What's your LoadOut?

[ThePointyEnd]

My experience this past weekend at the August challenge, and a few conversations I've had about it have got me thinking:

What do I/we/us take into the woods with us, and how does that change as our skills improve? (with an emphasis on how our Beckers are driving that)

Please, know that I do NOT profess to be an expert, just another student in the class that is the greater bushcraft realm. So I thought a "study group" within this cross section of linear-thinking pragmatics was in order.

So... I'm going to break my gear down by section as it appears now, and then update once I settle on a new setup accounting for my new skills.

The whole kit-n-kaboodle, so to speak. Aside from this, I use a small, 2-person tent (not pictured)


I am a bit of a maximalist, and that is the part that is quickly changing.


First Aid: I am big on this, my mom was a nurse when I was a kid, so playing in the woods without a portable trauma center feels a lot like that dream about going to school naked to me.

My FAK is based on info from the red cross and will soon be whittled down.
quick rundown:
Many bandaids
cold pack
mylar blanket
gauze 2".3"&4"
+Butterfly closures
Hydrocortizone 1%
Triple-Antibiotic ointment (big believer in this stuff)
Popsicle stick styled splints
Elastic bandage
q-tips
Benzocaine{sp} wipes
alcohol prep pads
chap stick
exam gloves
breathable tape (2 sizes)
many asprin 81 mg's
Immodium
Tums & Prevacid (I get heartburn baaaaad)
Benadryl
tweezers
and a thermometer

Now that the boring part is over, let's get to the nuts & bolts :

The sleep Group:

a Fleece sleeping bag
a fleece blanket (stored watertight in a spacebag that's in another bag)
a huuuuuge tarp.

The water group:

32oz bottle
iodine tabs (jury's still out as to weather I switch to bleach or not)
2x 1 gal Zip-top freezer bag (the thick kind)
cheap mess kit for boiling

The Food/Cooking Group: (with repeats)

cheap mess kit
2x ramen
1x cheap spam (call the men in white coats, I actually love this stuff)
6x favorite granola bar
cutlery (soon replacing knife w/BK-14)
a soda-can alcohol stove (If you don't have one, make one it's an all-star)
fuel for same
aluminum foil (barely Visible)
might add: a billy can, if I can find what to cut for it (it was an all-star at the challenge)

The fun part (cutting Tools)

BK-10 (still generously on loan from the DerekH Institute)
BK-14 (my precious)
A retractable saw (getting cut as soon as I get a little better at chopping)
a cheap SaK knockoff (probably getting cut as soon as I skill up with my '14)
(not pictured) a hatchet I cut for weight when I learned to baton
(not pictured) previous hidden-tang camp knife that I cut for the full-tang Becker Goodness
might add: folding multitool mostly for the pliers

Misc. tools, etc.

my trusty oldschool maglite (too many adventures together to upgrade)
another flashlight with extra batteries (waterproofed)
my sewing kit
a pencil (it's gotta be a good idea)
a compass that I trust

Cordage&foraging

duct tape (iffy on this)
~50' 550 cord
much Jute
~50' Bank line
many fishing leaders for snares, etc.
5x floats
many sinkers
many hooks and lures
-if most of this looks familiar, this is the area I cut the least from for the challenge.

The fire group: (more fun)

6x emergency (long burning) candles
{some fatwood (fits in tin)
fits in tin{many PJCB's
{small firesteel
{mag. bar w/striker
matches in waterproof container

That's what I'm packin' for now, will update after I philosophize, reenvision, rethink, and recreate my LoadOut based on what I've learned.

 

[DerekH]

Keep the saw Pointy. Too little weight to be an issue, and it is totally worth it.

I will update with some pics of mine once I get it in from the car.

 

[Flexxx]

Excellent bro.

Pics added on page 2

 

[paperairplane]

That is very much what my BOB / 72 hr pack has looked like for a few years. This is not a critique of your gear - I fully see the benefits of your items and have many similar setups. However, after doing some remote hiking / camping this summer, that is changing rapidly. My recommendation is to get out and try to use some of this stuff when you have to hump it - which will quickly make you evaluate an item vs its weight. I will carry a BK 11/14 and maybe a folder - and a bow saw will process wood much faster than a big heavy chopping knife.

My priorities now are light, mobile, comfortable and versatile. More skills and less gear is where I want to be. I have a friend that used to be army - he has a 80+L pack that he uses for weekend trips and is probably carrying 60+ pounds of gear. That reduces the fun in my book by quite a lot. In a real SHTF situation, I want to be able to cover ground easily.

 

[Idaho Guy]

The only thing I would change would be to find something more substantial than the raman that would take up the same space. other than that excellent post and pics! thanks

 

[whereismyclock]

The only thing I would change would be to find something more substantial than the raman that would take up the same space. other than that excellent post and pics! thanks

Actually ramen is pretty great when you're sweating and boiling your water. One of those per day and you never have to worry about losing salt.

Great kit too man.

 

[Moosez45]

Whew, that's quite a bit of stuff, there. I don't travel light, but I don't break my back either.

My kit is all contained in a MaxPed Condor II.

I'll start at the top and head down, largest space to smallest. I'm fresh outta pics for now though.

Small red blanket, took it off a plane after a flight, thin, small, RED, and will keep the chills away
Colt 1911 + holster/2 mags
EMMRod Packer Rod
MSR Miniworks water filter D)
FAK stored in a hard camera case
Zebra 12cm Billie Can +

Northern Lights Alpha Ti
GermX sanitizer small
Zebra 11.5 cm dish
Small bottle of olive oil
Salt Pepper
A rag
An S hook and some wire
4oz MSR IsoPro

That's my kitchen.

Small Orange Plastic trowel
Gerber folding saw
GI Poncho Woodland
ENO Doublenest D)

That's all in the main compartment

LMF Green Spork
Tiger Balm (yeah, yeah)
Blaze Orange TDI 1480 Concealment
DMT Duo Diamond Stone Coarse/Fine

Paracord 150' various colors and lengths
Tree bindings for my Hammock + carabiners
My fishing lure box
2 Flashlights and a headlamp
Gloves

That's it. I have 2 accessory pouches that fit on the sides, that carry my tea, sugar, boullion, flint and steel, fatwood, strop, etc.

I also carry a Suunto A-10, cheap and very good

Various pocket stuffs, 'bout it.

Moose

 

[tradewater]

Mine's getting a major overhaul and updating. Downsizing some stuff and upsizing others. Will post the results.

 

[bigjuice]

I am no expert but really enjoy putting together a good kit as you do. I have become more anymore focused on weight over the years and have found that you pay (sometimes) for lighter items that are durable. When I was in college, I would run naked in broad daylight in front of hundreds of people for free cheap beer. Now when I get invited out to a nice dinner for free where I just have to listen to a sales pitch, I would rather stay home and drink nice scotch I paid for. Sort of the same thing with my BOB.

These are only recommendations, take away what you want.

I got a new day hike Dakine pack. Has a water bladder in it, super comfortable. Little over $100.

Get some condoms for your med kit. Can use for all sorts of tasks (including intended use). Get the non-lubricated old-school ones. Make great canteens, etc.

I carry several space blankets and one of the lightweight pocket ponchos. This will allow you to use a much smaller tarp. For less space and lightweight.

Whittle down your band aid pack. You should only need large bandages for life or limb threatening wounds. If you get a moderate cut that doesn't fall in that category those little band aids aren't going to help and you should be heading for civilization ASAP. I am in medicine so I carry derma bond for smaller cuts. A thing of superglue works almost as well.

I have started carrying a few mountain house freeze dried meals. Great shelf life, taste good, high calories. I carry a few of their granola and blueberry packs also because they require no heat source.

I have an essentials Nalgene bottle that goes everywhere with me in the woods. Mainly day hikes. Any quick trip. But, it has the essentials and so it gets added to my larger kit for overnights or multi-days. I did this about a year ago after a near disaster on what was supposed to be a short day hike. It has been a great strategy for me.

Here is my small bottle kit. I am a research guy, so the small items (firestarter, flashlight and knife) have been researched to the hilt to find lightweight and effective.

Good stuff first. Wenger swiss army knife and a CRKT Doug Ritter RSK Mk5.

Compass, condoms, whistle (need to replace with a Fox40), zip ties (the new duct tape), Solo Scientific firestarter, stream light Key Mate LED light (smaller than size of my thumb), iodine tabs and length of paracord.

Not pictured is a Adventure Medical Kits sleeping bag and a space blanket.

All fits nicely in this:

Hope this helps! And yeah, I have a Becker I throw in the pack for good measure.

 

[bigjuice]

Not sure if pics came through, I am internet retarded.

 

[foxx]

Looks like you have a great kit, and you're well prepared. So, please don't take this the wrong way, but I see two routes to be taken for any improvment, one of which is just getting lighter, more packable gear. That route usually costs much more that the second, which is knowledge, skills, and the seeming loss of some comfort. I'm still taking a bunch of comfort gear, ridgerest, Kifaru Woobie, and a Gore-Tex bivy. Sacrifice here and there, or spend more money and you can cut weight off that load.

I use a Kifaru Woobie, and my bivy. So light and small, compared to any tent. Sacrifice being sleeping comfort, but less air space to keep warm.
I only take a Titanium spork, my knife is my only other utensil, don't need all that other cutlery.
My 1st aid kit is much much smaller, and I wear gloves when I need to. In the body shop I learned that a shop towel and duct tape made the best bandaids. Any liquid ointment containers can be the smallest size, or some just put into a zip-lock baggie, leave the tube at home.
I carry only one Guyot designs 38oz steel water bottle, (my dog carried the other two). I can put them on a stove, or in the fire, no need for another cooking pot, if you're doing ramen or dehydrated foods. This last trip was Bratworst on a stick over the fire and a can of beans near the fire. Heavier on the way in, gasier on the way out for sure. That scares off the predators, IMO

I commend you for using the water tablets, I carry a filter, tabs, and can boil if I have to. Also for having no sleeping pad, you guys must have better backs than me!

 

[bigjuice]

I like the Guyot water bottle idea.

As an aside, if you haven't made "biscuit on a stick" you gotta try it. Google it. These little things are phenomenal!!! We used the pillsbury hockey puck frozen biscuits, let them thaw out. Stick them on end of stick with bark peeled off. Make it like a corn dog coating, keep it thin. Hold over fire, turn and roast for 5-10 minutes. Fan%$&#*$ing phenomenal! When you pull it off stick there is a little warm hole to put your honey or jam or butter or even wiener (don't let the wife see you) in.

And no, it doesn't fit in my ultimate survival kit.

Since I am retarded at posting pics, here is my newly created flickr address to see them: http://www.flickr.com/photos/67025083@N04/with/6102068260/

 

[Idaho Guy]

Actually ramen is pretty great when you're sweating and boiling your water. One of those per day and you never have to worry about losing salt.

Great kit too man.

After doing Mooses challange (I give up trying to figure out how to post pics)I wished I had something like jerky rather than ramen and my thinking was you could pack quite a bit of jerky into the same amount of space the ramen took up. I am new to alot of this stuff so love to here others opinion.

 

[Moosez45]

After doing Mooses challange (I give up trying to figure out how to post pics)I wished I had something like jerky rather than ramen and my thinking was you could pack quite a bit of jerky into the same amount of space the ramen took up. I am new to alot of this stuff so love to here others opinion.

I can help with the pics, if you need some.

Ramens are a filler, and full of carbs, quick efficient energy. Protein is great, you will need it for sustained energy and to fight fatique.

I like to do a little of both, but the Ramens help with that quick energy, replaces the sweat, and carries enough water with it, to make digestion quick.

Moose

 

[ThePointyEnd]

This is good stuff !
I am still learning, and a lot of my gear is a concession to my inexperience (that I hope to begin to make up for by comparing with you guys and then testing my new gear out).
My objectives ARE to get weight down, accessibility up, and a possible increase in pimpitude I am currently in the process of transitioning my gear from car+tent camping to something a little more backpacker-esque. And I gotta admit, moosez's kit made me hungry, I love how simple and cooking-oriented it is. Though, I must admit, I'm not a fan of the spork outside the confines of Taco Bell. <insert smiley eating a taco> And, for the record, I am trying to skill up to get my weight down, I (especially after this weekend) am a *firm* believer in your brain being your best too in any situation, especially in the woods.

 

[FAL'ER]

That's alot of stuff, but I was there a few years ago. i think my pack was 70 lbs. I didn't know any better. The more skills you learn the lighter your pack will get. One because you'll carry the tools in your head and two because you'll start to find items which are dual purpose. You'll figure it out if you stay on it. I love going through a buddies pack who is new to this and taking out half his shit, "don't need that" , "too heavy", "rolls of silver dimes, wtf " gone. it's good sport.

 

[NothingCoherent]

I'm a "less is more" kind of guy. I primarily roam around mountains and cliffsides, and more than anything else I'm afraid of falling or slipping. So carrying a heavy pack full of survival gear doesn't make sense to me. I'd rather be light weight and nimble. Able to move quickly, without being bogged down.

On a trail run like today's, I don't carry much at all. On my belt I carry a camera case converted into first aid / fire / signalling kit, along with a BK-11 mounted horizontally for quick access (gotta fight off them cougars). My backpack is a tiny 6 litre hydration pack that mostly just acts as a water bottle that's easier to carry. I bring a bit of food and another layer of clothing in the extra pack space that isn't consumed by my water bladder. Getting caught out overnight is not really an option with this set up. I'm not capable of running up a mountain with more than 10lbs of s*** on my back (running, people... not hiking), though, so that's how it's gotta be for my hobby. Bare bones!

My general backpacking / camping philisophy is pretty much the same as above, except with multi-day capabilities added. That basically just means an extra pair of socks, more food, a bigger knife (and in some cases an axe), a tarp, and a sleeping bag. Even when I camp I don't carry much more than 20lbs. It's not that I can't, it's just that I have ADHD and have to be constantly moving... I don't like taking breaks, haha.

The best part about ultra-minimalism? Your gear bill is WAY smaller

 

[Tomchung]

first aid kit -
1. athletic tape - can be used like duck tape, best job site bandaid around , rope - just all kinds of stuff
2. small tube neosprin - can be used like Vaselinene for starting fires with cotton balls
3. alcohol pads - starting fires and well starting fires. Oh and cleaning wounds and then starting fires


I just try to have double duty for the items I carry

Maglite- I love my old maglite ( 6 D and AA mini ) but have since retired it to the house as a club. The 2nd gen maglite led 3 mode is perfect. 18 hours on high and 31 hours @ 25%. more then enough run time with 65 lumens. I was in to flashlights for a while and there is no better bang for the buck then the new AA led maglite- unless you are in to beam shots and beam profiles . Get a glass lens ( same as standard mini mag) and some energizer ultimate lithium battery's and forget about it.

 

[clich]

loadout huh, well here goes (the blades change depending on purpose (camping/hunting/hiking) This is the setup i took on vacation with me (to a condo ) The blade is a bk10 and 11 now, but that changes with bk2 and usually the 9. plus a BRKT bravo necker will see some use.

anyone know if this is the right way to carry a flashliht in this thing? its a maxped flashlight/baton holster and i cant figure it out, its carried it fine thus far but im not sure if this is the right way

The packs contents as of today, not picture is the 8x10 tarp that is rolled up and packed on the bottom of the large pocket, didnt feel like re-folding it for only a picture. usually when i go camping/hiking the main compartment store some food items like ramen, jerky, trail mix, and like a hoodie just in case. you can see i use this pack for hunting as well.

 

[Idaho Guy]

I can help with the pics, if you need some.

Ramens are a filler, and full of carbs, quick efficient energy. Protein is great, you will need it for sustained energy and to fight fatique.

I like to do a little of both, but the Ramens help with that quick energy, replaces the sweat, and carries enough water with it, to make digestion quick.

Moose

I would love some help. I have a camera full of challenge pics I want to post!