Backpacking Checklist.

[bignateyk]

I?m gonna be doing alot of backpacking/camping this summer and I wanna make sure I have everything I need. I have done a lot in the past, but I?m planning on doing a lot by myself this summer, so the protection/navigation categories are fairly important. I upgraded my tent/sleeping bag to much lighter ones, and got a better backpack. My budget for all the stuff below was around $2000, and right now I?m only pushing $1400 spent, so I?ve got some room to work with. I am also looking for good (light) food suggestions.

Here is my current inventory (aside from food):

Jansport 3100 Cubic Inch Backpack (15lbs loaded without food/liquid)
Eureka Spitfire Solo Tent (2.5lbs)
ALPS Mountaineering 0 degree Sleeping Bag (4lbs)

Navigation:
Garmin GPS 60
Basic Compass
Maps

Protection:
Ruger P95D Handgun
"The Champ" Swiss Army knife (the one with everything)
S&W Folding Knife
KABAR Bowie Knife
Bear Mace

Dishware:
Titanium Cookware (2 pots, skillet/lid)
Titanium Silverware (fork,spoon)
Titanium Flask (gotta have my whiskey)
Thermos
Water Bottle

Rope:
50' Rope
50' Parachute Cord
6 Carabiners
Cable Ties (10)

Emergency Clothing:
Under Armor Shirt
Thermals

Misc:
TP
Garbage Bags (3)
Tin Foil (3 sheets)
Ziplock Bags (2 1 gallon)
Magnesium Firestarter
Lighter
Iodine Tablets
Sewing Kit
Fishing String, hooks, 1 lure
Duct Tape
Trowel

Food:
Tea

First Aide:
Ankle Brace
Knee Brace
Ace Bandages
Sport Tape
Antihistamine
Antibiotic Cream
Gauze
Bacitracin Ointment
Kaopecate Caplets
Toothbrush/toothpaste
Pain Killers (Tylenol, Aspirin, Ibuprofin)
Q-Tips
Sunscreen

Entertainment:
Paper
Pencil
Playing Cards


edit:

Things I forgot to mention:
Mirror
Tobacco / rolling paper.
3w LED maglight

 

[Howard]

Titanium cookware and flask? What a waste.

 

[jpeyton]

Army surplus MREs.

 

[Coquito]

Vienna sausages
Sardines in mustard sauce
Velveeta cheese packets
Dale's Pale Ale

 

[potato28]

Originally posted by: Howard
Titanium cookware and flask? What a waste.

It's lighter than Stainless Steel and is easier to clean. OP: don't forget a zippo, pack of matches, or BIC lighter. Make sure to pack 2 or all 3.

 

[bignateyk]

Originally posted by: jpeyton
Army surplus MREs.

ill head over to the surplus store and see what they have.

Originally posted by: potato28

Originally posted by: Howard
Titanium cookware and flask? What a waste.

It's lighter than Stainless Steel and is easier to clean. OP: don't forget a zippo, pack of matches, or BIC lighter. Make sure to pack 2 or all 3.

Yeah ive got a lighter.. ill throw a pack or two of matches in though.

 

[warlord]

The KABAR is a waste too. How is it a useful instrament?

I second the MRE's. Not to mention they come with their own heater.

 

[grohl]

MREs are too heavy.

Mountain House dehydrated food FTW.

Don't overpack.

 

[Sinsear]

Vienna sausages
Beef jerky

 

[bignateyk]

Originally posted by: warlord
The KABAR is a waste too. How is it a useful instrament?

I second the MRE's. Not to mention they come with their own heater.

eh.. its probably not very useful. Its the knife I already had, but I bought that S&W to have a smaller one, so I probably wouldnt use the KABAR.

 

[bignateyk]

Originally posted by: Sinsear
Vienna sausages
Beef jerky

What are these vienna sausages people keep talking about? Ive never heard of them.

 

[jpeyton]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vienna_sausage

 

[Supertastic Fool]

take a folding metal chair. That is what i used to do and people would give you the strangest looks. Of course i wasnt your average backpacker either so it might be a little on the heavy side?

Oh, btw you dont need that much crap, or to spend that much but if you want to then go ahead.

oh btw, dont use a water bottle. Camel backs are much more effective and can be stowed without water easily.

Instead of 18 knifes you might consider a gerber, and instead of all your eating utensils (not cooking) a large plastic mug works rather well and maybe an aluminum plate if you arent hardcore .

 

[bignateyk]

Originally posted by: jpeyton
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vienna_sausage

ah. So pretty much like canned hotdogs?

 

[lupi]

Mirror, flare gun, and pack shovel.

 

[bignateyk]

Originally posted by: KlitschBeiExitus
take a folding metal chair. That is what i used to do and people would give you the strangest looks. Of course i wasnt your average backpacker either so it might be a little on the heavy side?

Yeah. Not to mention they are rather bulky.

 

[lupi]

No radios?

 

[bignateyk]

Originally posted by: lupi
Mirror, flare gun, and pack shovel.

Have mirror, forgot to mention that. Trowel == Pack shovel??

Dont have a flare gun.. i'll look into that.

 

[Howard]

Originally posted by: potato28

Originally posted by: Howard
Titanium cookware and flask? What a waste.

It's lighter than Stainless Steel and is easier to clean.

Sorry, I meant silverware instead of flask. if he really wants to cut the weight from the fork and spoon, he can go ahead. What's wrong with aluminum cookware, though? As far as actual cooking goes, it's far superior to titanium.

 

[DrPizza]

I've always thought that there were two competing schools of though on the food. I've gone backpacking quite a few times with larger groups, especially as one of the chaperones of our school's backpacking club. (we started together, and camped together, but from vehicle to campsite, the backpackers were often spread out over a mile or so.)

Most of the backpackers had the same philosophy: pack really light for food. So, while everyone else was heating up oatmeal for breakfast, I was feasting on bacon, jimmy dean sausage, and pancakes. While everyone was mixing little soup packets and other dried foods for dinner, I was cooking a t-bone over the fire, grilling a few jumbo shrimp, and having baked potatos with it. Every camping trip, I tried to outdo the previous trip as far as my meal went.

Everyone else's food weight: 1 pound. My food weight: 5 pounds. I'll gladly carry the extra 4 pounds if it means that after a hard day's worth of hiking, I get to indulge myself with nice dinners.


ps. get the pancake mix that you just have to add water to. The stuff from Aldis is great. I have to go pick up my son; I'll have to have him remind me of some of my other meals I've packed.

 

[dpert1]

i never hike or backpack w/o trailmix, tremendous

3rd the MRE's, i actually enjoy most of them

 

[Rogodin2]

I usually throw in 2 bags of dried blueberries.

Rogo

 

[GPett]

Handheld pump water purifier. You don't always need to break out the stove to boil your water.

Dried foods such as noodles, rice, nuts, dried potatos, soup mix, and pancake mix. A salami, pepperoni, or any other cured meat to throw in to make a stew with the above mentioned dried foods. Dried fruits and vegetables. Condensed bouillon paste, small bottle of olive oil, small bottle of lemon or lime juice, sugar, salt, pepper, and any other of your favorate dried seasonings for flavor.

Bring a collapsable fishing rod with some gear and fishing liscence.

Don't forget to bring at least 3 lightweight forms of light and extra batteries for all of them. I prefer a headband light, small flashlight, and some sort of small area light.


Have fun!

Have each person bring a good paperback book. Trade when you are done. =)

 

[potato28]

Originally posted by: Howard

Originally posted by: potato28

Originally posted by: Howard
Titanium cookware and flask? What a waste.

It's lighter than Stainless Steel and is easier to clean.

Sorry, I meant silverware instead of flask. if he really wants to cut the weight from the fork and spoon, he can go ahead. What's wrong with aluminum cookware, though? As far as actual cooking goes, it's far superior to titanium.

But for durability, titanium goes a lot farther.

 

[adairusmc]

Originally posted by: grohl
MREs are too heavy.

Mountain House dehydrated food FTW.

Don't overpack.

Not if you repack them like we used to do at SOI. You can fit many more of them in the same amount of space than you normally would. Just take them out of the outside packaging and throw away the boxes and everything. Just bunch the meals together with the meals, crackers with crackers, etc in zip lock bags. Throw away what you dont want to eat.

MRE's are all I bring when I go backpacking.