What gear goes in your day-back when you go for a day hike?

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Gadgetaholic

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Let's say you hike for 3 hours to a lake or whatever, relax for an hour or so and then hike for 3 hours back to your car. Let's say that it is summer time and nice & warm. Let's say that you are wearing shorts & t-shirt & socks & good hiking/walking shoes or boots.

So you grab a small & light day-pack to take with you and in it you put . . .
Of course you want to keep it light because you are going to be walking for 6 hours with that weight on your back.
You aren't planning on staying overnight so a tent & sleeping bag aren't required.

OK, off the top of my head let's see what I can think of:
bottle of water (or 2 bottles if they aren't so big)
bag of trail mix
lunchbox with some sandwiches or a filled roll, maybe some fruit
FAK
an AMK double heatsheet
Victorinox Trekker
one of those real light emergency ponchos
half a roll of toilet paper
small pack of wet wipes

EDIT to add:
2 lighters
Cellphone
/EDIT

That doesn't look like too bad a list, only the food & water adds any significant weight.

But what if I was injured and had to spend a couple of days in the bush - the water won't last longer than a day? What if I got one of those little medicine bottles with an eyedropper and filled it with bleach? I would think that 50ml of bleach would be enough to treat more than 10 litres of water, so I could easily make some water from a stream safe to drink.


So, what do you guys pack when you want to keep the gear small & light enough to fit in a day pack?
 
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A small fixblade, match safe, compass,windproof lighter, Emergency blanket, H20 bottles,energy bars. That's about it.
 
I would include a few ways to make fire.
Lighter, matches, etc.
I also have some high calorie food stashed away that is OFF LIMITS unless baddness occurs.

I always have an ESBIT stove in my pack. I like a cup of java in the woods. Small 2 cup pot w/ lid.
 
Most of my dayhikes are around 4-6 miles in, and the same back out, though I've got 15 and 18 mile loops planned soon that will take all day.

Lumbar pack with 2x1qt. Nalgenes, PUR Hiker filter, first aid/fire/signalling/water purification kit, and a few Clif or granola bars. Always a Buff,headlamp and camera with spare battery, sometimes binoculars.
Other stuff depends on the hike. Sandals for the 15 miler that has river and stream crossings, backpack with bivy, pad, and summer bag if getting a late start on the longer one that also has much rougher terrain. This time of year, bug repellent and a headnet for maintaining sanity. Compass and topo map for anything unfamiliar, off-trail, or with multiple intersecting trails. Stove and fuel if in the mood for tea or coffee. Marmot Precip rain jacket if bad weather is threatening, or hiking in the rain. River shorts or whatever they're called for swimming. Shoot, this year I might even carry a pack with rappelling and solo climbing gear to a place or two.
Thinking of getting a lightweight hammock with rainfly and netting, and ditching the pad/bag/bivy for long summer dayhikes and overnighters. Been wanting to do overnight hikes with just the lumbar pack.
The extras change with the goals for the day...lots of different ways to have fun out there.
 
I make such hikes quite often here in the Dutch parks and this is what is always in my day hike bag:

1. A standard first aid kit with some additions like tick pliers.
2. Light and compact binoculars for spotting animals.
3. An Opinel #7.
4. A pencil and small noteblock.
5. Toilet paper.

This is what I add:

6. A bottle of water.
7. Some food; mostly sandwiches, dried meat and some fruit.
8. Small photo camera.
9. Cell phone.

In my pocket I carry:

10. A hand kerchief.
11. One of my SAKs.
 
I forgot about firelighting - I'll add 2 lighters to my list. 1 Butane ligher + 1 peanut lighter.
Also I'll pretty much always bring my cellphone with me - it is a camera and also a book reader.
 
I can go pretty light even preparing my day kit to become a 72 hour kit.

Small pack:

Water bladder
Water bottle (stainless or with a nesting cup)
Water filter or purification tablets (depends on the hiking distance)
FAK
ENO hammock (if I plan to take a break, nap, etc)
Bug juice
Extra pair of hiking socks
Cravat/bandanna
LED light
Snacks, lunch, drink mixes/tea, etc.
550-cord
Tinder, Bic or even a small stove depending on my activities
Small Sil-Nylon tarp (in case of thundershower or needing shade)
Heat-sheet bivi or other type of foiled blanket
Topo map of the area
Spork
Leather gloves
Waterproof bag (including a couple of Ziplocks)
100mph/duct tape (for quick repairs)
Sometimes a small fishing kit/tackle


Of course, most of that is just in my pack ready to go. I carry other essentials on my person: knife, compass, fire-starter, pistol, hiking stick, whistle, hat/sunglasses, camera, phone.

Depending on where we are, a day hike could turn into bouldering, fishing, swimming or just a picnic around a nice little fire...

ROCK6
 
My EDC, hat and a gallon of water. (Leatherman Charge TTi, Lone Wolf Harsey Ranger, Bic lighter, Elzetta flashlight and Motorola i355)
 
If I go out with JV3, I try to bulk up my pack with extra knives and other stuff I usually wont bring so I don't feel inadequate next to his Kifaru ZXR :D

If it's just me, or if it's me and my girlfriend, I usually just bring:

-water (usually 2-3L)
-food/snacks
-FAK
-map & compass
-ESEE firekit
-fixed blade of the day
-Vic OHT
-packable jacket (stows in its own sack the size of a soda can or smaller)
-always bring a camera
-water-purification tabs
-small Surefire flashlight

and thats usually about it. Oh, plus a cell-phone, keys, and wallet.

-Nadz
 
Stainless Steel water bottle
Poncho
First aid kit ( immodium AD, benadryl, claratin, pain meds, bandages, etc.)
Shemagh
titanium cook pot filled with granola bar, signal mirror, lighter, matches, fire starter, large garbage bag, water purification tablets and coffee filter.
Hat, sunglasses, sunscreen
Fixed blade knife
compass
Glow stick, flashlight
Probably a light jacket depending on the season
25' paracord
Any other snacks or gear for the kids.
gloves
 
I take the following along when off on a summer dayhike:

1. A Nalgene filled with water. If theres a stream/lake on the way, ill bring my strawfilter along. If not, ill take a water bladder instead.
2. A lightweight small fixed blade or a solid folder.
3. Firelighting capabilities. Firesteel and some matches.
4. A fleece-jacket. It can get cold during the night where i live.
5. Small notebook and pen, to jot down notes and thoughts.
6. A chocolate-bar.
7. First aid kit.
8. Headlight. A lightweight Petzl Tikka.
9. A cellphone
10. GPS
11. A small pack of pocket-napkins.

Thats about it.
 
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My Alice LBE with buttpack is always loaded with basic gear waiting for the next trip. Here is what I keep in it:

2 quarts water - 1q Military canteen, canteen cup and pouch, 1 quart nalgene bottle
Poncho
Reusable Space Blanket
First Aid Kit
Tinder pouch
LMF Spork
Optimus Weekend cook set w/Crux lite stove and 4oz fuel canister
Wash Cloth or Bandana
Princeton Tec Head lamp
Spare batteries
Trash bags

2 packs of Gluten Free Ramon Noodles
Dried Veggies to go with the Ramon
Jerked Beef
Dried Fruit
Drink Mix
Hot Chocolate Mix
2 to 4 bags of herbal tea
Hard Candy
Trail mix
Mittens
Notebook

When ever I head out, I'll add leather gloves, long sleeved shirt or jacket, knit cap and what ever else I think I'll need on the trip.
 
I recently switched up my old Maxped M1 bag for one of their Proteus Versipacks. When it came, I discovered that the main compartment was big enough to hold a couple of Otter Boxes from KSF, so I carry a fire kit in one and a combination water purifier/FAK in the other. The FAK is just enough to wash and cover an open wound until I can get back to my car where I have a large FAK.

I've got an Izzy 2 strapped to the back of the pack with a molle clip. In the rest of the pack I have a multi-tool, heat sheet, a folder and a DMT diafold for quick sharpening, a Streamlight TL2 and spare batteries, and I stick in a couple of trail mix bars and a couple of self-heating MREs. I also carry a cell phone and a compass.

If I'm going more than 2-3 miles, I'll put the packs on Murphy's harness and he'll carry some stuff as well. Otherwise he just wears his harness so we can help each other up and down over rocks and stuff.

I don't go without Murphy.
 
I pack the following.

IMG_5449.jpg


1. Green bag-O-Survival.

2. Golite poncho.

3. Hat (type based on seasonal considerations).

4. UL bivy.

5. Ti cup.

6. Canteens etc. During hot weather will pack 128 oz of water. Sometimes a filter to backup the tabs if needed.

7. Compass/maps/GPS if needed.

8. Flashlight/headlamp. Fenix LD10 R4 or HL20 R2 maybe PT EOS Rebel LED.

9. UL jacket or vest if needed. Same goes for gloves.

10. Snacks.

11. Knives though often don't use them.

12. Sometimes paracord though have cordage in the green bag and almost never use it unless camping.

Maybe other stuff as well but look to keep pack weight down. Contents of that green silnylon bag. Sometimes I just take that with water when fishing/hunting or very short dayhike. It's in my GHB as well.


IMG_5452.jpg
 
Gadgetaholic said:
Let's say you hike for 3 hours to a lake or whatever, relax for an hour or so and then hike for 3 hours back to your car. Let's say that it is summer time and nice & warm. Let's say that you are wearing shorts & t-shirt & socks & good hiking/walking shoes or boots.

So you grab a small & light day-pack to take with you and in it you put . . .
Of course you want to keep it light because you are going to be walking for 6 hours with that weight on your back.
You aren't planning on staying overnight so a tent & sleeping bag aren't required.

So, what do you guys pack when you want to keep the gear small & light enough to fit in a day pack?
Click to expand...

My first response is that I would buy a pack with a hip-belt system that transfers some or most of the weight to your hips. Plenty of light day packs that have good setups. (Osprey Kestrel 32) No sense in speeding up the inevitable effects of age on your back.

1-64oz Kleen Kanteen
Baggie of gorp
Self-inflating trail seat
Map of area
Compass
Stocked fire-tin with lighter, firesteel and a couple Fire-tabs
OTC & Prescription meds in small med case
Heat-sheet or causulty blanket
1/2 roll TP & Hand sanitizer
Vic Farmer,Woodsman or Trekker (something with a saw)
4" fixed blade on belt or neck knife
Water tabs
Small FAK
Rain jacket (packable)
Small bottle of Off
Book
1-Garbage bag
Paracord

Surefire
Cell
Camera
Hiking stick
Hat
Bandana

My last long day hike was about 85F with my Kifaru Scout that had all of the above in it.
6mileWG037.jpg
 
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Day hike, pretty simple:

100oz CamelBack - usually water, sometimes Gatorade if it's really hot
2 hi-cal protein bars
Lighter
cell phone
XD45 - spare mag
Fixed blade of the day, something that can handle hard work
15ft paracord
large lawn trash bag (poncho/lean-to)

I can't think of needing anything else even if I were to get stuck for more than a day or two.

I've never needed more, and it is a gentle carry with plenty of hydration.
 
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