Day pack.

[Harter66]

I have 2-3 ''day packs'' after several yr of refining I've determined that needing it and having are polar opposites.

The country I hunt on foot is subject to spontanous weather shifts, like 40* at the truck in sunshine and 2 miles later at the top of the ridge your in heavy snow and there's a foot on the truck when you get back to it 2hrs later. Followed all week by 60* days at camp and 40s on the ridges.

Now armed w/the above I have the basic essential clothes to layer however in field use I find that my my back is soaked or dry under any of my packs,weather controled if its dry I sweat and vis-a-vis.

My last evolution in the pack was just too much for what I do,unless I have a complete brain failure tragady or somebody else that has and I elect to stay put for the night. I apear to have a thing about freezing and/or hot food as upon cleaning it out I found 4 gas lighters a Zippo 2 pill bottles of strike anywheres and 20+ books of matches. Rag wool gloves 1 pair w/fingers 1w/o ,2 watch caps,spare glasses ,25ft of 5/50 cord ,2 ponchos, 3-1gallon bags , a small diamond sharpening stone,an all purpose knife that's not my Uncle Henry 15UH or the OldTimer 25OT,the other 15 30-06 and 14 45 Colts and a down vest or coat . There's minor 1st aid too. All toll w/my rifle and 7 1/2'' RBH its nearly 30# of gear for going on a 5 mi circut truck to truck. I forgot about the trail mix , jerky, lunch and liter water bladder. I think I can thin it out a lot.

Whats in your day pack ? Do you think mines overkill ?

[Outpost75]

I'm now 65 and don't carry as much gear or walk as far or as fast as I used to.

I carry a small survival kit, described and pictured fully in the "kilo kit" article in the prepper section.

My day pack is a small Austrian Loden ruck of traditional style. In it I carry a Wetterfleck or Loden wool cape, which serves double duty as a poncho or blanket. There is also a wool Navy watch cap andextra pair ofwool boot socks in a ziplock bag, GI quart canteen with cup and Natick stand, a box of Esbit fuel, soup mix, tea bags, peanut butter and four packs of MRE crackers or tortillas. In the ruck is also a laser rescue flare and either marine, ham 2-meter or air band VHF radio. Depending on terrain I will carry a U-Dig-It folding spade and either a Fiscars woodzig folding saw or hatchet, plus VS17 panel and 25 ft. of paracord. The survival kit is attached in my coat game pocket with a snap link.

In my hunting coat pockets are two aviator's pint water flasks, extra AAA batteries for my Petzl headlamp, cell phone with GIS, weather and topo apps enabled. Also a sturdy folding knife, and ammo for my hunting rifle.

I weigh my gear and limit the walking load to 10kg including rifle, ammo, comms, nav, water and snacks.

[Victor N TN]

I thought I was the only person that carried that much junk hunting. I wore out a couple of Cheapie packs. Then my wife bought me a good camo daypack somewhere when she was shopping. It's heavier and camo to boot.

I'm waiting on a new GPS unit. The older ones and I have a disagreement.

[Krumfola]

Over the past few years I've gradually cut back on what I carry in the woods. I like the idea of going "lite". I feel like I can move around easier plus I really don't need all the extra stuff most of the time. I'm currently looking for a small pack that I can sling over my shoulder and just keep my knife, range finder, water bottle, and a couple I the things. Rifle is on a sling.

[LouisianaPatriot]

Here's the list of what I carry in my "swamp bag". I apologize if it's too long.

Tools:

· Knives(pocket, skinning, utility)
· Axe/hatchet
· Sharpening stone
· Gloves
· 550 cord
· Trash bags

Fire Making:

· Lighters X 3, blastmatch, tinder, tea candle
· Glow sticks, flashlights

Water:

· Lifestraw
· Canteens, SS water bottle w/wire 2
· Coffee filters

Medical/Hygiene:

· Benadryl
· **** Paper
· Wet Wipes
· 1^st aid kit

Misc.:

· Hammock
· Poncho
· Leaf suit
· Space blanket
· Shemagh
· Cliff bars
· Socks
· Bug Spray

[gkainz]

- One forty-five caliber automatic
- Two boxes of ammunition
- Four days' concentrated emergency rations
- One drug issue containing antibiotics, morphine, vitamin pills, pep pills, sleeping pills, tranquilizer pills
- One miniature combination Russian phrase book and Bible
- One hundred dollars in rubles
- One hundred dollars in gold
- Nine packs of chewing gum
- One issue of prophylactics
- Three lipsticks
- Three pair of nylon stockings.

Shoot, a fella' could have a pretty good weekend in Vegas with all that stuff."

Major Kong

[Mtnfolk75]

In a medium size Camo Day Pack I always carry:

small 1st aid kit that will also attach to a belt if need be,
tin camp cup with a wire handle,
fire starter kit (waterproof matches,stone & striker + steelwool),
small bag of single serve instant coffee packets & dry soup mixes,
small folding heat tab stove and tabs,
1 USGI MRE,
2 - 1 quart water bottles,
USGI rain poncho & liner,
50' of 550 paracord,
2- small 250 Lumen LED flashlights & spare AAA batteries,
wool beanie, gloves & spare socks,
3 - 1 gallon ziplock bags,
18 round ammo wallet of 38/357 shot and Barnes Lead-Free rounds (6+12),
pencil and small note pad,
leatherman tool,
baby wipes & MOUNTAIN MONEY ....

I also always carry a 4" S&W Revolver in a Simply Rugged Sourdough Pancake attached to a Chesty Puller harness, that holds the revolver across my chest at about a 45* angle. Also carry a Cutco Knife and a Speed Strip on the harness plus a Velcro wallet if the pants have no pockets.

I have bad legs due to years of bad decisions in wrestling with drunks ..... , so I usually travel by ATV or Side-by Side UTV and spot and stalk or glass. I usually leave the day pack on the ATV/UTV unless I am trying to make stalk or recover an animal.

I live in a small cabin in the Sequoia National Forest & make trips into the woods several times a week on average, I ALWAYS carry the Day Pack and Chesty Puller rig along with a long gun .......

[HawkCreek]

I use a small chest pouch and a small day pack in combination. They can be used alone also depending on the activity but this has been my spring/summer day hike kit for this year and so far I'm happy with it. I'll trim it down for hunting season but this should give you an idea.


I'm still figuring out how I want my kit bag set up but I think I'm pretty close to being done (actually it keeps changing depending on what I'm doing).
Front Compartment:
phone (it's also my camera)
AAA Maglight (I need to upgrade to a better/lighter light)
and snacks

Center Compartment:
Turley 1917 w/ firesteel on sheath (this knife goes everywhere with me even when I already have a straight blade)
spoon
space blanket
Leatherman Wave II w/ bit kit
chapstick
asprin and tums (white container)
large altoids tin is my PSK
small tin is unused but I think I'll turn it into a fishing kit

Concealment Compartment:
Glock 20 w/ spare magazine (I made the magazine pouch but a kydex version would be ideal)

I much prefer the canteens over the Naldene bottles in the Tara as they take up much less room. Jerky, snack bag, food container w/ nesting cup. I replaced that cup with a Toaks 750 Ti pot w/ lid as it's a more usefull cooking pot (though a bit harder to drink from). NBC Container Fleece benie and poly pro gloves Filson Long Johns BCUSA MEST ridge line and cordage kit

The food container nests with Nalgene accessories quite well. Keeps everything sealed well and from making a mess. You can pretty well see what I carry for food. I also like to add the squeeze tubes of peanut butter when on an outing but I dont keep it stored in the Tara.

NBC container has TP, a little roll of Gorilla Tape, sew kit, and some iodine tabs (in a ranger band).

[krag35]

Matches
butane lighter
Magnesium with ferro rod
1 pr extra socks in ziplock
wool mittens
wool watch cap
flagging tape
electrical tape
spare compass
space blanket
50' 550 cord
first aid kit in an old 16MM film can
Havalon knife with 6 new blades
Mico leatherman
GPS and spare batteries
Map of the area
10 rounds for my rifle
10 rounds of one spare mag for my pistol
Gerber fixed blade knife
Estwing hatchet
Rain jacket
Cheap single walled water bottle
Coffee filters
water purification tablets
lunch or a couple candy bars
I carry at least a couple weeks of extra "provisions" on me

That's in my pack, in my pockets I carry
"oldtimer" 2 blade pocket knife
"Oldtimer" trapper knife
Zippo lighter
Butt wipe
Compass
5 rounds for my Rifle (in watch pocket)

I started carrying more stuff after spending a night burrowed into some fir limbs, in the snow, during Elk season. That whole "fire drill" thing works a lot better in the summer, during daylight, than it does in the dark with snow coming down.