Gearing up

[Parke1]

Well, my new bride and I (married 7-7-07) are getting ready for our first camping trip together. We're heading out to Cook's Forest, Pennsylvania next Friday. Unfortunately, due to my work schedule, it's just going to be a two night affair, but hey, it's better than nothing.

We're going to be spending the two days hiking through the 6700 acre park, and we'll have a tent-camp established to come back to at night. 6700 acres is (to me) quite a bit of land, so I'll be making up a daypack to carry an extended PSK/first aid kit in. I don't have any pictures yet, but it will contain something along the lines of:

2x 60 gallon HD contractor’s bags rolled into a metal coffee can with lid
2x 1-gallon Ziploc freezer bags
1x 12’x16’ lightweight tarp, rolled up and lashed to the bottom of the pack
1x firesteel with hacksaw blade striker
50 feet blaze orange paracord
140 feet of paracord inner strands
1x Fox-40 whistle
1x plastic signal mirror
1x plastic matchsafe from CountyComm with strike-anywhere matches
1x mini-fishing kit
1x large first-aid kit assembled myself. Too many contents to list, but it’s got all the bases covered
2x stainless sporks
1x aluminum cooking pot with folding handle
1x E-trex GPS unit
1x lensatic compass
1x laminated topo map of the park
1x spool stainless steel snare wire
15x firestraws
1x film canister with PJ rolled cotton balls
1x sandwich bag with dryer lint mixed with mag shavings and wood chips

I’m sure I’m forgetting some items, but I’m doing this from memory at work… I’ll basically be taking one of my vehicle PSKs and dumping it into my daypack.

All of this will be supplemented by our altoid tin kits that we always keep on our persons, which contain:
Mini-bics
Firesteels and strikers
Razor blades
Firestraws
Additional snare wire and fishing supplies
Pain killers and small bandages


We will also carry our 1-qt Nalgene bottles with the Campmor stainless cups, and micropur tablets attached to the bottles in small pouches.

Now, as far as cutting implements go, I’ll be carrying three items without fail:
My Case Yellow Peanut in Tru-sharp
My Victorinox Spirit multitool
My 52 year old hatchet (unknown maker, this was my dad’s boyscout hatchet)

The only blade I feel I’m missing is a belt-carried fixed blade. My choices there are:
Rat-3
Becker BK9 (overkill?)
Buck 119

Which of the three do you think I should take? The 119 I’ve used in the woods before, the Rat-3 I haven’t.

Any other suggestions on what to take?

Thanks for the input! Now I just have to wait until the 12th to leave!

-Parke1

 

[tknife]

7/7/7 is a cool wedding date, and you'll never forget your anniversary! With the other bladeware you are bringing, the RAT 3 should be plenty for your belt, and will probably see the most use.

 

[Salamander42]

You didn't go camping with her BEFORE you married her?!? How did you know she was the one without having spent some time in the woods with her?

Just kidding, I'm sure you'll have a great time. I'm a little confused by this though:

Unfortunately, due to my work schedule, it's just going to be a two night affair, but hey, it's better than nothing.

I thought you said you were taking your wife, so what's this about a two night affair?

Okay, I'm sorry, I'll stop with the bad jokes now. It's been a rough last couple of days and I'm getting a bit slap happy from lack of sleep.

I guess after that I owe you an actual response to your post. I just skimmed your packing list for your PSK and didn't notice anything that seems to be missing(my own experience is pretty limited so someone else may be able to offer some input), but you may want to get your wife her own whistle. As far as the cutlery, is your wife comfortable carrying blades, and is she going to be carrying any? My first thought is to leave the hatchet at your base camp and wear either the Buck 119 or the Becker, and let your wife carry the RAT-3.

Hope you have a great time!

 

[AustinTXShooter]

Since you are taking two traditional cutting tools with the hatchet and the Case, I would take the 119 since it is more traditional than the Becker or the Rat-3. Of course I would also be tempted to take out the Rat-3 since it has never been out before.

 

[James 61]

Congrats on getting married!

Looks great. The only thing I would suggest is flashlights, a whistle for your wife and spare batteries for all your elecronics.

 

[ironraven]

Looks fairly good. My only concern is the length of the 60gal contractors bags, but that is pretty easy to fix.

All of this will be supplemented by our altoid tin kits that we always keep on our persons,

You married a lady who not only owns but carries a PSK?!? Does she have a single, not very picky sister? *laughs* Honestly, congratulations, not only for finding someone worth marrying, but who shares the interest.

My concern is this: what happens if you two get seperated somehow. She's set for fire, but does she have her own knife, flashlight, signals and poncho/contractor bag?

 

[Tim the Slugman]

Leave the hatchet & take the BK9. I love my BK9 , i like to dig around in old logs & stumps , playing with my knife

 

[Parke1]

Hey guys, thanks for the replies. In response to your queries,

you may want to get your wife her own whistle. As far as the cutlery, is your wife comfortable carrying blades, and is she going to be carrying any?

Oops, I forgot to mention that she carries a ferro rod and a Fox-40 on a paracord lanyard that I tied for her. She will be carrying her Vic Handyman, and an old Case fixed blade with a 3.5"-ish blade. It was her Dad's, and I can't seem to talk her into coughing it up...

We'll both be carrying Surefire 6P's, and spare batteries.

Leave the hatchet & take the BK9.

I may toss the BK9 in the truck for the ride, but there's no way I'll be leaving the hatchet behind. It's accompanied my dad and me on every camping outing we've made in the past 50 years! It'd be like leaving my right arm at home!

Hmm, it sounds like we're pretty well equipped to go. I'm leaning towards the Rat-3 now as my belt knife, just to give it a chance to play. Now i just have to survive the wait until the 12th when we leave!

Thanks again folks!
-Parke1