Gear

Hi Folks,

Just wondering what emergency kit people carry in their day sacks, besides your normal kit that comes on and off your body during the day . 

My list is below and comes in at about 1600 gram which isn't a hole lot of weight for peace of mind and it does get used once in a while (except the Blizzard Bag, thankfully)

Please let me know if you think its overkill or if their is an item you think would be worthwhile adding.

Blizzard Bag

(I use an OMM Jirishanca 35 RL MSC which has a Duomat that be used as a half length sleeping matt if needs be) 

Terra Nova superlite Bothy2

Rab Generator vest

(I also carry either a Rab Generator Smock for summer\autumn or Haglofs Barrier Jacket\MH Compressor pants winter\spring)

Mitts (OD summit inferno in winter & buffalo mitts in summer)

Balaclava 

1st Aid 

(Plasters, nurofen, heat pads, blister kit, duct tape wrapped around a pencil & some paper)

Priceton Apex Extreme Headlamp & Petzl Elite

(Have had to come off a few peaks unexpectly in the dark in the past so the 130 lumens of the Apex is outstanding & the elite is handy to loan to someone who didnt bring a head lamp)

Aqua Gear Survivor Water bottle  filte.

A few choc bars and cereal bars)

Cheers,

Stephen

do you need a bothy and a blizzard bag?

i carry a tarp which provides a lot of protection options.

the aqua gear bottle for emergency? why? why not just use it.

the vest and the smock? why not just go with one of them? really need both? could you use a heat pad?

buffalo mitts are nice but for summer?

Hi Parky,

Very fair points, Cheers for the quick reply.

The combined weight of the Blizzard & Bothy bags is only just over 600g which is just a bit heavier than my Rab Event  bivi bag but I find it offers a lot more diversity as it can provide shelter & warmth, and the Bothy bag is great for having the sandwiches in when its raining cats & dogs

I can see your point regaring the vest, but I have had a close call with hypothermia twice in the last 15 years and could of done with an extra layer then.  Also in the past I have had to loan warm clothing out to either members of the group (or complete strangers who I have come across) who said they were properly equipped but turned out not to be, its the same really with the mitts.  The heat pads are only the cheapy ones you stick in your glove, they dont relaly provide much core heat to the body

Good idea about the Filter, I problay could get away with carrying a bit less water than what would make up for the weight of the filter.

If I ditched the Bothy bag and the Rab vest I say I could squeeze the weight down to over a kilo, but for the sake of the 550 odd grams I think they are a great insurance policy.

Thanks again for the reply,

Actually non trivial to get hold of waterproof mitts which are noticably lighter than the Buffallo ones - and then you perhaps need liner gloves as well.

I've carried a fair chunk of the above around on some day walks but then I really don't watch the weight I'm carrying on day walks. Far from unknown for me to carry large chunks of, or even entire, sunday broadsheets round a walk Or books for the train back.

Its not like the overall weight you take on a day walk is ever going to be large enough to really notice. If you're camping a bit probably best not to worry about it in fact - then the extra camping load won't be half as noticeable.

Hi Martin,

My sentiments exactly on the weight, I find thare is only ever about a 3 kg differnce in weight for a day hike oppose to an overnight.

During the summer I carry a pair of GTX mitts and polartec liner gloves (they are are dead light), during the winter I carry the liner gloves along with a pir of Event insulated gauntletts ( a small bit longer than normal gloves, the protect the wrists better.)

Cheers,

Stephen

I don't get it Stephen. You ask people to let you know if they think it's overkill, but then it becomes obvious that you're happy carrying it all?

I think it's overkill

Hi Se@n,

Could you let me know what you carry for these situations. 

Its true I would rather carry a bit less but there isnt really much weight in what I would consider I could do with you.

Cheers,

Stephen

My emergency kit varies according to season.

FAK, headlight (e-Lite in summer, BD Spot in winter), whistle, incy penknife go with me everywhere.

Insulating garment depends on season - could be just a microfleece in summer or Haglofs Barrier Q Hoody in depths of winter.

Hat (beanie or balaclava depending on time of year).
Gloves (liner gloves in summer, spare pair proper gloves in winter; tuff-bag waterproof mitts if weather is bad, but don't bother with them if it's not).
Emergency 'shelter' (Adventure Medical incy one in summer, thermal one in winter).  I should, I guess, also have one of the old-fashioned orange survival bags beloved of DoE and Scouts, for emergency use as a toboggan

I don't weigh stuff, just try to keep it as light as possible, hence variation depending on weather / season / location. 

Cheers Kate for the reply

Winter: Blizzard bag, Petzl Myo XP, buffalo mitts, Extremeties Tuff Bags mitts, bar of chocolate and a peperami, phone. I too have a Jiri with with a duomat.

Summer: Petzl E+lite, phone.

First Aid: Duct tape around trekking pole, tick remover, couple of pain killers.

I use an Aquagear as my primary drink container. Gone are the days of lugging 1-2 kilos of water around with me

I don't really think of hats and gloves as emergency equipment. I carry light gloves all year round backed up with buffalos in winter. I use the same light hat all year too, but in winter I'll probably be wearing my Rab VR jacket so I'll have a warm hood too. If it was proper winter conditions I would probably take a balaclava.

I'll also have a synthetic insulated top with me; light one for summer, heavier one for winter, although again I don't see it as emergency gear as I'll usually throw it on several times throughout the day at rest stops, lunch etc.

Looks like you're looking out for a group a lot of the time though.

Maybe I'm woefully ill-equipped

Hi Se@n,

That interesting thats you use the aquagear as your water carrier is it 35ml version, do you just fill it up each time you pass the water source, do you carry another bottle or a diffrent drink.

You mentioned you had a VR Jacket, I have the pants and jacket and they are the absolute business, I would love the pants with a tougher backside and knees but I suppose that would make them heavier.

You hit the nail on the head on regarding looking after groups,  I am by no means a quailifed Mountain leader but 99% of the time I end up being the most experienced in the group I suppose I am wathcing out for others.

What I normally do is I have a few extra bits and pieces in the car and ask my buddies to bring some also and before we leave ask if everyone has all they needed and then dish out whats needed have between them.

I have got two of my buddies and my better half to go on a Mountain skills course and they really learned from it.

You might find some of these experinces amusing, they were quiet funny to see at the time.

I wore waterproof mitts between my boots and socks as I had a real crap"waterproof" pants that failed first day out and we were on a 3 day trip.

I had the most of the sole come off a pair of Meindl boots at 1000m in mid winter but I managed to tape them up and get back down,

I  had to give a guy a pair of socks to wear on his hands as he had no gloves and it was feezing.

I have cut holes in  Orange Bivvy bags when someone forgot their wateproofs and this kept them dryish.

I have gotten people to pit plastic bags bewteen ther boots and socks.

Cheers,

 Stephen

It's the original 500ml Aquagear, now replaced by the Travel Tap, Stephen.

I just fill it up at a water source and have a big drink and sometimes partially refill and carry to the next. If I'm somewhere where water is more scarce I'll take a platy bottle too and filter some into that. But that doesn't happen too often in the UK!

So your walking buddies all turn up with 10 litre packs knowing you'll have brought spare gear for them all? You need to get tough with them

Hi Sean,

Thats the one I have I must start using it more like you do.

Its quiet funny on a trip recently we checked the weight of each others bags and mine would have been probaly somewhere in the middle. 

I will have to start cracking the whip or else selling my old gear to them for a nice sum

Hi Matt,

I have a plastic one on the cord of my compass and normally tie one to my jacket.

The OMM Jirishanca pack I have also has one built in to the waist strap.

 Cheers,

Stephen

1 Blizzard Bag in nasty high-viz orange

FAK (a few plasters, 1 sterile dressing, 1 elastic bandage, bodge tape, a bit of TCP ointment, ibuprofen)

1 headtorch (some tiny waterproof thing from Blacks)

whistle

a piece of closed cell mat (just big enough to lie on)

a small lock knife

GPS in case I lose my compass (or I lose my marbles and can no longer use my compass)

Handheld VHF transceiver (heavy but theres no mobile coverage over here)

also spare hat, spare socks, a bit of extra food, primaloft jacket

Hi Benco,

Thanks for joining in the discussion.  It seems the Blizzard bag is being used by a lot of people.

You mentioned the VHF transceiver, what kind of rnage do you get from it (I know the mountaisn can effect the signal), if you were to use it in Emergency is it Channels 12 or 16 that you would use.

Cheers, 

Stephen

Hi Matt,

I have a plastic one on the cord of my compass and normally tie one to my jacket.

The OMM Jirishanca pack I have also has one built in to the waist strap.

 Cheers,

Stephen