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List of things for a camping/survival backpack

cabledawg

cabledawg

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Our family has been doing more hiking and now they want to venture into primitive camping. We tried once earlier this year but a huge t-storm flooded us out of our campsite. Anyways the kids (well the two teen boys) want to try it again this year but I want to build them their own camping bags. I was able to find a great deal on some old ALICE frame/pack combos as well as some good sleeping bags. I made up a list of stuff I have now for my work/travel bag and then added some items I'd like for the kids to take along and learn to use. Be critical if you must; I've built and rebuilt this list a half dozen times and scrubbed all the fluff down to what I consider the essentials besides clothing and seasonal items.

So here goes in no particular order:
safety whistle (not a coach whistle, these are the 120db screamers)
small basic first aid kit (bandages, gauze, tape etc)
emergency blanket (shiny mylar stuff)
100' paracord
compass (my wife has been teaching them how to shoot bearings and such)
magnesium fire starter
lifeboat matches
homemade tinder (cotton balls with Vaseline)
snake bite kit
emergency poncho
snap lights (cant decide on color though, green is common)
couple of MRE's
bear bell (I have dangling key chains on my bag)
poison ivy/oak cream (not critical as no one in our family breaks out really bad)
hand/foot warmers (the little crush packets)
ice packs (again the crush packets)
fixed blade knife (I have an old bayonet on my bag)
waterproof container (I have a small one that fits my cell and ID)
dry sack
folding camp shovel (novel idea, but I carry these in the cars and wouldn't be ideal for backpack carry)
wet wipes/antiseptic wipes
pocket wire saw
quikclot or similar
water filter straw (I carry purification tablets, but its time consuming)
camp axe/hatchet (I have a small lightweight hatchet I've been packing around for years. Moving up to a larger tomahawk style this year)
Military style canteen w/metal cup
military style cooking set (metal tray looking deal)
military grade spork

I tried to stay away from anything battery powered or requires fuel. I don't want anything that can go bad in storage. And some will say that every item adds weight, but we're just camping and hiking, not climbing Mt Everest or the Andes Mtn range.

So what say you? Did I go overboard? Did I forget some stuff? I wanna hear :waytogo:
 
I know some places require you to carry certain items or you will get fined if a rescue is necessary.

I carry a flip saw. I have it on me almost all the time when I am outdoors. I even carry it skiing but I'm not at liberty to disclose why. :whistle: I do not carry an axe, but a friend usually does.

It's great to be able to split that list easily into a few different packs.

Dry bags are clutch. I dry bag or/and ziplock everything. This habit comes from canoe camping which is where all my adult life camping has evolved from.

I also always carry a couple meal replacement bars when I am camping. These are additional to whatever food I have prepared. They have a ton of calories and don't weigh much or take up much space. They also have fairly long expiration periods. I think the same two have been sitting in my pack for over a year.

The last time I was in almost in an emergency situation I learned I can hike 9 miles in wet shoes with holes in them, a 24 ounce bottle of gatorade, and a bag of carrots I had for my dog.

I always try to carry the least amount of things possible while being prepared. I'm small, so my worst enemy is a heavy load. For canoe camping I had a 7 day pack weighing in at 45 pounds with food for a couple extra days. My boat weighs 40 pounds. I calorie count. I haven't weighed my pack for hike camping, but thats due to not having a scale right now.
 
I'd carry at least one, preferably two 32oz nalgene containers instead of the military canteen. Also, get some water purification tabs as well as a good hiking water filter (Katadyn, MSR, etc). Those water straws are cool, but aren't 100% guaranteed to remove all impurities from the water.

Also, if you can swing it, the Mountain House freeze dried food pouches are delicious, but about $5 per bag.
 
Thanks for the input guys. I forgot about the energy bars. Might be alot less bulky to carry a few of those versus a couple MRE's and probably about the same cost (I buy the MRE's in bulk at the Commissary). As for the canteens, I use those because I have a ton of them and the metal cup is awesome for heating/boiling water over a fire. And like I said, I have purification tablets, but it takes like four hours for the treatment process. Not really tablets even, more like small beads. You mix water in the bottle, then use that to treat a large volume of water. I bought them because it doesnt expire as long as the bottle is intact. Couldnt tell ya the brand right off the top of my head.

BTW, I also added orange marking tape to the list. No much use as it has low tensile strength, but for some reason everyone can spot marking tape from a ways off even when they arent looking for it.

I'm short but stocky so weight isnt an issue for me. My kids however are going to be taller than me (the oldest already has an inch on me) and probably thinner for the next several years, so they may not do as well with a bulky pack as I do. They do ok with my current day bag which is a smaller camelbak. It has two full 100oz bladders, a seperate nalgene bottle, first aid kit, my kid's diabetes pack, two cell phones, FRS radio w/weather, a few snacks and in most cases my DSLR camera. It's got some weight to it but I'm sure it's nothing compared to a full camping bag.

I may break these bags into smaller kits. That's the cool thing about the ALICE bags, there are tons of attachment points on the frame and bag so a small bag lashed to the big bag would make it easier to seperate the day hike stuff from overnight camping stuff. In this thread, I was more concerned with the contents than the overall setup, and already you guys have given a few things to think about.

EDIT: The water filter straw I found is the LifeStraw. Filters down to 0.2 microns and good for 1000 liters. Amazing reviews and it's only $20 on Amazon. Between the metal cup to boil water and the straw, I should be good.
 
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I have a katadyn water bottle. It filters, so when I camp and I know there is water ie: canoe camping. I only carry 1 bottle of reserve water.
 
cabledawg said:
So here goes in no particular order:
safety whistle (not a coach whistle, these are the 120db screamers)
small basic first aid kit (bandages, gauze, tape etc) I've been overdoing this portion. Most first aid stuff can be improvised from hiking equipment.
emergency blanket (shiny mylar stuff) This OR poncho, not both. I learned these are really only good for a ground cloth (and not VERY good) and for reflecting fire heat.
100' paracord Half that, for improvising shelter.
compass (my wife has been teaching them how to shoot bearings and such)
magnesium fire starter Good to know how to use and play with, but a pain. I rock a Bic, and water resistant matches in redundant, separate Ziplocs.
lifeboat matches
homemade tinder (cotton balls with Vaseline)
snake bite kit
emergency poncho
snap lights (cant decide on color though, green is common) Good to have one for tent light, but a luxury if you already have headlamps, which I recommend over any other light source for hiking.
couple of MRE's Great for day trips, too heavy for me for more than two days. I go some Mountain House, Rice A Roni, Noodle boxes, etc. If you have a Grocery Outlet or other liquidator, that's the place to hit. Build a crate of stuff, and piece it out into Ziplocs with instructions Sharpied on the bags.
bear bell (I have dangling key chains on my bag)
poison ivy/oak cream (not critical as no one in our family breaks out really bad) I'd skip it.
hand/foot warmers (the little crush packets) Seasonal. I love these. I cram a couple in my socks when I sleep. :D
ice packs (again the crush packets) Skip it. Water and a rag will do for most issues.
fixed blade knife (I have an old bayonet on my bag)
waterproof container (I have a small one that fits my cell and ID)
dry sack
folding camp shovel (novel idea, but I carry these in the cars and wouldn't be ideal for backpack carry) Probably depends on your area, but I can dig poo holes around here just with my boot heel.
wet wipes/antiseptic wipes Speaking of poo, I put a few moist towelettes (scavenged from MREs :deal: ) in my toilet paper bag. With hiking dumps, they go a long way to making crapping in the woods tolerable.
pocket wire saw If you have to cut it, it's probably not worth trying to burn it. Is this for improvising shelter?
quikclot or similar
water filter straw (I carry purification tablets, but its time consuming) My water tablets take 30 minutes. Chug what you have, and start the next bottle purifying when you start hiking again. I have a good filter, but don't mind the tablet taste.
camp axe/hatchet (I have a small lightweight hatchet I've been packing around for years. Moving up to a larger tomahawk style this year) For what, especially if the pocket saw is redundant?
Military style canteen w/metal cup I've been using 32 ounce Gatorade bottles to great success. Also with the tablets, one bottle can be purifying while you use the other.
military style cooking set (metal tray looking deal)
military grade spork MREs have spoons, and the knife should handle everything else.

I tried to stay away from anything battery powered or requires fuel. I don't want anything that can go bad in storage. And some will say that every item adds weight, but we're just camping and hiking, not climbing Mt Everest or the Andes Mtn range.

So what say you? Did I go overboard? Did I forget some stuff? I wanna hear :waytogo:
Click to expand...


Headlamps, and toilet paper.
 
I was thinking the wet wipes would suffice for tp but guess a roll isn't much to carry. As for the headlamp I'm trying to stay away from anything that uses batteries. I do have some small lightweight led headlamps and they aren't very spendy. Hmmmm.......
 
cabledawg said:
I was thinking the wet wipes would suffice for tp but guess a roll isn't much to carry. As for the headlamp I'm trying to stay away from anything that uses batteries. I do have some small lightweight led headlamps and they aren't very spendy. Hmmmm.......
Click to expand...

I'd much rather have an LED headlamp than glow sticks. I use a Coast brand one (HL6) that has an adjustable output. It use 3 AAA batteries and lasts a long time on those (6 hrs) and is light (4oz w/ batteries). If you had 6 AAA that would be good for a week unless you're up all night. I used to use my 4Sevens AA flashlight, it is extremely bright, but goes through batteries fast and uses AAs not AAAs, so I switched to a Coast single AAA flashlight. I decided that was not enough and now I use a Pelican 1920 2 AAA light.

MREs come with a tightly compressed block of TP. A couple of those and some wet wipes make outdoor pooping more comfortable.
 
For homemade fire starters I use old egg cartons filled with sawdust. I pour liquid wax on them and cover the top with drier lint. Cut up the cubes and voila. They burn about 20min.
Baby wipes are fantastic.
And if you want really high calorie, light weight food, look into lifeboat bars. Most pack about 400+ calories per bar.
 
So...... how long are these trips going to last? One thing nobody has mentioned is a TOOTHBRUSH. god you will all thank me, unless I'm tje only one who gets a near sexual satisfaction from a clean mouth, even if my body is filthy.

I carry a bear bell, too but I hike solo. Not sure the nuisance is necessary if you're in a group.

Head lamp. Head lamp. HEAD LAMP. no reason to carry any other light source.

I agree most emergency first aid can be improvised from your pack- I'm thinking tornicate specifically, but really nice to carry are those blister things... gotta look them up, can't remember the specific name.

Re: magnesium flint. I carry one in my pack, always, but it's more about feeling prepared than practicality. I am not good at using it, and in a crisis I imagine it would go something like that "to build a fire" story. Worth it to just dry bag a couple bics and tinder.

My personal opinion is that most any good quality knife will do as long as it's very sharp. I have a little lock blade Gerber I've carried for a million years. If it's protection you're after carry a gun. I think anything else can be handled by a small knife. I think kbars and such are overdoing it.

Love the whistle idea, and the orange marker tape- may add those myself.
 
Yeah I've rethought the light ideas. I have these little energizer brand headlamps. Three power levels plus a red light and run off two AAA batteries. The one I use at work has taken an incredible amount of abuse and is still on the same set of batteries from last year.

I don't really know how long our hikes will be. Anywhere from a few hours to overnight. Don't know yet until we get out and try :rolleyes:
 
Trash bag transparent to get water from early morning dew in emergency situations - sun still.

A Belt can be used as a tourniquet.

If you bring MRE's field-strip them (remove unnecessary pieces).

Some fishing hooks, with fishing line (can also be used for animals-snares).

Boiling meat retains the most calories. Extra socks, socks can be dried by putting them on your shoulders under your shirt. Body heat will dry them.

Safety wire is a good for snares or improvised hooks.

Magnifying glass will make free fire providing you have the sun.
Superglue for minor cuts.
Tampons are useful for pulling puncture wounds.

Sunblock to protect from the sun.
 
Those are some great ideas^^^

A bit of safety wire is a novel idea. If you have old, or mil-surp, external frame pack it's an even better idea. Superglue is great for sutures.
 
Hmmm, not sure how I forgot fishing hooks. I have tons of those and even a few extra spools of braided line. Great idea!

As for the toothbrush and such, those items get packed with clothes so I didn't think to mention them. But I do have a question about deodorant. Do you bother for hikes? Just getting dirty anyways so why not smell like nature :confused:
 
The only hygiene stuff I normally take when backpacking are these: Hotel sized bar of soap- for body, hair, & clothes. Cut down toothbrush with small cap- I got this, and a mini tube of toothpaste, from an airplane 1st class amenities pack. If anyone wants one, let me know and I'll keep an eye out for unopened ones. Small thing of floss from my dentist- this is also good for cutting cheese. Small pack of TP. Microfiber towel from REI. If it's hot I also have small thing of Gold Bond powder.

Stuff like cotton towels, deodorant, shampoo, and body wash are water weight you don't need to carry. Drinking water is heavy enough.
 
Titanium spork...long handled. Beats the MRE plastic spoon hands down.

In almost any situation the hardest thing to fabricate are the tools needed to build something with. So I try to find those tools as small and as lite as I can.

And I've learned you get what you pay for in a lot of ways...take those foil blankets as an example. The cheap ones absolutely suck..they are thin, they rip easy and they don't work for crap...but if you spend 20 bucks on a good one..the thick ones that are olive green or orange on one side and foil on the other. Those ones are absolutely worth it and will save your butt.

I went on a camp out once and my sleeping bag decided to stay home..I slept under a poncho liner and one of those foil blankets..it got into the low 40 and I actually got some sleep.
 
I actually had two versions picked out. The thin ones are dirt cheap in bulk and make decent waterproofing cover in a pinch, but I agree they aren't very durable and probably do little for insulation compared to the claim they are "lifesaving". I had found some thicker ones that still aren't proper insulation against extreme cold, but were almost three times thicker than the cheapies and would probably hold up to being wrapped around a moving person.

Just more things to think about. Sad part is since I started this thread earlier this year, I think my list may have changed some to the point that I'm glad I hadn't bought anything yet. Fact is, we haven't even gone hiking this year due to weather and constantly fixing either vehicles or the house. Should've just bought a bike and a tent :doah:
 
I'd trade any deodorant for deet bug repellent...any deoderant or colone can and will often attract insects...(Avon "skin-so-soft" is highly regarded as an insect repellent in some situations,I know hunters here use it often)..

I'd carry at least 2 good knives,in case one gets lost,broken,or dulled,along with a good jack knife...a small tuna can of parrafin wax is handy to use as a candle or help get fires going too,and can be used for other things..like sealing a leaky spot in a canvas tent..a Leatherman tool is a must too...best to tie it to you with a shoestring so it wont get dropped or lost...a whistle is a good idea too..

One thing a lot of folks overlook is having a container that'll keep things perfectly dry,like ammo,matches ,food,and other supplies...a small ammo box is good to use for that purpose,though they are kind of heavy to lug around...Old pill bottles prescriptions come in make great match holders and containers for fish hooks,bait,etc...

I've had to spend a night outside in 35 degree temps once with only a large black "contractors" sized trash bag (Hefty!) to use as a rain coat and "blanket"..
I always keep a few in my truck or with me if I go on a hike...
I cut an opening in the bottom for my head to stick out,and it was long enough to cover my legs if I scrunched up in the fetal position..I actually wasn't that cold once I got it folded over under my legs...

I was thankfull I had a knitted winter hat with me that day too,though it soon turned into a sponge after it got rained on for awhile...I've since treated my winter hats with Scotchgaurd and it made them water repellent,it helps a lot to keep them dry..
 
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