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.