Putting together a Winter haversack kit

[mtwarden]

putting together a kit for winter outings into something as small as a haversack presents challenges due to volume restrictions and paying close attention to weight (too heavy and it's not fun to carry), but wanted to give it a go nonetheless

I started with a Frost River Grand Marais "mail bag"- a medium size haversack, (13x11x3") roughly 6-7 liters of volume; I had them add a pair of lashing straps to the bottom to tie on a jacket or sweater

I put in a short section of 3/8" ccf pad to kneel/sit, also provides a little padding to boot

I added a couple of short sections of shock cord w/ locks to attach a small hatchet (Wetterlings compact)

sweater and hatchet attached

Here's the entire kit
Shelter- two clear contractor bags, sportsmans blanket, 30 hour beeswax candle, cordage
Clothing-wool sweater, wool balaclava, wool mittens, deerskin gloves, down vest, windshirt
Tools-hatchet, saw (Opinel 18)
Water- 38 oz Guyot, aquatabs
Misc- first aid kit, fire kit, repair kit, headlamp/ spare batteries, TP

the blanket, saw, candle at the bottom

mitts, balaclava, vest, windshirt

the little bits into a FR accessory pocket

remaining items in

all cinched up

the kit gives me a few shelter options- time permitting a "super" shelter or debris shelter and quick and dirty- using the blanket in conjunction with the beeswax candle

also just enough few extra layers to add a little insurance

 

[WILLIAM.M]

Always enjoy your posts and Knowledge!!!

 

[Fallbrook Forge]

Good stuff! How's it carry?

Why did you choose the sportsman blanket?

 

[mtwarden]

Thanks!

Good stuff! How's it carry?

Why did you choose the sportsman blanket?

I'll let you know after today, headed into the backcountry with a new pair of skis

durability, Heatsheets are obviously lighter, but I found when dealing with natural shelters there are lots of poky things that can often put holes in them; also the sportsman's blanket does better with the candle setup- stays in place better, more resistant to flames and this one has a hood and hand holds which really lends itself to wrapping up with a candle for heat

 

[mtwarden]

had a good day of skiing (3'+ of snow!); about a mile in or so the haversack was getting uncomfortable and I had a long way to go- I moved it between the small of my back and my right hip, securing it with a small section of shockcord and a cord lock to a belt loop. This made a huge difference in comfort and never had a problem after that. I think I will add a 8"-ish length of pad on the shoulder strap, which will make it more comfy yet

 

[neeman]

I use Timbuk2 Messenger bags as haversacks
The Extra Small is 9 liters and the Small is 14 liter
The ES cinches close to my back a rides high in the middle of my back
The Small has a cross strap for holding the bigger bag in the small of your back

I use the ES Timbuk2 Messenger for my travel bag and then load it for colder weather hikes and basic sketching gear
Gloves, hat, poncho, insulated Marmot, umbrella, two note books and paint boxes and some food
It would also take a folded anorak at the top
Very comfortable



It is a polyester cotton
After it greyed and browned nicely
I washed and waterproofed it with Nixwax cleaner products
It was rain resistant, now waterproof

 

[mtwarden]

I like that extra small one- nice

I found that middle of the back is the way to carry a haversack; at your side (unless it's really light) puts too much pressure on the shoulder

 

[John A. Larsen]

Did you have any problems with the straps securing your sweater loosing up? John

 

[mtwarden]

^ nope- they stayed put

 

[sideways]

Cool :thumbup:

I can't think of any way to improve on it.

Since having nothing to say is boring here is a a different philosophy of tackling the problem of compact shelter folks might find interesting.
http://www.jerven.com/the-jerven-bag_1

The thermo hunter model is especially worth a look IMHO. I have seen them on the belts of hunting buddies.

Once again, very cool kit. :thumbup:

 

[pinnah]

had a good day of skiing (3'+ of snow!); about a mile in or so the haversack was getting uncomfortable and I had a long way to go- I moved it between the small of my back and my right hip, securing it with a small section of shockcord and a cord lock to a belt loop. This made a huge difference in comfort and never had a problem after that. I think I will add a 8"-ish length of pad on the shoulder strap, which will make it more comfy yet

I do a lot of front country and backcountry nordic backcountry skiing in the winter, much of it solo.

For me, I find there's a huge difference between what I'm willing to go without in the front country vs the backcountry. Loosely, if I can call for help with a cell phone, it's front country.

For front country skiing, I like to go as light as I can go. I carry the same set of basic essentials in both kits but for front country, the only insulation I carry is a temperature adjustment layer that I can use on short rest stops or add to what I'm wearing while skiing if the temp drops. Usually this is a synthetic puffy vest (Patagonia Puffball Vest). I have a Mountainsmith Tour fanny pack that works similar to what you describe. The shoulder strap can be worn over hte shoulder and the whole thing is secured to the small of the back with a waist belt. But, over the years, I've moved back to a small traditional day pack. I'm just more used to a backpack and overall move more comfortably this way.

For back country skiing, I'll add a super insulating synthetic parka (Marmot Belay Parka), a small stove (if it's the emberlit, I'll add a fixed blade and folding saw), heavy mittens and a second water bottle. For deep in trips, a tarp and summer weight sleeping bag often get added to the shared community gear list. I know a guy who went down on a day trip with a double spiral fracture to the femur, so getting pinned down at night isn't a hypothetical in my mind. I go right up to a 3500 ci pack for backcountry skiing and push the limits of its capacity.

Some skiing stoke, to keep the vibe rolling...

East Branch of Pemigewasset by Pinnah, on Flickr

 

[mtwarden]

^ I fully agree; my normal winter loadout looks significantly different than this small kit. I would normally have a 35-ish liter pack replete with a eVENT bivy, custom "elephant foot" down bag, larger ccf pad, robust down parks, avy shovel, small stove and more grub. I fully tested this kit last winter in a snow trench and a snow/debris shelter. Every once in a while I like to push the envelope a bit, this kit is definitely pushing the envelope for a backcountry winter kit, I won't argue that point, nor would I recommend it for someone seriously considering backcountry winter travel.

This would make for a nice light kit in the "summer" and even into some shoulder season.

 

[40oz]

I'd replace the hatchet with a lighter fixed blade like a Mora or Old Hickory, but that's personal preference. Otherwise it looks good to me.

Oh, and I'd add a liter of water and some hot chocolate, tea, and coffee. And some food -an energy bar, breakfast bar, trail mix, something.

I don't plan for multiple fractures in the woods, but a busted ski or binding can prolong a day trip and a cup of hot tea and a snack can make day.

 

[mtwarden]

I'd replace the hatchet with a lighter fixed blade like a Mora or Old Hickory, but that's personal preference. Otherwise it looks good to me.

Oh, and I'd add a liter of water and some hot chocolate, tea, and coffee. And some food -an energy bar, breakfast bar, trail mix, something.

I don't plan for multiple fractures in the woods, but a busted ski or binding can prolong a day trip and a cup of hot tea and a snack can make day.

have a light fixed blade on my belt (Bark River Liten Bror); the hatchet simply does a better job of splitting wood- especially for use of a long fire where I split down the edge of the log (6'-ish in length)

38 oz Guyot filled with water, happened to run low on water which isn't a problem in the winter

agreed! always carry a couple thousand of calories (Mojo bars, Omni bars and my secret weapon- peanut butter/bacon/honey on a bagel ) and always a couple of Satbucks Via Mocha

 

[BillyJoeBobJim]

Fun!! :thumbup:

 

[Fuori]

You put together a great looking kit!

 

[Fallbrook Forge]

Very nice! I have a surplus gas mas carrier coming to try out for a haversack.

I tried out the PB/bacon/honey combo my last backpacking trip in the sierras, though I put my mind on thick flour tortillas, delicious! And the perfect fuel to push me over a pass I was struggling with

 

[The Zieg]

Great post!

Zieg

 

[mtwarden]

thanks Gents!

I got turned on to the peanut butter/bacon/honey/bagel combo last year on my Bob Marshall Open race- the nick name ("butthole sandwich") didn't sound overly appealing , but they were really good, kept well and packed with plenty of go calories. I like them best on raisin-cinnamon bagels, I'm wanting to find them in the smaller bagel size- full size they are a little much for a single serving.

 

[BillyJoeBobJim]

thanks Gents!

I got turned on to the peanut butter/bacon/honey/bagel combo last year on my Bob Marshall Open race- the nick name ("butthole sandwich") didn't sound overly appealing , but they were really good, kept well and packed with plenty of go calories. I like them best on raisin-cinnamon bagels, I'm wanting to find them in the smaller bagel size- full size they are a little much for a single serving.

That weather might be tough for some things, but one of the big positives is that many food choices can be kept "fresh" for much longer.