Small Day Hike Kit

One of the things I have been meaning to make recently is a small day hiking kit.  What I want is a hiking belt, rather than a backpack, because sometimes on a shorter hike you just don't want a pack and the sweaty back that comes with it.

All I need is enough space for my EDC items and a hydration pouch for a Nalgene bottle which should provide enough water for two people for 2-3 hours of gentle hiking in the sun.  In addition, it might be handy to have a place to store my rolled up rain jacket, just in case of inclement weather.  A large pouch or a couple of straps might be handy for that. 

The Hiking Kit

When out for a walk or a hike, its good to carry a few things with you.  

• Water - dehydration sucks and its dry in CO
• Snacks - I am a fat man and need snacks often
• Phone and keys - I might need to call an uber to get home

But in addition I like to carry a few other useful things:

• Knife or multi tool - for repairs and odd jobs while on the march
• Flashlight - just in case we get caught in the dark
• Sunscreen - the direct sun here is brutal sometimes
• Boo-boo kit - band aids, bug bite cream etc.
• Pocket survival kit - waterproof matches, P51, tinder & whistle

Some of these things are overkill of course.  It's unlikely I will need the flashlight for a walk around the lake in the morning, or the pocket survival kit if I am on one of the trails in town, but the point here is that I could carry them if I needed to.  Things happen.

With regards extra clothing, if its winter I will be more likely to carry a pack but on a warm summer day I will be more likely to use the hiking belt.  It is unlikely that I will need to carry any extra clothes, but I could pack a cap and gloves in there if I need to. 

The Belt Pack

I picked this up from Amazon for a few bucks.  I could have gone with something like Mountainsmith but did not want to spend the money so I got this cheap thing. 

Seen here with a 16oz Nalgene bottle

My EDC

As for my EDC, most often that can go in my pockets, but it is handy to put in the bag when I am wearing sweat pants as I often am on my daily walk.

My EDC

My EDC consists of a pocket knife, Swiss army knife, small AAA flashlight and a small tube of factor 40 for my delicate skin. I also have a para-cord lanyard on the Swiss army knife just because.  All of this fits nicely in the pack with plenty of space to spare for another 16oz Nalgene and some snacks.  Of course the phone, ear buds, battery pack and cables could also easily fit in here as well, as could an iPad mini.

In case of inclement weather I might need to bring my raincoat. It packs up into a small roll, so I could secure it to the outside of the pack with some straps but honestly if I expect rain, I am either not walking or I am bringing a pack. 

How does it feel?

I walked about 3 miles at a brisk pace last night as the sun was setting and the kit felt quite comfortable. I can see me using this frequently, especially when I don't want to take a pack with me.  I have no objections to a pack, its just sometimes I don't feel like it.  All in all, I think this is a keeper for short walks.