too prepared is there such a thing??

RescueRiley

RescueRiley

Joined
Mar 22, 2006
Messages
5,944
sometimes when I go out on a day hike i feel like I have alot of stuff..but i got my bases pretty covered the only difference from when I camp is the additon of a full size tarp,sleepin bag, food and a change of clothes...what do you bring when you day Hike??? I'm not talking like around the lake for a picnic I'm talking fairly rugged terrain where yo could hike 6 - 10 miles in from the nearest road (it's not crazy but around here it's the best I can do without camping) so any way back to the topic when you go for a day hike what do you bring??
here's mine
1) psk in a surplus field utility pouch
2) fak in similar pouch
3) vic sak
4) mora clipper
5) 2 nalgenes of water
6) a map/compass
7 an additional mini mag light (1 in psk)
8) a rain jacket
9) small machete
10) lighter matchers and hotspark w/tinder (in addition to psk)
11) small binoculars
12) camera
13) 50 feet of cord ( in addition to psk)
15) trailmix, bars or nonperishible food source
16) new slingshot (because its really fun)
seems like alot, when I look at some of the people I go with i don't know..probably could ditch the machete but what if I want to make a fire...or i need to build a shelter or kill a zombie...

if I were just going to a picnic or for a walk in a small wooded park it'd be
vic sac
fak
mini maglight
bic mini lighter
 
A day hike?

1) My psk, Fak. (all emergancy needs, medical, signaling, everything)
2) Grohmann #4
3) Camera
4) Coat/sweater (depending on weather,season)
5) Some snacking food
6) Leatherman wave
7) Folding saw
8) Vic OH Fireman(in psk)
9) My normal kit, the possibles bag.
10) some water
11) tarp

I pack light, this is all I take camping by myslef. If car camping, ill take a tent. But when by my self, I may add a bit more water and food, but thats all I take. Ill try and get some pics up :D
 
The only time it's too much is when you carry so much it detracts from your experience. Honestly, I carry more than you in that kind of situation to include a firearm.;)
2 Litres water
25 feet webbing
100 feet paracord
3 caribiners(1 locking)
2 spare socks
1 small pot
1 super tarp
1 wool cap
FAK
sharpener
disposable poncho
hankie
Smamp Rat HRLM
gerber saw
Multitool
Compass
snacks
head lamp
Axe and thermal undies in winter
Probably a couple more things that can't remember. It's in my car at the moment. ;)
 
You are OK! don't worry, if someone (and I cant see why) would question the kit you take with you, they havn't thought through how much they like themselves, when you need it, it's nice to know its there.
 
My friends often laugh at me when we take a dayhike together. I show up with my Kelty Redwing loaded with an assortment similiar to what has already been mentioned here plus a 3 liter hydration reservoir full, jetboil, and an mre.....oh ya, and I wear hiking boots. They show up in tennis shoes, and maybe a water bottle.....one day I will be the one laughing.
 
What I carry on day-hikes is very, very similar to what RescueRiley posted. It all fits nicely into a GI buttpack, or can be broken down amongst jacket pockets, etc. Got to have a bottle of bugdope on hand. I add a pair of dry socks and a small handtowel too; I despise having wet or even sweaty feet. A dry, warm shirt is good too, but kind of requires a small backpack.

Bigbcustom is right about good boots. I saw a crazy nudist documentary on Nat'l Geographic channel last night; one guy was having a good old time tromping through the woods. Butt-naked with a machete in hand, pretty funny. (Are YOU that hardcore?!? :D) My point is, even he had sense enough to wear hiking boots.

I hate to pay MRE prices but I really should buy a case to have on hand...
 
yeah one thin I forgot is when camp i usually bring a firearm either a .22 or a shotgun...and bugspray/sunscreen/and hand sanitizer are regular parts of my kit as well. Thanks guys glad to know I'm not alone...alot of the things I bring are aditonal items to those that are n my psk. but I kindof seemy psk as my (incase of emergency only) pouch this way I don't have to worry about restocking it after every trip.
 
Sounds about right to me. Some gear might be different ie a folding saw instead of a marchete, but it's pretty much spot on.
 
RR,

I would seriously consider a headlamp in place of one of mini maglights.

Im in CT, and everywhere i hike here its all trails.

my day hiking gear.

wind/water jacket
boots
except in summer i carry extra top base layer.
headlamp, mini led - maglight.
bic lighter, bsa firesteel.
sak, either opinel or mora
food --- plus couple of energy bars
cellphone.
map/compass addition of gps that i havent used yet.
oh yeah.... fak. and meds.
.
 
i don't think you can over prepare.

maybe there should be a thread, what did i forget this time and was left behind after you hit the water or woods.

as long as you can still walk, thats my rule. just can't have too much stuff.
 
that list looks about right to me, RR - i'd add a metal cup of some sort to boil water. and if i had a machete i'd probably just carry the SAK or the Mora but not both. i also usually carry a small tarp on a dayhike of 5+ miles. my basic rule of thumb for gear on a dayhike is asking myself if I feel comfortable spending the night in the woods with what I have.

i've found having redundancy for some items is a good idea - when you're hiking with people who show up with nothing more than a water bottle, it's nice to have a spare LED flashlight to hand them when you wind up hiking back in the dark.
 
I used to have a petzal cold weather headlamps on it, but I found the led ones to be way lighter and last longer, which is my main concern when I bring it outdoor. They are pretty cheap and you might want to look into one.
 
I take:

1) Good Clothing to match the season.
2) Some sort of Scandi-Knife
3) A fire steel
4) A 9 cup pot with 4 swedish cups and a down jacket stuffed inside
5) 12x12 parachute cloth
6) 50 feet of parachute cord
7) First Aid kit with signal mirror and compass and sewing kit
8) K&M match case
9) 5X7 sil tarp & bivy bag
10) Maybe a 3/4 axe or 1/2 axe
12) 2-4 quarts of water(summer) or tea(winter) and snacks for the kids.
13) head lamp


The pot allows for hydration. The tarps ect for shelter..The axe allows me to make neat things but I carry a bigger first aid kit when I take it.
 
If you can't get a girl because she thinks your place is some kinda wierdo compound, yep, you've gone too far. Spreading your seed IS a survival technique. Get yourselves a good woman, strong and low maintenance, and stick her in your bug out bag.
 
It all depends on where you are going,what are the weather conditions,what time of year is it etc.
The only time I will go minimalist is if I am only going where in case of a broken leg etc I could still drag myself back to civilisation and it is the warmer months when cold won't be an issue !
All I had with me the other day was the Neck knife you can see and a lighter in my pocket !
Johndean001.jpg
 
My bondage kit...LOL !!!
It is actually a leash for my dog made from some climbing rope and a carabina !
Most heavy duty leashes are only about 4' long and when I lived in the UK there are stiles everywhere so I needed at least a 6' leash or my dog would hang herself before I could climb over !!!
 
When I was running around Lake Athabasca last fall and winter I never really carried much gear. A lighter in my jacket pocket, hip knife, small pack to carry my shot birds, sometimes I carried a small water bottle. I was however usually never more than 3-5 miles from the community, I generally followed the shoreline or kept the lake in view and there was always flammable material all around me, even in winter. The cold was the only thing that ever got me sometimes. I would get warmer by going into the tree line. I would pack more gear than this today, but I never ran into a problem up there. My circumstances would dictate my gear choice, although I prefer to go light.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top