Summer is in the air. Outdoor adventures are becoming more compelling and my feet are itching to get exploring. But wait a second what to bring without looking like a Sherpa or forgetting something at home. Well I’ll tell you what’s in my daypack and keep in mind that Canadian summers, more precisely Newfoundland ones are interesting. Since you can experience 4 season in a day it is primordial to be ready for anything when trekking. So lets have a look into my daypack.
Choosing a day pack
Although it might seem like an odd question to ask oneself you will quickly realize that there are many different types of daypack. Two important questions are:
Size
For shorter half days hikes a 15-20 liter bag can do the trick as you are never too far from the car or a shelter. I personally use a 30 liter bag for most of my day adventures. And if attempting a more strenuous day hike I’ll opt for a 40 liter.
Style
Shop around for one that fits great since there are both female and men specific day packs. A hip and chest straps will come in handy if you are climbing around. I also like having different pockets to organize my items making it faster to pull out what I need. Especially if it’s raining or cold outside. Another thing to consider is water. Will you have a water bottle or an hydration pack? Certain daypack will have pockets for water bottles and others will have the pouch for the hydration pack.
What’s in my daypack
- LOTS of snacks and lunch for full day hikes (click here for dehydration tips)
- Water (in Newfoundland there is many places to fill up your bottle so no need to bring too much, some water is really clean while other needs some purification)
- Small first Aid kit (the basics such as band aids, gauze, tensor wrap, second skin, steri strips to name a few)
- Whistle (Fox 40 is great as it works in water)
- Headlamp
- Pocket knife ( I love my Swiss army knife which locks)
- Lighter and/ or matches
- Toilet paper and garbage/ ziploc bag
- Cellphone or SPOT Connect (Satellite communicator)
- Rain jacket and some warm layers
- Rain Cover or bags to waterproof your precious items in case of a down pour
- And my favorite, a camera with extra batteries
A few extras which can be nice are binoculars, field guides for birds, animals, plants and geology and gaiters for muddy trails.
For Newfoundland hiking trails descriptions purchase my hiking book “Hikes of Western Newfoundland“. Also check out our adventures’ page for ideas by clicking here. And don’t forget to pack carefully your daypack.
Live Wildly Intrepid!
Carpe Diem
Alex
