View Full Version : How "prepared" are you when you go on short dayhikes?
Freigeist
01-18-2011, 22:30
As in, what do you bring? Do you diligently adhere to carrying the "ten essentials" on clear summer days or do you sometimes forego them?
For myself, I've done most my hiking in areas with very stable weather bar a few weeks of the year (Arizona, that is), and rarely go out on the trails I've done many times before with anything more than sunscreen and water, and maybe a bite to eat if it's >10 miles. If it's a hike I've not personally done but one in a familiar area with many obvious landmarks, then I might bring a first aid kit, and if it's in an unfamiliar area then I'll bring my maps/compass. If I'm leading an inexperienced group I go extremely prepared, but if I'm alone or with an experienced friend I don't bother.
I don't think I've ever brought "extra clothes, a flashlight (except when purposefully night hiking, though I generally know lunar/weather conditions just in case there's a slight chance of hiking past dark), a fire starter, a knife, a whistle, water treatment devices, insect repellent, a tarp+rope (for a makeshift shelter)", or any of the other things that are mentioned as being essential. At least not on short-medium length dayhikes that is.
So I suppose I'm irresponsible and reckless. But such is youth.
How prepared are you on dayhikes?
Jim Adams
01-18-2011, 22:31
beer.
geek
Jim Adams
01-18-2011, 22:32
ten essentials?...10 beers.
geek
Sierra Echo
01-18-2011, 22:37
On day hikes, I always have a flashlight, knife, waterproof matches, bug repellent, rain hoodie thingie, first aid kit, lots of water and my cell phone.
I also take my camera, my egg crate seat thingie, binoculars and a tool.
I'm sure there is more. I'm just too lazy to go look!
double j
01-18-2011, 22:40
depends on where im going. local trails yeah i just carry some snacks and water. If im doing a small section hike on the at but plan on being back at home i carry almost a loaded pack but i do this for training purpose
Hikerhead
01-18-2011, 22:42
A cell phone is all that I carry.
bigmac_in
01-18-2011, 22:43
On day hikes I take water, lunch and a snack.
I was thinking about this the other day.....
I took the AT up to another trail that I had not been on and I took that trail to a road that I also had never been on but was supposed to go back down the mountain and cut into the road my truck was parked on.
As it was just a 14 mile loop I didn't have anything at all with me figuring I'd be back to my truck in a few hours....
I started a little late and didn't get to the road that was supposed to go to my truck until 3:00 PM... As I started down the road it dawned on me that I had better be right because I only had a couple hours of daylight left and didn't have any form of shelter, light, fire making supplies, extra clothing, or food.
It was at that time just below freezing with temps going down into the teens at night...
I wasn't lost, I could almost see Erwin - but once I went so far down that road I would have crossed the tipping point where i would have to spend the night if this road didn't go where I thought it did.
Lucky for me it did, but I won't do that again - next time I go exploring I'll have enough to get me through the night should I get stuck.
fiddlehead
01-18-2011, 22:49
Machete, GPS, phone, water, sometimes a snack.
(hint: not on the AT)
If I'm on a trail I may not bring all the essentials. If I'm going off trail, I'll pack so that I don't suffer too greatly if I'm stuck out there overnight. The beauty of having really light gear and mindset is that carrying an overnight bag is much like carrying a day bag.
jerseydave
01-18-2011, 22:56
I was thinking about this the other day.....
As it was just a 14 mile loop I didn't have anything at all with me figuring I'd be back to my truck in a few hours....
but once I went so far down that road I would have crossed the tipping point where i would have to spend the night if this road didn't go where I thought it did.
So how you liking that GPS? :D
SurferNerd
01-18-2011, 22:59
If I'm in a common well traveled area in a hiking season..I will carry water, snack food, appropriate clothes, cellphone or PLB.
If I'm in a remote area in hiking season, I carry Water, 1 MRE, Snacks, Emergency Blanket, Flashlight, Knife, Matches, PLB.
If I'm in a remote area not in hiking season, I carry Water, 2 MRE, Snacks, Emergency Blanket, Flashlight, Knife, Matches, PLB, First Aid Kit, Extra Clothing Layer.
I will ALWAYS carry my PLB in a remote area. I watch the "I shouldn't be alive." consistently on Discovery..every scenario could have been safely resolved earlier in disaster with the PLB. Some think its pointless, useless, too heavy on a dayhike, but I tell you what. In that slight chance that something happens to you, your butt is covered.
Sierra Echo
01-18-2011, 23:01
If I'm in a common well traveled area in a hiking season..I will carry water, snack food, appropriate clothes, cellphone or PLB.
If I'm in a remote area in hiking season, I carry Water, 1 MRE, Snacks, Emergency Blanket, Flashlight, Knife, Matches, PLB.
If I'm in a remote area not in hiking season, I carry Water, 2 MRE, Snacks, Emergency Blanket, Flashlight, Knife, Matches, PLB, First Aid Kit, Extra Clothing Layer.
I will ALWAYS carry my PLB in a remote area. I watch the "I shouldn't be alive." consistently on Discovery..every scenario could have been safely resolved earlier in disaster with the PLB. Some think its pointless, useless, too heavy on a dayhike, but I tell you what. In that slight chance that something happens to you, your butt is covered.
whats a plb?
If I'm in a common well traveled area in a hiking season..I will carry water, snack food, appropriate clothes, cellphone or PLB.
If I'm in a remote area in hiking season, I carry Water, 1 MRE, Snacks, Emergency Blanket, Flashlight, Knife, Matches, PLB.
If I'm in a remote area not in hiking season, I carry Water, 2 MRE, Snacks, Emergency Blanket, Flashlight, Knife, Matches, PLB, First Aid Kit, Extra Clothing Layer.
I will ALWAYS carry my PLB in a remote area. I watch the "I shouldn't be alive." consistently on Discovery..every scenario could have been safely resolved earlier in disaster with the PLB. Some think its pointless, useless, too heavy on a dayhike, but I tell you what. In that slight chance that something happens to you, your butt is covered.
What PLB do you carry?
I don't even carry the "10 essentials" on backpacks.
For dayhikes I carry water and food at the least. In addition, I will usually have some rain chaps, perhaps a thin windbreaker, maybe a pennywhistle, possibly an emergency blanket and flashlight if we are planning some kind of off-trail, tempting fate kind of adventure. Sometimes I'll bring gloves and a saw or loppers if it's really going to be bad.
Blissful
01-18-2011, 23:07
I take essentials. Food, water, first aid, TP, jacket, cell phone, headlamp, Aqua mira, my seat cushion, and car key. No bug repellent now. :)
So how you liking that GPS? :D
Loving it! It's like... you always know where you are. :)
I can see how you could really get in over your head with one and be up the creek if it were to malfunction.
SurferNerd
01-18-2011, 23:09
whats a plb?
Personal Locater Beacon. The no monthly cost, military version of a SPOT. Unlike a SPOT, it has free worldwide coverage with guaranteed results under brush or even under ground to a certain point. It's registered with your local government, here in the US its NOAA.
What PLB do you carry?
I carry the McMurdo Fastfind GPS.
I carry the McMurdo Fastfind GPS.
This one? http://www.rei.com/product/791972
SurferNerd
01-18-2011, 23:15
This one? http://www.rei.com/product/791972
Yep, can't say it works..Hopefully I never need to turn it on. But it passes its tests, and its ready to use should I need it. But from the 100% success rate of other PLB beacons, and the 100% reliable system..I'm sure its a good product.
Wise Old Owl
01-18-2011, 23:36
This is a good thread kudo's!
When I was a young buck I carried all the above mention stuff, now when I am on a fifteen miler or less, Its me and the dog, a pocket knife, micro bic. a 16 oz spring water and jerky. Phone and Oregon. Sometimes a camera. No pack, no ten essentials...
But a big plan in and out.
rockytop7
01-18-2011, 23:45
lunch, water, and a rain shell!
rookiehiker
01-19-2011, 01:00
I will take food, water, first aid kit, cell phone, matches, or other type of fire starter, and compass.
Enough to amputate my arm if the need arises.
abn trooper
01-19-2011, 01:59
After spending the night on the side of a Maine mountain as a child wiith my uncle after a snow storm rolled in on a bird hunting trip I pack heavy. In low light or inclimate weather I might grap my pack before venturing to the end of the driveway to get the mail.:)
On day hikes, I always have a flashlight, knife, waterproof matches, bug repellent, rain hoodie thingie, first aid kit, lots of water and my cell phone.
I also take my camera, my egg crate seat thingie, binoculars and a tool.
I'm sure there is more. I'm just too lazy to go look!
This is pretty much what I carry but because I like to bushwack I also always carry a compass. This stuff never leaves my day pack so I'm always ready to grab and go.
Yep, can't say it works..Hopefully I never need to turn it on. But it passes its tests, and its ready to use should I need it. But from the 100% success rate of other PLB beacons, and the 100% reliable system..I'm sure its a good product.
I've been kinda thinking along these lines but I went with a SPOT instead, even taking into account its limitations. It seems to work pretty well - so far 100% of my messages have been received. (being able to send an OK message is something you can't do with a PLB)
I wouldn't carry either on the AT but now that I'm going places off the beaten path it makes my wife feel better.
I'm not worried about getting hopelessly lost or even being hard to find because I tell someone the general area I'm going to be in and I stay there - I'm more worried about getting hurt and not being able to get help before it becomes a serious situation.
Cookerhiker
01-19-2011, 08:51
Don't think I've ever brought all the "essentials" on a day hike. The closest I've come - extra warm clothes & food - was on my 2 hikes up Katahdin. Probably the riskiest dayhike where I took little was a winter trip to my section in Shenandoah NP when Skyline Drive was closed and everything was ice. I kept slipping & sliding and could have broken a bone with a fall. Learned a lesson there.
ten essentials?...10 beers.
geek
wanna go hike?
a day hike i know well: water, food (snacks), rainjacket, knife, headlamp.
a new trail: water, food (snacks and one full meal), tarp, knife, rainjacket, 1st aid kit, firestarter, compass, headlamp.
My longer answer...
I got a bit turned around on a day hike last year. I didn't bring my overnight stuff. The sun was going down and I ended up (intentionally) circling back to a buddy that was camping out there to get my bearings again. If I had got mixed up one more time I would have camped out that night without a puffy jacket, bag/quilt, food, light and other niceties. I'm not going to let that happen again. I can pack a warm quilt and a day of food for a couple pounds, so why not?
garlic08
01-19-2011, 09:57
For anyone who thinks about it, of course you'll pack differently for a five-mile walk on a sunny day in a county open-space park than you would for a 15-mile epic over a mountain ridge in winter.
I believe that your pack reflects your fears. If you're afraid of bears (or other people), you'll have a can of pepper spray on your belt, or maybe a firearm. If you're afraid of going thirsty, you'll carry extra water. If you get anxious about not being connected, you'll carry electronic devices. If the thought of skipping a meal gives you the willies, you'll carry food. If you're afraid of the dark....you get the idea.
Everyone has different fears, has had different experiences, or is out hiking for different reasons, and that's why we all carry different stuff.
I see the "ten essentials" as a convenient guide, to be modified for the situation. With the possible exception of guided trips, I don't know of any pack cops. It's fine to make a though-out, conscious decision not to carry something on a list. Your head is the most important essential, anyway--nothing you can put in your pack will do the slightest good if you panic when things start going wrong.
fredmugs
01-19-2011, 10:36
Camelbak, food, phone, map, MP3 player, and clothing appropriate for the weather. Sometimes a knife and pepper spray.
berninbush
01-19-2011, 11:08
On my last (short) day hike I took water, a jacket, and a cell phone. I forgot to take a flashlight and ended up regretting it. I did make it back to my car before dark, but there was a point when I wasn't sure I was going to-- I got a later start and moved slower than I had planned. Of course in a worst-case scenario I could have used the light from my cell phone to navigate... but having a flashlight would have given me a bit more peace of mind.
Sickmont
01-19-2011, 11:12
For me it depends on how far a plan on going on a dayhike. 15 or less miles is pretty much cellphone, water, snacks, knife, a rag, compass, a hat and maybe sunscreen.
Since I volunteer for search and rescue... I am never without navigational gear, extra clothing (at least one layer), two trash bags (you would be surprised how many things you can do with those), and enough snacks for 24 hours. Oh, and some water treatment tablets and a first aid kit.
Too many briefings have started with "wearing shorts and a t shirt, no day pack, no food, had one half a liter bottle of water, was only going to go..."
Sometimes I incline to the lighter side on day hikes, but still tend to carry the essentials, modified as Garlic said, to the situation.
Often too, however, I pack relatively "heavy" for a day hike, thinking of Josephus' observation about the Roman Army:
"Their drills are bloodless battles, their battles bloody drills."
I.e., by packing a bit more on day hikes, my backpacking trips start out feeling not too bad at all.
Trailbender
01-19-2011, 12:15
Everything I normally carry besides a sleeping bag and ground mat.
If you're going on a new trail, I'd suggest bringing a topo map, fire starter, flashlight and extra pair of warm clothes (depending on elevation and time of year). You never know if that day hike might turn into an overnighter. One wrong turn, one miscalculation of distance and the sun may go down before you know it.
BJStuart
01-19-2011, 13:03
I forgot to take a flashlight and ended up regretting it. I did make it back to my car before dark, but there was a point when I wasn't sure I was going to-- I got a later start and moved slower than I had planned. Of course in a worst-case scenario I could have used the light from my cell phone to navigate... but having a flashlight would have given me a bit more peace of mind.
I bought a bunch of Photon-style lights (dealextreme sells a 10 pack for ~$5) and have them on all our keyrings. They come in handy quite often, and are plenty bright enough for a trail.
Lone Wolf
01-19-2011, 13:14
i never go on short day hikes. or long ones
The Cleaner
01-19-2011, 13:33
Loving it! It's like... you always know where you are. :)
I can see how you could really get in over your head with one and be up the creek if it were to malfunction.
Are you LOST when you know where you are,but it isn't the place you wanted to be?
Sickmont
01-19-2011, 13:36
Are you LOST when you know where you are,but it isn't the place you wanted to be?
Now THAT one truly made me laugh.
nitegaunt
01-19-2011, 13:44
Good question and it's interesting to see all these responses. I usually take only some water and a snack. Most times I don't even take a day pack. But if it looks like it's going to rain or get dark or if I'm going to be gone more than a few hours I'll take what I need. Most of my hikes are out and backs of about 4-8 miles or similar loops. Usually the water and snacks will suffice.
nitewalker
01-19-2011, 14:30
usually when i go on a day hike the mileage ranges from 10 to 25 miles for the day so i usually bring most of this stuff...headlamp, wind breaker/rain jacket, emergency poncho,two lighters,dry newspaper, cell phone,map[new terrain],food for the day hike and some extra morsels jsut in case of the scenario mentioned, hat and gloves[depending season], aqua mira, lg trash bag, knife, multitool, radio. i will always add some other misc items that i cant think of off hand but thats the jist of it...
enurdat1
01-19-2011, 14:51
Really depends on where I'm going and the weather. The farther from a populated area and worse the weather is expected to be, the more I take.
nitewalker
01-19-2011, 14:58
Really depends on where I'm going and the weather. The farther from a populated area and worse the weather is expected to be, the more I take.
that about sums it up!!:D
berninbush
01-19-2011, 17:28
I bought a bunch of Photon-style lights (dealextreme sells a 10 pack for ~$5) and have them on all our keyrings. They come in handy quite often, and are plenty bright enough for a trail.
Yeah, I have a nice little flashlight the size of my little finger that I usually bring "in case of emergency." I just forgot it this time. If you're truly stuck out after dark, even a little light makes a big difference. I felt better when I realized my cell phone would serve as backup lighting. :)
sheepdog
01-19-2011, 18:53
I usually have a fire starter of some kind, and a knife where ever I go. Water and a snack are good to have also. A few Iodine pills take up very little room.
sheepdog
01-19-2011, 18:55
i never go on short day hikes. or long ones
yepper, it makes you late for supper
Are you LOST when you know where you are,but it isn't the place you wanted to be?
No, but I can see how you could be overconfident on being able to find your way back based on a marked location then having the batteries die or the unit quit working leaving you with a predicament to get out of.
Harrison Bergeron
01-19-2011, 21:10
For me the whole point of short hikes is to train for long ones. I try to carry at least 20 pounds, so I throw in lots of water and a poncho and a emergency kit and bunch of other stuff I know I'll never use, mostly just for the weight.
Fair warning, though, you'll feel like a fool when you're sitting having lunch in the woods five miles from the nearest parking lot, and some jogger runs past carrying nothing but a water bottle on his belt!
Wise Old Owl
01-19-2011, 21:48
Enough to amputate my arm if the need arises.
Hope its not Chinese:eek:
kolokolo
01-19-2011, 22:48
I just bring my SPOT. Then, if I need anything else...I press the button.
Seriously, though, I try to be prepared. Especially if it's a hike that I haven't done before. Food, water, matches, flashlight, tarp, maybe extra clothes.
Joker4ink
01-19-2011, 22:55
On day hikes, I always carry:
-Mini Bic lighter
-First aid kit (bandaids, alcohol wipe, rubber gloves, Katadyn tabs)
-Small leatherman
-Camera
-Cell phone
-Compass
-Headlamp (exploring or just in case I make it back late)
-Food (snacks) & Water
-Bandanna (Useful for many things!)
I always leave a note on my dashboard with the date and which trail & direction I am heading.
mweinstone
01-19-2011, 23:28
i carry a full pack everywhere i go. allways. i allways carry the same amount of food and fuel. the max. i have never been in the woods without my pack. ever. more times than not, i arive in towns with 2 and 3 days worth of food and fuel left. i like carrying weight. and all my stuff even in the winter, even headed into the smokeys, weighes 38 lbs. comming into town in the summer , empty, my pack weighs 12.
We have this area south of here called Hercules Glades where good hikers get lost. I just had two friends get lost there last year. Overnight in the fall. Leaf cover on the trail. They did fine, had a lighter so they had a fire, and they are good outdoors people. They ran into Boy Scouts the next morning and were just literally feet off the trail. We call this area the Bermuda Triangle. So now I take a headlamp, fleece, and a lighter just in case. but then I always carry a headlamp since we have alot of copperheads here on the trial in the fall, it is a safety deal walking after dusk even on the trails in the nature park.
Ironbelly
01-20-2011, 07:54
If you havn't read between a rock and a hard place I advise you do. Being at least somewhat prepared and letting someone know where you are are the most important things.
What I carry doesn't weigh a whole lot, but is more than enough to get me by if I happen to suffer some kind of accident. I am not worried about getting lost, it's more of an injury type of situation from a fall etc.
Even if you only carry water, at least tell someone where you are going and a rough estimate of when you will be back.
I typically always carry at least the following
1L water-more in summer
a few snacks and a lunch
compass
cell phone
lighter and small baggie of tinder
knife
headlamp
firstaid kit(has things like duct tape and paracord in it too)
extra layer of clothes depending on the season. Usually just something as simple as my nano puff
rain/wind shell
So I made my "adventure pack" yesterday and took it with me hiking from Spivey's Gap back to Erwin...
In a quart ziplock:
1. small compass
2. Gerber shorty (knife)
3. mini-bic
4. 2 esbit tabs
5. 20' of twine
6. 2 Clif bars
7. space blanket (potential ground cloth)
8. headlamp
Also took a 4 x 6 silnylon tarp.
I guess the whole thing weighs less than 2 lbs. Now when I head out I'll just grab the baggie and tarp and be on my way.
berninbush
01-20-2011, 11:45
I always leave a note on my dashboard with the date and which trail & direction I am heading.
I totally agree it's prudent to have a way for people to find you, should you be lost/injured on the trail, but I'm wondering about this strategy. Of course it's helpful to park rangers if you don't turn back up, but could it also be a hazard if someone with evil intent sees it while you're gone? If they're intent on stealing your car, it gives them some indication of whether you're likely to come back and interrupt them. If they're intent on doing you harm, it tells them which way to go to find you.
My personal preferred strategy is to leave this information with a trusted friend who isn't hiking with me. I give details of where I plan to hike, and a deadline by which I expect to be out of the woods-- I allow a few extra hours so as not to incite panic if I'm running a little late. Then I call and check in with the friend once I'm done. If I don't call, they are instructed to notify local authorities that I may be in trouble. Thankfully no one has ever had to do that.
I like the fact that my friend is really watching out for me, and if I don't turn up the authorities will be notified pretty quickly... if you're depending on a note on a dashboard, you have to wait for someone to notice that your car has been sitting there too long.
hikerboy57
01-20-2011, 11:51
On day hikes I always have 2 EXTRA Clif bars, water, waterproof matches,film canister w/ cotton balls soaked in Vaseline, map, compass,Swiss Army Knife, whistle ,bandanna, rainshell, FA kit. Cooler weather I add gloves,fleece, and hat.
I always leave a note on my dashboard with the date and which trail & direction I am heading.
I used to do this too until a deputy suggested to me that I was letting people know how much time they had to break into my vehicle.
yea I never do that. I think it is just asking for trouble. I dont like how some national parks make you put this info on your car.
also there is a big difference between a 2 mile day in a city park hike and a 20 mile day hike in the sierras in the winter. I TRY TO JUST USE MY HEAD.
Do you diligently adhere to carrying the "ten essentials"
Yes..........
berninbush
01-20-2011, 13:39
I used to do this too until a deputy suggested to me that I was letting people know how much time they had to break into my vehicle.
Looks like we simul-posted the same thought, but I included my personal alternative (at the bottom of the last page). ;)
On a day hike it is my phone/mp3 a lighter, water, pocketknife, and sometimes a flashlight. I have used the light on my phone to get out after dark once tho. As far as food goes, I usually eat before I go on my hike and the body can go days without food so I never thought about taking any. I may have thrown a snickers bar or beef jerky in there before but never "food"