How do you carry your stuff in the woods?

P

Polymath

Joined
Dec 6, 2006
Messages
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I was just wondering how the rest of you carry your stuff while in the woods.

A couple of decades ago, I took the kitchen sink with me on every trip. It
started out innocently enough - bib overalls have a lot of great pockets and
a built-in suspension system. However, by the time I was a teen, I had
graduated to a day pack and carried every useless thing I could find that
wasn't nailed down.

Soooo, now I'm older (and hopefully wiser). For most of my trips a day pack
is now overkill. On the other hand, I have too much stuff for my pockets.

My usual load is some lunch, water, a personal survival kit, a small first aid
kit, a hat, maybe a poncho, compact binoculars, a compact camera, etc.

I have been thinking about either this: Filson Tin Cloth Field Bag

Or this: Frost River Shell Bag

Or this (but not in that pukey color): Duluth Pack Shell Bag

Ideas? Opinions? Dumb looks?
 
I have settled on a smallish backpack for all my woods needs. Keeps me from overloading like I used to when I carried a BIG bag.
 
Sometimes I'll use the Golite Ion pack for shorter hikes and carry bigger packs when more appropriate.
 
I like the looks of the Filson bag, but shoulder bags haven't worked out for me too well, especially when in rough terrain. I like a Camelbak pack with a small pocket (I use the Ambush); it carries all my essentials and snacks and is light enough that it doesn't bother me along with being pretty secure without flopping around.

ROCK6
 
I generally take a backpack. The filson is okay but the other two look too much like purses for my taste. One knock on the filson (for me anyway) is that I find myself constantly readjusting single strap bags so that my shoulders don't get tired or sore.
 
I think those are all good looking bags, assuming they are large enough for your needs. They're like jumbo possibles bags.

I feel silly because I've posted the heck out of this setup, but this is my current dayhike kit. It's only been put through its paces once, but it was comfy. It holds everything I need and has enough extra gear for emergencies.

000_0151.jpg


It has my mora, canteen and cup, LT Wave, first aid gear, room for food, cordage, poncho, monocular, fire kit, etc..
 
I take it that is a Maxpedition Proteus?

It is also on my short list, hasn't made it to the top yet because I would really like
something that I could carry into the office or a restaurant in a pinch. I detest moving
stuff from bag to bag because you never have the bag with that you want and the
bag you don't have with you has something you should have brought, etc.

I even considered carrying a Proteus *inside* a Filson bag as an organizer with the
option of pulling it out as a stand alone. Not sure about the fit though.
 
When I go out its rarely more than a day hike So my gear is fairly limited. Since I go with my parents its mainly sticking to marked trails and if my dad and I ever head off the trail we mark it with bright orange tape. Everything either goes on my belt, in my pockets, or in a backpack. My pack is fairly tall so long items fit in there well. A 2 liter bottle of water and food goes into the pack as well as perhaps a hatchet and first aid items. I like to throw an extra folder in there too. Then on the belt goes the flashlight and a large fixed blade. In the pockets goes lighter, firestarter, another folder and whatever else I usually EDC minus a few items.
 
ROCK6 said:
I like the looks of the Filson bag, but shoulder bags haven't worked out for me too well, especially when in rough terrain. I like a Camelbak pack with a small pocket (I use the Ambush); it carries all my essentials and snacks and is light enough that it doesn't bother me along with being pretty secure without flopping around.

ROCK6
Click to expand...

+1, camelbak makes some very nice daypacks small and large, the built in water supply is a bonus in my book. Chris
 
I love my camel pack I got from some place like cheaperthandirt.com or galatiinternational.com. I got the coyote so it doesn't soak in a lot of heat and get my water too hot. Carrys everything i need. I found it while i was writing this. It's THIS one.
 
i'm also a big camelbak fan..... i use the H.A.W.G.... it's plenty big and holds just about everything i need...
 
It's actually a maxpedition knock-off from Cheaper Than Dirt, $12. Quality is certainly good for the price so far. Almost all of the gear I have pictured (and use) is obtained on the cheap.
 
There is a rather large colony of their catalogs along with Galati and some others that currently reside in my throne room. I love CTD.
 
The camelback MULE is my personal day hike pack. It holds the right amount of gear and 100 oz of water.
 
jlfletcher83 said:
The camelback MULE is my personal day hike pack. It holds the right amount of gear and 100 oz of water.
Click to expand...

What's your name dude? I'm seriously going to find out if we're cousins or something. I'm pretty sure I have some Fletcher family in Kansas.
 
Ok, I should have prefaced this by noting that I have all kinds of day packs.

My goal is to travel light while still having easy accessibility to my stuff. This is only
for dawn-dusk trips. If I stay the night outdoors on one of those, it means something
has gone wrong.

I have considered the Camelbak Mule in the past. Not sure if I can operate the pockets
without taking it off and I don't want to take it off every time I want to get the camera
out.

Somewhere, there is a line between utility and looking like a mall-ninja.
 
On a day hike I carry the Maxpedition Jumbo. It has a Nalgene holder on it and carries everything I need and more.
The wife carries a Proteus she has had for years. She puts a nalgene in a mini-rollypoly on the waistband. She also has custom sheaths from Leatherman for her HR and CT so she can carry one or both of those on the wide Proteus waistband too. Yeah, I spoil her.
 
I also ordered one of those maxpedition knock offs. It's also my grab and go bag. I'm tired of carring to much and this is the only way I see practical to keep me from filling a back pack with to much. I also got another one for my wife too. It's nice and light. I only carry the essentials anymore when I dayhike or maybe a over nighter. Anything over 2 days I take a backpack with all my junk.
 
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