Hello!

On request, I'll share what's in my backpack when going for a weekend hike. Even though the photos are sunny, I knew I was in for a wet weekend in the canoe. As you can see, I'm not packing a lot of light weight stuff, since I'm mostly paddling and then the canoe carries it for me. But I use exactly the same gear even when hiking most of the year. If I'd been hiking I'd attached the drybag onto my backpack instead of keeping it loose. What I don't show in the photos are paddle, PFD, food and the tent. Mostly for practical reasons, my partner usually carries the tent and we bought all the food on our way to the canoe trip.

I'll also like to add, that this is not facit. My set of gear is a mix of home made gear, gifts and bought equipment. The only thing that differs in my weekend pack and my pack for longer trips (5-7 days) is the amount of food and the number of briefs (I mean, you can wash them outdoors, but you can't be sure they'll dry). If I was out on even longer trips

(10 days +) I'd brought a book or similar amusement for days of rest.

Back pack

I've got a backpack that my dear mother made in the 80s. The design is called Tryggve. There's always room for one small-thing-that's-good-to-bring and is amazingly comfortable to carry! It's a bit tricky to pack though, since it looses shape unless you put a thin cuttingboard closest to your back. Neither is it a back pack in which you put something you want to access quikly, since one has to get through three strap lockers and the pack fastened on top in order to get inside.

What I fasten on the outside of my pack:

• Buck saw (stored in the white etui)
• Axe/hatchet
• Water bottle
• Plastic sleeping pad
• Soap (in the little yellow bag)

Drybag with things I want to be easily accessible:

• Camera
• Firebags with tinder (the one in leather and the plastic bread bag)
• Firesteel and flint
• Toilet paper and hand sanitizer
• Leather grease
• Merino half mittens
• A small bag with: Kuksa, spoon, bowl and knife
• Map and compass
• Personal first aid kit (the yellow square bag)
• A small bag with hairbrush, toothbrush, toothpaste, resin salve and a wooden hair stick (you can use a chop stick), to put away my hair with if I want to swim without getting it wet.

If I was rocking a modern back pack, I would have put all of this in the outer pockets and the top pocket after packing the big sack.

In the big sack

• Sleeping bag (blue and black compression bag)
• Inflatable sleeping pad (purple bag)
• Change of clothes and warm clothes (red bag)
• Kitchen gear (black bag)
• Food (not in the photo)
• Rain clothes

I pack these sacks with gear in the same order as above. First the sleeping bag and the sleeping pad, since I'll use them last during the day. Then the red bag with clothes and the kitchen gear. Then I'd stuff the bags with food in the gaps between the bags and put my rain clothes on top. Or squeezed the rain clothes in, but left an arm and a leg easily accessible so I can pull it out quick.

My kitchen gear:

• Cooking pot about 4 liter (if I'm out alone or with my partner, we would do with 2 liter)
• Coffee pot
• Light frying pan
• Fire gloves (normal working gloves in leather)
• Cordage (not in the photo)

My sleeping gear:

• Three season sleeping bag, synthetic
• Sleeping bag liner (the dark blue thing on my sleeping bag, I squeeze into the sleeping bag when packing)
• Inflatable sleeping pad

Me and my partner use the plastic sleeping pad to sit on in camp. And I put it underneath my inflatable pad or in the gap between our pads for the sake of my dog when it's cold.

My clothes

From the left topmost corner:

• Thick merino undergarment jumper
• Thick woolen sweather
• Woolen cap and woolen gloves, and a small cotton towel
• Woolen briefs, cotton briefs, woolen bra (home made), two extra pairs of socks (mad of guess what - wool!)

Sleeping clothes:

• Cap
• Woolen socks
• Thin, full merino undergarment

If weather forecast says it will be warm and dry, I skip bringing sleeping clothes. This trip in particular, they said it would be raining all weekend, so that's why I brought some extra dry clothes.

What I'm wearing

• Woolen underwear during cold season, cotton in summer
• Woolen socks
• Merino pants, during cold season
• Outdoor trousers
• T-shirt, merino wool
• Cotton shirt or a thin woolen sweater, depending on temperature
• Anorak, wool during cold season, cotton the rest of the year (in the photo)
• Belt. I've woven my own, that I put on my anorak for heat regulation since I (consciously) didn't put a DRAGSKO by the waist on my anoraks. The belt is also used as an extra pocket or fasten my dogs leash to it when skiing.
• Ferro rod with striker. I always tie this to my trousers. Then it's always with me and I don't loose it as easily.

Was this post helpful? Please, share with friends and family! What do you use to bring with you? Please, share in the comments or stories and tag @tracelessintiveden so that we may take a look into your back pack!

Pack in peace!

/Lovisa