Posted: 6/8/2026 8:29:35 AM EDT
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I'm planning my chest and backpack for day hikes in remote areas. I am going to use my chest pack for shorter stuff and my backpack for longer stuff. I will be hitting the trails out here 4 days away week for a long time. I'll probably keep my larger camelbak pack in the truck with extra stuff. I am planning on the typical first aid, emergency survival stuff, and whatever else I can think of. chest pack is 5.11 utility, hot weather pack is 5.11 skyweight 24, and mystery ranch 2dap for rougher stuff and cooler weather. I went through most of of my gear and it's 10-15 years old but probably still serviceable (princton tech and petzle headlamps, Nalgene bottles, jetboil, and layers. I did just get a Patagonia torrent 3l rain shell though as my old Rei event rain shell is leaking and the seam tape is coming off. any must have day hike stuff? I'm torn in my first aid kit it's a NAR stop the bleed kit in a pouch with a sam splint and then an adventure medical kits boo boo kit. It's kinda a lot but at the same time Aid is a long ways away. |
have gun will travel
Well you seen much combat? ......... I've seen a little on TV.
We are jolly green giants, walking the Earth with guns.
Lifetime NRA member SADLY
now GOA and ASA member!!!!!
Well you seen much combat? ......... I've seen a little on TV.
We are jolly green giants, walking the Earth with guns.
Lifetime NRA member SADLY
now GOA and ASA member!!!!!
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Water. And then more water. I go through about a gallon on hot days. High energy snacks Some kind of communication gear. Phone, radio, something. Compass. Whistle. Maps. Knife. I like a 3-4” folder and a 4-5” fixed blade. IFAK, properly stocked. Don’t overlook some antihistamine. Good boots. Spare socks. Walking around in socks wet from sweat all day sucks ass. Insect repellent ( can apply at truck before heading out) Camera, either phone or small point&shoot |
ProTip: Never pick a fight with a tree planter. He swings a hoedad for 9 hours a day, carries 30-40 pounds of seedlings on his back, and has 12-14 friends just like him hiding out on the other side of the junk butt pile. They will fuck your shit up.
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I hike hocking hills. A very popular tourist destination with plenty of roads, water, shelter, etc. and I still carry the following: WATER! Emergency Purification straw. good, laminated maps (2 of the same area!) Compass and GPS water proof type jacket with gloves Emergency energy bars Pocket knife 100 feet 550 Pressure dressing and tourniquet. |
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Originally Posted By 18B30: I hike hocking hills. A very popular tourist destination with plenty of roads, water, shelter, etc. and I still carry the following: WATER! Emergency Purification straw. good, laminated maps (2 of the same area!) Compass and GPS water proof type jacket with gloves Emergency energy bars Pocket knife 100 feet 550 Pressure dressing and tourniquet. We have ridden our horses all over that area. Its beautiful |
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15-20L pack phone initial water load, probably a 70oz platypus, or some fraction thereof iodine tabs if trying to be light as possible / sawyer mini and modified platypus water filtration bag if conditions/objectives warrant UL rain jacket / pants pared down first aid pouch ~ 3oz, plus sun screen mylar blanket layers/socks as seasons dictate headlamp candy bar of some sort maybe an InReach (I'd like to add an InReach Mini2, or something, to lessen the "maybe" part) trekking poles maybe mosquito repellent, location/season dependent bear spray if in grizzly/brown territory, maybe leave it behind if exposure is minimal |
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Originally Posted By KILLERB6: Yep. Originally Posted By KILLERB6: Originally Posted By Gunnie357: I’m betting he’s referencing Harold Fish I’m guessing you’re just throwing it out there as a joke but for others who may not know. He got railroaded by a shitty prosecutor and the media. Plus a judge that wouldn’t let evidence in. Plus bad jury instructions. It also was overturned and he acquitted. It’s been used for years as the boogeyman don’t carry 10mm. The argument against the 10 was it was more powerful than the cops carry. The counter to that should have been xyz agencies carry it and it’s recognized for outdoor protection which was my clients intention. It’s also a small part in a large case that had lots of things used against the guy. They also changed the self defense law for the better since and shifted the burden of proof from you the defendant to the prosecution. For the topic at hand, in addition to my normal EDC I carry a small first aid kit, couple water bottles, water purification kit. For a day hike I don’t see the need to carry a ton. Sometimes though I carry my full frame heavy pack not because it’s needed but because I like to use day hikes as a way to ruck and get in better shape. |
| For me it depends on the season. We don’t really have any trails around here so in winter I’m almost always bushwhacking on snowshoes, and it’s not hard to get someplace you don’t see or even hear snowmobiles. So I always have a 4S tent, appropriately-rated sleeping bag and pad, down parka and pants, extra layers, avalanche shovel and folding saw, and stove with 2 days food in addition to the usual stuff. |
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Wife and I hike to some pretty remote areas in AZ. Usually just the two of us, and our small dog. I bring: 3 liters of water, one or two 16 oz water bottles and a lifestraw setup Enough snacks to keep me going all day (energy bars, trail mix, etc,) First aid kit Boonie Hat (I'm 100% shaved head bald, I burn easily up top) Small towel Multi-tool 3-4" foldable knife 5" fixed blade and a small push dagger type knife (probably too many knives) 9mm pistol on my belt, with a spare mag or two My wife refuses to carry much stuff, usually just water and food, so I get to carry everything else!! |
Looking back I realize, nothing have I done
Left to die with only friend,
Alone I clench my gun
Left to die with only friend,
Alone I clench my gun
Joined:
Jul 2026
Posts:
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EE: 0% (0)
VA, USA
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Ten C’s of Survival are one take at this, and no doubt I have all this stuff and more at home and in the car. But is what I actually carry hiking: 1. ShieldPlus/15rd mag 2. LEATHERMAN, Charge Plus TTI 3. Charged Cellphone/Nitecore Carbon Battery 6K USB-C Rechargeable Lightweight 6000mAh Waterproof Power Bank 4. Bic Lighter wrapped in ducktape 5. LUMINTOP Tool AA 2.0 EDC Flashlight 6. More water than I plan on drinking 7. a Wazoo Cache Cap lets me carry lots of other stuff. It has built in signaling (orange/reflective interior), pockets for kevlar thread, small ferro rod, firestarting material, microcompass, etc 8. OC spray, backpack, hand sanitizer, compressed towels, DripDrop Hydration Packets, and ziplock bag are other items that I regularly carry hiking. 9. Casio G-shock atomic watch with Suunto Compass Of these, in Texas water is probably the most essential. Even comms can be secondary. Years ago there was an soldier at Ft Hood who had a cellphone and got lost on a land nav exercise... and died quickly of dehydration before they could locate him. I have a GRAYL GeoPress Titanium 24 which works for filtering water or boiling, but in Texas you generally need to carry your water as it can be scarce. Outside of Texas there would be some differences |
per aspera ad astra
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Some pictures of part of my car kit that I can quickly throw in my pack when appropriate: Attached File Attached File There is redundancy. Sawyer water filter and purification tabs. Lighter and ferro rod, various tinder, cordage (both bank line and kevlar), various plastic bags which can serve as containers, contractor bag and mylar sleeping bag for sheltering. Headlamp, tent stakes, hand sanitizer, gorilla tape, and USGI compass round it out. Not a bad idea to have some kind of tarp for a tarp shelter. Here it would be mostly useful for shade. |
per aspera ad astra
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Originally Posted By Ambridge77: I don't carry anything for a simple day hike except my own fat gut. Simple day hikes can become unexpectedly complicated in no time. OP: Just because its old doesn't automatically disqualify it from future use. Certainly, in the last 15 years there have been advancements, but I assume that you're familiar with how all that older stuff works. Take it out and evaluate it for continued use. If you think a more modern piece of gear can reasonably do a better job that buy stuff piecemeal and take it out for test runs. Hikers like gun guys tend to have boxes of gear they've bought, tested and opted to not use. That can expensive quickly |
*post contains personal opinion only and should not be considered information released in an official capacity*
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Originally Posted By tc556guy: Simple day hikes can become unexpectedly complicated in no time. OP: Just because its old doesn't automatically disqualify it from future use. Certainly, in the last 15 years there have been advancements, but I assume that you're familiar with how all that older stuff works. Take it out and evaluate it for continued use. If you think a more modern piece of gear can reasonably do a better job that buy stuff piecemeal and take it out for test runs. Hikers like gun guys tend to have boxes of gear they've bought, tested and opted to not use. That can expensive quickly Thanks I have a cool retirement job that I get out and hike a lot weekly and have been trying out a lot of the older stuff to see what works and does not. I bought an osprey Syncro 15 Hydration Backpack thinking it would be so much better than my 5.11 skyweight pack and it was not really. Both are better in the hot humid weather than my older Cilogear NWD mountaineering pack. Boots I have narrowed it down to my Merrel Moab 3 mids and my Scarpa Zodiac Plus GTX for really rough trails. I'm trying to make a 10 essentials pouch that I can throw in different packs but have everything all together. It would have everything besides food, water, and map. |
have gun will travel
Well you seen much combat? ......... I've seen a little on TV.
We are jolly green giants, walking the Earth with guns.
Lifetime NRA member SADLY
now GOA and ASA member!!!!!
Well you seen much combat? ......... I've seen a little on TV.
We are jolly green giants, walking the Earth with guns.
Lifetime NRA member SADLY
now GOA and ASA member!!!!!
|
Wife had a teacher work week last month and couldn't take the kiddos to school with her so I took the week off from work and did a staycation with the kids. I have wanted to take them to my favorite day-hike location for years so one morning we woke up early and drove to Carvers Gap to hike Round Bald, Jane Bald, and Grassy Ridge Bald. It's a 2-hour drive there and a 5-mile hike round trip.    I packed an old Marmot backpack with the following: 4x apples 4x tangerine oranges 8x cheese sticks 3x fruit roll ups for the kids as well as a large bag of goldfish 6x 16 oz water bottles Bamboo hoody for me Hoody for daughter Small first aid kit dog poop bags and plastic bags for trash The boys each had a little day backpack with long sleeve shirt/hoody and more water.  I also had a fanny pack with the following: Small fire kit keys wallet/cash Ruger P3AT and spare mag small lockback knife Carried my phone in my pocket with a larger lockback pocket knife. Had the trunk of the car loaded with extra water and a cooler with even more water and snacks for the 2 hour drive back home.  Also, you'll notice my shoes in the trunk...One of the small joys in life is taking off your shoes after a good hike and putting on some flip flops for the car ride  So don't forget some sandals or similar. I always keep a pair in the trunk or if I'm overnighting, in my backpack.  We survived just fine with what we had. Honestly, we could have done with less, but life has taught us not to plan for everything to go right, but for some things to go wrong and so we pack accordingly. |
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I need to specifically mention an elastic/velcro ankle wrap. Back in the last '90s, I had a series of ankle sprains one summer and an elastic wrap kept me in the game. Different ankles, if I recall. Think I bought it at a grocery store in Brussels. Same wrap resided in my first aid kit for years and years. Not being replaced until the mid-2010s. The wrap was white, always easy to identify, albeit prone to dirt and grime because of the light color. I replaced it with a tan wrap. About this time last year, I was doing the approach to Exum Ridge on the Grand Teton, and came across a gal on the trail who had sprained her ankle - still in treeline and she and her party weren't climbers. I went to pull my wrap, only to find that I had accidentally mistaken it for similarly colored coban, and thus had duplicative coban wraps, but no elastic ankle wrap. She was with a number of others, six maybe, and they assured me she'd be fine, and they could manage. I kept on going up to the saddle, but I would have felt a lot better if I had been able to get her ankle wrapped with the elastic/velcro wrap. In 2019, I rolled my ankle when hopped through a gap in some boulders and accidentally found myself in the middle of a moose fight. Occupied as they were, they didn't notice me, but in trying to keep from being notice in the first place, I was diving for cover and rolled my ankle, somewhat. The wrap kept me going. For days. Later in 2019, I was ferrying loads up to Longs Peak, CO, and on a return trip to the car, rolled my ankle a half a mile from the trailhead. And my ankle wrap? Back with my first load of gear at 13.5k. That sucked. The wrap would have saved the overall endeavor, but it would have let me get back to the car with much greater ease. It was stupid. I was just rushing, nearly at a jog, just wanting to get the next load of gear and head back up the mountain, and wasn't paying attention to where I was putting my feet, because I was on absolutely cruiser ground, the easiest ground of the entire hike, and put my foot down off kilter on a partially buried rock in the near middle of the trail. I don't recall if it was the same ankle. |
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In order of importance: Handgun with weapon light + spare mags. IFAK / trauma kit Hard shell rain gear Water Insulating layers Headlamp + spare batteries Map + compass + GPS watch Fixed blade knife (either 5” or 6.5”) Survival kit (ferro rod, Petro cotton, lighter, matches, 550 cord, 90mph tape, 2 Mylar blankets, canteen cup, h2o tablets, h2o filter, spare compact compass, Swiss Army knife, small diamond sharpener, ziplock bag, rite in rain pad + pen, etc) Binoculars (least important but most fun) |
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Originally Posted By GaryT1776: In order of importance: Handgun with weapon light + spare mags. IFAK / trauma kit Hard shell rain gear Water Insulating layers Headlamp + spare batteries Map + compass + GPS watch Fixed blade knife (either 5” or 6.5”) Survival kit (ferro rod, Petro cotton, lighter, matches, 550 cord, 90mph tape, 2 Mylar blankets, canteen cup, h2o tablets, h2o filter, spare compact compass, Swiss Army knife, small diamond sharpener, ziplock bag, rite in rain pad + pen, etc) Binoculars (least important but most fun) Full sized combat knife for day hikes? Lot of weight and bulk for a day hike but OK. I carry a small fixed blade clipped to a pocket . Before that it was a neck knife on a cord, and I think I've used my Super Leatherman over the years more than either of those knives. The rest of your list mirrors mine |
*post contains personal opinion only and should not be considered information released in an official capacity*
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A day hike probably isn't turning into the zombie apocalypse so I don't plan for it. I download the detailed offline map onto OnX hunt and make sure my phone is fully charged. Beyond that I will take about twice the water I would expect to drink and a couple of packs of peanut butter crackers, some other snack or if I am really enthusiastic I might wrap up a sandwich. My day pack always has sun screen, bug spray and a tube of chapstick. I might have a pocket knife on me but if I am hiking somewhere I had to fly I probably won't. If it is in an area with brown bears I do carry bear spray. |
It’s better to keep your mouth shut and appear stupid than open it and remove all doubt.
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Originally Posted By 18B30: I hike hocking hills. A very popular tourist destination with plenty of roads, water, shelter, etc. and I still carry the following: WATER! Emergency Purification straw. good, laminated maps (2 of the same area!) Compass and GPS water proof type jacket with gloves Emergency energy bars Pocket knife 100 feet 550 Pressure dressing and tourniquet. We have ridden our horses in there a few times. |
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Originally Posted By BFskinner: A day hike probably isn't turning into the zombie apocalypse so I don't plan for it. I download the detailed offline map onto OnX hunt and make sure my phone is fully charged. Beyond that I will take about twice the water I would expect to drink and a couple of packs of peanut butter crackers, some other snack or if I am really enthusiastic I might wrap up a sandwich. My day pack always has sun screen, bug spray and a tube of chapstick. I might have a pocket knife on me but if I am hiking somewhere I had to fly I probably won't. If it is in an area with brown bears I do carry bear spray. A zombie apocalypse would be an INCH bag. Lots of unexpected bad things can happen even on day hikes. If I'm hiking alone I ask myself if I have enough gear with me to make it through the night if the day hike were to turn into an unplanned overnighter |
*post contains personal opinion only and should not be considered information released in an official capacity*
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Originally Posted By tc556guy: Full sized combat knife for day hikes? Lot of weight and bulk for a day hike but OK. I carry a small fixed blade clipped to a pocket . Before that it was a neck knife on a cord, and I think I've used my Super Leatherman over the years more than either of those knives. The rest of your list mirrors mine Every Monday and Wednesday I ruck four miles with a 70# pack and every Saturday I ruck 13.1 miles with a 70# pack. It’s overkill training but it allows me the luxury of taking just about anything I want when hiking. ETA: Oddly and somewhat contrarian, I find multitools heavy and completely unnecessary . The fixed blade field knife is one of the last things I’d leave out. I’m absolutely in the minority for multitool hate, but I have never once thought “I wish I had a MT”. I own five of them. Three gifted to me and two won. Three of them are still in the packages. Only the one my elderly grandmother gave me in 1997 has been used in anyway. Once. Les Stroud would disown me. |
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Originally Posted By GaryT1776: Every Monday and Wednesday I ruck four miles with a 70# pack and every Saturday I ruck 13.1 miles with a 70# pack. It’s overkill training but it allows me the luxury of taking just about anything I want when hiking. ETA: Oddly and somewhat contrarian, I find multitools heavy and completely unnecessary . The fixed blade field knife is one of the last things I’d leave out. I’m absolutely in the minority for multitool hate, but I have never once thought “I wish I had a MT”. I own five of them. Three gifted to me and two won. Three of them are still in the packages. Only the one my elderly grandmother gave me in 1997 has been used in anyway. Once. Les Stroud would disown me. My days of heavy packs are over due to lumbar issues. I'm ok if I keep the pack weight under 35 lbs or so. I try to get five hikes a week in but i only bring the pack if I'm hiking by myself. otherwise it's a camelbak MULE and a chestpack I've worn a multitool for decades and use them regularly |
*post contains personal opinion only and should not be considered information released in an official capacity*
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