====== MY ESSENTIALS BAG Dave Mann Last Updated: 01/01/2013 ====== Like many people who travel in the woods, I carry a small set of things that I consider to be essential. In talking with people on the Internet, I'm fascinated that there appear to be many different outdoors sub-cultures with very different approaches to the problem. Hunters, hikers, survivalists/bushcrafters and the military/tactical crowd seem to emphasize a different set of "essentials". Given this, a few comments about how I pack this might help. IN MY PACK, NOT MY POCKETS - One difference I've seen in these different approaches has to do with where the "essential" stuff gets carried. Some traditions put an emphasis on a set of things that is with you at all times, either in your pockets, attached to your belt or otherwise on your person. I come at the problem primarily as a backpacker and ski tourer. My approach is very heavily informed by the "10 Essentials" as defined by the Seattle Mountaineers. In this traditional backpacking/climbing approach, safety gear is carried in the pack. The assumption is that one will never allow oneself to become separated from their pack. This said, I do tend to keep a few things in my pockets most of the time, especially when traveling off trail including: a pocket knife, compass, map, whistle and lighter. SAME KIT, EVERY TIME - As with most people, I tailor what I carry in my pack depending on the trip I'm on. But, I carry essentially the same essentials kit on every trip. I've settled on this set of things after several decades of hiking and hunting and camping and feel more comfortable if each and every of these items is with me. It's a bit overkill on a Sunday afternoon day hike in a local park, but I never have to worry if I have the essentials covered. So long as my essential bag is with me, I know I have what I need. GRAB AND GO - The tactical crowd sometimes talk about a "bug out bag" which is a bag of essentials that you have prepared in case you need to "bug out", or make a hasty departure. I've sort of backed into a similar practice. I keep all my essentials in a light, unpadded fanny pack that I leave in the back of my car. If I'm going out on a quick cross-country ski, I can just toss it on and head out. I know I have everything I need. Or, if I'm going to be carrying a day pack or full backpack, I just drop the fanny pack into the larger pack. I know my essentials are covered. And, when I get to a camping spot, I can just grab the fanny pack for short excursions and know that I have my essentials with me. MODULAR, KITS WITHIN THE KIT - Another influential book for me has been Colin Fletcher's classic "The Essential Walker". In it, he describes a modular approach to packing up a backpack based on when you need to access things. There are things you need on the trail. Things you need in camp. And things you rarely need. I've found tremendous wisdom in this approach. By putting the same things in the same place, I know where to look for what I need and I avoid the need of dumping everything out on the trail while it's raining. My essentials bag has 4 smaller kits within it. My trail pouch is a small pouch designed to be slipped on over a hip belt. It contains the things I will likely need to access while hiking on the trail such as sunscreen and bug dope. When I'm backpacking, I'll typically move this to an easily reached pocket on my backpack. A few of things I keep in this pack, I'll move to my pockets. My camp pouch is a larger organizer bag that contains the set of things I will likely need while in camp, such as my toilet paper stash, head lamp and toothbrush. My emergency bag contains things I almost never, ever use but that I prefer to have with me just in case. This includes a small folding saw, a spare pocket knife, a length of parachute cord and a mylar bivy sack. If that bag doesn't get opened, it's been a good trip. Lastly, I carry a small 1st aid kit, which is primarily geared to stopping bad bleeding and dealing with small injuries. The kit is geared to short backcountry trips of 3 nights or less. A kit for longer trips into more remote areas would require more in terms of medicines and first aid. Without further ado, here is the inventory of the kit: TRAIL POUCH - Stuff I often use while on the trail + Map (typically moved to pants pocket) + Compass (in my pocket when off trail) + Altimeter watch (moved to wrist) + Lighter (typically moved to pants pocket) + Whistle (typically moved to pants pocket) + Sun screen + Dermatone + Bug dope + Ibuprofen + Iodine water purification tablets (water filter is carried separately on some trips) CAMP POUCH - Stuff I usually only need in camp + Headlamp + Toothbrush and toothpaste + Antihistamines + Toilette paper, hand sanitizer, disposable lighter (these are kept in a ziplock bag) + Headnet + Leatherman Squirt PS4 (for small pliers and scissors, mainly) REPAIR KIT - Carried in a separate zip lock inside my camp pouch + Spare Fastex 2" buckle (for backpack hip belts) + Section of adhesive nylon repair tape (for down jackets, bags and tents) + Heavy polyester thread, standard needle and curved upholstery needle + Spare stove filler cap (I typically carry a Svea 123 and this is the only part to fail) + Selection of nuts and bolts (for pack frame repair) + Spare batteries (for headlamp) + Small roll of duct tape (wrapped around a cut-off disposable pen body EMERGENCY GEAR - Stuff I hope to not need + Spare knife + Folding saw (Carried October through April) + Mylar aluminum bivy sack/shelter + 2 Powerbars (emergency food) + Coil of parachute chord MINIMAL FIRST AID KIT (mostly focused on stopping bleeding and attending to feet): + Selection of gauze pads and band aids + Butterfly tape and small roll of bandage tape + Gauze wrap + Alcohol wipes, iodine wipes, small tube of triple-biotic ointment + Disposable razor (shaving shins) + Pre-cut moleskin and bottle of Skin Shield (for blisters) + Nail clippers, fine tweezers (splinters), Leatherman PS4 (scissors, pliers) + Spare disposable lighter Copyright Dave Mann, 2012, 2013