The stuff in my pack

Now for the stuff I carry with me in my pack all the time, well, not just in my pack. Some of the gear I wear and carry with me. There's more junk than you'd think there would be. There's probably stuff you'd never think to carry, or could see a reason for carrying. Some stuff I don't always carry, but, most of the time I don't bother taking it out, or I may need it for one of those "It'll never happen to me" scenarios.

In the pack

Pentax Optio A40 - My current camera. Replaced a Nikon CoolPix S210 after I decided to carry the camera in my pocket, and then run my leg into a table in the dark, and crack the LCD. Every picture since January 17, 2009 (and probably a bit before that) has been taken with this camera.

Garmin eTrex Vista HCx - My GPS. Used it on the CO Trail for the first time doing any real navagation with it. Works great, though it did read differently than Mike's GPS, which is the same model as mine. Mine read ~19 miles and his said ~13 miles.

Black Diamond Trail Trekking Poles - Must have for hiking, atleast to me a must have. Really help when going downhill on slick surfaces, or in mud, or just in general. They even fit in the side of my pack (I have the compact edition.)

Sea to Summit X Bowl - My collapsable bowl for dinner. Nothing more to explain about that, it's a bowl, it collapses flat, works nicely.

Marmot Impulse Jacket - My rain coat, works nicely.

Sierra Designs Hurricane Pant - My rain pants, never used them. I'd rather have them and not need them, though.

Marmot Radiator Jacket - My fleece, just incase it's cold. It also doubles as my pillow.

Brunton 8099 Eclipse - My compass for when my GPS fails me, or something. I don't use it much, as the trails I've been on haven't required it yet.

Brunton MY-Ti Folding Spork - It is what it says it is. A titanium spork that folds in half.

Snow Peak Titanium Double Wall 450 - It's a double walled mug made of titanium. Nice and light, and keeps stuff warm. Worked great every time I've used it. Mine, however, is not pink. It's silvery in color, also known as "Titanium."

Columbia Omni-Tech Booney - My hat. Waterproof (except that if you sweat a good bit, you get soaked anyways) and keeps the sun out of my eyes. I may get a new hat eventually, but it works fine for now.

MSR Sweetwater System - My water filter. I leave the chlorine drops at home, because, well, I don't want chlorine flavored water. That's one of the reasons I'm hiking.

Steripen Adventurer - Used in addition to the filter. Kills just about anything, but won't get the chunks out of your water, thus, the filter.

Black Diamond Zenix IQ Headlamp - My headlamp. No walking around in the dark for me!

Outdoor Research Backcountry Kitchen 2 - My "Kitchen." Though I don't plan on carrying half of the stuff in it, it's still something I carry for food.

Primus MultiFuel EX - My stove, though I'm seriously looking into a smaller stove that will fit into my pot so I can cut down on how much space takes.

GSI Ultralight Soloist - My cookware. The stove is a bit overkill for a soloist item, which is another part of why I want to get a new one.

Gloves & ear warmer - Yes, I carry gloves and an ear warmer. Gloves are not just for keeping your hands warm, they're for stopping things from getting to them.

Extra AA batteries - For all your techie needs! GPS, headlamp, stuff like that.

Extra Camera batteries - I have 4 batteries for my camera total, I only plan on carrying two at a time, however.

SDHC Cards - I have three 4GB SDHC cards for my camera. Each one will hold ~800 pictures.

Medkit/Emergency kit - I carry it, and will detail it out a bit below, after I finish listing stuff.

Kobalt 1 1/4lb Hatchet - Can't find a link, but it's a hatchet. You cut things with it. You also pound tent stakes into the ground with it. What else can I say about a hatchet?

Food - I generally carry 6 bars with me, for snacks along the trail, though this will increase when I do the CO Trail.

Water - I carry a 100 oz CamelBak reservior, along with two 32 oz Nalgene bottles, and sometimes a Gatorade/Powerade drink.

Paracord - I carry 50ft, though I should probably carry 150ft instead.

Spare straps - I carry repair straps for my packs, just in case I break one.

Fire Sticks - Some water proof tinder. Good for starting large forest fires that burn 100k+ acres, or, good for starting a camp fire.

Bic Lighter - Good for starting those Fire Sticks.

Iodine tablets - Just incase I break my SteriPen and Filter.

Medkit/Emergency Kit

Adventure Medical Trekker First Aid Kit - My first aid kit

Emergency Blanket - Mine is the cheapy all silver one. Still about $3, but worth it.

Bite & Sting Kit - Just because you never know.


That's it for stuff in my pack. It rarely changes, as I rarely unload my pack for anything.