imo i would take as little as possible also

iv done a few 15-20 mile hikes over 2 days and i agree the heaver the pack the less fun it is, the camel back is good but you can also just bring a water filter device that cleans water its a pump action device that takes dirty water filters it and pumps it into a cup or bowel and just pick a hike trail that is near or crosses several stream/brooks and get water on demand this is also depends on how warm it is and how much you sweat, and need to replenish liquids if your looking to hike 1-2 hours then make camp and just explore or watch nature around the camp or if your looking to hike all day and make camp towards late afternoon and pick up early in the morning will require different equipment,

what i would do is park my car at x spot then have a buddy park his at the destination and we hike 1-2 days to his car then drive back to mine and go home etc so that way we wouldn't walk threw the same area twice and get to see something different

but yea, the candles and wax etc i dont see a need for that i do suggest taking a small led flash light tho a key chain sized one just in case there pretty bright and weigh next to nothing, When i would camp in bigger groups that were less mobile i wore a head lamp that had a multi light set up, one was a bright blue/white led one was a red led, the red led allowed me to see what i was doing with out shining the light in others eyes and also it wasn't bright enough so i could keep my "night vision" also its handy in groups and makes every one happy that if you look at them your not blinding them at the same time

but i also took a small 1 man tent also
food that was low weight but high energy
also i would bring some of those Ramen noodle cups, they weight next to nothing but give a pretty satisfying meal and easy to carry out, just take the plastic and cardboard wrapping off before putting in your bag

also i have a dog i take on hikes with me and she carry's some extra supplies like a first aid kid and such, and she carries her own food and such , she also is a good companion and keeps moral up for me and the group thats because she is so damn cute http://i808.photobucket.com/albums/zz4/lperkins86/DSC2761.jpg

she is a Siberian husky,

also if your worried about fires and such, you can bring a fire starter kit , this could be some paper wrapped around some small sticks tied off with string dipped in wax, anything really, the wax keeps it burning a little longer, my favorite it to use dryer lent it weigh very little and burns very good i save some up from a few loads of laundry and wrap it around some smaller twigs what ever i can find and tie it off with yarn then just use a lighter to start it, it burns good and hot to catch the small timber you gather from nature on the trail to start the fire

i also always bring a light weight aluminum cup that i use for just normal drinking then i also boil water in it etc its pretty light weight and its holds about 12 ounces of water

Depending on how far im going and how cold it is one of my favorite meals is a foil wrapped steak dinner, i buy one of the foil oven bags and put a good sized piece of beef in it seasoned with some veggies like carrots or potatoes corn broccoli what ever im feeling and a little water and i seal it up and when im ready for dinner i just toss it on the fire for 20 mins or so and shit taste so damn good, iv done with with salmon and chicken also

there are loads of things to do and bring but keep it simple unless your only hiking a mile or two to the camp site then you can afford to bring a little more Recently here i been getting into bringing as little as possible and such, pretty much being inspired by survivor man " the tv show" not the bear grills shit its all staged, and just seeing how creative i can be and seeing how much i can take from nature but i always suggest taking a cell phone and be sure to have it in a zip locked back, also i HIGHLY recommend bringing extra pairs of socks you never know whats going to happen and extra socks is the best, be your current ones are soaked from sweat, or you fell into some water be sure to keep the socks in a plastic zip locked bag also

This post was edited by five33 on Feb 5 2011 11:12pm

A first timer needs all of that, if they are going our for days in this northern weather! I didn't have much info on who else was going and a lot of it could be group items.

Using the shovel as a walking stick, I was at like 10-20lbs.

Yea the rope/string should be light, you should be able to hang from one strand, tied to two trees, 6 foot apart. (safe estimate) You need 25 feet max. Look around and that's probably 5lbs max. I'm only suggesting that much if you are going out in the worst winter your area has known in years. If you been out a few times and it was summer, I'd say take a couple feet.

A hatchet is one of the best items to take in northern/winter areas. If we were talking jungle, I'd go with a machete.lol

I do agree, of your obviously personally slanted choices, (b) is best for the experienced.

I would never send a bunch of "tenderfoots" out in a harsh winter, for the first time with just some string (maybe pocket knife and a lighter? betting you would take those)

This does make me want to add... Take someone who has done this before, in this area and done it in this season/weather, in this area.

I take my dog on hunts for feasting

he mentioned before that he was planning on doing this in april-mayish- which will change some gear options.

first aid kit is also a good idea, even if it is just gauzes and some tap

Just saw that. It was after my first advice and missed it for my last reply.

Hypothermia would be much less a danger then but it will likely be damp.

I'd suggest making sure you take what you need to start a fire, when everything around you is wet and practice making one.

Best waterproof/resistant footwear as possible. They make make nice hiking/hunting boots for this but they cost a bit. I used to just were tennis shoes and put on these waterproof rubber boot protectors, then duct taped them to my pants. lol

Extra set of clothes and 3 sets of socks/undies. Just enough to keep going and dry then all out when you make a fire. Close enough to dry slowly and not catch on fire and out of the smoke if possible. small tarp or trash bag can be used few feet over them at the side of the fire if raining a little.

If you have much grapevine in that area, it can be just about as good as any rope/string in the spring. If it's there practice using is as such.

I would take what was necessary to collect and boil rainwater to drink as well. Though foraging will be hard in the spring, water is easier to obtain than summer.

I must be slacking because I just realized, you are in the army so if you are precautions and fore-thinking enough to still ask, you should be fine.

Have a great time!

this thread has made me wanna list my gear

my setup is for long distance cross country

backpack
multi tool (with scissors for beard grooming)
knife (optional, multi tool has knife)
tuna can
watter bladder
2 watter bottles
sewing/first aid kit
string
headphones
tent
flashlight (headlamp)
sleeping bag
journal
pen
2x bics
sunblock
binoculars (optional)
spoon
heavy duty soap for doing laundry in streams and lakes (dr bonners)
slightly abbrasive item for scrubbing dead skin off body when bathing
toothbrush/toothpaste
book or 2
dice


Clothes: for 3 season camping
shoes
2x pants
shorts
2x underwear
longjohns
2x shirts
2x sweaters
rain gear
6 pairs of socks
warm hat
cowboy hat (no real need if u have sunblock)

Winter add ons:
sleeping pad
down jacket
thin and thick gloves
wool socks
scarf

some notes:
journal is more of a notepad than a "dear diary" thing
knife is a must for making shelters out of nature
tuna can for cooking and boiling water. i should prolly get a small charcaol filter
first aid kit has antiseptic and medical tape, thast pretty much it, all u need. for antiseptic u can use honey or whiskey. i usually bring honey for my oatmeal

for clothes, the fact is your gonna get hella narly. so dont change into the other pair of clothes unles u have too. keep the clean pair for when u get to a place where u can wash your dirty clothes
for rain gear, umbrella is nice in urban areas, but u lose a hand. ponchos dont protect lower legs, but are nice for emergency shelter and to lay down under your sleeping bag. rain coat and pants are best for preotection

im sure i am forgetting a thing or 2, but yea, thst pretty much it

This post was edited by Grippster on Feb 8 2011 09:03pm

thanks man

@ grippster, some of that gear matches mine already.. just need the winter addons, but probably won't buy that until next year

I agree with you , in this case less is more