Feeling Overwhelmed with Suggested Equipment

[Aconcagua]

Hello all.

I began dayhiking again this summer after not doing so for many years. My hikes are typically to the top of local mountains on well established and traveled paths. I live in a very mild climate (Central Coast of California.) I simply pulled out my old Jansport daypack and added:

2-4q liquids (depending on the length of the hike.)

Bag of peanut/raisin mix
Bag of pretzels & beef jerky
Bag of hard candy & gum

Med Kit - Ibuprofen (600ml/6hrs), Diphenhydramine tablets, band-aids, pre-cut moleskin, small tubes of sun block and 40% DEET, antiseptic and Chapstick.

Paper towel
TP

Trekking poles

Fleece pullover
Bandanna
Mechanics gloves
Phone

I wear: a wide brimmed sun hat, wristwatch, sunglasses and a wicking shirt plus shorts.

After several hikes I started to surf the Internet to learn more about dayhiking. I'm sort of blown away at the gear different sources claim is mandatory for the hikes I undertake -- from maps and compasses to GPS units to emergency blankets to fire starting gear to extra food, extra clothes, etc., etc. Should all of this stuff be carried? I realize that it could come in handy but where is the limit?

If I added everything that every source claims is "mandatory", it would equate to as much as #10 more weight. Thanks for any insights.

[balzaccom]

Some of the stuff you mention is very lightweight and really important--like map, compass, emergency mylar blanket and a lighter?  All together that's well less than a pound, and could  save you a lot of grief,

What you are taking is fine as long as you don't get hurt or lost.  Once you realize that you might be forced to spend a night out in the woods, that extra equipment is going to seem more reasonable.  Then again, if you are hiking where there is cell phone coverage, the whole situation changes.

The only thing missing from the big list is something waterproof, in case it rains.  But if you are day hiking on the Central Coast, you can probably be cautious with the weather report and leave that at home...or just take a black plastic garbage back to make a poncho.  You're still under one pound of extra weight. 

[Aaron Zagrodnick]

For dayhikes I think a personal take on the 10 essentials is a pretty good start, but I will admit to only checking off a list for backpacking trips. On any type of extended day hike (and this is just what works for me) I usually ask myself if I could stay through the night unexpectedly - not necessarily comfortably but safely. (And that basically includes the 10 essentials!) All of this fits in my day pack with room to spare and you can basically just leave it all packed and ready to go. Also, even if you do carry a PLB or a cell phone and the hike has coverage, at least where I hike if the sun is going down and a storm is rolling in...if you did run into a situation and communicated an emergency there's a good chance you might be waiting a while or til the next day anyway.

[toejam]

After 7 yrs hiking on the Central Coast I don't recall seeing a mosquito. A head net is great to have for the little flies that go in your nose & mouth. Tecnu Extreme is really important, but I use it after I get home.

My last wilderness hike I was equipped with 2 qts of water and the ability to move quickly. Guess I had a cell phone too. Depends on your familiarity with the trail.

[Aconcagua]

 Here's what it pretty much boils down to if I follow the 10 essentials and such:

Food and Drink:

2-4q liquids 

Peanut/raisin mix

Pretzels/jerky

Hard candy/gum

Optional: apples (1-2) if there is a lunch stop

 4 energy bars as back-up

Med Kit - Ibuprofen (600ml/6hrs), Diphenhydramine tablets, band-aids, pre-cut moleskin, small tubes of sun block and 40% DEET, antiseptic and Chapstick.

Kitchen Sink Kit:

Swiss Army knife

Bic lighter

Duct tape (wrapped around lighter)

Whistle

10' of paracord

Emergency Mylar blanket

Headlamp

Paper towel (2 sheets)

TP

Clothing:

Fleece pullover

Fleece ears

Bandanna

Mechanics/bike gloves

Primary Gear:

Phone

Local map or trail guide

Compass

Trekking poles

Backpack

Winter additions:

Second fleece/vest (down jacket in really cold weather), windbreaker, gloves/mitts, buff, and beanie.

Optional:

Binoculars

Camera

Glasses

Hiking chair

Book

[balzaccom]

If you're interested in limiting weight, we leave the following behind:

Chair

Book

Fleece ears (ours has a hood)

Instead of a Swiss army knife, we take a vary tiny blade--dont need scissors, corkscrew, etc.

We take less water.  For a full day we'll take along a filter which is lighter.

Binoculars are definitely a heavy luxury

And our camera is tiny and light weight...

YMMV.

[Aconcagua]

If you're interested in limiting weight, we leave the following behind:

Chair

Book

Fleece ears (ours has a hood)

Instead of a Swiss army knife, we take a vary tiny blade--dont need scissors, corkscrew, etc.

We take less water.  For a full day we'll take along a filter which is lighter.

Binoculars are definitely a heavy luxury

And our camera is tiny and light weight...

YMMV.

The chair is definitely an optional item due to its weight.  I'm not sure how much a paperback weighs but I would make room on certain hikes where I love sitting at the summit and reading a bit.

My fleece ears weight less than an ounce and they work well with my wide-brimmed Tilly hat.  My Victorinox Swiss Army Classic weighs 1.5 ounces.  My binos weigh 9.5 ounces which is considerable but again, I wouldn't leave them behind depending on the hike due to weight.

Finally except during a handful of winter months, there's no water available on the typical hikes I take.

[Dogwood]

Wow, can some of us make a day-hike into a really complicated affair.

How about? ....

Throw a loaf of bread and a pound of tea in an old sack and jump over the back fence. - John Muir

[balzaccom]

I don't think we're offering advice to John Muir, and he's not asking for any--grin. 

 

But the folks who ARE asking for advice deserve to hear what we think.  And for someone who is asking for advice on what to take on a day hike, I am going to make sure that he or she takes along enough equipment to keep them alive if something goes.

 

On the other hand, if John Muir asked me for advice, the first thing I would say is:  "Dude!  Lose the twelve pound overcoat!  That is so 1900!  Get with the UL program and take along a few synthetic layers that you can use to adjust your temperature as you hike.  And tea and bread?  really?  With all the food from around the world that we can get today, and you are sticking with tea and a crust of bread?  I suggest you head straight to the nearest REI store and get fitted out!"

[Aconcagua]

Wow, can some of us make a day-hike into a really complicated affair.

How about? ....

Throw a loaf of bread and a pound of tea in an old sack and jump over the back fence. - John Muir

That's cute and all, but I am looking for some constructive advice.  After a summer of hiking I have:

- Provided water to 3 hikers who were struggling.

- Provided hard candy and some pretzels to 1 hiker who was obviously on some sort of low-carb diet.

- Provided a band aid and some antibiotic ointment to a child hiker.

- Provided TP to 1 hiker.

- Provided a sheet of paper towel to someone trying to clean-up after cleaning up their dog's output.

I originally posted because some people seem to fill a 50L bag for a day hike while others have a quart of Gatorade and not much else in their fanny packs -- without a great deal in between.  You may like Muir's quote but it does me no good.