I am really interested to hear how everyone sets up their packs for short trips. For the sake of this discussion, lets stick to daypacks so we don't have to worry about sleeping gear.

How many ounces of water do you bring? Bladder or bottles? 100 oz in bladder, 64 oz in bottles if planning to be gone all day or if it is hot
What knives/guns and where do you carry them?     38 airweight to keep weight down, usually on hip. Buck 110 in hip pocket
Do you bring multiple methods of water purification everywhere you go? I bring my MSR miox and some iodine tabs usually because both these things are very small and light
Multiple firestarters?  a couple lighters and a sealed box of matches
Map? GPS? Compass?    compass and rarely a garmin basic gps
Flashlights?     headlamp and streamlight protac HL in pocket (at night) just in case I need a quick burst to identify a sound
What snacks do you like? I like trail mix, snickers, jerky. I only bring enough food for how long I plan to be out
Do you use hip pockets on your day pack and for what? I carry my knife in my right hip pocket and my speed loader on my left
Any extra stuff? I will usually have a large trash bag, some duct tape, and a couple zip ties, just in case my day trip were to turn to an overnight. Always have a small first aid kit.


Mainly just looking to see how I can improve upon my current setup. Any extras or pictures will be totally appreciated. I often hike alone in remote areas so this is why I do bring some essential safety gear even on dayhikes.
Especially interested in what things you keep immediately accessible and what things you stow and take your pack off to get to.

This picture shows some of the things I bring with me. Some things are not pictured, and yes, that is an sp101, not the airweight I typically carry.


The pack is an Osprey Manta 36. I highly recommend it. It carries 100 oz in the bladder and is very spacious, even with the bladder full. I had the 24 liter version of this pack before this, but I find this size to be much more versatile. I typically keep the hip pockets folded back like this because it keeps them out of the way of my gun on my hip.


I love that it has the suspension and rigid frame of a much larger pack. The pack doesn't rest directly on your back, and air can move freely to keep you cool.

Updated with pics.

No pics.

Fixed? It works for me if I remove the S from the https

No pics for me either.

If I right click and then open in a new tab they show up.

Depends.

Depends on the weather.  Depends on water availability.  Depends on cell phone coverage.  Depends on bugs.  Depends on activity (fishing vs photography).

Generally water, protein bar, inclement weather gear, map, compass, water filter and Aqua Mira drops, trowel, toilet paper/wipes, knife.

Day hike... 22l pack, 2 nalgenes, granola bars, a sugary snack, FAK, morakniv, folder, shield 9mm, trail map, poly poncho, 2 methods of fire.

My typical day-hike bag is an Osprey Manta 30.  However I do have similar sized bags that get rotate and some with a little more room for added insulation if hiking in colder temps.  Although I don't pack a dedicated shelter, I do pack a poncho/bivy that can be setup as one and sometimes will even add a lightweight hammock for naps after lunch at the top of the mountain or to a waterfall

Hydration Bladder (3 Liter)
Exped Bivi-Poncho (suspension/guy-lines, stakes)
Rain jacket, rain pants (always a rain jacket)
Mid-layer (weather dependent, but usually included)
Sawyer Mini water filter kit
2-Liter Squeeze pouch
1-Liter water bottle (Vapur, Platypus, Evernew)
Small water bottle (Nalgene 16oz) with Snow Peak titanium 300ml nesting cup
Emberlit Fire-Ant stove
TP in Ziploc; U-Dig-It trowel
Brew/Snack Kit with small waterproof bag*
Fire Kit (Bic, Tinder)
LED Headlamp (Fenix or Zebra + extra battery)
Small FAK (ankle brace, ace bandage)
Bug repellant, sun-screen and hand-sanitizer
Bug head net (Sea to Summit)
Extra socks in Ziploc
Gloves (Mechanix, Petzl, basic light work gloves)
Bandana and/or Shemagh
Cordage (550-cord, Bank-Line, Dyneema line)
100mph tape
Folding Saw (Small Silky saw)
Multitool (Leatherman Sidekick or Swiss Spirit)
SOL Bivi and/or Space Blanket
Compact binoculars (or monocular)
Fixed blade knife kit (if not on pants belt)
Large Trash bag

This is pretty much my standard day-hiking bag.  Several day hikes up around the AT in GA, TN and NC; and it went with me this summer as we hit the SD Badlands, Glacier National Park, a few hikes around the Olympic National Forest and Cascades.  

I did add some Yak-Traks for the shoes, fleece hat/gloves for the colder temps and a spare set of sunglasses.  For wider ranging temps, I’ll add a dri-down mid-layer jacket and even an inflatable Klymit “recon” sleeping pad.  I even packed a small folding sit pad that would work for insulation if you had to sit on the cold ground. I also have a 30-40 section of either emergency rappel line or tubular webbing along with a couple carabineers for minor recovery, or navigating less technical terrain; I’ve used it to help others clime down a steep trail and cross a small stream.

Along with the pack, my typical outdoors EDC includes a folding pocket knife, chap stick, Bic-lighter with whistle and a small, single CR123 LED light (Sunwayman). My HPG Kit Bag is with me about 90% of the time for hiking, biking and kayaking; the CCW may change slightly, but contents are pretty consistent:



Although this is a “day-hike” bag, I really consider it a recreational-emergency 72-hour bag.

ROCK6

Good thread guys.
I'm working on putting together a day hike bag right now.

depends on lots of things, mostly time of the year.

I have a pack for winter and a fanny pack for warmer times.

both have

water
poncho
cordage
compass
first aid
multi-tool
dog water dish
fire starting
dog poop bags
space blanket
bandana
spare hanky

that's about all I really want to cart around with me anymore. there are some more things in both that I can't think of off hand. sometimes in the winter I bring some lunch. I have a small stove and a walmart grease pot in the winter bag for making hot water for tea.

Below is the list for my three-season pack. I am still working on my winter daypack, I haven't been on too many winter trips.

-TNF backpack with sternum strap, probably 30L. It's a little big and heavy for what I need, but it works and is paid for.
-Nalgene 32oz, filled
-Kleen Kanteen 28-30oz, filled
-Sawyer filter
-compass
-Petzl headlamp
-35-50 feet of 550 cord
-lighter
-Patagonia windshirt
-LL Bean shell
-food depending on trip and duration
-optional additional layers

Knife and other everyday items are carried in my pockets.

ETA: I usually photocopy a single page out of the Delorme gazetteer and use that for my map.

I use a little CamelBak MULE, in woodland camo, for my day pack.  It handles food, water, shelter, comfort, and protection.  I  don't really need much gear for a day hike.
I always take my little SAK OneHand Trekker folder, and an Ash wood walking stick.

Really it depends on my activity for the day but 9/10 times it will have all the following plus anything else I may need depending on the situation (stove,axe,cup,spoon,nalgene etc):
-Mystery Ranch ASAP
-eno hammock
-3L water bladder
-sawyer water filter
-compass
-esse4
-bandana
-penlight
-first aid kit
-survial kit with:
knife
matches
lighter
puritabs
fishing line and hooks
few other smalls
-glock 19
-granola bars/snacks

Do you care to post some pics? I have a mule too and am interested in others setups.

Not in the picture are my camelbak bladder, rain jacket, food, and gun.

Jesus..

How many miles are y'all hiking? What season?
If you're talking about doing a summertime 8-12 mile out and back or loop on a marked trail - (camelback MULE, 2L water, Gerber EZout, 10' of ductape, 2 snacks, trail map)

I've gone from Amicalola Falls to Springer and back in 5 hours (17 miles round trip if you stop at the Hike Inn) and only added lunch and a 3rd liter of water to that list.

pretty much anything over 12 miles a day and I'm spending the night (unless it's just for the exercise)

summer trips, no need for any firestarter or rain gear
fall/winter/early spring - add firestarter and rain jacket.

if you're not wet, you're not traveling fast enough.
if you're cold, you're not traveling fast enough.

On the AT, I dont even carry a compass, just a trail map. (certainly not a GPS).
I never hike alone though..

Amicalola to springer and back in 5 hours! I usually do 12 miles on the AT with a 30lb pack in 7 hours (multiday trips). I carry a small gps (foretrex 401) because I like all the nerdy mileage and elevation stats as well as marking waypoints. I also carry a Delorme inReach to keep my wife sane since I usually hike by myself or with my 7 year old son.

I carry almost the same gear whether hiking spring-fall or snowshoeing in winter. This is for short (5-8 mile) outings in familiar or semi-familiar areas, or areas where other people are likely to be. I don't do backcountry due to lack of conditioning and a year-old knee injury that still bothers me from time to time.

Black Diamond Syncline trekking poles (in hands 90% of time.)
Mountain Hardwear Snowtastic 28 in safety green year round.
- 100oz water
- Rain jacket (EMS Thunderhead)
- Flashlight (inexpensive but BRIGHT Sportsman's Guide model)
- Trowel
- Energy bars*
- TP*
- Lighter*
- Chapstick*
- Small first aid kit (need to make a better one)
- Knife (Gerber Gator)
- Fleece**
- Down sweater**
- Balaclava**
- Extra gloves/mittens**
- Extra socks**
- Zip ties/duct tape**
- Snowshoe tails** (when using my MSRs)
- Goggles w/clear, dark, and rose-copper lenses for varying light conditions**


*In waterproof bag
**Winter-only gear

Double tap.

Double tap.

Yeah, that's more of a trail run/workout than an actual hike.  As I posted above, we do that with very light packs (sub 7 lbs) and it pretty much wears us out..
It's been a few years since we've done it, so it'll probably take closer to 6 hours.

We hiked from Dicks Creek Gap to Bly Gap about a month ago.  9(ish) miles each direction we camped about 2 miles from the NC line (we did almost 6 friday in 4 hours and did 12 the next morning in 6 hours).  It kicked my butt, but the terrain at the state line is tougher than the terrain at Amacalola-Springer.
our packs for that trip were just under 30#.  We took our hammocks.

I always heard the approach trail was the worst. I am going from Neel's Gap to Deep Gap, NC next week. We are taking 4 days to do it. I hover right around 35lbs, but that also includes a full camelbak bladder and my gun. I am 30lbs or less without water and gun.

Again, if you're carrying 1/4 the pack it's not really tough at all. That second day when we went from camp to Bly Gap and back, we did it after breakfast with just a water bottle and snack.  It took about an hour and a half to go the 4(ish) miles.


ETA Empty your inbox or sign up for a membership.. I can't message you.. haha..

Emptied. I rarely use it.