What I Carry in the Backcountry
With the changing of the seasons, I like to remind myself what I've been carting around.
My "overnight" bag
Huge, thick trash bag
Shell overmitts
Two-person emergency bag
Three different ways to start a fire - I've used my stove to light a fire during an unexpected night out. My stove was the difference between a wet, miserable night and an interesting adventure.
Lifestraw
Length of cord
Add enough clothes/layers to keep me, and my son, alive in the emergency bag for the night. This usually isn't more than a back up shell, ultralight down pants, spare jacket and some booties.
My first aid kit:
General, backcountry first aid kit - scissors and moleskin are a great way to make new friends...
Hot packs for hands and feet - essential for doing anything with kids, always carry in my pocket when I ski
Tourniquet with my belt as back up - insurance against having someone bleed out in front of me. I also carry in my car and under my bike saddle.
Field dressing and elastic bandage
Water purification tablets (back up to the LifeStraw)
Pulse oximeter (batteries separate as they corrode if left in the unit)
Selection of meds including antihistamine & high dose aspirins - I carry albuterol at the top of my pack
I don't carry an epipen in Colorado but do carry one when I'm near the ocean. I have a jellyfish allergy that sent me to hospital a few years back.
When I'm on snow, add a high-quality metal shovel.
Knife matched to what I'm going to be doing and the local wildlife. I have a SOG Seal Pup mounted upside down on my left backpack strap, the sheath lets me carry a multitool.
Gloves on, hands out of pockets => family policy as long as my kids can remember. I like leather sailing gloves on rock and mixed terrain.
When I'll be out of cellphone range add InReach satellite communicator - always tracking me with 10-minute pings when I'm alone. Carried in the top pocket of my pack & backed up with a lanyard and quickdraw.
The InReach is an easy way to send messages home, regardless of location. I took a course from a heart-attack survivor who called in an evac on his unit. Small price to pay for the comfort it gives my family.
Zipped, exterior pockets - I like to wear mountain bike shorts, year round, as the pockets are great for quick access to my phone, which I use for navigation and photos.
This is the gear for when I don't expect to stay out.