daypack

[djminnesota]

anyone got ideas for what should be carried in a day pack? besides a hammock of course

[FLRider]

My day pack depends on what weather I'm out in.

I live in Florida, so ninety percent of the time, it'll be 65F or over for the high and above freezing for the low. Therefore, my day pack usually has the following:

1. A water bladder.
2. A sit pad (a cut down CCF pad).
3. A poncho.
4. My first aid kit/repair kit (gauze pad, ace bandage, neosporin, superglue, duct tape, dental floss, soap, needle, ibuprofin, and Immodium).
5. My emergency kit (whistle, compass, map, fire starter, fire steel, matches, bug repellent, sunscreen, space blanket, and iodine water treatment tabs).
6. My pocket knife and zippo.
7. Some cordage of some kind (paracord or mason's line, usually; just something lightweight and cheap, not something that I'd use for life-bearing situations).
8. Whatever snacks I intend on eating.
9. My cell phone.

If I'm going to be out more than four hours or so, I usually add my cook kit to that, as well as my water filter.

I tend to err on the side of having too much stuff rather than "just enough"; my skill level is too low for me to comfortably make up for not having the right tools.

[Turtle Creek]

Add T.P. for the unexpected emergency ...

[TFC Rick]

I prefer baby wipes. Cleans hands and face as well.

[jrs]

+1 on baby wipes, I always add extra pair of socks, change half way. If out west or anywhere where i could get caught over night, high calorie food and a headlight, (a just in case), adjust gear to area and weather.

[mbiraman]

When i go for a day hike i prepare for overnight. Besides the list that others have given already i also pack a fleece or montbell inner jacket and a folding saw, orange garbage bag, a light that signal's,. Its not what you know is going to happen you prepare for , its the unexpected,,,,,,,as best you can ,,,,,give yourself a chance. The most important things are skills,,,bushcraft skills,,survival skills. Most of the people who get in trouble every year are those just going for the afternoon or the day. When something goes wrong, their unprepared.
Most of the time you'll be fine.
By preparing for but not dwelling on the" what if's" your awareness and confidence grows.
-Learn how to set up a couple of tarp configuration's,,Ground.
-A long fire
-debris shelter,,etc
I Put together everything in the pack so i don't have to think about it,,it just goes with me every time altho i do have to replace allot of cliff bars (-;

bill

[sargevining]

I'm of the opinion that one should ever think of it as a "day pack." I prepare for the possibility that I might have to spend at least one more full day and night longer than I planned to.

If I pack for a day:

Six meals and trail snacks.

LOTS of water (southeast Texas is hot and humid) one bladder, 6-8 commercial bottles, and at least one nalgene with frozen water. I might also fill the bladder half full and put it in the freezer the night before, then fill it all the way up in the morning.

If I'm on a day hike I carry a bivy and a poncho. If I overnight, I'll add the hammock and tarp (it used to be a tent.

4 knives: a bowie, a Swiss Army, an ASEK Survival knife, and a crappy serrated folder that has an integral whistle.

A multi-tool---and my key chain has a smaller multi-tool on it.

First Aid kit, pretty much as FLRider described.

Pretty much the same emergency kit as FLRider described.

Cell Phone and Kindle---and a battery pack that will completely recharge either of them.

One Mini-mag AAA flashlight, one Surefire flashlight, one pen light, and one crappy aluminum biner that is also a crappy AAA flashlight.

At least 50 feet of paracord.

Journal, notebook, pens

TP and Handy wipes.

A big piece of cloth cut from an old tee shirt inside a zip lock bag.

A shemagh and/or a long shirt cloth scarf.

A couple of small biners.

A Bic lighter, a box of waterproof matches, a book of matches in a waterproof box, a fire steel and some tinder.

A small aluminum cup.

At least one extra pair of sox. Two is better.

Most of this comes from things I learned in the Army. When I took my first Survival Course, one of the first things I read in the manual went something like this:

"While firearms are useful in a survival situation, cutting instruments are vital."

And the best advice given was:

"If you have one, you have none. If you have two, you have one."

At the very least, you shouldn't be going anywhere in the woods for any length of time without more water than you think you'll need, more than one knife, and more than one way to make fire.

[sargevining]

When i go for a day hike i prepare for overnight. Besides the list that others have given already i also pack a fleece or montbell inner jacket and a folding saw, orange garbage bag, a light that signal's,. Its not what you know is going to happen you prepare for , its the unexpected,,,,,,,as best you can ,,,,,give yourself a chance. The most important things are skills,,,bushcraft skills,,survival skills. Most of the people who get in trouble every year are those just going for the afternoon or the day. When something goes wrong, their unprepared.
Most of the time you'll be fine.
By preparing for but not dwelling on the" what if's" your awareness and confidence grows.
-Learn how to set up a couple of tarp configuration's,,Ground.
-A long fire
-debris shelter,,etc
I Put together everything in the pack so i don't have to think about it,,it just goes with me every time altho i do have to replace allot of cliff bars (-;

bill

Plus 1 on that.

Another good military adage:

"Don't prepare for what you think is the enemy's intention. Prepare for his capabilites."

[Catavarie]

I have two seperate "day" packs.

Pack One (OP Lumbar Pack from Walmart):
2 half Liter Bottles of water
1 Yardsized Trash Bag
Folding knife
~20 Ft of Mason Line
Couple of small snacks (Nabs, Granola Bars, nutrigrain bars, etc.)
Mini Bic Lighter
Dryer lint kept in ziploc bag, kept in a second ziploc bag
Potable Aqua tablets

Mostly only used for loop trails in fair weather, although I feel confident enough in my skills to be able to survive for a night or two out of just this given a water source.

Pack Two (OP Backpack from Walmart):
2 L Bladder or 2 1L bottles of water
Hammock for general laziness on the trail
5x7 OP tarp from Walmart
Fixed blade knife
Bic Lighter
Dryer Lint in Ziploc Bag, kept in second ziploc bag
Toilet Paper
Hand Sanitizer
Wind pants
Fleece Pullover
Extra pair of wool socks
small 9 LED flashlight
20 Ft of Paracord
Small fishing kit (a couple hooks, sinkers and floats with around 20 ft of fishing line kept in an old altoids tin)
9 hour emergency candle
Firesteel
Yard Sized trash bag
Poncho
Atleast 1 meal and several snacks

Used for any day trip that will be greater than 10 miles or if weather looks suspicious. I actually enjoy hiking in the occasional down pour and given my oft limited hiking schedule I have to take trail time where I can get it despite the weather. I can be quite comfortable out of this bag for a couple of nights, although a bit hungry if the fish aren't biting.

[wildcrafter]

loin cloth and cheetah kibble