Now that I have my day-pack, I needed to learn what should go into it. To do this, I turned to my friend, Pinterest. There are several blogs I have pinned about packing a day-pack. From these, I started making a list. At first, I wrote down everything on their lists, I crossed out the duplicates, and took off things that didn’t make sense to me. I read my new list several times and decided to add a couple of things. My list looks like this:
Sunscreen/lips too Bug spray Sunglasses
Knife/multi-tool Camera Fire-starter
Flashlight/head lamp Duct tape Band-Aids/first aid kit
Blister pads Pain relievers Antiseptic
Guide book Snacks – protein Water
Ace bandage Survival blanket Rain poncho
Garbage bag Toilet paper Ziploc bags
Water filter/purification Compass/map Whistle
Mirror Para chord Binoculars
Hat Knee brace
Once comfortable with my list, I gathered what I had on hand making adjustments as necessary:
Sunscreen/lip balm Hat Sunglasses
Knife Lighter Flash light
Menstrual pad Band-Aids Ointment and antiseptic
Blister pads Ibuprofen Guide book
Apple and orange Water in my hydration pack
Ace bandage with safety pins Kleenex packet
Ziploc bags Whistle Binoculars
Cell phone Cough drops Inhaler
I will eventually get the rest of the items on my list, but I feel good with my starter pack. Since the hike was to be the next day and because my son is in the Army, he felt he had to inspect my pack. I think that he has done this as pay back for all the times I checked his back pack for school. He takes everything from my bag and comments on them. He’s not impressed with the sunscreen because of the weight, but I am fair skinned. So, it stays. He is happy about my impromptu first aid kit including the menstrual pad because it can have multiple uses. He informs me that pain medicines like ibuprofen will dehydrate me if I use them, but I am not comfortable leaving them behind. We talk about wants and needs when we get to the binoculars, but this is a want he approves of. I left the camera out since I will have my phone.
When we repack, he has removed nothing. This makes me feel good about my choices. I want to be prepared but also have a light pack. The only items he suggested are the ones on my list that I didn’t have on hand. The weight seemed appropriate for the hike, and I had no problems with it. I didn’t need anything while on the hike, but having the bag along made me feel better and will help prepare me for increasing the weight over the next few years.