Essential gear for day trips

>>654718
Try to wander as deep into the forest as possible to be safest from soceity

A pleb would tell you to bring a compass but its 2016 now!

Travel light

For day trips, you shouldn't need much beyond extra layers, a first aid kit, your camera and any extra lenses or whatever you need, a knife and some cord and maybe a tarp if you're really scared about getting lost, and a raincoat and backpack to hold it all in. If you're sticking to a pretty beaten and established trail system (like 90% of the ccfpd if you're near chicago like me), a map and compass shouldn't be necessary.

I don't really know what to tell you about pants, because i've worn slim jeans on day trips and been fine, but something pretty loose and ideally a synthetic material is ideal. For your boots, it really depends on if the ones you have now are hiking boots or combat/work/snow/other boots. Wear them on your first trip, see how they feel. Don't forget that hiking socks are amazing and if you can't get them high socks are still a must.

It's a day trip, you don't NEED a stove at all. You probably wouldn't need one until you start multi-night trips, but warm food can make being /out/ feel a lot nicer, especially if it's chilly or rainy.

>>654718
You mean, going out at the morning and getting back the same day?

Man, you need absolutely nothing.
Get a 1L plastic bottle of water and a sandwich it an old bag, and you are set. If you are not following a trail, add a map. You don't need anything else.

>outdoor pant
Fuck that. Yes, a jeans is fine. It used to be the clothes of sailors, lumberjacks and miners.
Velvet pants are good too.
Modern technical clothes are better, but for a day hike, you don't want to spend that money.
Milsup will make you look like a fool.

>boot
They must fit your foot. You are the only one who can say if yours are okay for a few hours trip.

>stove
Start with the sandwich. Then try other things you can just eat. If you want to start to get some gear and want an alcohol, small wood, or solid fuel stove, all of them are equally bad. Do your own if you want a nice one.
Cooking the food is for when dry food and mess kit are lighter than MRE. If you don't stay out at least 48 hours, don't take one.

tip of the day: check your itinerary on google earth and check the weather just before you go.

>>654941
> extra layers
Could prove useful, and even if it don't, the extra comfort will worth the weight.

>a first aid kit
Don't need much it there. Disinfectant and bandages should be enough.

>your camera and any extra lenses or whatever you need,
Whatever suit you.


>a knife
What?
>and some cord
What? Why would you...
>and maybe a tarp
Are you joking or what? What is the point?

>a raincoat and backpack to hold it all in.
Here we are speaking.

I would recommend bringing a Mylar emergency blanket, a lighter, a flashlight/headlamp and more food than you'll think you'll need (at least a few extra power bars or snacks).

Basically be prepared to spend a night innawoods and stay warm, fed and hydrated even if that's not your plan.

Being cold, hungry and lost in the dark is no fun.

Thanks for the input. I should've been clearer that although what I'm looking at right now is mostly doing day trips, I'm looking to get out more to stay over night or two. I was in the military a brief period of time and at the most we were out for a week, but then we had food delivered for us and platoon split big-ass tents with big-ass heaters.

Our standard go-bag was supposed to last us 24 hours of movement and/or combat and consisted of extra underwear and under layer, socks, heating jacket, rain pants and jacket, heating sweater, sleeping mat, thermos, gas kitchen and a shovel. We mostly used the extra socks and heating jacket. Platoon commander insisted it was fine to use for a full week.

>>654941
>synthetic material

What materials am I looking for here? Is the main reason people buy specific outdoor clothing the fact that most normal clothes (made out of cotton) will kill you if it gets wet?

>>654949
>Milsup will make you look like a fool.

Woops, too late! I stumbled across some surplus Bundeswehr pants that were too cheap to pass up. I'm due for a new pair of wear-and-tear pants either way and they didn't look tacticool or anything. Just hope they fit well.

>If you want to start to get some gear and want an alcohol, small wood, or solid fuel stove, all of them are equally bad.

How so? In army we used a typical gas burner to boil water which went into cooking dry freezed food and make coffee. In another thread I saw some kind of cooker that was basically just a metal box with holes in it and room for small dry pieces of wood to burn, looked comfy as fuck. If they can boil half a litre of water it'll do fine.

>tip of the day: check your itinerary on google earth and check the weather just before you go.

I'm heading out to a small woodland park just on the outskirts of my town tomorrow and I looked at municipal maps to get coordinates for where there are a couple of fire places I want to check out.

>>654962
>Being cold, hungry and lost in the dark is no fun.

Speaking of which... How do you guys feel that hunger effects you when going /out/? Worst I had in army was ~24 hours on 300 kcal with 4 hours sleep and marching 20 km but since I had my mates and constant distraction I couldn't really tell what the effect was on my performance.

>>654829
Underrated post.

>>654972
It'll affect everybody differently, but generally I move slower, get moodier and sometimes make poor decisions when I'm tired and excessively hungry.

I find I generally perform better if I eat a bit at a time over the course of a home versus eating a big lunch in the middle of the day.

>>654969
>Stove
All gas stoves are the same too. They do their job, require no gathering, are fast and safe to use and does not put crass on the pan.
It's what I use, but it won't work if it's too cold.

> just a metal box with holes in it and room for small dry pieces of wood to burn
Yep, a stove for small wood. It's nothing more, really. They are my favourite for ultralighting.

>>654972
I manage to not get hungry. Especially in winter.

If you want to play with that, it's your life, but carry some fast sugar just in case.

>>654990
Why sugar?
Fat has several times the energy density, and doesn't spike your blood sugar nearly as much. Also, many bodily functions rely on fat, whereas sugar is a simple carb and is not required by any bodily function.
>inb4 the brain only uses sugar for energy, it doesn't
Brain can use two molecules for energy, only one of which is provided by sugar.

Next outing I'm planning on bringing coconut oil as my main source of calories. 860g of coconut oil has almost 7,500 calories.

Alls you need is
>knife
>water bottle and small filter
>snacks(granola bars, tuna, sandwich)
>map and compass(know how to use it)
>lighter(just in case)

Of course bring appropriate clothing and if in predator country bring the proper gun or bear spray. Maybe even bring some aspirin or something, I tend to get headaches from extended sunlight if I haven't been going /out/ enough.

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944KB, 3264x2448px

>>654969
Don't forget a good backpack, makes the difference between a normal back and a sore back.
On a other note maybe you want to invest in a gun, where I go camping there are wolves and coyotes who like to get close to the campsite and it makes me feel safer when I have a gun.

>>654718
For a day trip, just get a comfy set of clothes, snacks, a nice water bottle or a camelbak carrier, and a multitool or a pocket knife. You won't be out long enough to really need anything else.

Basically what you have right now is fine.

>>654941
How do you get lost anywhere in Cook County?

I remember back when I was a little shit, me and my buddy would just wander through Busse with our pellet guns. That was probably really illegal.

>>655039
Every cell in your body uses sugar for energy. Including your brain. It's called glucose. You body converts all calories you eat into glucose, so your cells can use it. Yes you also need fat, and protein, but sugar will give you energy in the short term. Unless you're a diabetic, eating lots of sugar will not cause a true BSG "spike". A non diabetic may raise their BSG by 50-80 mg/dl eating lots of sugar, a diabetic may raise their BSG by 200+ mg/dl doing the same.