Hello, adventure buddy!
All the blog how-to’s out there that said writing the first post is going to be hardest, are wrong. Writing the second post is so much fucking harder (**side-note I didn’t write about in my About Me; I write like a talk: laced with profanities. I apologize if that bothers you, but this blog reflects myself, and that reflection likes to swear).
I figured the best way to kick off my real writing was to start with what I pack in my day pack. I don’t know about you, but sometimes all I do is lay around my house scrolling through Instagram or YouTube when I have a free hour instead of hitting the trail, even when I know I am much happier choosing the latter. I’ve learned to minimize procrastination by having my bag packed with the basics so that I can grab and go.
Over the years I’ve narrowed down my gear to the things I like but, everyone needs different things depending on their activities. With that said, there are things everyone should keep on them; those items are indicated with an asterisk (*).

- Rain jacket (doubles as a windbreaker);
- Basic first aid*;
- Gauze bandage
- Various sized band-aids
- Mole skin and other blister aids
- Benadryl
- Aspirin
- Your favorite day pack*, mine is the Gregory Mountain Products Jade 28 Liter;
- 1-2 liters of water* (dependent on the distance and weather.I would also recommend a lighter bottle, like a Nalgene.);
- Flashlight or headlamp*;
- Light gloves;
- Pocket knife or multi-tool*;
- Baseball cap and beanie;
- I always bring along a tripod (which I forgot to include in the picture, and I am too lazy to lay everything back out). After a few trials my current favorite is the lammcou flexible tripod;
- Snack, usually a few granola bars or a fresh piece of fruit; and
- Trail Map* (not pictured).
My 5 am and early morning hikes are packed the night before with the above items and the following:

- A Jetboil Flash or stove set-up to boil water;
- Coffee mug;
- Homemade oatmeal;
- Sea to Summit Alpha Light Cutlery (Long Spoon);
- My current favorite ground coffee (coffee is vital for my morning hikes); and
- Jetboil Coffee Press or AeroPress Coffee and Espresso Maker (not pictured for the same reasons as the tripod);
Right now, I am fairly happy with my base set-up but, am always looking to upgrade or add new gear. Is there something you always carry that I don’t? Let me know!
Cheers from your over-caffeinated friend,
Carly
//
I’ve linked the items in my picture in case you want to check them out yourself. Or if you would like my thoughts, let me know, and I would be happy write a review about the item!
These are affiliate links because I feel like that’s the blogger thing to do.