What do you carry on hikes?

The knife need thing is minimal overall and a SAK or Mora can generally handle it all if being practical about it. Which Dozier? ...Wilderness knife earlier. I have one, but it is too chunky for me overall to carry in the woods and it is rather heavy.

(Edit: Sorry Ben, I didn't realize this was a second post that fluffed out your gear before I responded.)

I need to pickup a real space blanket and a light weight tarp. Just stuff on the list....

I do the store bought trail food mix quite a lot and it really satisfies any energy or hunger issues. Wish I could do beef jerky, but I can't (allergy). Good idea on the gum drops.

Yes, The Wilderness knife. You're right about it being a bit chunky, but it's a solid knife, and does precise cutting fairly well.

If you can't eat jerky, a few large tins of sardines are great as well. I prefer the "Crown Prince" packed in tomato sauce. Kippered Herring and tinned oysters are great also.

Sometimes I buy store trail mix, but my cardiologist prefers unsalted nuts. I mix 6 ox nuts, 6oz Craisins or white raisins, 6 oz M&Ms, 6oz dried banana chips, and whatever else I have on hand that goes well with those ingredients. (The little Nestle Crunch, Reese's etc that are tiny, round, and look like M&Ms work well.

Other very handy items are bright orange surveyor's ribbon and orange duct tape.
 
I have never tried to do precise cutting with that knife. I have other Doziers and have generally leaned toward the Pro Guides knife model. I have small Doziers too. Unfortunately, I have been doing the WR Backpacker Pro as my small knife of late. I honestly lean toward about a 5" knife such as the new Kabar Becker BK-62 Kephart. Last year my woods knives got a major re-shuffle. This happens from time to time. Only the BK-15 remains from my old bunch that I choose to carry in the woods or hiking. The BK is nice and light.
 
Chouinard summarized this well when he noted that "speed is safety" and "if you carry a bivy sack, you will end up needing it".

There are robust online communities around the hiking of the US's major north/south long distance trails: the AT, PCT and CDT. Many of those forums list and discuss the gear lists to smallest of details. Knives are generally incredibly minimalistic.

We recently watched the gripping movie "Meru" (on Netflix). Several action shots of knives being used in the context of high-altitude mountaineering. Basically pocket knives.
I watched that movie. I got a little disgusted with it. One of the climbers clearly had a stroke and instead of insisting to turn around, the other two climbers just kind of ignored it so they could do a climb. Great climbers but I wouldn’t want to know them. I’ve dealt with too many narcissists in my life already.
 
I watched that movie. I got a little disgusted with it. One of the climbers clearly had a stroke and instead of insisting to turn around, the other two climbers just kind of ignored it so they could do a climb. Great climbers but I wouldn’t want to know them. I’ve dealt with too many narcissists in my life already.
It’s funny how the fever can get you though, eh? Those fat ***** who get pushed up Everest by Nepali sherpas, they have to go past frozen bodies as they go up. Nobody takes them down for burial. It is distasteful on so many levels.

Back on topic. For mountaineering, I just take a pocket knife. For the last few trips it was a Fällkniven PXL-WH, sharpened to a beastly level. Should really take one of my partially serrated knives, but the Fällkniven can cut climbing rope no worries.

Not much call for fire making up on the tops in my area, but last Summer the tree line went up to 5,000ft in the Eastern Pyrenees. No opportunity to make fire at that time of year, however, and no need. Dry as the proverbial bone, and too easily spread.
 
I carry my Camelback, some Cliff bars, and a couple of blades. I keep a lightweight marmot tarp and some paracord in my pack for day hikes in case I get caught in the rain. A silky saw stays in my pack and comes in very useful as well as some storm matches. I also carry a gransfors bruk small forest axe and a hinderer xm-18 3.5 on teflon washers. No bearings to get dirt in em. Very easy to find a small 6 inch or so diameter dead standing tree if I need to make a fire. The saw cuts small logs from the dead standing, the axe splits the logs to get to dry wood, the hinderer makes feather sticks.......you get the picture. Honestly, the silky saw gets used the most. It's really good for clearing trails.
 
I am going to start carrying my Amalgam and see how it goes, the Salt 2 had been my hike/woods/lake walk knife but since this thing is so light (for it's size: 4.3oz w/a 3.8" blade is good) I'm going to see how it does.

I've also thought about taking my Vtoku Stretch, since it's carbon steel and everyone knows real men carry carbon steel in the woods...
 
I notice no one has mentioned signal mirrors, topo maps, and GPS receivers.

If you hike/hunt/camp/fish etc off of the trails in wilderness country, these are absolutely necessary
 
It’s funny how the fever can get you though, eh? Those fat ***** who get pushed up Everest by Nepali sherpas, they have to go past frozen bodies as they go up. Nobody takes them down for burial. It is distasteful on so many levels.

The cost to take a body off Everest is 30,000 to 70. Depending on how high up. That's why there's over 200 bodies on "Ever-rest."

"While these two bodies were removed, scores have not been. More than 200 bodies dot the mountain, according to Smithsonian. Some of them are there per their final wishes. Many climbers wish to remain on the mountain should they perish, much like a captain going down with his ship, BBC reported."
 
I notice no one has mentioned signal mirrors, topo maps, and GPS receivers.

If you hike/hunt/camp/fish etc off of the trails in wilderness country, these are absolutely necessary


I don't take topo maps or gps receivers on day hikes. No need. Just a compass and ranger beads. And with an analog watch, I don't even need the compass, But the compass is so light, why not carry it and it has a signaling mirror with it as well.
 
I don't do a lot of long hikes, mostly keep it to half day excursions. The two knives I carry aren't exactly popular with the masses, but it's a BM 162, and a 6800 APB. I absolutely love both. As for other supplies. A water bottle, Ferro rod, and a small sleeping bag during the colder months. Some sort of food to snack on, and a estwing hatchet. I also always have a pistol on my hip. My dog, whom is always with me, comes with a 50ft retractable leash (emergency cordage). Im fairly confident in my ability for long term survival with these basics, the army's sapper school gave me a great many skills and I can always eat the dog if I get desperate. That's if he doesn't eat me first.
 
I don't do a lot of long hikes, mostly keep it to half day excursions. The two knives I carry aren't exactly popular with the masses, but it's a BM 162, and a 6800 APB. I absolutely love both. As for other supplies. A water bottle, Ferro rod, and a small sleeping bag during the colder months. Some sort of food to snack on, and a estwing hatchet. I also always have a pistol on my hip. My dog, whom is always with me, comes with a 50ft retractable leash (emergency cordage). Im fairly confident in my ability for long term survival with these basics, the army's sapper school gave me a great many skills and I can always eat the dog if I get desperate. That's if he doesn't eat me first.

That`s why I bring a donkey instead, He carries the gear, No chance He`s going to eat me and I get more food if need arises :D
 
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I'm going to look into a bivy sack. This might be a good thing to keep in my pickup as well as carry on hikes as an emergency shelter or to keep a little warmer should you have to spend an unplanned night in the outdoors. Pinnah, have you been out this winter yet? Big snow headed your way.

I just keep my day pack in my Rav. The emergency gear does double duty that way.
 
I watched that movie. I got a little disgusted with it. One of the climbers clearly had a stroke and instead of insisting to turn around, the other two climbers just kind of ignored it so they could do a climb. Great climbers but I wouldn’t want to know them. I’ve dealt with too many narcissists in my life already.

There is a lot to be disgusted at there.

Couple of notes.... I find the unflinching honesty of the film both commendable and the cause of my discomfort. The film does nothing to mask the greediness of such endeavors.

Also, it's worth underscoring that Ozturk would have never forgiven Anker and Chin for retreating due to his stroke. It was their respect for his desire to climb that not only kept them there, but allowed him to lead pitches the following morning, despite not being able speak.

Lastly, I find it an interesting movie to think about as I consider my own greedy choices and how they both fulfill me and harm my most treasured relationships. Perhaps I'm alone in this.

Back to the knives, just on a technical level, the movie demonstrates how little knife is needed.

Watching Dixie's (aka Homemade Wanderlust) YouTube series in hiking the AT, PCT AND CDT makes the same point in a much more optimistic fashion.
 
Back to the knives, just on a technical level, the movie demonstrates how little knife is needed.
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So true. Most hikes I do take me above the tree line. Not much wood up there and even within the tree line, there is so much dead fall that you can get by with no knife or hatchet if needed. Of course it is always good to have one even if you don't need it.
 
I just carry whatever knife I feel like.
My length of hike is limited by my stupid back, not weight of knife I'm carrying.
Pain pills and muscle relaxers have their limits, and you learn the limits of "mind over matter" when you push too far and end up flopped on the ground unable to move for some arbitrary length of time determined by your body.

For you guys who live to hike the most miles for whatever reason, or climb the most deadly object on the continent for bragging rights or spiritual enrichment, perhaps selecting a particular knife or ultra-lightweight tarp matters.
For me, it does not.
 
Last hike I carried a Ka-Bar EK45 (along with the regular compliment of a folder in each front pocket) because it was my newest knife.
 
I am excited to work my new Spyderco Salt Native 5 with LC200N steel into my day hiking pack. The corrosion resistance of the steel with the light weight and good ergonomics should make it a perfect blade to carry.

In terms of other things I throw into my pack... besides food and water, I have a relatively light kit I regularly bring: matches, paracord, space blanket, first aid kit, sewing kit...

Depending on the time of year, I will add a bit more in terms of layered clothing and of course food. If I am heading further into the wilderness I will add some water purification options.
 
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