Minimum gear?

RescueRiley

RescueRiley

Joined
Mar 22, 2006
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just sort of taking a tally I suppose, Just wondering what's the minimum of gear you would take along on a day hike....a day of practicing skills....or an overnight??? I'm sure lists will change seasonaly so please clarify your answer....Thanks.

I find I always over pack for a day hike ore a skills day (often they are intertwined) but when I go for an overnight I only add specialized equipment. like a thermarest. sleeping bag, extra clothes and food....So I'd like to whittle down my regular kit a bit...
 
Water. Food. Oranges are my favorite hiking food.They taste so good when thirsty. Granola bars are good.A hat. A large knife . A lighter. Toilet paper. Thats for a day hike.

An overnight hike I add a sleeping bag and a lamp.
 
If your had had your trip in Sweden the mandatory/classic thing would be:
thermos with coffe or cocoa, sandwiches with "prickekorv" sausage, oranges, a yellow Marabou (not Marlboro) chocolate bar. For extra retro feeling you should place some shrink wrap in the lid on the thermos for that small leakage, some plastic bags with newspapers in them for insulation and in winther too big skates with three pairs of socks in them.

Anyway.
Here is a list I made for a Swedish forum about the same question.
* Trangia coffee pot. Inside you put a foldacup, some coffee, matches, lighter, firesteel, a small test tube with alcogel, sweets and whatnot.
* 4" fixed knife of your choice.
* Multitool.
* A normal plastic bag from any store. First you sit on it, then you carry water to put out your fire, then you put your leftovers in it when you walk home again.
* Binoculars to watch animals (or cute girls).
* Bahco folding saw. I know some people like axes, but a saw causes less severe injuries if you fumble.
* Big garbage bag, if it starts to rain.
* First Aid Kit
* Toilet paper

Good luck.
 
Lately I have been carrying a Maxpedition Jumbo Fatboy for day hikes. For an overnighter or even a three day I would only need to add a small pack with sleep gear,food, and my small stove to be good to go :) Course I actually add in more that I really need but I am kinda paranoid that way. Plus I usually carry too many knives and axes when I camp. In my Fatboy I have plenty of firestarting gear(REI matches, Vaseline soaked cotton balls,firesteel, and small Bic), compass,DMT sharpener,foam ear plugs, Leatherman Ti Charge, Excedrine(I get meself the occassional migraine),Storm Whistle, couple of carabiners, AMK 2 person space blanket, SAK, Inova 24/7 LED light, 1st aid kit, water bottle,cup, water tabs, 50ft of cord,small 40SPF sunblock,REI Bug Juice, 2- 55gal trash bags, and some candy(usually M&Ms or Snickers). For a simple day hike it is usually overkill but it all carries well with enough room to add plenty in the big pocket and not weigh me down too much. I figure it may someday have to serve me and my son so some gear is doubled up to cover for two but he is getting his own kit very soon so I wcan either keep extra stuff in my kit or lighten my load. I rarely get to use my kit in survival situations but grab stuff from it constantly on the trail. Many times for others with huge packs who have no sunblock, Bug Juice, or want to borrow my Leatherman :) If I had to cut weight down to the very basics I could fit fire(firesteel and tinder) and water(bottle, cup, and tabs) needs into one of those cool Maxpedition water bottle carriers they came out with recently. Shelter can be built anywhere I hike with natural or found materials and the tools I would have on my person(6in + knife and folder/SAK).
 
Your going to want to have a small pack of some sort, backpack, buttpack, fannypack, whatever you prefer. My preference is toward a small dayhiking pack, but it doesnt really matter, as long as you can carry it comfortable, and it will stay secure on you.

For me the contents would look like:
(dayhike)
Waterbottle or Canteen
Metal cup or 4 1'x1' squares of foil
Bic Lighter and Magstick/firesteel
SAK with saw blade
Gossman PSK
small useable FAK
(2) Large trashbags and a Poncho
Emergency Blanket/Spaceblank
(4) Glosticks
AAA LED flashlight
AA LED Flashlight
(2-4) Powerbars/food
Compass/Map
25-50ft of 330lb Climbing rope (about 1/3rd the thickness of 550 paracord)
MultiTool (Victorinox or SOG or Leatherman)

Something like that. The most important thing to think about is that you know how to effectively use the gear you do take. Having a trashbag to use as a raincoat doesnt do you much good if you end up splitting the side to far down and it leaks like a sive. This gear is there to make you hike more enjoyable, but it's other purpose is to help keep you alive in case of mishap. Quality counts. I carry a SAK in my pack, and one on my person, both have woodsaws, I also double up on the compass and firestarters. Simply because if I lose my pack due to mishap, I do not want to be without fire and a knife.

If you look at my list, it can easily fit into a simple small buttpack. No problem.
If we are talking a couple of days in the woods, then of course the list expands to include more foods, sleeping bag, and a shelter (most of the time). I dont tend to carry a stove often, no need once you are good with a magstick. Tinder and such is a great idea, I just never happen to use it (cottenballs, dryerlint, what have you) most of the time I dont remember I am carrying it. I have as of yet to ever use my MT pliers while hiking, thou i do use the blade/saw once in a while.

Your comfort level should be dictating what you need and what you can do without. If you are skilled at firemaking, do you need a stove? Can you build a decent dry shelter and skip the tent? But if you arent comfortable with these skills then it is best not to leave them behind until you are.
 
I usually pack pretty light, but my problem is I always want to bring a sweatshirt or something in case it gets cold, or I have to stay out unexpectedly. That pretty much fills up my backpack and makes my back all sweaty when it turns out to be warm.

Other than unneded outer layers, a day hike would include:

* Medium sized PSK
*Binoculars
*Camera
*Granola bar or two
*1 liter of water (canteen)
*Belt Knife
*Headlamp

Those are on top of my everyday pocket contents:
-Case Pocket knife
-Zippo or Bic
-Flashlight
-Leatherman Wave
-Hankerchief
-Piece of sharpening stone
-Matchbook
-Cell phone
-Chapstick
-Pen
-Keys
-Wallet


Man I just realized, I really need to pick up a compass...
 
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Minimum gear? Well, clothes. And that's about it, really. For comfort, it's nice to bring water and some food. A knife comes along because I love knives. Now, if I'm going to unfamiliar terrain, then it's different - more of everything. But for a quick overnight or a day hike in familiar woods, I'll often go with just the clothes on my back and something to eat and drink. I don't even carry a knife all of the time, much less firemaking tools.
 
Elen said:
Minimum gear? Well, clothes. And that's about it, really. For comfort, it's nice to bring water and some food. A knife comes along because I love knives. Now, if I'm going to unfamiliar terrain, then it's different - more of everything. But for a quick overnight or a day hike in familiar woods, I'll often go with just the clothes on my back and something to eat and drink. I don't even carry a knife all of the time, much less firemaking tools.
Click to expand...

Ok.... :thumbdn: Not a great idea. Unless of course you are on the local footpath around the park and there are people within earshot. The 4 days I spent hoping someone would find me when I blew my knee out was on a trail I had climbed a dozen times before, an easy warm up trail to get ready for spring......

If you are seriously going out for a hike or an overnight with nothing more then the clothes on your back, and not even the basic gear every single experienced person will tell you should carry, then you are nothing more then a SAR training mission waiting to happen.
 
MrCoffee said:
Ok.... :thumbdn: Not a great idea. Unless of course you are on the local footpath around the park and there are people within earshot. The 4 days I spent hoping someone would find me when I blew my knee out was on a trail I had climbed a dozen times before, an easy warm up trail to get ready for spring......

If you are seriously going out for a hike or an overnight with nothing more then the clothes on your back, and not even the basic gear every single experienced person will tell you should carry, then you are nothing more then a SAR training mission waiting to happen.
Click to expand...

I'm sorry about your knee, but life is like that. If someone should go missing around here, chances are the SAR group would include me - it certainly has before. I'm not aware of what your definition of "experienced person" is, but I count myself as experienced when it comes to outdoors skills, and would be beyond surprised if I was among the less experienced posters on this forum when it comes to that subject. And I wouldn't tell myself to carry more than I feel like doing. Local footpath and park with people within earshot - not for me, as I go outdoors to be away from people, mostly. But I only move with minimal gear in familiar terrain - anyplace new, and I'll carry heavier gear.

I'm not planning on breaking a knee out there, but if I do, then I do, and I'll do something about that when it happens, if it happens. I'm not the type to worry too much about everything, only some things. I wouldn't suggest going anywhere you don't know with minimal gear, but I do consider it an interesting experience and good exercise to spend time out in familiar terrain with bare minimum gear. Relying overmuch on tools is much more likely to get you killed when the stuff really hits the fan than the opposite - relying on yourself and your skills. But hey, if I do end up a SAR training mission, you'll be among the first to know, after all my mates are done laughing about how I managed to need a rescue party sent after me. ;)
 
Stuff happens, and a couple of basics doesn't weigh a thing or take up any real room.

For me, on a dayhike I've got at least: my shotgun, my 1911, an LBV, 2 canteens, my bowie knife, pup tent... :eek: :D Kidding, kidding....

Seriously, if it's a dayhike in a known area:

-Small belt kit (jute twine, mirror, arkansas stone, flashlight, bic wrapped with pink flaggers tape, firesteel + fatwood, Vic Farmer)
-Belt knife
-Bandanna
-pistol
(belt kit:
100_0298.jpg



-Day pack with:
~poncho
~Guyot canteen + metal cup + coffee filter (i like tea/coffee on the trail)
~compass, map
~paracord
~First aid kit
~Monocular
~biodegradable wipes
~snacks

It all sounds like a lot when listed out like that, but it's all a small package in reality and weighs very little. I might add a little water/food if I'm going with non-woodsy folk, or the pooch. For an overnight, I really only add a sleeping pad, bag, and either tent or tarp, plus food. Those are the items that cause the real size increase.

Almost forgot! I usually toss in a blade or two depending on what I'm testing out that day!
 
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On dayhikes, I carry naglene, bravo1 w/ firesteel on my belt. compass pouch psk in pocket. I either carry my timbuk2 bag, or my blackhawk patrol pack(depending on distance) w/ vic spirit, first aid kit, cliffbars and packaged tuna, Siltarp, rescue blanket, lensatic compass, map, softshell jacket, surefire, fatwood, paracord, psk knife, and ziplock bags. OH... my divers watch, and ranger beads on my wrist......

For overnighters I put my hydration bladder in my patrol pack, add bivy, mess kit, desert bag, hawk, reading material, tp, and my sig or .357. and maybe a
.22 or shotgun if im on a friends land.
 
I have a PSK pieced together from parts of a Ritter kit and some stuff I added/improved. I carry additionally my 3 Liter CB Reservoir, either a good one handed opening folder, or my RAT3, and one vic farmer. The PSK has another vic farmer, a bic, waterproof matches, and a magblock along with whistle, mirror, fresnel lens, quick tinder, etc etc. I have a Compass, 30ft of Para Cord, an Adventure Med. .7 First Aid Kit. Usually a light fleece jacket or my soft shell, along with a Thermo Blanket for emergencies. Depending on Laws, area, and such, I occasionally take along either my Sig 229, or my GP 100. OC is usually with me as well, to deal primarily with dogs and people. These items are usually carried in a North Face Solaris 40 pack, or if I am going really light, an REI Transit Bag.
 
Elen,

I may have come across a bit strongly, but here, I know some of the SARs people, and they are all wonderful folks. Not one of them would be caught dead going into the bush without atleast a decent pocket knife. Do you really think that people should be walking off the beaten path with at least basic equipment like a pocket knife?


The biggest problem I have with this way of thinking is all the people that go out unprepared and expect that someone will come to their rescue if they need it, what ever happened to being responsible?

Anyways, when I took out my knee years ago, it was on a short 4.4 mile loop trail I had climbed a lot, and being offseason there werent a lot of people mobbing the trails yet, nor had the AMC shored it up. The edge of the trail gave way, and I tumbled down about 15-20ft. Not a huge deal, but I did pop my knee out, and had to have help getting back up. My point being that if I had not had a basic kit on me, those 4 days would have been tough to get thru.

You dont know when your going to turn an ankle, pop out a knee, or step on solid ground and have it no be solid. Why not carry 3lbs worth of gear to see you thru?
 
mileage will vary. most peoples mini mun is my maximum. usually anywhere plants grow I can find everything I need. There are always exceptions. Deserts are harsh environments. In the desert you prioritize by thinking "water, protect the head, water, protect the feet, water, seek shelter" Did I mention water. So in the desert, its Canteen, hat, extra socks w/ good boots, and another canteen. Always a knife, maybe a lighter.
Up in the mountains its weather changes that can be the big threat. Getting caught in a sudden storm or just underestimating distance and getting to far out when the sun sets. Mountains Cause me to think "weather first" So a tarp or poncho and fire kit is top of my list in the high country.
I haven't left my house with out a knife, lighter and piece of Cord in 40 years so those I don't mention.
Heres an other thread I was reading on the same thing.http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=118124&highlight=minimum
 
The minimum I've taken hiking Mt Baldy, aka Mt San Antonio, is nothing. I put on shoes and pants and a t-shirt. Started at 5000 feet, and did the 7-hour round trip to the 10K+ peak and back down with nothing but an ipod.
 
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