What do you pack for a five hour summer day hike ?...

[Sugarloafer]

As I've gotten into hiking more, I've read, what appears to be some conflicting information about what gear to carry, for example on a typical day hike. I always feel like I carry too much stuff I never use. There seems to be the minimalist school of thought that passionately supports carrying as little as possible...water and a power bar ! Then there's the other extreme that says be prepared for "mid winter conditions" even in the summer. The AMC guidbook gives a laundry list of stuff you should carry..I've always assumed they're trying to be conservative. I know that some of the things you should consider are the weather forecast, length of the hike, trail conditions and difficulty, but from a practical standpoint, do most people carry a first aid kit, water filter (as opposed to carrying a 100oz bladder), a fleece, gloves, a leatherman, etc. on a typical five hour summer day hike ? Appreciate any advice.

 

[dr_wu002]

For a short (5 hour) day hike I usually try to take as little as possible. Some water, camera, supplies (duct tape, band-aids), perhaps a small rain jacket. I find that for short hikes I rarely open my pack.

For a longer hike (15-20 miles) I will take more stuff. I drink a lot of water so not only do I take the usual 3 liters but I'll take a filter and purifier because if it's hot I'll usually need it. I'll also take a liter of chicken soup and some other food because I'll burn out of energy. Considering I might be far away from the road I might take my emergency bivy sack and my headlamp. Also, a change of socks and my rain coat.

-Dr. Wu

 

[sapblatt]

Sugarloafer -
I am not a minimalist, but I am also not a masochist (don't want 50 pounds on my back if it is not necassary.) In the summer I will pare down quite a bit if I am not going to be on ahike with a ton of exposure. If you are going to be on the Presi's, Franconia Risge, etc. you do not want to be caught without the gear you would need. I probably would skimp on extra clothing layers if I knew it were going to be hot and the exposure factor was minimal. I drop the gloves and fleece hat in the summer on hikes with little exposure.
I carry a lot of water...I should carry my filter more and carry less water...some day I will learn. I pretty much had between 3 and 5 liters on my at all times last week on my Presi Traverse attempt... too much weight.
I cannot see many situations where I would not want good food (you need to have food that you will want to eat...granola bars can get tired pretty fast on a long hike...)
The only time I do not carry my first aid/emergency kit is when I drop pack for a short summit trip. I did this last week only on Madison.
I always carry map and compass, leatherman, light, matches even in the summer...better safe than sorry.
Hope this is a help.

How long have you been in Ipswich? I grew up there, lived there from 1966-1986...PM me when you get a chance.

 

[John H Swanson]

I usually carry enough food and water for the hike.
Then I add enough gear to spend the night. Not in comfort, but to survive.
Throw in the cell phone in case I get off trail by mistake or have to order a pizza.
and thats about it, except for the fancy thermarest butt cushion

oh, forgot the headlamp and first aid kit and bug dope and sunscreen and a few other essentials.

JHS

 

[David Metsky]

You will get a different answer from every hiker you ask, sometimes more than one answer per person. Lots of things will effect what I carry on a dayhike, such as:

• Where am I hiking? I carry different things above treeline vs a valley hike.
• Solo vs Group? I carry more stuff when I'm solo to give me a greater margin of safety
• Leader? If I'm leading a trip I carry LOTS more stuff
• Weather forecast? If there is rain in the forecast I bring more grear. Hot weather will require more water

I will always carry my F/A kit, emergency kit, headlamp, hat/gloves and camera on any hike. I usually have my 3 liter platypus, extra layers (top and bottom), shell, Crazy Creek chair (comfort & safety), food, etc. I usually have a Swiss Army knife somewhere in the pack, but it rarely gets used. You'll find what you are comfortable with and what you can't live without.

-dave-

 

[Gris]

Same for every summer day hike, regardless of length:

1 - What i wear (light zip-off pants, Nike mesh tank, light roll-up long sleeve)
2 - Full hydration bladder & Aqua Mira drops
3 - Two pair of spare merino wool socks
4 - Very light fleece beenie
5 - Very light DWR windbreaker
6 - Munchies (pretty much whatever is handy)
7 - Small amt duct tape & Ibuprofen gel-caps (my first aid kit)
8 - Hiking poles
9 - LOTS of camera gear!
10 - Headlamp & very small flashlight
11 - Car keys
12 - Head net
13 - Compass
14 - Cell phone
15 - Bandana
16 - Tilley Hat
17 - A REAL knife!
18 - Sometimes a fleece top or long john top if expect to be up high

And for some strange reason I almost ALWAYS forget to take a map...

 

[twigeater]

About the same as Metsky except take away the crazy creek chair and add guide book and map.

 

[dr_wu002]

I know at least one person on this site who claims to bring an already tagged body bag in his pack in case he "expires" while on the trail. All you have to do is put him in and tell the rangers the location on the way out...



-Dr. Wu

 

[Quack]

SUNSCREEN!!!!! Don't forget the sunscreen!

 

[HockeyPuck]

I always carry a first aid kit, rain gear and a flashlight with fresh batteries.

I do most of my hiking solo (or with my pup) and I try to be prepared and bring enough clothes and equipment (rope, knife, Iodine tablets) to spend an emergency night in the woods should I get lost or hurt somewhere. The pups a great companion, but he's no Lassie.

I have only needed the flashlight (knock on wood) the rest of the items have only added weight to my pack and a little security for the wifey at home.

 

[CatskillsYeti]

FWIW:

food, water, rain jacket, change of socks, compass, map, trail description copied from guide book, emergency shelter (grommeted "space blanket"), 50' chute cord, knife, matches, "oh sh*t" kit (duct tape, dental floss, F/A supplies, emergency rations, combo tool, replacement boot laces), plastic bags, paper towels, camera, 8x monocular, sometimes a cell phone (turned off unless I need it). I might take additional clothing items, depending on the weather forecast.

If I have the time, I print a photocopied portion of the map and the trail description on two sides of the smallest sheet of paper I can fit them on (usually about 5x7), laminate it, punch a hole in one corner and hang it from the clip of one of the spring-loaded mini-reels I use to hang a hemostat when I'm fishing.

 

[arghman]

About the same as Metsky except take away the crazy creek chair and add guide book and map.

Ditto here, though I leave the guidebook at home. I used to think a hat & glove was silly / excessive but in cold windy fog you can get chilled pretty quick even with temps in the 50s. My hat & glove combo is a balaclava + liner gloves (which should keep me comfortable down to about 30 F if it's not too windy), it weighs hardly anything & takes up barely any room.

I bring a whistle, hope I never have to use it (& hope that I don't ever need to call for help within the noise range of a waterfall )

 

[linehant]

>>I've read, what appears to be some conflicting information about what gear to carry, for example on a typical day hike. <<

Yeah...

It really depends upon the particular hike you're considering - its length, difficulty, and location, the time of year, the weather.... a bunch of things.

If you're doing a popular short hike on easy terrain... some sunscreen, a water bottle, and a power bar might be all you need.

If you're headed above tree-line in the White Mountains, then the items detailed under "What to Carry" in AMC's WMG are certainly worth considering. Everything described/listed there will easily fit in a fanny pack or a small day pack.

As you probably noted from the posts in this thread, there are as many versions of the "must carry" list as there are hikers. You'll (eventually) develop a "must carry" list of your own. The dictum of the "10 Essentials" is well worth considering as a *base*; you can add to (or, heretic that I am, subtract from) that list as you think appropriate for your specific objective.

 

[forestgnome]

Ditto, Arghman. If you are stuck, and you get wet and the temps are lower than, say, 60f, a warm hat/gloves/sweater/shell could mean life or death. These items, plus a bivy, should be in your pack even in July and August, IMO.

 

[dougb]

I may forget a map, but I always carry a compass & get an idea of a "safety bearing" before I go. I've missed the occasional marker or gone off trail to check something out on occasion, and the compass has really come in handy!!

 

[explorer13421]

Another excellent thoughtful thread. After going with relatively little and going with too much, I tailor what I take in light of the time of the year, weather forecast, and the answer to this question: what is the minimum I would want to have with me if I had to spend tonight on the trail providing aid to a sick or injured person. I have been in the situation where I was not prepared to help someone in need a couple of times, fortunately not hiking, and the feeling of helplessness and regret lasted a long time.

 

[Neil]

Sugarloafer, being a pathologically disorganized and forgetful person may I suggest...
Prior to your next hike when you've gathered together all your stuff fire up your computer and make a list of every single (itsy bitsy) thing you've got. Categorize. Put those little check boxes before each item. Eventually you may have several of these lists. (Winter dayhike, summer backpack, summer dayhike and so on.) There are more items on my lists than I take on any hike, like someone said what goes with me depends on the weather, the trail, the length, the number of people etc.

I print up a fresh copy before every single hike I go on and check each item off as I pack it. My lists also include stuff I want to take and leave in the car. ie. full change of clothes, water and food for the drive, road maps. I even added stuff that should always be in the car anyway like jumper cables, powerful flashlight.

Work your lists. By this I mean if you pencil in new items on a list after printing it then you may want to update your list on your computer.

You know where I tend to forget stuff? At the trail head. Especially if I've car crashed. So my pack and anything that's supposed to go in my pack or on my person all go in a laundry basket. Other stuff goes in a second basket.

Everyone's list is sure to be different, for instance I wouldn't bother with a body bag like Dr. Wu's friend. Hell if I'm dead I won't care...

 

[Camper58]

My Day Hike List:

Map
Headlamp
F/A Kit
Ace Bandage (virtually weightless)
Matches
Motrin
Toilet Paper
Water Purification Tablets
Extra hiking Shirt
Long Sleeve Shirt
Extra Socks
Raingear
Camera
Bandana
..... most importantly (to me anyway) FOOD
I always have a bag of GORP, and my lunch is easily the heaviest thing in my pack. It's a bag of KFC popcorn chicken, a Hunt's chocolate pudding, and a Dole's fruit cocktail. Heavy, I know, but sooo worth it at lunch time. I carry a 32 oz bottle of water and a frozen blue frost Gatorade.

 

[MadRiver]

What I carry depends on the length/difficulty of the hike and who I am with.

If I am with my wife or friend John on a day hike, I carry the following:

Daypack or overnight pack depending on length/difficulty.
Hiking poles.
First Aid kit.
Three quarts of water plus filter. (My wife carries one quart)
Food for two plus a little extra.
Appropriate clothing plus a little extra.(I like to change my socks at the summit or mid-hike)
Foul weather gear plus fleece hat & gloves
If showers or rain is threatening, I carry my rain fly for an emergency shelter.
Bivy sack.
Compass, map, flashlight, and knife.
Bug spray & sunscreen.
Toilet paper & baby wipes.
Three small garbage bags for my trash & trail trash.
Common sense.

 

[jfb]

A five-hour summer day hike? That sounds like T-shirt and shorts conditions, probably mostly below treeline with maybe an hour or so above treeline. I'd bring two quarts of water, some fresh fruit, bug spray, a bandanna, long sleeve shirt, Precip top and bottom, toilet paper. If I plan on watching the sunset from the summit, I'll bring a headlamp and backup flashlight. If the hike is in an area where I haven't memorized all the trails, I'll bring a map or guide also.