day hike pack list

[kevin smith]

hey guys

my hiking partner invited me to go on a day hike with a local group and i agreed to go now i need advice on what to take for essintials

i have a camelback hawg daypack that holds 100 oz of water and has storage around the outside of the bladder for a little bit of gear

question is what do i need to take ?? i don t do much dayhiking and im going into an area im not familiar with but its a popular trail that gets frequent use
and i will be there with 7-8 other people so i won t be alone but i have no idea what to take other than a snake bite kit and my patagonia houdini

anyone have suggestions on what to tale with me ?? what does a good day hiking pack consist of ??

thanks for the info guys

kevin

[Dale Wambaugh]

Map
Compass
Whistle
First aid kit
Flashlight or headlamp
Water bottle
Water purification: filter or chemicals
Sunglasses
Sunscreen
Insect repellent
Knife
Fire starters: matches, lighter, firesteel, tinder (pick a couple)
Insulation layer
Bandana
Hat
Gloves
Windshirt
Rain gear
Spare socks
Emergency shelter: poncho, bivy, space blanket (pick one)
Repair kit: duct tape, sewing kit, spare line
Extra food
Hygiene/latrine kit
Backpack

Optional:
Trekking poles
GPS
Smartphone
Sit pad

[Nelson Sherry]

Food, including fun food
Rain protection of some kind if there is a chance of it.
Warm coat for stops, if cold is likely
duck tape
Band aids
Navigation, map and compas
Water/treatment depending on availability on the trail.
hat/sunscreen (put on, not carried)
Trekking poles if you use them
Knife

Maybe also some fun stuff like camera, smart phone with bird or wildflower apps., gps, binocular or monocular, some archaic trinket or gear to be a conversation piece with the other people or whatever.

[Ken Thompson]

Basically take your usual crap without a sleeping bag or shelter. Cooking? Pack accordingly.

[Dale Wambaugh]

A ~450ml mug with an Esbit wing stove, some foil for a windscreen and lid, and a folding spoon/spork make a great day hike kitchen.

[Marko Botsaris]

Geez Dale, you forgot the most important item – his snipe hunting net!

But seriously, now I feel like my day hikes aren't serious enough. I think UL principles would here dictate that he mooch everything off of his 7-8 compadres.

[Dale Wambaugh]

I go solo most of the time, so I want enough CYA for a night out.

Mooching doesn't work when most of the others don't have the right stuff themselves, or you get separated from the group.

Under-equipped day hikers are a pet peeve of mine— don't get me started!

[Nick Gatel]

You all have got to be kidding. Bring water, candy bars, and a wind shirt. Rain jacket if precipitation is in the forecast. Leave all that other junk behind.

[Dale Wambaugh]

Nick, that is bad advice. If someone needs to ask, they need the full menu.

That doesn't mean the stuff has too be heavy, just the right tools for travel.

[Joel Benford]

Where are you going? What's it like? Does it have cellphone coverage and a passing hiker every 10 minutes, or are you going out in the wilderness where you could break an ankle and have to fend for yourself until the search team arrives 2 days later? Is there a group cooking plan (or restaurant reservation)? Do you care if you go without hot food for a day?

[Pete Staehling]

The OP didn't say where they were hiking and that can be a major factor. That said, for where most of my day hikes are I find that snacks, water, and a wind shirt pretty much covers it.

[Dale Wambaugh]

That's just it: assume you will be in a situation where you won't need the stuff and you'll find yourself hosed when you do. People get themselves in messes on seemingly simple hikes— what I call "Gilligan Tours." It was only supposed to be three hours :) I gave first aid while on a very easy day hike to an elderly person who fell and gashed her head on a rock. There were indeed lots of people— and not another first aid kit but mine.

I see people hiking in cotton clothing and not even a water bottle, let alone a flashlight or other essentials. Take a wrong turn in the late afternoon and you just might find out how dark it can be when under heavy foliage and away from city lights. And how wet it can be without a simple poncho or the rain jacket you left in the car.

I keep all the small bits in a one liter stuff sack so it transfers from day pack to multi-day. I don't need to think about keeping track of it all, just grabbing that bundle. Maps and insulation I tune to the trip, the rest is a standardized kit.

The hot food thing is totally optional. A hot drink or some soup is nice on a cold wet hike.

[kevin smith]

thanks for the info guys

this hike will be 7 miles round trip so 3.5 miles one way on a well populated trail

and the weather should be good with highs in the mid 80 s and maybe some wind but nothing hurricane force or anything

im guessing its not a super long hike as the hike starts at 11-30 am so i guess its more of an afternoon hike really

a snake bite kit and windshirt will go with me for sure the rest will be detirmined
later after i figure it out

kevin

[spelt with a t]

With that information, I would personally take:
pocket knife
snacks/water (100 oz camelback full at the start would be plenty for me so no purification paraphernalia)
windbreaker
tape
headlamp
contractor trash bag (raingear, shelter, sit sheet)
sunscreen
map/compass
lighter/tinder
trekking poles

and wear:
clothes appropriate for weather
hat
sunglasses

[Ken Thompson]

Really. you carry one of those Kevin? No remedy for venom other than anti venom. You can do more harm than good cutting and sucking. Get bit, get help.

Watch Venom ER reruns. Don't pick up snakes. Don't put you hands or feet where you can't see them. You'll be fine.

[Nick Gatel]

Agree. Snake bite kit is a bad idea. Focus on prevention.

[Nick Gatel]

"Nick, that is bad advice. If someone needs to ask, they need the full menu."

You're probably right. But if they need to ask, they might not know how to use a lot of the stuff anyway.

The list I posted is truly what I bring, other than on some cross country hikes I bring map and compass. Let's think about tail runners. They cover more distance and are more likely to get injured. I bet most of them are not carrying all this stuff! We are too risk adverse. And too many people go out and have no idea what they are doing.

[Jake D]

for my 25mi Presi in a day hike I carried:

Exos 34
Sierra designs Microlight windshirt/light rain jacket
icebreaker 200 LS shirt
light goretex running mitten shells
thin helmet liner hat
spare socks (switched at lunch on Washington, soo nice)
headlamp
camera
FAK
Knife
mini bic lighter
compass
map
1L water bottle, refilled at each hut.
Snack food and sandwich for lunch, drink mix
(i MAY have had an insulation layer packed but forecast was 80's so i may not have, didn't use it if i did)

Worn/carried:
zip off pants
short sleeve synthetic shirt
Solomon trail shoes
running hat (meshy bball style)
sunglasses (i don't usually but important for so much above treeline time)
watch
poles

---

Depends on the forecast, "worst weather in the world" potential but had an amazing forecast so the need for some stuff wasn't there. We also had a group and multiple bail out points. I tend to go with the thought that if i stay light and (able to be) fast then I shouldn't need overnight gear on a day hike.

[Justin Baker]

This is what I carry for winter day hikes:
windshirt
long underwear top + bottom
extra socks
map
compass
water
snacks
knife/firesteel/tinder
laplander folding saw
small tarp
space blanket
some rope

Most of this stuff is in case I have to spend the night. If I had to spend the night, I would set up a shelter and keep a fire going to stay warm. If you are hiking in an area where building a fire is impossible, I would bring more extra clothing and a bivy.

[Jake D]

sounds like he is going soon so it's not really winter anymore.

[Pete Staehling]

"Let's think about trail runners. They cover more distance and are more likely to get injured. I bet most of them are not carrying all this stuff!"

I know that I trail run 5 days a week, typically 8-13 miles per day. I usually go out before breakfast. I take a car key and a Road ID on a chain around my neck. I don't usually take food, water, or extra clothing. If I go later in the day and it is extremely hot I take water.

I figure that I have spent much of my spare time in the woods hiking, running, hunting, fishing, camping, canoeing, kayaking, snowshoeing, mountain biking, and what not for the last 55 years or so and have managed fine, so I must be doing something right.

I do carry a bit more on hikes than runs, but still carry very little.

[Don Morris]

I would agree with an earlier post – ditch the snake bite kit. Are you serious about an 11:30AM start? That's way too late – get another group..

[Dale Wambaugh]

"….it's not really winter anymore"

Now hang on there just a minute :)

In the last 48 hours we got 6" snow about where the PCT crosses I-90 (Snoqualmie Pass). That kind of "it's not really winter anymore" thinking is where people get hypothermia. How about a couple hours of 33F rain and no sun? Micro-climates can get you too– move 5 miles over the right (or wrong) pass and you can have a whole different misadventure! That's why my list is so detailed.

[Paul Magnanti]

How about IAD? (It all Depends?)

I'be been known to pack in a Coleman two burner stove, sausages and beer for a full moon October-fest themed hike…
but that may be overkill for the 3.5 mile hike on well populated trail for normal people. :)

For a short hike on a well populated trail, esp one I know well, a day pack with water, snacks, and a light jacket is about all I take. If I am feeling esp saucy, I may even hike in comfy cotton cargo shorts! :D

For more ambitious hikes
, often off trail and above tree lino, esp solo, the kit is not far removed from my backpacking kit: Warm hat, gloves, shell mitts, etc. etc. etc. Just no shelter and no sleeping bag.

SOOOO..if I am hiking the Mummy Range by myself, you better believe I am prepared. If I am taking a stroll to the Royal Arch in town (3 miles r/t), I am more likely to pack a little libation rather than the ten essentials. :)

I threw together this basic list a few years back for general mountain hiking. More than foothills, on trail and in three-season Colorado weather when the weather forecast looks good:
http://www.pmags.com/day-hiking-in-colorado

Modify it as appropriate.

Typical for me, it does not list specific gear, but rather *type* of gear.
Conservative, but people new to the outdoors tend to like/need basic, solid advice.

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