A couple of comments (rants?): 1. First Aid -- some minor additions, should be replaced each year: - Add Immodium, your pants will thank you on the day you need to make 12 miles to the extraction point to be treated for extreme diarrhea. - Add Benedryl, it may save your August trip when that tent stake you drove into the ground erupts in angry yellow jackets emptying their nest onto every exposed point of your body--and possibly some unexposed places. - Add a few tablets of Aquatabs, Micropur, or similar. Or a micro-bottle drops of household bleach. Sure you could start a fire and boil the water, but tabs or drops are faster when your scrambling to get out before the Immodium runs out. - Add a couple of 3x3 gauze pads to cover the 3rd degree blistered and charred skin eruptions on the back of your hand that happened when you knocked over your boiling pot. Those little bandaids will hold the gauze pads in place, but gauze wrap can work, too. You may lose that hand later, but maybe not if you keep it covered in a somewhat antiseptic manner as you hike to extraction. You may lose that hand later, but maybe not if you keep it covered in a somewhat antiseptic manner as you hike to extraction. 2. That campfire. You need to carry a lighter, a few waterproof/windproof matches, and a firestick (I like the 2in1 All Weather Magnesium Fire Starter for cheap and effective, anything Light My Fire Swedish is good quality, or UST SparkForce since collapses into a small protective hard case). - We put out abandoned campfires EVERY summer weekend, so... -- NEVER place an end of a long log/branch into the fire intending to feed it into the fire before you leave, they are usually left burning outside the fire. -- DON'T start a fire unless you have the water to put it out, dead out. A minimum of 4-6 liters is necessary to put out a fire, more if it burned longer or was bigger. Sea To Summit sells a 1oz (28g) folding 10L (2.5 gallon) bucket that is perfect for this use or for carrying water back to camp for group treatment. -- Put out the fire using your poop shovel to dig down and stir the coals while adding water, the amount of steam and heat will surprise you. Wet the entire campfire bowl, roots running underneath will stay on fire smouldering for up to a year and burn up through trees even in winter above the snow cover. -- Keep your fire small to make it easier/faster to extinguish. The fire doesn't need to be any bigger than the pot you're boiling and that means you can gather less fuel, get a boil faster, and put out the fire in minutes. - In 2018, just in Oregon and Washington, we had 3,202 fires reported and 72% were directly human-caused. Over 1,238,192 acres were burned at a cost of $617 million. That's just Oregon and Washington, there were more and bigger fires in California and lives were lost. Not that anyone reading this would cause these fires, not intentionally. Rant over. Thanks!
I agree with everything you said.. myself I have never needed anything but a Bic and a match safe . Fire is the only thing I agree with the Two is one boys. Hat size fires but pushing a three or four inch in diameter “log” into that is not a bad thing but you should not do it while you are sleepy for the reasons you gave. I have a German made alcohol burner that gives 16 minutes of flame when filled. I haven’t built a fire in years when I am by myself. There is just not a reason to do it. The only thing I really like that makes no sense based on weight is a zippo hand warmer. But I love the damn thing! You make some really good points
@@ferdonandebull Hey, those Zippo handwarmers are classic and will outlast all of us! I actually agree on rarely using anything but a lighter, but I did need to use wind matches a couple of years back when the wind was so strong at ground level that it blew out the lighter before it could even flame. Asking people to carry three or more ways to start a fire is just getting them to consider carrying two--you'd be surprised how many people don't carry any fire starting gear. As for the big log fire, the last one I put out was a nice 3-4" limb that was too large for the previous fire ring users to cut into proper sizes. The limb was still a good 12 feet long sticking out of the ring when I got there a few hours after they exited their camp and the limb was burning a couple of feet outside the ring. Fortunately, there was running water just a hundred yards or so away and I was able to put the fire out with minimal difficulty. I put out one or two fires a week during the summer season and I agree with you, I never use one anymore.
Also, if you are prone to muscle cramps (especially charley horse (calf) and foot cramps), taking extra potassium and magnesium is 1000x better in addressing these than taking "Vitamin I." Two or 3 extra tablets in your First Aid kit is barely any weight but such a great source of pain relief and adds to the quality of your sleep. Just something to explore.
@@AugustHawk Excellent point. Vitamin I is great for controlling actual pain and swelling, and will help with altitude sickness caused by edema, but potassium and magnesium are a better solution for muscle cramps and issues generally caused by dehydration effects.
Totally agree on the multiple fire starting methods. Maybe it is the "be prepared" drilled into me from my youth...but most likely it is older age and feeling less invincible and reading one too many "he went out for a day hike with nothing but a water bottle and they found his body two weeks later..." stories, but I do think sometimes people throw out a little safety with those couple grams they saved. "Well, I have never needed a lighter before..." - is also a popular quote from the fore mentioned stories :)
Another tip for processing wood is to place the end of a downed branch / log in between the base of two trees that have grown together. You can then push on the other end and use leverage to break the log into a manageable size.
I know I'm not quite within your target audience, but the hiking group I run teaches a lot of these same things to a point. Except we wouldn't be caught dead without at least one full medkit in the group as well as at least one person who knows how to use everything in it. That "full trauma" kit is almost exactly what I carry. But in return, I don't carry the cooking gear. When hiking with a group, weight distribution becomes a group effort. We all have to police each other to ensure that nobody is carrying unnecessary gear but we also end up carrying the gear to support everyone. Bigger cook set, bigger medkit, more water, more food, etc. Medkits, tents, cooking kits, food, etc can be split up where people carry in pairs. Since most of us were military, this system seems to work well. Then again, because most of us were military, our idea of ultralight is "we don't need bullets or body armour"
These through hikers hit the trails that usually have a town every 2 or 3 days and then carry inreach communication devices for safety. These trails are pretty well populated as well so they dont usually carry the kitchen sink. These guys wear sneakers and walk 3 miles per hour on average. They run the trail with basically minimum water and food expecting to filter and restock food to cold soak every other day or so. It is not uncommon for them to cowboy camp under the stars to save even more weight. Dont bother trying to convince these guys to carry a hard core first aid kit. Go Go Darwin Go!
While I understand why you'd want the security of hiking with a medkit, the extra weight in your pack can lead to the injuries that you're worried about in the first place. A heavy pack could cause you to lose your ballance while hiking down a steep hill, for example, and you might roll your ankle or even break something. If you do end up needing a medkit and you don't have one, almost everything in a medkit can be substituted with something you're already bringing along - a t-shirt can become bandages, sticks and a foam sleeping pad can become a splint, etc. The best thing about an actual medkit is that everything has its prescribed uses so you don't have to try to be creative at a time when you're hurt and may be panicking. That's a really good reason to bring one. However, planning ahead for what you'd do in a worst case scenario with only what you're already bringing and what you will easily be able to find is just as effective and it does not increase the risk of you getting injured like carrying extra weight does
@@jamesneufeld9856 i agree with most of that with the exception of improvised touniquets. Its better if youre going to carry 1 single life saving piece of equipment is a real, rated tourniquet. Improvised or cheap ones will either break when you need them or will not put enough pressure to hold a bleed serious enough that youd be throwing a tourniquet on
@@jamesneufeld9856 they're ex military, they know what they are doing. 😊 We used to carry far heavier packs back in the 1970s and had way heavier boots etc than now, and we did not encounter the problems you describe, because we were fit and used to carrying the loads.
PharmGeek Outdoor Fun : Lucky!! I’m trying to get my packweight down. I’m kinda working on a bombproof winter setup though. Come summer, I think I’ll be able to drop a ton of weight (not literally - that would be a lot of extra crap!). I still have a 3lbs tarp that I absolutely love. I like having a kitchen under my covered patio...what can I say... I am improving though. I can fit everything I need into one backpack now! :D
PharmGeek Outdoor Fun - OMG! Yes! Im going on my first backpacking this Oct in AT just section with the ladies for 2 nights n 3 days. Never done it but Im a pro baby 😂
Pack load weight is entirely mission dependent. An expert backpacker trying to get from point A to B is going to be a lot different than a beginner doing the same because of the rate of speed and consumption of items.
Yay, I'm glad I'm not the only one! Mind you, I used to pack far too much in a way too large suitcase when I travelled by bus, and I have learned to travel a lot lighter there, so I'm well practiced now!! 😂
Back in the day I started in the army, we had to carry everything from a shovel to a radio and the two batteries for it. The backpack was easily 30kg. When promoted we could use our own brain and choose the stuff we carried around the Finnish forrests. In the end the remaining gear was basically the radio stuff, cooking gear, socks and underwear + food and water. The (practice) missions were a lot more fun, when carrying just the bare necessities. You can easily survive off the trail with comfort with basically nothing more than food and shelter. What I do to keep my gear in check is have a small backpack. What you can't carry you don't need.
Some good advice, but do not get rid of the cup. Coffee and oatmeal in the morning. Oats in the pot, coffee in the cup. For an ounce or so, it's worth it.
I dont carry a cup, its a pan come cup.. the small gas bottle fits in the pan .. pocket rocket 40 grams .. in the morning .. coffee and bar, porridge. then water in wash up 10 mins and warm your hands over the stove
Nice video. Thx. But 1 q; How come you dont mention/use wool ( merino for summer)? Beats all type of tech-wear, warm and cool (even wet), and does not stink at all compaired to tech-wear.
Dan Becker oki. It just really suprises me that spes americans seems to not use wool as base and/or mid layer. I consider it a lifesafer when experiencing harsj conditions in scandinavia/Iceland year round. Extra bonus, you will smell like roses...😊. Cheers
@@EirikArnesen I work in an outdoor retail store and I ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS recommend people take merino wool shirts with them if they plan to go hiking. It doesn't stink, it can absorb sweat like nobody's business and it's light as a feather!
Do NOT use merino wool socks in hot/humid weather like the Amazon (Brazil) where I hike. Thin synthetic dress socks keep your feet far cooler. Hiking the northern hemisphere Pacific is another story.Here I use Merino.
I have a feeling you are fixing to be our hiking guru of the year- to soon be added to the ranks of Darwin, ER, Follow Bigfoot, Dixie.....you are engaging, informative, optimistic and all around helpful! Glad to “meet” you!
I always take a good sized bandana .Tie it to a strap on the outside of my pack. Multi-use,can be used as a headband,wipe sweat,but mostly as an emergency item for cuts,sling,etc.
@Bob Reeder I use a triangle bandage, can be used as a bandana, headband, sweat rag, sling, splint ties, bandage (well duh, lol), primary water filter, a wet filler for a transpiration bag, a bag for carrying items that you have collected, a makeshift flag, a fridge for degradable food (Coolgardie Chest) or even a net for fishing.
Love your videos. Even if other want to criticize. What works for you might not work for others. That being said I'll take any suggestions on losing weight in my pack. I do search and rescue and also started out with a 72 hour bag. Whittled down to an almost 7lb bag now. One thing I discovered, don't know if it's been suggested or not, is the vacuum sealed bags. Using a food sealer, i can compress a full roll tp to almost flat. While this does not loose weight, it does make much more room in my pack. And also waterproof. Which is awesome for those emergency items like matches or salt and pepper.
So funny, I have three bottles of Dr. Bronners I thought I'd use on my JMT hike, never used it once. Finally pulled out of my backpack to use around the RV!
@@nolanhess1 I enjoy the freedom of movement that lightness affords. And as the joints get older going ultralight is the best. Using trail runners, fresher on the trail for longer, cover more miles faster. That's why I'm out there, not to sit in camp with a bunch of luxuries. But each to their own.
@@jamesbadham9665 If you are there just to walk, with shitty food, with shitty sleep and with shitty everything then go ahead, each to their own. For me hiking with shitty food is already torture not even talking about other "luxuries". And i guess we are doing hike to have fun and feel satisfied and not for torture right .
@@jamesbadham9665 And yes i know that on hike you can not eat as home , sleep as home , and i know that it should have physical load on your body but everything has its limit.
Im a medic so I guess all the medical stuff comes with me no matter where I go. If nothing else, a good quality Tourniquet and some Quick Clot could save you or a friends life. Chopping wood gone wrong and someone lands an axe in their shin or accidents leading to severe bleeding can and has killed people. Im all about minimalist travel but medical is where I draw the line.
Camping gear is full of potential tourniquets. You don’t have to worry about bushcraft injuries if you are not bushcrafting. If you take a tumble 20 miles out and a artery opens up, you’re dead.
My first hike I carried 18kg of gear/crap. Yes, 18kg! I took books to read. Never read them. I took the major trauma first aid kit. Never used it. I took a zillion spare batteries I didn’t need. I took changeS of clothes I didn’t wear. I took enough water to quench the thirst of a small town and enough tools to fix their public transport system. My feet were toast and I thought I might die... I think I nearly did (still didn’t use the first aid kit though) I have since done exactly what you say here. Thanks for sharing.
True that! And we thought nothing of it at the time - it was normal for us! I still have my incredible old fairy down sleeping bag from that time, and it's still in excellent condition! 😊👍🏾
Good stuff, Dan. Been doing a Jan and Feb 2night trip with my buds since 1985. We cook meat and other “food”. With warm clothes for camp, a saw for a proper sub freezing fire, and maybe a beer, HA , A beer, I’ve hoisted 65 lbs back in the day. Now, I’m happy to be below 50 lbs. I also bring a chiropractor so as to regain my normal height and to more fully connect to my life energy.
Good video, but a few things should be clarified/revised. My first trip was a 10 mile when I was 16 in the Sierras. My pack weighed 75 lbs. My mom thought it would be good to make sure we had plenty of canned food. Not sure if she was trying to make sure we’d never do this again or if she was tryin got kill us, but after 32 years of hiking and packing, solo, and with a group I agree with most of your assessment. LOTS of crap out there you absolutely WILL NOT use. The Esbit IS an excellent stove, small, compact, effective.....at elevations of under 5000’. Keep some extra Heavy Duty aluminum foil for use as a wind break at any elevation over that, or you’ll be using 2-4 cubes to boil a cup of water. First Aid kit. Yes don’t buy a huge kit, most are worthless, but you need a kit. A real kit. Grab a zip lock, fill it with duct tape folded up on itself (25’), sterile 4X4 gauze (5-10), a few boo boo bandaids, some anti-bacterial cream, diarrheal meds (maybe 2-3 doses), anti-inflammatories (ibuprofen, naproxen), any medication you’d normally take, then add a day or two’s worth. That should fix just about anything, and shouldn’t weigh more than a few ounces, and put that into another zip lock, AND YES don’t pack anything you don’t know how to use, SOOOOOO, get some minimal training in first aid. I’ve worked search and rescue, I’m currently a Paramedic, and I’ve been an outdoorsman for 40 yrs. Please put us out of a job and don’t be stupid. As far as a multi tool. You SHOULD have at least that for any trip longer than an over night. If you want to drop weight, loose the Rambo knife and have a small, good quality multi-tool. At least have 2-3 ways to start a fire for any trip longer than an over night. Should always have a cigarette lighter in your pocket. A pack of waterproof “life boat” matches in an Rx bottle wrapped in duct tape is an excellent second method. thank you for the video.
Yeah mine is also 42lbs with 3 days food, and 2.5liters of water. Honestly 40-45 lbs to me is fairly light. Its only at 55+ lbs (Pack plus rifle and ammo) that it begins to wear me out on all day hikes.
My heaviest pack load was back in the 1970s when my cousin and I were heading off hitch hiking 300 miles north of where we lived for a two week camping holiday. The old pup tent, and the old heavy gear. My backpack weighed 60lbs 😁 We estimated that we walked about 50 miles with our backpacks on, both ways combined. I have they greatest respect for hunters and bushcraft backpackers!
This is hilarious. Everything you said only applies to walking in those *long narrow Parks* like the Appalachian Trail. The AT and other similar Parks are not _Nature,_ they have been "civilized" by the government for use by modern humans who only eat processed food that comes out of a factory in cellophane wrappers and who "cook" with canned gas, alk or esbit to heat water. There are still plenty of places in North America where _Mother Nature_ still rules and people still need updated versions of traditional tools for _roughing it._
3 things that I keep in my med kit in addition to what you have that has come from experience. 1) MSR Aqua Tabs in case your filter breaks or you have an unexpected overnight freeze and suspect it's compromised. 2) Wet Fire; just one tab for a real emergency situation in case you get caught out in a blizzard or something and need to start a fire to survive. 3) Imodium AD; my buddy came with us on a backpacking trip immediately after getting back from South America and Beaver fever set in while 8 miles into the back country. As to not ruin the trip he toughed it out, but dehydration became a real concern and had we not had water readily available he could've gotten into done real trouble like another buddy of mine did in a similar situation. Also can't emphasize enough that leukotape is a must. I've used it to repair wounds that probably needed stitches, but we were a full days travel from a hospital so that wasn't an option. Knives are a key survival tool, but you can get skeletonized fixed blade ones that are only a couple ounces, but just like a med kit; survival tools are only good if you know how to use them. There's only 2 things you really truly need for survival situations: a fire to keep you warm until help arrives and an emergency beacon like an in-reach.
What did people do before emergency beacons existed? Just die? I think cell phones and emergency beacons are great tools, but they are used as a crutch. Walking that edge of being adequately prepared for "what if" scenarios and being underprepared is difficult, and I think it's becoming more common to rely on outside assistance for the "what ifs." People don't think for themselves anymore. If they twist an ankle, or get lost, or their flashlight dies, they are dialing 911 or hitting SOS to be rescued before they even think about how they could get back to their car without assistance. That's one reason I think the InReach is a better solution than a spot or a PLB. At least you can let SAR know the difference between "I'm bleeding out here" and "I'm a little lost but have a fire going and doing fine." Or even telling an SO that you had to backtrack around a beaver pond and are staying an extra day without them panicking and calling out SAR because you've gone missing.
Bit light on in the First Aid Kit could use crepe bandage in it. And pushing a log into a fire. How do you put that out when you leave. Otherwise some valuable information.
Like the video! I'd add to get a food scale and weigh your gear. If something is unexpectedly heavy you'll know what to focus on. Second, a dozen wet wipes can be over 100g, drying them out first and re-hydrating them will make them a lot lighter.
Another note !fastest way to cut weight fast! If money isn’t a problem Is upgrade your Big 3. Tent, sleeping bag and pack! That were you get the biggest cuts. I cut 7-8lbs fast!
Hmmm.....keep everything in the AirStream .....take a walk & come back to the Airstream, no pack weight at all. No need to be young or fit, it's the American way !
You brought up some great methods and ways to improve the packs basic weight. Something i have done for a long time and still do it. After each trip I make three stacks of gear I took Stack #1 Items I used every day. Stack #2. Items used now and then but not all the time. Stack #3. Items not used or rarely used. The next trip this stack stays home. Eventually Stack # 3 will disappear since nothing will be in it. I also found another way to drop weigh. Take what is needed and not what is wanted. Yes , you can allow a comfort item if you want to ,I do.. I have managed to get my packs basic weight between 7 to 9 pounds ( Minus consumables ) depending on the weather ( Time of the year ).
@@DanBecker ....I had been doing the different piles of gear for ages but reading a article on packing I found out about the Want or Need question. I had been guilty of the want for a very long time till I read that article. It made sense and pointed out what I had been doing. The old , This does not weigh that much , I might need this , I have always taken this on trips , One more item won't hurt and all of the rest of the excuses. Plus with a larger pack there is the tendency to fill it with anything. The clincher ( Eye Opener ) was when I listed everything and weighed it. Forget the loose leaf binders , today there is a good ( and free ) web site to use ...LighterPack.com. Listing your gear on it is a eye opener.
That’s awesome! If you check the description of my video, you’ll see that my gear list is already at lighterpack.com! Feel free to check it out! I have been using that website for well over a year now! I used to use GearGrams.com but it was a bit glitchy. Weighing all of my gear helps me understand and know my limits and also allows me to take a few ‘want’ or ‘comfort’ items if I want to :-)
You’re making assumptions that we’re all like you on a backpacking trip. I’ve gone light weight for summer where I was close to the trail. In Fall or Winter with rain or snowpack a fire becomes essential to dry out your clothes. In this case a full tang knife is a Godsend. The downed branches aren’t any good when they’re soaked in water. They cannot be battoned with a pocket knife
For sure! I switched contacts from dailies to ones made from silicon hydrogel for camping; they are designed to let you keep them in overnight for a while; but would definitely not try that with normal monthly/daily lenses! (Previously the dailies were because it's a lot easier to rip open a new set than try to sterilise the monthlies each night; but the new leave-in ones are SO much better; no trying to get your hands sterile and then stabbing yourself in the eye with hand sanitiser each night)
how does everyone not consider the crystal deodorant stone ?... a partially used one becomes small, weighs nothing, works better than any chemical crap on the market, works all day and beyond, clean, pure, odorless.
I think I’m actually far more pro soap, not for washing the pot but for hands. Well washed hands are pretty important for hygiene in relation to food and medical treatment, washing out cuts and what not.
I have two canteens with water in them, a head lamp, regular flashlight, a folding saw, a pocket knife, a folding kit for cooking and eating out of with two plates, sporks, a hatchet, and a knife on my belt with one of my canteens. That is the main part of my kit, and do have two first aid kits which have most of the items I need for surviving in the open. I will have food packets in the kit when I leave for the forest, and enough for three days. I have to put my sleeping system on the outside of my backpack due to their size, but it varies depending when I am going camping.
I agree with nearly everything you've said, except for one thing. I'm 63 years old and I've been hiking, backpacking, trekking, and mountain climbing since my twenties. I've been to the summit of every major peak in Oregon and Mt Shasta and Mt Rainer. In my early days I would carry the typical Nalgene bottle but found that I had trouble staying as hydrated as well as I should. I was a paramedic and volunteered with SAR, so I took a one liter IV bag, spiked it with IV tubing with a roller clamp and filled it with water. This allowed me to drape the tubing over my shoulder and suck on the tube. That was the one thing that helped me stay better hydrated and hence gave me much more stamina while on the trail or mountain. You could say that I invented the water bladder/tubing for hiking/climbing in the 1970s. While I like having a bottle with me in case I need to scoop water from a stream and sterilize it, I can't give up my water bladder with bite tube. I do like your content and suggestions however. I'm never too old or have too much experience to learn new things, so thanks. Subbed
Wow! That’s some amazing experience! Thanks so much for that information. I’m sure it’s going to help people. Also thanks for subscribing and watching!
@@Binaurals02 It's difficult to refill an IV bag on the trail. I eventually drilled a hole in the cap of a wide mouth water bottle the size of the tubing and then used silicone adhesive to keep the tube secure. The problem is that it wasn't vented, so you can suck until you draw too much of a vacuum. Soft sided water bottles of course worked better. The other problem was that IV tubing is a bit too small. I used some version of that idea for years until our current water bladders with bite tubes came on the market. BTW, I used to make a lot of my own gear because I was poor. I made a backpack, a down coat, an ice axe, and several types of aluminum climbing protections such as chocks and snow pickets.When I first started rock climbing pitons were in use and I made several of my own pitons. I also made an aluminum ice saw for cutting blocks of compacted snow. I used it to make an igloo on a ski trip. I of course had variable successes and failures while making my own gear. I worked in a welding shop in my twenties so I had access to metal fabricating equipment. I've been doing anesthesiology now for the last 20 years so I have the money to buy good equipment. But I still love to create and invent and DIY.
Getting rid of the mug? Hell no, COFFEE!!! But maybe you got different ideas of what "cooking" means than the rest of us. And really, please don't cut down on the things that can stop you from bleeding to death when you tried to get that firewood into smaller pieces with your Victorinox as you didn't consider bringing a small but solid fixed bladed knife, that's also much more useful and hygienic when using it for cooking or crafting small things, e.g. replacing your lost tent peg that you dont have a replacement for... ;) Puns aside, people please don't follow blindly, use your brain. Don't cut down too much on medkits and other things that help you survive in extreme situations. There is some items you should sensefully pack everytime in the hope of never needing them!
I've learned that breaking branches with feet (against stump or rock) way faster than a saw or knife, if fire is necessary. "Maxi-pads" very good for major wounds.
@@wholebird Thats great if you know how to kick through them (thats right, not on them!) without hurting yourself and if you find branches in a size you can use for your fire directly. I also do this for that purpose.
just leave everything at home and if you find out you need it well you will be dead so nothing to report back :) i always carry Israeli compression bandage. wow, he just said hes always near the road and can wave someone down. are you sure you are backpacking or playing around on the side of the road HA.
I live out of a stainless cup and tend to mix my dehydrated eggs, oatmeal, and coffee all in one shot. I go very far from civilization, 90 miles or so so I need more medical kit and dry clean socks are king and my most important indulgence is the 2.5 lb “ultralight” cot
On my first trail hike I lugged 28kg, doing just shy of 20 miles a day for the first few days. Not only did I have the bulk of the weight in tent/food/water etc from my partner but I also had a magnum bottle of champagne and flutes for a proposal on top of one of the mountains. I was rather crestfallen when she then told me that we needed to keep the bottle as a memento, weight that I was desperately hoping to shed from my back!! :P Those first few days were tough as hell. On one of the ascents I basically collapsed in the middle of the woods on a steep incline. I pulled off my outer layers and I was literally steaming, even in the summer heat.
Great ideas for lightening up the load for backpack trips. I agree with most of your opinions on what is necessary for summer trips. Where I live in the Pacific NW we get up into some high elevation areas (above 7,000') and I backpack in the fall most of the time. Unfortunately that means carrying extra insulation layers and a heavier sleeping bag. But otherwise, I'm very guilty of bringing the things you described! I need to take a serious look at my gear list and honestly ask myself, "have I ever used this ________ on any of my backpack trips over the past 30 years?" :)
Hey Dan, i purchased a double black diamond down blanket from Costco last year and made it into a sleeping bag liner. My first use of it was on a mountain bike event at Brown County in October. It was 39 degrees and I woke up to ice on the top of my tent. I was toasty warm inside. thanks for the great tips.
Love your sense of humor, Dan! One item you mentioned was an ax. Most of us who love to bushcraft will bring an ax or hatchet (or tomahawk). We often go out to build debris shelters and an ax and a saw of sorts, be it folding, buck-type or even a bow type along with a sturdy full tang knife are handy with construction. Then there are times a tarp, a bedroll, a billy or cooking pot, a fire kit, first aid kit which includes a large multi-purpose bandanna and a good full tang knife along with sufficient water and food is all we pack. Building knowledge and skill level makes one comfortable in the realm of survivability. However, I enjoy other hiking and backpacking activities so my loadouts will vary with the planned adventures. Going lightweight is a concern but comfort and safety always overrides it.
Most important medical gear in the wild is a tourniquet. You can deal with a small infection or an headache. Put if for some reason you damage a mayor artery or vien, you'll bleed out in minutes! Remember to notice the time when applied, write the time on the forehead on the person. And now it's a race against time, because If the tourniquet stays on to long, there's a risk of losing the limb.
A tip for pot cleaning, we were told in the army. Soil/dirt is sterile (if there is no animal contamination), and abrasive. Use the soil to clean out the inside of the pot , and then rinse. Simple.
OMG, you are the first RU-vid backpacker I have seen who recommends extra socks and underwear. You are such a rebel. Great video and I even watched it after your recent "I quit video."
I still carry one of those water resistant plastic first aid kits that’s about the size of a cigarette pack. I keep one brand new razor blade taped inside the lid. One of those white plastic pill containers (about two inches long and 3/4 inch wide) nests perfectly inside the lid too - they are usually sold with about 10 large painkillers or 16 small painkillers. I keep benadryl and some pain meds in the pill container. I have duct tape and some gauze bandages to make a bunch of small adhesive bandages or a few really big ones. I got some real cheap (found them on closeout) powder blood clotting stuff that is light and seems worth having. One tube of superglue. Some alcohol and antiseptic wipes. And some cotton swabs - I use them regularly, they make me happy. I also keep a few pairs of rubber gloves. And I have a bandana that can be used as a sling or other things that a square non-sterile square cloth might be used for. Don’t use it as a tourniquet unless someone is going to die and expect whatever you are tying around [the body part] may be cut off by a doctor! A Sharpie (marker) is good to have too so you can write on your buddy’s forehead what time and day you put a tourniquet on...it will help a doctor decide if the limb is going to be saved or not. I’ve been trained in first aid several different times and even used it quite a bit working at a ski resort. I like to know I have what I need to be able to help someone if they are broken or bleeding. I’ve only ever needed the pills and I use the swabs regularly on my ears. The rest is just dead weight that I’ve never regretted carrying. I have used superglue several times on myself working construction. Just never use superglue on a dirty wound! But like you said, unless you know how to use it it’s useless. Most people would be fine with some bandaids, pills, antiseptic and antibiotic wipes, superglue and duct tape. Super glue is definitely worth having for yourself because if you slip with your knife, you can quickly clean the wound and stop the bleeding. I would NOT use superglue on any injury I didn’t see happen unless it’s life or death and it’s the last choice to stop bleeding before a tourniquet. Infection can kill if help isn’t received quickly. Superglue is also something that a doctor may have to clean out and complicate things later. I have it mostly for me, I’d rather use duct tape and gauze on someone else to make sure I’m helping and not hurting. I can apply auperglue to myself with one hand, that’s why I use it. And it hasn’t killed me once! DISCLAIMER: I’m not a doctor, forget every word you just read. If you can’t, then your memory is your own damned fault! :D I’m not a lawyer either, but writing disclaimers makes me feel special. I’m just a wanna-be ski-bum so if you try to sue me for all I’ve got, you’ll just end up with some used sporting goods and a hangover!!
Wear your glasses when you backpack! Wearing your contacts for several days in a row can put microcysts in your eyes! Not to mention, it's super uncomfortable to wake up with dry contact lenses in your eyes, and to peel old lenses out of your eyes after they've dried out. If you need to block some sunlight out of your eyes, wear a hat instead of sunglasses.
These are great tips! I agree with almost all of them :) I also paired down my first aid kit a lot, but after experiencing a few back country crisis (including dislocating my shoulder), I added some items back in. Ultimately though, the best first aid gear that you have is the knowledge in your head and the experience in your hands, so perhaps I need to reevaluate my first aid kit again :)
So do I Lol, I average 60-65lbs and struggle to reduce the weight. I find warm clothing (Canadian Rockies are a little chilly even in the summer) and water account for the most weight.
All good. One minor point on clothing. Splurge on a marino wool T-shirt. Comfortable when wet, and for some reason, they don't smell. Even after a week.
I've been considering this but I'm worried about durability. I did a 26km (16 mile) day hike a few days back in a tank top that looks and feels like marino. I'm sure it's not identical but it's roughly the same thickness and feels no different.. After that 1 trip the sections where the shoulder straps of my day pack go are almost completely see through. I'm worried about spending >$100 (CAD) on a T-shirt only to wear through it in a single trip. Have you noticed any excessive wear after hiking/backpacking in your marino t-shirts?
I bit the bullet and bought a short and long sleeve merino shirt. So far, very good quality. www.smartwool.com/shop/mens-base-layers/mens-merino-150-base-layer-short-sleeve-shirt-SW016041?variationId=001#hero=0
@@aus87185 I've been wearing two high quality merino shirts (Wool and Prince) every day for the past 18 months. I'm not kidding about every day as well -- I do a lot of backpacking around the world (including lots of camping, hiking, canoeing, biking, and even climbing) so I try to pack as light as possible. I only own the two shirts. They both look brand new. Also benefit of Merino is that they don't really smell, so I've only washed them twice (in over a year). I think the key is to get good quality Merino. They also make blends that are designed to increase durability, but again I've not found 100% merino to be an issue. Hope that helps.
@@lunarcaninebay superglue is good too i carry it as well as a cat gut suture but i wouldn't be caught dead with pads or pons in my gear bag lol and I doubt that they have the same clotting action as a proper one
@@skalvenner A Vet taught me about the, as he calls them LLT's for gunshot wounds. Maxipads are a given, one piece can be cut into three 4x4" pieces. Nothing weight. Electrical tape, 1/2" around 12 ft of Paracord, not a pill bottle, less weight double function. Use a two inch bead pouch (100 for a buck at Wallyworld) for ibuprofen, need that to take swelling down. Add whatever vitamins you need. This video is good, but basic. As he said "for your first couple trips".
The multi tool made me chuckle. At work I always have my wave, but at work we do heavy builder stuff. Away with the tent, I have a Gerber dime. It's tiny and stays with my keys but for bending stuff straight, cutting little things.. It has a knife blade, it has scissors, it has dinky pliers. And tweezers. Best of all, a decent bottle opener 👍
IRIDIUM stoves use esbit cubes....Weber cubes.......alcohol......or campfire.....clips outside your pack and weighs 7 ounces.... juss sayin bro.... I totally have the same power bank.... look up nuclearoutdoors camping tips.....we cover this in our videos.... same same ....from dude wipes to your charger.... good choices buddy!!
Medication weighs virtually nothing. Buy mini pill bags and carry any medication you might need. Something to stop bleeding is also advisable. Take your pick - gauze, compression bandage, a tourniquet.
waterproof bandaids, gauz, moleskin & neosporin doesn't weigh much. A little bottle of Alcohol for infections & sanitizer to keep clean. I find the little things seem to come in handy the most & nothing helps more than getting out their, tring your gear out & seeing what you like to have as everyone is a bit different!
Very bad advice re first aid kit. Take a decent med kit with lots of drugs. Weight is way less important than being able to hike 20 miles with a broken leg if need be. Go to your doctor, exaggerate your trip, say you're doing a 2 week solo through Greenland and get him to prescribe you some 30mg codeine or tramadol and some proper NSAIDs. Take duct tape instead of bandage - more versatile (fixes your tent, too) and easier to use if your not a trained nurse (use ripped clothing underneath it to stop it sticking to skin and a green wooden stick for a splint). Super glue for cleaning cuts. You can buy medical grade on Amazon. Saline water from any pharmacy to do the penultimate clean of a wound (cleaning gravel etc can be done with any water, as long as you finish with clean water and..) ...and alcohol wipes to finish. Your guy ropes will suffice for a tourniquet.
I would swap out the pocket knife for a lightweight decent quality fixed blade. Like a mora for example. They’re super light, cheap and don’t have any moving parts. There’s no way it will break.
12:07 so a medical kit is useless because you need to learn a *useful* skill to be able to use it efficiently? Has this guy never heard of "preparing" for anything? Also it's not rocket science, you can know the ins and outs of any med kit with a few youtube videos. This advice is pretty much useless unless you're glamping on a maintained lawn... Not bringing a med kit is stupid and irresponsible. Even if an injury isn't life threatening, a decent gash on the hand will force you to call off the trip without proper wound dressing.
Look up the IRIDIUM stove..... very light and efficient.....we will send ya one if interested.....your videos look amazing and we will give ya one for free if you do a video on it......e mail if interested
Sir, respectfully, I hope you never do need a good first-aid kit out there where you play "mountain man". Sir, in your "abreviated medical kit" you don't carry a tourniquet? No weapon per sey? How about a simple cheap compass? Too heavy? Worry not Sir, if you don't report to "wherever" on time, you will trigger a search and rescue party of at least twenty (20) "volunteers", an ambulance service, possibly an air-rescue service, and for how many expense-hours --> just because you, Sir, were trying to save weight!
Sir… For your information… I am a certified firearms instructor. I do carry a weapon on a daily basis. I am also well aware of where I hike and research the area as well ahead and know exactly where I’ll be each day. Most of the places I hike in the United States are well within those boundaries of safety. As I stated in the video, if you know you’re going to be outside of that vicinity you should be carrying some sort of a GPS locator for communication and rescue. If you carry first aid, it’s pointless to carry it if you do not know how to use it. Tourniquet included. Thanks for your contribution!
People obsess over few ounces of gear when they can easily shed few pounds off their body weight before going out. Try to get in shape before going backpacking. It'll be so much easier.
Great video with solid tips! Though it's definitely suited for thos who lean more towards the ultrulight backpacking system. There are a few luxury items that i choose to add to my kit but it's definitely a trade-off as my pack will run anywhere from 40 to 50 pounds.
Dude, I almost agree with you! ;-) Seriously, I like your points, but, I kep saying "however" at almost every turn....probably the biggie for me is the medical kit. One thing you said is spot on. If you don't know how to use it, it won't do you any good, so first blush, get the big kit, pull out everything you don't know how to use. Then pull out everything that's a scond way of doing things. Then thin out the quantities of what's left. But, the more people travelling together, the bigger the kit should be. (Someone below said have one person carry a big med kit; have someone else carry a big cook kit. I like that sort of logic. One big chopping tool in the group is probably enough.) I carry a bigger knife than your benchmade. Fixed blade. But, I like to carve with it, so it's got a place besides "carry a big knife." (mine's not that heavy, so what the heck). Point is, I carry one...not 4 to 7. ax - only if I know I'm going to be doing some serious wood processing; usually, it stays home. agree about hygiene and clothes, with a few exceptions. I do carry/use deoderant. I want to enjoy my own company! And, it gets cool at night where I am, so I probably bring more layers, but, my definition of "week's worth" of clothes horrifies my wife. :-) water...100% agreement. the only thing i'd add to your comments is "AMEN!" (oh, and I also like "Vitamin Water" bottles for their sturdiness, but, their openings are too big for most water filters, so they're only for cleaned water). My biggest categorical disagreement with you would be about electronics. My advice is to leave them at home. But, if you HAVE to take something along, your suggestions are solid. Love the power brick idea, particularly if it can charge up multiple devices. My kinda logic! i'd love to get your take on "sleep systems" (even typing it makes me cringe). hammock, small thin tarp, medium water proof tarp. wool blanket (spring and fall). that's it for me. I don't have a sleep pad, but, I do have a sitting pad that's the length of my torso. canvas, insulation, wool. lower legs don't need it; rolled up sweatshirt is my pillow. oh, and those camping "french press coffee makers...." um, instant coffee will see you through. I like your style! and, since I know very little about you, I'd want to know more about your hiking environment. I don't carry much water, since I'm in New England. Finding water is easy. Filter it, and go. So, I'm guessing, I'll carry less water than you do. (quart or so on the trail; if I pass water close to camp time, I'll load up while it's convenient) if you live in a drier/more-arid area, that obviously will be different. But, what I save on water weight, I'll lose on extra layers of clothes. And, I'm a fan of picking your luxuries. For instance, my boots are fairly heavy. Not outrageous, but, certainly not light weight. So I carry "camp slippers." A little bulky, not too heavy. But, when puttering around the camp, they're a solid "investment." Anyway, thanks for giving me the chance to ramble. 🙂 All the best.
In the Montana back country I always have a puffy coat and my rain jacket. Even on day trips I keep a lightweight tarp, just in case. I like a small saw, but a good folding knife will suffice. I'm spoiled with my cookware though, because I'm usually going to be feasting on brook trout for lunch. For just an overnighter I don't mind an extra pound or two, and most of my longer stays are for hunting trips, so that adds another whole dimension.
It's pretty clear this guy is not backpacking in the back-country in the west. Following this advice will get you killed in a lot of circumstances. He should be more clear about context upfront.
@@Galactico42 - I have to agree. Cutting weight is fine when it makes sense, but far more importantly, you need to pack for the environment you'll be in. The gear I carry into the desserts here in Utah, is quite a bit different than what I carry into the forested mountains.
I want to see a 65l back pack filled under 10 lbs. Our am I missing something? I have very light equipment. I carry a change of cloths, stove, camp shoes along with the normal stuff. with a base weight of 14-18 pounds and still not pushing 50l with food for 3 days. Hyperlight most popular pack is a 55l. Why are ultra lighters carrying such large backpacks? I see one of you videos is a 40l filled for a four day trip with two Pillows. Just want to see a 70l stuffed under 35lbs.
Wet wipe: (1) I tear them in two, big enough for my purposes. (2) Carry in sandwich sized Ziplock bags. (3) Add some white vinegar to (A) keep them moist, and (B) add antibacterial ability. Courtesy of Half Vast Flying
Opinion stated as fact, but he does offer some food for thought. Water load out should reflect the environment you’re hiking through, and bail that stupid smart water container. Get a stainless one liter because when that filter fails it’s giardia city, baby. Plus with a stainless water bottle you can bail that cute little cook set you overpaid for at rei. Go ahead and keep your multi tool if you like. It serves tons of functions compared to a pocket knife. Just because Dan can’t figure out what to do with it doesn’t mean you won’t. Leave the battery bank and dumb phone at home. There are tons of great affordable small cameras out there with way more memory. You don’t need to live your life through big techs spy machine. 45 lbs. up 4500 ft. is a cakewalk, sunshine (uphill is not my favorite either, but practice helps). DONT FORGET YOUR MOLESKIN!!!
I'm the type to bring like 3-4 knives, with 2 being on my hip at all times. Shrade skinning knife and a bushcraft knife (Morakniv currently), then I have my grandfather's Buck pocket knife, and a Shrade whittling pocket knife. Oh and I carry a tomahawk. But I'm not really doing backpacking, I get to my spot and set up camp. All that being said, I do like a minimalist setup.
Dan, I'm a firefighter/paramedic. Those alcohol preps will do next to nothing, they're meant for doing shots and IVs. You might want to try and bring about 10 more of those, they pack tiny and weigh nothing. Better yet, take that tiny soap bottle and fill it with alcohol. Use that as your cleaning solution. I see you don't have any bandages.They make a roller gauze that can be used in any situations, bleeding control, sprain support, keeping an injury clean, etc. Weighs nothing and is about the size of a typical Swiss army, or a large thumb perhaps. Great video though, wish I had seen this when I started, because I did all of those things..
Lots of useful advice, but no deodorant!? Really!? You animal you! I suppose the same goes for aftershave and cologne. Sure hope I'm not hiking or camping downwind from you! (All kidding, of course.) Love your enthusiasm.
Yeah....I went on a 10 mile section hike on the AT, I ate the Coconut black bean Cuban rice meal...I had the 💩green apple splatters💩. It was pouring down rain and there were about 40 people at that shelter...glad I had people to bum TP from. Horrrrible experience 🤣
You can not pry them bladders from my pack.. I fill them ice. Then let it melt. As you have not lived in Texas 100 Degrees heat. In July to September. You just walk outdoors. You sweat like you just taken a shower..As I work outdoors in that environment. I just open that valve. Pour on towel. Wrap around neck and it cools me off in an instant.
Cutting things is fine. However, when one enters the wilderness, regardless of the plan, there is a reason to carry basic survivor gear... A 4-5" fixed-blade knife is a much more useful tool than your knife choice, a Morakniv of your choice or a Condor Terrasaur. You need to have a couple of ways to make a fire when venturing into the woods. A couple of BIC lighters in something water proof would work. A small hank of cordage such as #36 bankline would be a good choice for "inconvenient" camping. And, no matter what your water container choice is, you need to bring something that can boil water in. Lastly, you need clothes according to the climate and time of year. I would still agree that you need some way of processing firewood, and a container is too important to chance to a disposable water bottle. Other essentials, a whistle, a headlamp, a couple of bandanas, a small amount of duct tape wrapped around something (great for bandages... along with bandanas (leave the first-aid kit home). Lastly, depending on where you go, you should have a compass. I think it is dangerous and foolish not to have these items.
Clothes: one thick pair of camp socks, two hiking socks, two pairs of underwear, Thermal top & Bottoms, one pair of zip-off pants, two t-shirts, one thin long sleeve hoodie, one softshell insulated jacket. If you get cold, just layer...
