacket, silk sleeping bag liner


Shelter and Water Kit:




Contents of Shelter and Water Kit: shelter roll, canteen, canteen cup, canteen stove, heatsheets 2P, body warmers, bandana


Shelter roll: poncho, bungee, paracord, nylon cord, tent stakes



The Ziplock bag of yummies (StarbucksVIA, hot chocolate, tang, oatmeal, etc.) varies each trip

I'm a little bit OCD so I used the Bag of Bags theory to build this kit. I find it much more organized. It makes it easier for me to find things in the field and to adjust at home.

I can lighten the day hike load by removing items. There's a lot of light and fire in here right now.

It's just as easy to ramp it up a little by strapping gear on using the adjustable straps on each side of the pack. (i.e. jacket, down vest, wool blanket) or by removing gear to put in another kit (i.e. Moving to a full sized pack with heavier duty poncho or tent, woobie, sleeping bag, thermarest, saw, axe, bigger cook it, more food, etc. for longer or more remote trips.)

This seems to me to be very well thought-out and comprehensive for your area of operations. I put a higher priority on supporting electronic communications than you do, but it's clear this is a conscious choice on your part rather than an oversight. Very nicely done.

Thanks Chaos! I'm not a big fan of electronics when I'm trying to get away from it all, but I should kick it up a bit with a cell phone at least.

I'm not a GPS girl but you just made me realize that I've forgotten my map and compass kit. The signal mirror didn't make it back in after my son and I played with it yesterday either. Oops! Thank you!

I forgot to mention that no OTC meds are pictured because they're being replenished today. This kit carries Tylenol, Advil, Aspirin, Immodium and Gravol and all in adult and child versions. It also carries a day's worth of prescription meds.

I hope you don't mind me asking, and this is a legitimate question, not satire. How do you ladies prepare for "feminine hygiene" in a small kit? I don't have to worry about it, so I've never given it much thought, but it seems like something that should be a priority.

I build my kits with my wife's needs in mind as well as my own. Our kits have disposable wipes, Purel, her favorite brand of pad, and gallon size plastic bags. Pads can be improvised but its better not to have to. If you expect water to be abundant I would most certainly include soap.

I am thinking about building a kit for my mom's car, and I would have to include tampons and the like. I must be the only guy that can buy them and not really care. But I will try to make this kit soon.

For me, I pay attention to my cycle and the calendar, so I have a good idea when to expect it, and then plan accordingly. When it's in an around my time of the month, I carry pads and or tampons, wipes, baggies for disposal and an extra pair of unders, just in case. (BOB gets the same treatment but the supplies stay in there all the time, for both myself and my step-daughter.) I take anywhere from 1 to 3 days worth when I think I might need them. I also have pads in my FAK and a tampon or two in my fire kits, which have come in handy when a female Scout or Scouter has an unexpected visitor.

According to my husband just yesterday "There are 727 choices for pads and the tampon selection is just scarey." Ask your wife (or older daughter) what she normally uses and get those. It's easier that way.

I just turned 19 10 days ago, so no wife or older daugghter (or daughter for that fact). I never realized there were so many choiced regarding menstrual products.. I think I'm just gonna start asking. Buying the wrong thing for a woman on her period, for her period.. Yeah, I'll pass!

Oh, my hubby will buy them for me, he just needs EXACT instructions on which one he's looking for. He called me from the drug store yesterday and made the mistake of asking "Do you need anything while I'm here?". LOL!


You just haven't found the right woman yet, Izzy. :-)

LOL! Don't blame you one bit!

What do you consider a “small kit?”

Jeanette Isabelle

A BOB or smaller. A car kit can be loaded with tampons, but a BOB has limited room, and depending on the duration of the situation, you may need more than one box.

The measure of a person isn't his or her conformity to arbitrary social expectations. If you're pulling your own weight you're all right with me. If you're happy while you're doing it, even better. If you're achieving your goals or working on achieving them, better still.



That makes me sorry for your friends. But then, I have a marriage, a job, and all of that but I still didn't grow up. I've determined that I can be responsible without it.

I EDC what I need for 24 hours in my purse because unplanned overnight situations happen. Given how I talk about what’s in my purse, some may wonder if I EDC a Mary Poppins bag.

For planned trips, I pack a suitcase. Sorry. I realize that is not much help.

Jeanette Isabelle

That is sad. I'm still doing many of the things I did for fun in my 20's -- in fact, I'm spending a lot more time with some hobbies than I used to before I had three kids. Part of the trick is to involve them in what I like to do. Like (returning to topic) hiking.

We're hitting the road tomorrow for a five day road trip and this pack is coming with. It's going to get some dirt time and it's also going to be the family emerg kit in case of a storm or breakdown. I'm going to repack in the morning so thought I'd shake the tree for more ideas before I field test it. Thanks for all the great food for thought so far.

I've already added my AMK signal mirror and swapped Altoids kits. We're hoping to get some firecraft practice in, but we might not make it to the bush, so I swapped out the Altoid's tin for another that's loaded with birch bark, shoe fungus, cedar bark, pine shavings, pine pitch and a cotton ball, along with a SparLite and a magnifying glass. I want my son to learn to make fire with natural materials, so I try to give him as much practice as I can. He's getting pretty good at identifying them. Next steps are prepping and ignition.

I'm going to remove the lighter and water tabs from the cook kit but leave the rest. It's brand new and I want to test it before we take it out for an extended trip. It's still winter here and we're travelling in an AO that's prone to major snow and ice. Hot drinks and food are good for moral and for the fight against hypothermia, especially with 2 kiddos who are both highly suspectable to cold injury. That will leave the pack with one mini BIC (on lanyard), one container of matches (in cook kit), one SparkLite (in Altoids tin, as much for practice as for emergencies) and a ferro rod (in leather neck pouch). Seems reasonable to me. I do edc a lighter and ferro rod but there's a chance my hubby will take my son out instead of me so this leaves them with four methods other than rubbing sticks or trying to figure out granite and steel. That makes mama bear happy. (Hubby EDCs a lighter too, but BICs and cold weather aren't very compatible.)

I'm swapping out the canteen cup for a lighter model. The one in there now has a great handle but it's really heavy. (Sorry I don't know my canteen cup terminology)

I'm removing the 3XAAA led flashlight.

I'm ditching the fleece and leaving it in the Jeep. We all dress in multiple, seasonally appropriate layers, and that always includes a fleece or wool-blend sweater. I've already got a change of clothes in there, and we'll have a couple of changes in the Jeep anyway since we're visiting relatives on this trip.

OTC meds have also been updated in the FAK (Tylenol, Advil, Aspirin, Immodium and some kid's tylenol and gravol.)

The potential for getting stuck in foul winter weather makes me want to move to a bigger pack and add sleeping bag, woobie, thermarest, rubberized GI poncho (French or German issue, can't remember) BUT it would be overkill on foot. I'll pack that stuff in the Jeep with the wool blanket that lives in there. Heck, if the weather turns out OK, maybe my son and I can sleep under the stars, while Dad and baby stay inside. (My hubby does not like the cold so he doesn't sleep out until June.). Probably won't happen but a girl can dream.


FWIW, I was just told that the cook & water kit is in a gas mask pouch not a canteen pouch. Makes sense to me. I learn something every day here. Thanks y'all!

Ive not seen mention of magnifying glass for fire. Why is that? I just ordered 2.

Good point. I added the one from my DR AMK PSK when I grabbed the mirror for this kit's Tool Kit. It's so tiny. It's now part of my natural tinders Altoids tin. Don't know why I didn't think of it sooner. Both hubby and I wear glasses so don't really need a mag glass but it'll be great practice for the kiddo.

My son and I did buy a couple of mag glasses a few weeks ago, specifically for fire starting. They waiting in the console in the Jeep for their day in the sun. Maybe we'll give it a go this weekend. I've only done a mag fire in the summer. It should theorticall be harder this time of year, shouldn't it?

I would be sure to have a good headlight with spare batteries. I always carry enough light to see my wayt through at least one full period of darkness. That way I can hike out in the dark if necessary or make shelter arrangements.

I also would add a nice wool watch cap or ski hat, I see you have one in your pic but not on your list. That is one clothing item I always carry, it goes a long way to keeping you warm.

LOoks like a good list overall. It is amazing to me how many folks hike off into the wilderness equipped like it was a local city park. Those are the ones we read about most often.

Thanks widget. Check on both of those suggestions.

I'm a hat girl. It's rare that I don't have one on. The blaze orange on in here is standard in all my pack kits. It's Thinsulate and super warm. My EDC winter hat is the same model but in black or my merino wool buff.


I drank the headlamp KoolAid years ago, so have a headlamp and extra batteries in this kit. It's an Energizer, so not top of the line but not dollar store vintage either. I've got a Petal eLite in my daughter's diaper bag and I think I'm going to switch them because the eLite is smaller and lighter.

I totally agree with you about being prepped when you head out. I'm of the mindset that I'd rather have it and not need it than vice-versa. I'm working my through overpackitis though. I'm getting smaller and lighter as I go but still have all my basics covered with multiple redundancies.

You can certainly start a fire with a magnifying glass, but how often do you really need a fire when the sun is high in the sky? When you really, really need to start a fire, it will be dark, cold, and damp. A Bic weighs less and works in more situations, as do many other fire starters.

I mostly agree. The exception I think of immediately is hypothermia. It doesn't wait for the sun to go down, jusy ramps up it's nastiness. It's colder at night but hypothermia can happen any time if you're not careful and you can be hypothermic even if you feel warm and dry. (see what I did there?) If you're smart and lucky you can avoid it, but the sooner you can nip it in the bud the better.

My theory is that a fresnel lens weighs nothing, might be another way I could use to start a fire, and definitely helps my tired old eyes read the fine print on any survival tips I have with me (such as are packaged in the PSP, PSP+, and other kits).

Even "lighter" is the magnifying lens incorporated into the platform of many compasses.

Along the lines of starting fires with lenses, there are stories, perhaps urban legends (or maybe rural legends) of brush fires being started by suns rays inadvertently focused on super dry brush here in SoCal by broken bottles, etc. I have seen this mentioned in print but I don't know of any proven cases. Probably don't want to magnify this issue out of proportion.

Yes, but we can look at things through the lens of of 20/20 hindsight and focus our attention on the key points

As more of a novelty than anything else I recall hearing about someone who could successfully start a fire by smoothing a peice of ice into a lens and using that. I think there might be a youtube video out there somewhere of him demonstrating this.

An amusing stunt but probably not a practical strategy in most situations.

Fire starting with ice was done on Mythbusters. They also started a fire with a soda can and some chocolate - used the chocolate to polish the bottom of the can, used the can to concentrate sun rays on some tinder. Iirc, Dave Canterbury used a bag of urine to do the same.

All nice tricks, not gonna rely on them to start a fire in a situation.

I've seen it done at one of Mors Korchanski's classes. The sky wasn't even perfectly clear and even with the northern latitude of Edmonton, one of the instructors polished up a Coke can with chocolate and started up a tiny fire bundle. Then took the embers to a larger bird's nest and achieved fire. I didn't think he could do it in those conditions.

Since I am a Coke drinker and not a Pepsi one, I have heard it said that the curve on the bottom of a Coke can is a bit deeper and better shaped to do this. Just another reason to drink "the Real Thing"!

If its dark I'll use my lighter,If sunny I will start it with lens before sun goes down to save my lighter.

Cant wait to start practising with lenses.

No need at all to rush into marriage IMO.

A lot of people are just not happy no matter what.
We got married right out of school and spent a lot of time with just each other. Would leave work and head to a restaurant and sit there the rest of the evening then go home and go to bed and get up and go to work again the next day. Slept in late on the weekends and then went to the mall and ate then a movie, spent pretty much all day there. Waited 10 years before having kids.

One on one time together is definitely harder once you have kids. My hubby and I hit the road this weekend with our 9yo and 2mo to go visit our 23yo. It was a long drive and our little one slept most of the way while the boy put on his headphones and played video games, read books and did puzzles. My husband and I talked about everything under the sun for the entire drive. It's the first time since the baby was born that we've had that much uninterrupted to talk and it was awesome. :-)

Good for you! It is so easy to get tangled up in the everyday hassles of daily life, and not spend near enough time just talking with your spouse or partner. I know we always are better off when we find that time.

This is one of the reasons that my wife and I go road tripping several times a year. Our kids now are road warriors and do very well with this.

Update time!

I'm going on a weekend hike with my Scouts in a few weeks so and am trying to squeeze some dirt time in over the next little while. Spring weather has started to tease us, so my kit is in transition along with Mother Nature.

I've changed packs for this kit, moving it from a day hike sized backpack to my 60 litre Jack Wolfskin pack. It's a bigger and heavier pack, but gives me room to add my jacket, another water bottle, a cook pot or kettle, and a MH meal. (Spring's warm weather means the jacket will be off more, but still needed when the temp drops again.) It's also got lots of room to add more food or strap on a more robust shelter and bedding system when our next overnighter rolls around.

Our DIY experimenting also continues. My son and I made pot cozies out of an old hot/cold food bag. I now have one for a MH meal and also my canteen cup, that I can add to this kit if I plan on cooking while we're out. We also made a windscreen for our stoves out of a dollar store aluminum oven liner. These take up very little room in the pack, add very little weight and cost a total of $2 plus a little duct tape.

60 litres ... wow, that's a big daypack! I've been starting to look around for a new daypack (my current one is just a bit too small), but I've been thinking something more like a 30 litre bag would do the trick. I have a 70 litre bag, but that only comes out for multi-day trips.

I'm curious, how big are most peoples daypacks around here?

Depends upon what I am doing....If I am carting technical gear, or "mission critical" stuff, a 60L sounds about right. On the other hand, for short recreational strolls, I can do just fine with a small waist pack at around 800 cu in.

A lot depends on what I am carrying and the size and arrangements of the compartments.

A 30l bag would probably be just about right for me for the average day hike, Dennis. I just don't have one and a tight budget prevents me from buying a new one. My choices were 22l, 55l and 60l. The 22l doesn't leave room for my jacket, and the 55l isn't as comfy as my 60l.

we're definotely closer to BOB territory when I'm packed for a couple of nights out. I've added:

-my shell and fleece
-hygene kit (deodorant, tooth paste, tooth brush, camp , bandana, soap)
-more food (i.e. 1 x MH Chili Mac, 1 MH Buffalo Chicken, 1 small muffin mix, 1 lrg banncok and 2 oz of peanut oil)
-my esbit stove, GSI kettle and a small frying pan
-SS water bottle

Other changes:

I found a 1p Heatsheets blanket in a bag of extra gear so put in the FAK instead of the cheaper Mylar blanket

I plan to add my closed-cell foam pad, thermarest, sub-zero sleeping bag and heavier duty shelter roll (rubberized German-issue poncho, Sportsman thermal blanket, tyvek ground sheet, paracord, bungee cords, tent stake, chem hand warmers.) I'll remove the small shelter kit from the gas mask bag when I add the bigger kit.

I've come to the realization that I no longer have room in my Jeep Liberty to carry both a day/over night kit and a GHB/BOB, especially if I have any of the little people with me. I need this kit to be capable of performing both roles, so I modularized each component so that I can add or remove gear as I need it.

Here's how it now sits in the Jeep, housed in my Jack Wolfskin 60 litre Agadir women's pack. My Kodiak day pack rides beside it in the Jeep, ready to be packed with a light load, or to hold the stuff I don't take on a longer trip.

LANYARD
Fox 40 whistle, squeeze LED, Gerber mini multi-tool, mini BIC

FAK
AMK Field Trauma Kit
Heatsheets 1p
Triangular bandage
Squeeze LED
OTC Meds (Tylenol, Gravol, Advil, Benedryl, Pepto)
Purelle
Extra gauze pads
Extra bandaids
Maxi pads
Tampons
Resealable breast milk bags
Bug juice
Sun screen
Duct tape
SPF lip balm
wet wipes

TOOL KIT
LM Wave with: mag lite solitaire, ferro rod, PJ cotton balls/charred lamp wick. *EDC
Fixed blade knife
Laplander saw
Headlamp
LED flashlight
LED glow stick
Extra batteries (in Plano fly box)
Frontier straw filter
AquaPUR tabs
AMK rescue mirror
Sunglasses
2 disposable ponchos
Merino wool Buff
Liner gloves
Zip lock bags

NAVIGATION KIT
waterproof map bag
compass
local maps
trail maps

FIRE KIT
Leather neck pouch with: ferro rod, BIC, tiny folding knife, jute twine, char cloth, tampon
Altoids tin with: birch bark, cedar bark, pine pitch, pine shavings, hoof fungus, jute twine, char cloth, spark lite

WATER KIT
GI canteen
Canteen cup and cozie
Canteen stove
Aluminum foil
Bandana
Esbit tabs
SS water bottle and cozie
MicroPUR tabs
*ADDED: SS camp cup and lid
*ADDED: small collapsible cup
(In gas mask bag with SHELTER KIT)

COOK KIT
Hobo stove - REMOVED
Alcohol stove
Heet (2 x 2 oz in Nalgene shampoo bottles). *1 REMOVED
esbit stove *REMOVED
esbit tabs. *REMOVED
Waterproof matches
BIC. *REMOVED
GSI kettle. *REMOVED
Small SS frying pan *SWAPPED for smaller pan with lid
Aluminum wind screen
Aluminum foil. *REMOVED

SHELTER KIT
Nylon GI style poncho
Plastic sheeting
Heatsheets 2p
Paracord
ABS tent stakes
Chem body warmers
Bungee cord
(In gas mask bag with WATER KIT)
EXTRA CLOTHES *based on forecast
Silk sleeping bag liner (in CLOTHES KIT)
Thermarest Z-seat

SHELTER KIT UPGRADE
(Silk sleeping bag liner in CLOTHES kit)
Winter poncho roll (rubberized GI poncho, thermal sports blanket, plastic sheeting, paracord, bungee cords, tent stakes)
Sleeping bag/woobie/wool blanket
Inflatable thermarest/foam sleeping pads

CLOTHES *In dry bag, packed based on worst potential seasonal weather
Thinsulate watch cap (Flo orange)
Thinsulate gloves/mitts
Merino wool socks
Thermal Wool/poly blend LS top
Lined wind pants
Micro fleece jacket or wool sweater (whichever I'm not wearing so I can double up)
GoreTex jacket
Baseball hat
Silk sleeping bag liner

HYGIENE KIT
Wipes
Toothbrush
Toothpaste
Deodorant
Soap
Bandana

FOOD. *stored in pack and refreshed every trip
Bannock mix
Peanut oil
3 cliff bars
3 oatmeal
3 instant coffee
3 hot chocolate
3 tang
MH Chili Mac n Beef
MH Buffalo chicken
Cozy for 2 MH meals
Syrup
Honey
Zip lock bags
Large spoon

If it was me, I'd really be looking at reducing redundancy. For example, 5 cutting tools, 5 lights, and 6 fire starting methods (over & above my EDC) seems high to me when everything is together. Likewise, having 2 complete stove/cooking systems seems overkill ... personally I'd be comfortable with the canteen based kit, but even going with the larger kit (and I'd likely go either alcohol or esbit, not both) would make the canteen system redundant.

I get the idea of being modular and being able to add & subtract capability easily, but I'd lean towards ensuring that what I'm adding is truly adding capability without adding that much redundancy. I might also look at not just adding but subtracting modules (e.g., maybe when the big cook kit goes in, the small comes out).

It is a lot to lug around on a daily basis, even though the Jeep is doing the work as gear hauler and storage locker. It does make me feel better though. I think I have a weird maternal instinct thing going. Combined with the drastic temps and weather of Spring in Ontario, it's a wicked combination.

I'm embarrassed to say though, that this is a slimmed down load from what I used to haul around in my little Honda Civic. That was ridiculous.

Everything fits in or on the pack and it takes up less than half the rear cargo area. (It also sits lower than the rear seat, and is secured by a bungee cord there so there's a lower risk of flying objects.) I don't know how much it weighs but it's actually not as heavy as it sounds, but I wouldn't want to carry it all. I'm thinking this is going to be this summer's camping test kit and I'll twiddle it down as I go. My plan is to use this with my now empty smaller pack, and pick and choose as I go, and shelve stuff as I figure out what works best as the seasons change.

I totally agree, Dennis.

My cook, for example, is in transition so there's multiply versions. Ideally, I want one system with the ability to boil a couple of cups of water at a time. I've leaning to my hobo stove because it can use wood,more esbit, and the alcohol stove as backup. The canteen stove has just been with me for so long that I forget about it until I decide to use it to heat a cup of cocao as my dinner cooks. I should just stick to either or and not both. Getting rid of the hobo stove will save space.

Ditto the blades. I've been converted to batoning wood with my fixed blade, but still carry a saw or axe too. one or the other would suffice.

Lights are a weakness of mine too. One of my kids needs diaper changes and the other is afraid of the dark and a clutz like his mom. First aid and baby poop in the dark suck just a little more than the boogie man.

That is oh so funny and true. A little side trip here: When I was driving out of Alaska in November of '90, I was the only non-uterine member of the expedition. Try getting a 4 yr-old girl to use a "Lady J" in a van at 20 below zero! I had to walk around outside for about 20 minutes waiting for that transaction. I think I would have preferred to see a Yeti to get things moving along! I feel your pain Jac.

No, that's a strength .

I'm listening!

I just took out the esbit and hobo stoves. Also removed the extra alcohol and esbit tabs. That gives me the canteen and alcohol stoves, 2 oz of fuel and 12 esbit tabs, which should be more than enough. Saved a little weight and some space. :-)

This stuff is now housed in two bags:

-the canteen/shelter kit (GI canteen, canteen cup and cozy, canteen stove, 12 esbit tabs, 4 microPUR tabs, bandana and aluminum foil plus shelter roll.)

-a small stuff sack for the alcohol stove kit. (Penny stove, snuffer, penny, 2 oz of alcohol,, plastic match safe with SA matches and a couple of cotton balls, warming pan, small trying pan with lid.)

BTW, one of the little cake pans that come with Easy Bake Oven kits makes an awesome warming pan for a penny stove.

I also swapped out the gsi kettle and the frying pan, and replaced them with an Ozarks Trail SS camp mug with lid (cookie tin lid) and smaller SS frying pan with lid. The mug and lid nest with my SS water bottle and it's merino wool sock cozy. The frying pan and lid are housing my penny stove and fuel. Saved both room and weight. :-)

Still pondering knives and lights...

Thanks again for all your help with this!

Love it, Izzy! We used a similar strategy to overcome his fear of spiders a few years ago. Hard to be afraid of them when you are a mighty hunter of them. :-)

Oh my gosh! That sounds positively torturous!

Thank goodness I'm too cheap to have a fortune invested in them.

It's a good time to be a flashaholic. The state of the art has progressed rapidly, and there are some outright tremendous LED lights being made right now.

I am rather impressed by the state of the art in flashlight technology today. Compared to the old D cell Ray-O-Vac "neverlite" of old, even the substandard contemporary torches are really good - the high quality lights today are absolutely unbelievable. No wonder we talk of the Dark Ages...

This sucker has evolved into a BOB/GHB, which is what I really needed. Thanks for helping me think through it. I use it as the basis of day and extended stay trips, and am testing it on my back a few times a week, with two more camps to go until I take it on a five day portaging trip with my Scouts at the end of June.

Took it out for a hike again today, and then came home and made more adjustments as I thought about portaging a canoe (or baby) with it.

Here's how it sits tonight:

Jack Wolfskin Agadir 65L pack

LID
Lanyard (Fox 40 whistle, mini BIC, Gerber Clutch, fauxton LED - loop on belt)
Ball hat (ditch in Jeep if already wearing one)
Condor Buff-like thingy
Sunglasses
Hard case for prescription sunglasses)
CRKT 302 folder (in nylon sheath - for belt)
BIC (yellow, in nylon sheath - for belt)
Deck of cards
Fire kit (ferro rod, mini folder, tampon, jute, char cloth, Altoids tin with natural tinder bundle and char cloth - pocket carry)
Feminine hygiene kit (pads, tampons, wipes, Ziplocks)
Extra Scout Group Bandana

SIDE POCKET ONE
SS water bottle (1.5L)
Ozarks Trails SSCamp Cup & lid
Outbound Robson 2 PC adonized cook set (with lid)

SIDE POCKET TWO
Leather work gloves
BG Ultimate Survival Knife (fine edge)
Bacho Laplander saw
100 ft paracord
50 polypropylene rope
Tool kit ( in Ziplock and pencil case - LED headlamp, LED flashlight, extra batteries in Plano fly box, Frontier straw filter, 6 MicroPUR tabs, Sylvan compass, AMK signal mirror, eye glass screw driver, etc.)
Maps (in water proof map case)

FRONT POCKET
FAK (as above, AMK kit with duct tape, triangular, maxi pads, 1p Heatsheet, extra gauze, moleskin, AMK Blister Medic, Purelle, CPR mask, nitrile gloves, SPF lip balm, squeeze LED, etc.)
OTC and prescription meds (in original bottles, with instructions)
Hygiene kit (tooth brush, paste, soap, deodorant, floss, wash cloth)
Sunscreen
Bug juice

BOTTOM POCKET
Woobie (in dry bag)
Katadyn water filter
3 X 1L Platypus bags
2L collapsible water jug
20 Aquamira tabs
Bandana
Ripstop nylon GI style poncho

MAIN POCKET
Clothes (in dry bag - LS wool/poly shirt, LS lightweight cotton button up shirt, lined nylon wind pants, 2 X unders, 3 x merino socks, bra, micro fleece jacket, silk sleeping bag liner, bug jacket, Flo orange Thinsulate beanie)
Crocs
Food (in Ziplocks - 6X Cliff bars, 6 X oatmeal, 6 X hot chocolate, 6 x coffee, 6 X Tang, bannock mix, raisins, maple syrup, peanut oil)
Cooking (Esbit pocket stove and fuel tabs (X7), Alcohol stove and 4 oz yellow Heet, titanium spork, strike anywhere matches in Coghlan's plastic match safe)
Shelter (Plastic drop sheet, Ripstop nylon GI style poncho, 6 ABS stakes, 2 X 25 ft para cord, 2p Heatsheets, disposable ponchos)
Hobo fishing kit

PACK WEBBING
Bedroll (3/4 Thermarest inflatable pad, blue foam mat, small piece of wool blanket)
Tarp Tipi Kit (Tarp tipi, 50 polypropylene rope with carabiner on one end, 6 ABS stakes, 7 X 10 ft paracord)
Trekking Pole
Garbage bags

LATE SPRING & SUMMER BUSH EDC
Paracord necklace (micro photon, mini harmonica, 2 ft paracord)
Watch (Coleman digital)
Paracord bracelet
Merrell hikers
Convertible pants or BDUs
Poly blend T-shirt
LS Button up light weight cotton shirt or BDU top
Merino wool socks
Cotton-poly blend unders
Cotton-poly blend sports bra
*folder or Leather man on belt (listed in TOP POCKET above)
*BIC or ferro rod on belt (listed in TOP POCKET above)

Updated pics once I get my camera fixed or replaced soon. :vmad:

-- Just a comment on the Bacho Laplander....

I used my Bacho Laplander saw this last weekend to cut some limbs down from a couple of tree's out in front of my house... most of them fairly small ( < 2 inches ) but there were a coulple of 3 - 3.5 inch limbs.... I also had to cut these down into smaller sizes.

I was, once again, amazed at how easy this saw goes through wood. In fact, I had a couple of people stop and ask me what I was using to cut up the limbs, as they noticed I wasn't using a pole saw or something along those lines.

It's one of my favorite pieces of gear.

The Bacho Laplander is wonderful! We used it this past weekend to blast through mostly 2" branches to make smalled fuel for the fire. I love it! It's so smooth, light, easy, comfortable in the hand...

BTW, I've been taking my BOB out for a couple of walks a week, and making improvements as I go. I'm spending the next the next two weekends at camp, and have a little more than three until I take this BOB on a five day portaging MBO in black bear and rattle snake territory in Georgian Bay with my son and our Scouts. Here's how it sits right now:

Jack Wolfskin Agadir 65L pack
Bedroll
Tarp Tipi Roll
*OD Green GI Poncho roll is my old shelter kit that's being replaced by the Tarp Tipi






LID
Lanyard (Fox 40 whistle, mini BIC, Gerber Clutch, fauxton LED - loop on belt)
Ball hat (ditch in Jeep if already wearing one)
Condor Buff-like thingy
Sunglasses
Hard case for prescription sunglasses)
CRKT Mt. Rainier folder (in nylon sheath - for belt)
BIC (yellow, in nylon sheath - for belt)
Deck of cards
Fire kit (ferro rod, mini folder, tampon, jute, char cloth, Altoids tin with natural tinder bundle and char cloth - pocket carry)
Extra Scout Group Bandana
Sucrets
Gerber Mini Sharpener




Fire Kit



Fire Kit Contents:
Ferro rod and scraper
Tiny folder
Jute twine
Char cloth
Tampon
Altoids tin tinder bundle (secured with ranger bands and duct tape - char cloth made in our last fire, dried natural tinders including hoof fungus, pine shavings, birch bark, pine pitch, fatwood shavings, cedar bark)

UNDERSIDE OF TOP LID
Feminine hygiene kit

Fem Hygiene Kit Contents:
pads
tampons
wipes
Ziplocks



SIDE POCKET ONE
SS water bottle (1.5L) in old merino wool sock
Ozarks Trails SSCamp Cup & lid
Outbound Robson 2 PC adonized cook set (with lid and mesh stuff sack)
Tiny grill (fits inside all cups/pots)

SIDE POCKET TWO
Leather work gloves
BG Ultimate Survival Knife (fine edge)
Bacho Laplander saw
100 ft paracord
50 polypropylene rope
Tool kit
Maps (in water proof map case)



Tool Kit Contents:
*in Ziplock and pencil case
LED headlamp
LED flashlight
Extra batteries in Plano fly box
Frontier straw filter
Sylva compass
AMK signal mirror
Eye glass screw driver

FRONT POCKET
FAK
OTC and prescription meds (in original bottles, with instructions)
Sunscreen
Bug juice



FAK Contents (As above with Blister Medic)



FAK Contents
AMK Field Trauma Kit
Blister Medic kit
CPR mouth shield + nitrile gloves
Heatsheets *1p
Triangular bandage
Squeeze LED
OTC Meds *Tylenol, Advil, Immodium, Benedryl *Adult and kid formulas
Purelle
Extra gauze pads
Extra bandaids
Maxi pads
Tampons
Resealable breast milk bags
Bug juice
Sun screen
Duct tape
SPF lip balm

BOTTOM POCKET
Woobie (in dry bag)
Katadyn Mini ceramic water filter
Filter cleaning kit and extra hose
3 X 1L Platypus bags
2L collapsible water jug
20 Aquamira tabs
Bandana





MAIN POCKET
Ripstop nylon GI style poncho
Crocs
Hobo fishing kit

Clothes (in dry bag - LS wool/poly shirt, LS lightweight cotton/poly blend button up shirt, convertible poly/nylon pants, long johns bottoms, unders, 1 pr men's boxer briefs, 3 x merino socks, bra, micro fleece jacket, Flo orange Thinsulate beanie, silk sleeping bag liner)

Food Kit (in Ziplocks - 6X Cliff bars, 6 X oatmeal, 2 X ramen, 6 X hot chocolate, 6 x coffee, 4 X Koolaid, 4 X Tang, 1 X Idaho instant potatoes, 1 X MH Buffalo Chicken, homemade bannock mix, 1 X muffin mix, raisins, maple syrup, peanut oil, hot sauce, brown sugar & cinnamon, muffin cups, parchment paper)

Cook Kit (Bandana, Esbit pocket stove and fuel tabs (X7), camp soap and in GSI Kettle - Alcohol stove and 2 X 4 oz yellow Heet, titanium spork, aluminum, strike anywhere matches in Coghlan's plastic match safe, 6 MicroPUR tabs)

Hygiene Kit (toothbrushes, paste, floss, toilet paper, coffee filters)

Mini Shelter Kit (Plastic drop sheet, Ripstop nylon GI style poncho, 6 ABS stakes, 2 X 25 ft paracord, 2p Heatsheets, bug jacket)

Shoe Bag of Stuff


Poncho Mini Shelter Roll


GSI Kettle Kit



Bag o Chow



Clothes


ATTACHED TO PACK WEBBING
Bedroll (3/4 Thermarest inflatable pad, blue foam mat, small piece of wool blanket)
Tarp Tipi Kit (Silver Tarp tipi rolled with - 50 polypropylene rope with carabiner on one end, 6 ABS stakes, 7 X 10 ft paracord)
Trekking Pole
Garbage bags
125lb NiteEyes SBiner
Cheap carabiner
Safety pins

LATE SPRING & SUMMER BUSH EDC
Merrell hikers
Convertible pants or BDUs
Poly blend T-shirt
LS Button up light weight cotton shirt or BDU top
Merino wool socks
Cotton-poly blend unders
Cotton-poly blend sports bra
Belt
*folder or Leather man on belt (listed in TOP POCKET above)
*BIC or ferro rod on belt (listed in TOP POCKET above)
Paracord necklace (micro photon, mini harmonica, 2 ft paracord)
Watch (Coleman digital)
Paracord bracelet

I've got a Bahco folding saw too and I love the thing. I've only used it a few times so far but it is a great addition to my kit.

It really proved itself in a backcountry trip back in January. Two of us were working on processing fire wood for the evening, me with the saw and my buddy with his hatchet and I was able to process much more wood than he was in the same amount of time. I don't think you can beat a good saw for processing deadfall wood.

Impressive. Quite comprehensive. While it seems like a large pack, I think you've actually scaled it back from what it could be considering how well equipped.

I wish there was a way to make the pack more modular. I believe in scalability, but not sure how I would divide up what you've packed effectively without compromising the thoroughness.

You deserve a Bravo Zulu on this one.

It's a stumper for me, Benjamin. I've scaled back some, removing the SS cup and the Katadyn filter, for example. The three weight loss target modules are food, clothing and the shoe bag o stuff. I can lighten clothes once summer finally gets arrives and stays for it's brief visit. I could also lose the kettle kit, but the thing I like about the shoe bag of stuff, it that along with my on body stuff, water bottle and FAK, it's a ready to go day hike kit with shelter, water and fire.

My hubby just moved it from my Jeep to his truck and thinks I need to lose twenty pounds. (My pack that is. He might think I could stand to lose twenty pounds to he's a wise man and is it to himself if he does.) We haven't weighed it but he's guessing around 60 pounds. That's seems about right to me, with food and water in there. I'm taking it to camp and hiking it hard this weekend, and that will probably enlighten me a bit more.

The challenge I have is that very often I'm responsible for other people's kids when we're out there. My son and I can go pretty minimal at this point, but even though I don't expect it'll come to it, I've got to prepare to support a couple of other kids for a possible unexpected overnighter, not to mention that it's my BOB so potentially going to support my son and baby daughter too.

All my pics on photobucket crapped out. Sorry!

I took my BOB (as listed above, minus the SS cup and Katadyn water filter) for a hike this weekend, with my and his pack. We made two treks, about 2.5 miles each, and it took us about two hours each time, with water breaks and nature exploring along the way.





There are too many pics for ETS, and you might not want to be bored with the tale, so here's a link to my Zombie Squad contest entry, which gives all the details.

http://zombiehunters.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=107511&p=2394291#p2394291