DC Single Day Field Kit

 

I have been asked on several occasions what I take out with me for hiking trips, and given that a written checklist always helps prevent forgetting something important, why not kill two birds with one stone and post here?

Everyone will have their own opinion of being over or under-equipped. Personally, I think if you are wearing ten belts, frame pack, and swamp boots with your army BDUs for a walk through the local park you’ve probably been watching too much Discovery Channel. That said, setting foot into the woods without some modicum of emergency preparations is fool hardy at best. Balance is the key.

On achieving that balance, years of direct experience and observation have left me with the opinion that ~20lbs is a good total weight limit for day trips. When distributed properly this affords a person of average stature (yours truly) their full agility. And it’s more than enough to equip yourself for any reasonable emergency or forced overnight stay.

The following is a list of perfunctory gear I take no matter how short or long an excursion. Some of the items I have never and hope to never use but consider an obvious necessity, others have been added or discarded through trial and error. Again, everyone will have a differing viewpoint on what is or is not necessary – this is merely what I find best for my own uses, and is likely to continue evolving.

Considerations

• Entire kit should withstand any reasonable shock, temperature change, tensile strain, and submersion without being compromised.
• Kit should be compact and balanced to afford wearer’s full agility. There is little point in bristling with random equipment that serves no purpose other than to snag on obstacles and weigh down the wearer. This go double for protruding loops, straps, and bulges.
• Protect the wearer.
  • General comfort in varying conditions.
  • Help avoid incidents.
  • Provide physical protection to mitigate injuries when incidents do occur. Obviously it isn’t feasible to armor one’s self from head to toe. It is however certainly possible (and necessary) to protect areas like hands, wrists, feet, head, and back that are commonly injured during excursions.
  • In the event of an emergency include provisions for following:
    • First aid up to and including treatment of deep wounds or setting splints.
    • A stay of up to 24 hours with considerations for exposure, food, and water needs.
    • Means to signal rescuers and aid in location/extraction of wearer or others.

Basic clothing

Multiple layers to allow maximum ranges of temperature and weather tolerance. Inner layers should be skin tight keep out insects, plant seeds and other irritating dander but breathable and wick away moisture.

• Head
  • Basic bandanna.
• Upper Body
  • Under armor “skin tight” moisture removing athletic shirt.
    • Add layers of undershirts as needed for extreme cold.
  • Loosely worn sleeveless cotton shirt.
  • Insulated “Frogtog” waterproof jacket tied as second belt.
• Lower Body
  • Swim trunks worn over tight undergarment.
  • Explorer’s shorts.
  • Heavy leather belt (belts should always be secure and capable of bearing wearer’s weight in an emergency).
• Feet
  • Explorer’s socks.
  • Keen all condition moccasins.
• Hands
  • Harbinger fingerless leather gloves w/wrist bracing.

Accessories

• Survival bracelet – attachment point, “free” rope if needed, and a handy third hand.
• Water & shock proof watch w/compass – Electronic aids can fail, so it’s always important to have mundane navigational aids.
• Pocket storage.
  • IPX7 grade night vision binoculars.
  • High intensity LED flashlight – Always carry lighting and a couple of back ups.
• Belt Mount
  • *1 5” Carbon steel hunting knife – The most basic all purpose tool. You simply don’t go outside without one. 
  • *1 “Tinkerer” model Swiss army knife – You’d be very surprised how often you’ll find yourself in need of screw drivers, pliers, tweezers, hole punch, scissors and other basic tools. This is the smallest model of knife available that carries both pliers and scissors in one unit.
  • *1 S&W Bodyguard .380 Pistol w/laser sight – I’m not steeping foot into the woods or anywhere else without some means of defending myself. This is also a powerful last resort noise maker, and cartridge propellent makes a workable emergency fire starter.
    • *6 Rounds Hornaday Critical Defense ultra-performance ammunition.
  • *30’ knotted rope; 250lb capacity – One day good rope is a convenient way to access something out of reach, the next it can be a literal life saver. Knots and water reduce tensile strength, so check and replace as necessary.
• *1 Osprey Manta 36 Hydration ready daypack: Three liter water capacity – Hydration is your best friend. Three liters is more than plenty for a day trip, but it doesn’t help if you don’t actually drink any. It’s easy to forget and dehydration happens quickly. Little sips through the day are better than waiting until you’re thirsty and gulping down. Hydration packs are a handy and reliable source of water, but make sure you learn how to filter more just in case.
  • Whistle w/thermometer and compass, mounted on shoulder strap for quick access – If something happens shouting is a serious waste of energy. You might not be able to at all, and even if you can human voices don’t travel far – especially in hilly country. Always have quick access to a noise making device.
  • ACR Personal Locator Beacon – At ~400.00 this is the by far the single costliest item I carry, and what’s more it will likely never see use. But if ever needed, the cost will be more than justified. Personal locator beacons are a last resort device to call in the cavalry. When puchased, the beacon is regestered with NOAA. In the event of an activation, national authorities will attempt to reach the listed emergency contacts and immediately order local teams to begin rescue operations. When activated, the unit sends a broadcast signal to satellite networks monitored across the globe. The broadcast includes GPS coordinates, and can be triangulated to within a small area even without them. It also sends a local transponder signal that rescue crews can follow directly to the beacon’s location. As might be expected, the unit itself is extremely resilient to virtually any condition and once activated will operate for ~week. As also might be expected, activating the unit is an absolute last resort, as any broadcast is considered an immediate life and limb emergency. The chances of such an emergency occurring are extremely slim – and frankly anything that severe would probably kill me outright. Still, it’s a nice peace of mind for my family if nothing else. If you are taking on truly dangerous contry, or like me tend to explore randomly and alone – it’s something I’d highly recommend.
  • *1 Compressed first aid kit (clean wipes, ace wrap, astringent ointment, and Mylar emergency blanket) – Keep this spartan to save weight and space. Bumps, scrapes, and bites are all you’re likely to get, and aside the most important universal treatment by far is to keep injuries clean and dry, so that’s what you want to equip yourself for. Anything else you can improvise (ace bandage + stick = splint) or is too serious to effectively treat in the field. Instead concentrate on getting yourself out safely. If self extraction is questionable, that’s where the Mylar comes in. Don’t risk it. Wrap up in the blanket to conserve heat and prevent shock, grab your PLB and call in the cavalry.
  • *2 Dry sack kits – Dry sacks are cheap and effective. You can get them in bulk at any outdoor store. I recommend Velcro closures.
    • Food kit – Snack constantly throughout the day rather than eating heavy meals. Nuts are a near perfect trail food. They are calorie dense, easy to pack and eat, are impervious to temperature extreames and if kept dry will preserve more or less indefinitely.
      • Assorted nuts and dry fruit.
    • General supplies.
      • Phone.
        • I highly recommend installing a self contained (i.e. does not require connectivity) mapping application. My personal choice is Back Country Navigator Pro. Make sure to download maps of general vicinity before leaving for trail area, check accuracy against local topographical maps on arrival, and and set step tracking mode once on trail.
        • Charge fully, enable GPS location, activate power saving feature if available, and turn on airplane mode. This will greatly extend battery life while allowing mapping application to operate. Make note of last location on mapping app and shut down fully if battery drops below 20%.
      • Fire kit – Do I really need to explain how important it is to have fire making tools?
        • Matches.
        • Tender.
        • Windproof lighter.
        • Standard lighter.
      • Emergency cash in small bills.
      • Handkerchief.
      • Note kit.
        • Pencil.
        • Notepad.
      • Billfold.
      • Other assorted supplies.
    • *1 LED stick lantern.
    • *1 Stainless steel hatchet. Hatchet is placed lengthwise inside kit with water pouch to act as a “free” frame and force distributing back brace in case of a fall (I’ve had a couple). That tiny extra bit of protection can mean the difference between walking away or never walking again.
    • *1 “Predator” safety helmet.
      • *1 GOPRO HD camera.
• Neck
  • *1 LED headlamp (make sure strap can break away if snagged or tangled).