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).