What Essentials do you carry in your lightweight summer daypack for hiking and mountaineering?

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What Essentials should you carry in your traditional summer daypack?

What I carry in my summer day pack (or my summit pack) depends on the length, elevation gain and technical class of the hike or climb, the time of year, the forecast weather, who my companions are and a lot of other things, I guess. It is always packed; I pull things out and leave them in the car, depending on conditions. I add more or different things in the fall or winter.

Lets start with a hike and climb on well traveled forest trails and loose scree slopes gaining 5,000 vertical feet to the summit of South Sister at 10,358 feet for lunch and back to the cars for a round trip of about 15 miles. We plan to be gone for about eight hours; we are starting at 7AM. It is mid summer but the forecast weather calls for high cold winds and a possible thunderstorm in the afternoon. I am leading a group of experienced hikers from a club near Palm Springs, CA. See the pictures of this climb.

I decide on a Salomon Raid Race 300 pack It holds about 1,892 cu in and weighs about 1 pound, 9 ounces. It has a good suspension belt and comfortably can carry a ton of water. This pack has outside pockets for Platypus one liter water bags.

A butt pad is slipped into one of the outside pockets of my Solomon summer day-pack. It is a 6 x 18 inch, 3 oz. piece of quarter inch thick ensolite with a short tether for windy seats.

First in at the bottom of my summer pack is a fill or down "belay" jacket, under one pound, for essential insulation if I have to stop for an emergency or fatigued companion.

On top of that I stuff in an R-1 Patagonia regulator fleece shirt for a possible emergency stop in the cold jet stream at 10,000 feet. For this climb, I will be wearing only a long sleeved Patagonia silk weight shirt, poly boxers and very light nylon pants. In the fall in good weather, I'll be wearing the R-1 and carry a heavier belay jacket.

Then, in goes a TNF non-breathable summer rain top and bottom, under 1 pound, together. This provides protection from wind and rain from a summer thunder storm. If I do not carry it, I will need it.

I always include an Adventure Medical Kits Thermo-Lite 2.0 Bivvy Sac, 6.9 oz.

The small loose bag of Essentials, 9 oz. These small essentials include a 2 oz. Petzl LED headlamp, a butane lighter, a Suunto M3D clear base plate compass with a loud Acme Referee's whistle, USGS Quad map with UTM coordinates toilet paper, a couple of emergency Clif Shots, a few 2x2 Band-Aids, Polysporin® antibiotic ointment, moleskin, a few over the counter meds, personal Rx for Vicodin, mini knife, one days supply of sun screen, my smallest wallet with cash and ID, etc. See the photos of these small Essentials.

(If I am Leading a Group, my group First Aid Kit is next at 1 lb. 6 oz., if I can't get another member of the group to carry it).

Then, in goes a thin poly-pro Patagonia ski cap, a TNF Gore-Tex soft bill cap, Patagonia poly liner gloves and OR Gore-Tex Lobster Mitts secured with a big rubber band, 7oz. total. I plan to wear an Orvis nylon sun bucket hat with a lanyard for wind control and a bandana for the back of my neck.

Next in the pack is a GoLite Wisp, 2oz. wind shirt.

Lunch, perhaps a bagel, non fat string cheese and a V8, (with Clif Bars or breakfast bars, some hard candies and a couple of Clif Shots in reserve) go in a lite stuff sack in the top pocket. No Gorp, as I am wearing all the fat I will need.

My Nikon point and pray digital camera goes in my pocket, 3 oz., and my ordinary cell phone, 4 oz., (recently updated for recently built cell towers) goes in the top pocket.

And last but not least, I load three liters of water in Platypus bags into the special outside pockets of the pack: Six pounds of water plus the can of V-8! But the three bags only weigh three ounces when empty. (3 empty Nalgene bottles weigh over a pound?)

Yes, I used everything in the pack, except the first aid stuff!
Copyright© 2000-2011 by Robert Speik. All Rights Reserved.

(Note: I use a Black Diamond Sphynx 35L day-pack in the Winter Mountaineering to carry extra fleece, full length insulating pad, shovel, pickets, crampons, ice axe, snowshoes and poles, helmet and harness, runners and gear. It weighs about 2 pounds 6 ounces. My winter insulating pad is an inflatable Cascade Designs "Pro-lite 4" short-length, 17 ounce foam pad, strapped on the outside of the Sphynx pack. An alternate winter insulating pad is a Cascade Designs RidgeRest three-quarter length, 9 oz. foam pad and it straps on the outside of the Black Diamond Sphynx. I add my GAB crampons 2 lb., 1 oz. My Life Link snow shovel, 1 lb, 4.5 oz. always comes along. The shovel scoop goes inside the pack away from my back and the handle goes in the pocket and under the straps at the side. There is still room at the sides of the Sphynx for my collapsed Leki three part hiking poles. --Bob Speik)

WARNING - *DISCLAIMER!*
Mountain climbing has inherent dangers that can, only in part, be mitigated

ABOUT ALPINE MOUNTAINEERING
The Sport of Alpine Mountaineering
Climbing Together
Following the Leader
The Mountaineers' Rope
Basic Responsibilities
The Ten Essential Systems
Our Mission

THE ESSENTIAL PAPERWORK
Suggested Leader Guidelines    Suggested information you should receive from your organized Leaders
Sign-in Agreements, Waivers and Prospectus     This pdf form will need to be signed by you at the trail head
Sample Prospectus    Make sure every leader tells you what the group is going to do; print a copy for your "responsible person"
Participant Information Form    This pdf form can be printed and mailed or handed to the Leader if requested or required
Emergency and Incident Report Form    Copy and print this form. Carry two copies with your Essentials
Participant and Group First Aid Kit    Print this form. Make up your own first aid essentials (kits)

ESSENTIAL PERSONAL CLOTHING AND GEAR
Why is the GSM digital cell phone best for backcountry and mountaineering?
What does Steve House wear for light and fast climbing?
What clothing do you wear for Light and Fast winter mountaineering?
What do you carry in your winter day pack? Photos?
Which digital camera do you use in the mountains?
What about Boots and Shoes?

YOUR ESSENTIAL DAY PACKS
What are the new Ten Essential Systems?
What does experience tell us about Light and Fast climbing?
What is the best traditional alpine mountaineering summit pack?
What is Light and Fast alpine climbing?
What do you carry in your day pack?    Photos?
What do you carry in your winter day pack?     Photos?
Why are "Emergency Kits" dangerous?
What should I know about "space blankets"?
Leave no Trace with Restop bags
Mountaineering blue bag, WAG bag and Restop bag waste solutions in 1985
Where can I get a personal and a group first aid kit?    Photos?

YOUR LITE AND FAST BACKPACK
Which light backpack do you use for winter and summer?    Analysis   pdf
What would you carry in your backpack to climb Shasta or Adams?
Leave no Trace with Restop bags
Mountaineering blue bag, WAG bag and Restop bag waste solutions in 1985
What is the best traditional alpine mountaineering summit pack?
Photos of lite gear packed for a multi day approach to spring and summer summits
Backpack lite gear list for spring and summer alpine mountaineering    4 pdf pages

CARBORATION AND HYDRATION
Is running the Western States 100 part of "traditional mountaineering"?
What's wrong with GORP? Answers to the quiz!
Why do I need to count carbohydrate calories?
What should I know about having a big freeze-dried dinner?
What about carbo-ration and fluid replacement during traditional alpine climbing? 4 pages in pdf
What should I eat before a day of aerobic climbing?

REAL SURVIVAL STRATEGIES
Why is the GSM digital cell phone best for backcountry and mountaineering?
FREE Clinic on Real Survival Strategies and Staying Found with Map, Compass and GPS together
What do you carry in your winter day and summit pack?
Why are "Snow Caves" dangerous?
Why are "Space Blankets" dangerous?
Why are "Emergency Kits" dangerous?
How can you avoid Hypothermia?
Missing climbers on Mount Hood, one dies of exposure, two believed killed in fall
Missing California family found, dad dies from exposure and hypothermia
Missing man survives two weeks trapped in snow-covered car
Missing snowmobile riders found, Roger Rouse dies from hypothermia
Olympic Champion Rulon Gardner lost on snowmobile!
Lost Olympic hockey player looses feet to cold injury
Expert skier lost five days near resort in North Cascades without map, compass, gps or cell phone
Mount Hood - The Episcopal School Tragedy
Mount Hood - experienced climbers rescued from snow cave
How can you learn the skills of snow camping? Prospectus

BACKCOUNTRY NAVIGATION
Topographic maps of the backcountry work with your compass and GPS
Why is the GSM digital cell phone best for backcountry travel and mountaineering?
What is a PLB?
What is the best GPS for mountaineering and backcountry travel?
What is the best Compass for mountaineering and backcountry travel?
How accurate is the inexpensive hand-held GPS today?
What are some good Central Oregon Geocaches?
What is the Public Land Survey Grid? pdf
What is the UTM Grid? six pdf pages
How do you use your map, compass and GPS together, in a nut shell?
How can I learn to use my map, compass and GPS?
Do you have map, compass and GPS seminar notes? six pdf pages

ALPINE CLIMBING ON SNOW AND ICE
Winter mountaineering hazards - streams and lakes
Is long distance backpacking part of "traditional mountaineering"?
How long is the traditional alpine mountaineering ice axe?
What about climbing Mt. Hood?
What is a good personal description of the south side route on Mount Hood?
What should I know about travel over hard snow and ice?
How can I learn to self belay and ice axe arrest? 6 pdf pages
What should I know about snow caves?
What should I know about climbing Aconcagua?

AVALANCHE AVOIDANCE
Young Bend man dies in back county avalanche
What is an avalanche cord?
Avalanche training courses - understanding avalanche risk
How is avalanche risk described and rated by the professionals? pdf table
How can I avoid dying in an avalanche?
Known avalanche slopes near Bend, OR?
Can I avoid avalanche risk with good gear and seminars? pdf file

SNOWSHOES AND CRAMPONS
Why do you like GAB crampons for traditional mountaineering?
What should I know about the new snowshoe trails
What are technical snowshoes?
Which crampons are the best?
What about Boots and Shoes?

TECHNICAL MOUNTAINEERING
What is the best traditional alpine mountaineering summit pack?
What is the best belay | rappel | autoblock device for traditional alpine mountaineering?
What gear do you normally rack on your traditional alpine mountaineering harness? Photos?
What is the best traditional alpine mountaineering seat harness? Photos?
Can I use a Sharpie Pen for Marking the Middle of the Climbing Rope?
What are the highest peaks in Oregon? Alphabetically?