Looking for your collective wisdom

Listed below are the contents of my (for lack of a better term) B/O/B. In truth, it also serves as my daypack for longer hikes - probably with some of the contents left in another bag in the truck, and perhaps with an addition or two depending on where I am going, how long the hike is, and how familiar the territory. There are a few items that I need to add or upgrade - I’ll mark the items that I think should be upgraded with a star (*). And I will list stuff that I think I should add at the end.

I am looking for three types of comments - suggestions for reducing the weight (I don’t know how much it weighs right now, but I will weigh it eventually), ideas for upgrades, and thoughts on any glaring omissions. One problem I have is that I don’t like to buy online or mail order - I like to see the stuff. So, some items will have to wait until I can get them in a brick and mortar. I am relocating to Maine in a month or so (I have lived in the same area before), where I will have access to a pretty good store or two, but I may not winter over - but I will be there in the autumn, which can get chilly. Will likely winter in warmer climes). I do spend a lot of time in the woods, mostly day hiking. The bag will otherwise reside in my truck, at least when I am using the truck.

Thanks in advance for any help.

I’ll list items by compartment, mostly so I don’t forget anything. The bag is a Kelty Redwing 3100.

Main Compartment -

Cargo Pants
Hooded Sweatshirt - cotton*
Pair of tighty-whitey’s
Pair long johns
Spare (polo) shirt *
Pair smart wool socks - warm ones
2 bandanas (yellow and orange)
About 50’ braided nylon rope (medium duty)
Roll of TP

(This leaves some room in this compartment - enough for a heavy Carhart Hoodie, when appropriate, and more)


Top (Outer) Compartment -

FAK - will usually be carried in a cargo pocket
Modified Ritter PSK in small Otter box - also will be carried on person
(Ziploc containing):
4 chemical handwarmers
2 large yellow HD trash bags
Emergency poncho * - would like suggestions on a good, but compact one - will probably carry two

Middle Compartment -

2 dish towels*
1 dishcloth
1 lexan dish
1 keychain knife sharpener
1 signal whistle
Ti fork and spoon
3-inch folder (Buck - okay)
Pro-Knot cards
2 pcs HD foil
Food (varies - I raid it)

Clif Bars
Snickers
Trail Mix
Crystal Lite packs

2 trash bags (for trash)
Nylon Tarp (9x12, grommeted)

Left Pocket -

4 tent stakes (for tarp)
2 Carry straps (for sleeping bag or tent, which I generally don’t carry)
Fiskars plastic trowel*

Firekit -
2 minibics
6 or 8 Quiktinders
W/P case w/ strike-anywheres & trick b/day candles
Mag bar
Small Case-type penknife
2 “lantern” candles

Right Pocket -

50’ Paracord
Pocket Binocs
Wool watch cap
Btl Camp soap
Sm roll yellow duct tape

Mesh Pockets -

Mess kit
Nalgene Bottle

On a zipper pull -

Inova keychain light

On daisy chain -

Sierra cup

On my person I would have, in addition to the FAK and PSK (and maybe the Ziploc with the trash bags and ponchos), my usual EDC -

Wave (old style)
Spyderco Native
Gerber Infinity*
Cheapo (but pretty good) Brinkman multi-LED*
2 minibics
Compass (which I have yet to procure - I seem to have lost mine)
SAK* - smallish Wenger - seen better days

My Modified Ritter Kit (Otterbox)-

Fresnel
Rite in the rain
Pencil
HD Foil
Rescue Flash
2 bandaids
Duct Tape
Fishing Kit - from previous PSK - liked it better than the Ritter
Twine
Nylon thread
ACR signal whistle (the original is in the bag elsewhere)
Gerber Bag
Sparklite
Tinder
Safety pins
3 or 4 matches*
Snare wire
Needle
Button Compass

The FAK is of my own assembly - the usual stuff, I guess.

I think I need to add:

Thermal undershirt
Lightsticks
Spare AAA’s (for the Brinkman, until replaced, at least)
Fixed blade knife (Maybe replace the Buck)
Sierra Stove & spare battery
(Another) Nalgene Bottle
Some grub
Fatwood
Water Filter
Water Tabs (the ones I had expired)
AMK Heatsheet
AMK Bivy (maybe)


Any ideas? I have been lurking forever - first post. I wouldn’t have gotten this far if it weren’t for this site.

Jugs of water?

The (eventually) two Nalgenes is all the water I want to carry on a day hike. I do, however, need to put some water in the truck. Goes on the list - thanks for reminding me.

I also have a canteen that I can strap on, but I am loathe to carry any more weight - although, in hot weather (a rarity in Maine), I wouldn't need some of the clothing. Would still net out heavier than any such tradeoff would allow. I have actually hiked all day with just a bottle of Gatorade.

Welcome to the forum and nice kit!

A few comments/suggestions:

- You have listed HD-aluminium foil twice.
- As you said, you could replace the emergency poncho (pocket-size right) with a lightweight nylon or PVC poncho. I know that Coghlan's makes a 'mill-spec' poncho. There should probably be others.
- With that poncho, do you still need a tarp?
- I would replace the HD garbage bags with a AMK heatsheet or thermolight bivvy.
You've got a mess-kit and a lexan dish. I would take just the mess-tin, because you can also cook with it.
- Maybe it's better to get a stainless-steel cup to fit on the nalgene bottle instead of the sierra-cup. It saves some more space.
- As you said, some water-purification tabs or a filter
- A LED-headlamp would be very useful.(or is that 'Cheapo (but pretty good) Brinkman multi-LED*' a headlamp?)

Again, welcome!

Yeah - the foil from the Ritter kit didn't really fit into the Otterbox, so I threw it into the bag. I could probably do without it (I was thinking A - windscreen and B - I wouldn't always take either the mess kit or the stove - but I do have a piece in the PSK).

The tarp does weigh. Mebbe. If I get a couple of HD ponchos. That's a good idea. I just don't trust the one I have for much. I don't trust Couhlan's, either, though. Some of their stuff is just trash. Do they say just which army's specs they are using?

Okay - the plate goes. I like using it at home, anyway. Takes up a lot of space as well. That's definitely overkill. Had it before the current mess kit. Never took it out. Thanks.

I think I have a sentimental attatchement to the sierra cup. But that's exactly why I posted.

The Brinkman is not a headlamp. I also have a problem with headlamps, that I should perhaps get over. I associate them with the "Two trekking poles and kneesocks" crowd. Reading this forum hasn't cured me of that yet. Either light I carry can be held in the teeth. Guess I'll have to keep absorbing ETS wisdom for that one.

Thanks, JIM. I guess I knew some of this. I'm trying to lessen the "toy" factor. Your comments help.

Well first of all i have no idea what terrain you hike in, nor you skills. I don't know what evacuation scenario's you have where you life. But here goes some basic comments.

Hooded Sweatshirt - cotton*
- there is a old saying: cotton kills. Although coton has it's place in soem conditions. I would personnaly prefer fleece or woll.

4 chemical handwarmers
- What do you use them for, alright warming your hand is one thing, but they are not realy warm.

2 dish towels* 1 dishcloth
- Honnestly i have never ever seen anybody with a seperate dishcloth. They either use there bandana or plain moss. I like plain moss, although they work best when they are a bit wet (it's really dry now, where i'm from)


Sierra cup
- usually not the most space efficient, but it does work.

one the I think I need to add:

Lightsticks
- Why? what purpose does it have to serve? You already got plenty of light. And lightsticks always seems to be activated in you pack...

If you hadn't said Maine or someplace similiar, I'd have asked about the change of clothes. Silk skivvies are warmer, lighter and pack MUCH smaller than cotton- worth looking into. And remember, if you are wearing the same kind of briefs as "Heff" it can't be all THAT bad. *grins*

A change clothes is great for morale, and critical in place where it actually can be raining at 25 degrees. For that reason, rain pants? Goretex gaiters?

I also like seeing a change of clothes in a pre-loaded BOB. Grab and go sometimes means you are going out the door with pretty town clothes on rather than rugged items. Do you have boots in your car?

How medium duty is your rope? Can you get better and easier to handle in that bulk? Stronger?

I'd consolidate the towels into a single washcloth and your bandannas. Crystal lite is good, remember to wait for any purification tablets to their thing first.

What kind of tarp? Big blues are good but heavy. The mylar/woven nylon casualty blankets are just as strong and bulky, and unlike space blankets, actually keep you warm. Tyvek packs up to a fraction the bulk and weight, you can buy it on eBay or scrounge it from construction sites. (It comes on BIG rolls, 7 or 9 feet wide, and for a lot of construction sites, 8, 10 feet of it isn't enough to save but it works great for hikers and survivalists, so don't make a midnight requisition.)

At some point, upgrade the trowel to a U-Digit. Heavy, but much stronger. If you have to dig a fire or cat hole in rocky soil, any plastic trowel will die.

I saw you like the Seirra cup for sentimental reasons. OK, I can deal with that. Otherwise, I'd have suggested the cups that go over a Nalgene bottle, just because the work better in some ways and take up functionally zero space.

I don't like to have less than 4L of water available to me. I never know how far I'll have to go to get more, and it might not be safe for any number of reasons. At the very least, I might add an "unbottle" bladder, to use as just a water carrier.

Lightsticks have thier role, but Krills and Glo-toobs are more efficient. The Glo-toob does take a funny battery, but they last for a couple days on it, so when I can do so, I'm going to switch my Krill (which retired my old candle lantern) and glowsticks in for those.

Did I miss a stove? Even if it is just Esbit, the ability to make something hot to drink without having to gather wood can be wonderful, and a proper camp stove while bulky and expensive can be very convenient.

Water tablets are good, and a good filter is even better. At the very least update the former, you won't always want to start a fire to boil water if you need to bug out.

Hammock? They pack tiny, are versatile, and keep you off the ground when it is raining.

Now for my BIG question- what kind of pack are you using? That is mostly out of curiosity than anything else. EDIT: Never mind, I missed it in your post

And welcome aboard, from what I see in that list, you'll fit in well.

Looking at all the other responces all I can add is get rid of the tarp and go with the Military poncho and look up "alpha tent", and Get rid of the Buck and get a good knife if your looking for a good fixed blade I would suggest an Anza, but there are many good ones out there (Buck ain't one of them).
P.S. welcome aboard

I've seen the LazerBrite advertised a few times, but not in person. Any impressions on it? The head units look like they could fill the same role as the Krill and Glo-toob, even if they use funky batteries.

The miltary poncho has been the best rain gear I have owned. All the high-tech jacket/pant combos failed after several hours in downpours, but the poncho keeps me dry....

Welcome.

If you like to shop brick and mortar places for gear, you'll have a couple of nice options when you get to Maine. The Kittery Trading Post, in Kittery, ME, is an awesome outdoor "stuff" place. Good for hunting, camping, hiking, fishing, boating, whatever. There's also another little place in Freeport called LL Bean.

I have the same backpack and many of the same items and several of the same needed upgrades.

Instead of having so many Nalgene bottles, I use a 2 liter hydradration bag since your pack is hydration compatable.

I would also go with a small headlamp such as the Atom which only costs around $10 and is so light that you will forget you have it on.(rather embarassing) The Atom provides plenty of light for around the camp and I have had mine for several years and am still using the original battery.

first suggestion don't weigh your pack, If it feels too heavy it probable is. But if it feels O.K. then it is, don't try to get it to somebody elses idea of what a pack should weigh.

Personally I prefer something like Emergen'C. I wasn't saying that it was bad, it has a very low bulk and weight if you want a water flavorant. But it does have to be added after purification agents do their thing, because if it has certain acids in it that neutralize both iodine and chlorine dioxide.

Many people aren't aware of that. There is no mention of it on any purification item I've ever seen, and you could knock me over with a light breeze if the CL package had that warning on it.

Don't get fixated on the "Two trekking poles and kneesocks crowd..." A good or even cheapo headlamp is a godsend. As a cop on night shift...I am a flashlight FREAK and have spent my fair share of paychecks on flashlights. But my MYO XP headlamp is worth every penny I have ever spent on surefire/streamlight flashlights...if just for the utility and the GREAT battery life. I even bought my kids the "energizer" cheapo LED headlamps at walmart for $6.00, they love using them while camping. It is a different world having the use of both hands in the dark and not having spit running down the side of a flashlight clutched in the mouth.....but to each his own...

I read your list several times and didn't see mention of it...but down here (Oklahoma) you would be remiss without including some bug juice (deet or similar) in your kit.

OK, was that reply ment for me? Or another post in this thread.

We've been getting sloppy, it makes the forum a bit... confusing. And I'm not picking on you silent, some of our most veteran people have been getting in this bad habit.

Wow - that'a a lot of responses. Thanks to all. I'll respond to those that I can.

PC2K - I hike usually in low "mountains" (1500 feet or so) near Penobscot Bay, mostly. The upgrade to the sweatshirt will be wool - I loathe fleece. Can't stand the way it feels, or even looks. I have never used the handwarmers - you're saying they don't work very well? I guess I should field test them. They are small, light and cheap. But I could live without them. Mebbe keep'em in the truck, but not if they don't work. I was really thinking of having them on hand for others to use.

The dishcloth isn't for dishes. Come to think of it - I'm not sure what the heck it is for. Gone. Thanks. By the way, everything is always wet in the Maine woods.

I guess you're right about the lightsticks. One less thing I have to buy.

Nighthiker - I may have mentioned that I wouldn't take this entire load on a dayhike. The bag is also used as a bougout bag. I actually don't have the long john top - that's a future upgrade. The pants might just stay on a long hike, though, because I always hike in shorts. It gets cold (and buggy) in the Maine woods at night. I amthinking about two 50' hanks of paracord instead of the rope. Would only need one on a hike, but nice to have more for bugout. Man, I really like towels. I'll replace them with one camp towel. I really like towels. The crystal lite is purely to mask the taste of water. I don't like water and never, ever drink it. I haven't had a glass of water in twenty years, I'm sure. I'm a Gatorade freak.

Ironraven - silk - excellent idea. That's the way I'll go. Had boots in the car - have to get new ones. Will, in Maine. Just started thinking about a hammock - I think it's a good idea. Looks like I'll eighty-six the tarp. I'll just keep it in the truck. Thanks.

raydarkhorse - the Buck was a mistake, which is why it's just keeping a spot warm for a fixed blade. Really thinking about a Griptillian or a Ritter. Funding issues at the moment.

Be_Prepared - L.L. Bean is a great store if you want to look pretty. There's a good outdoor store in Rockport, called Maine Sport, and I know a few "redneck" stores and gun shops.

MOAlan - never tried a baldder. Seems gimmicky to me.

big_al - you're right. I never weigh myself. Thought it might be interesting to keep track. But I was probably being defensive - some of you guys know every spec of every piece of gear you have. I can't even remeber if it's QuickTinder or TinderQuick (or something else).

silent_weapon - mebbe I'll try a cheapie. Still seems kinda geeky to me - but I carry two towels and a dishcloth. I really like towels.

Okay - thanks for all the feedback. I'm gonna lighten my load forthwith.

Except for the towels.

Okay - that didn't hurt too much. Gone are:

one of the towels
the washcloth (which I have never used)
the chemical handwarmers
the spare shirt (which I had just recently added).
the nylon rope (also a recent addition)
tarp - never used (I use an tent when camping)
lexan plate - which I like to use at home, anyway
extra foil - was in there mostly becasue I didn't want to throw it out.

Despite appearances, I am a minimalist when it comes to my household possessions. Everything I own fits in the truck, or will, once my boat is sold.

Musta shaved a couple of pounds, though.

Off my shopping list is lightsticks.

Oh, and kharrell - I put a case of water in my truck tonight - thanks again.

And thanks to all who commented. Except for that towel, it's stuff that I have not actually used - I have been wintering in Florida, and most of my outdoor time has been on the water, in small boats, where I carry only my EDC, FAK, and PSK. And a sweatshirt. Most of my jettisoned gear was added this winter - I would probably have lugged it around for a couple of months in Maine before I tossed it. Thanks for the sweat you have all saved me.

I think I'll post my (pocket) FAK contents soon, which varies,as I use it, but which has ballooned recently. I am a geek for FAK's - my main one is in a tackle box, full of stuff I'll probably never use. Hope not, anyway.