- Wed Nov 28, 2012 2:48 pm
#44630
As a backpacker, it's easy. I just have my backpacking gear all assembled and ready to go. I tend to leave components spread out on a shelf but I can be out the door in about a minute.
Water:
collapsable water pouch, hard-sided canteen, MSR water filter (you should get one - they're usually less than $100, and the ceramic filter can be cleaned and reused for 1000's of liters), iodine tablets. camelbak stays in backpack at all times.
Food:
Bag with granola bars, instant oatmeal, tuna fish, other miscellaneous small food items. Probably about enough to keep me going for 3 days. Can always grab more from the kitchen on the way out, plus foraging
Cooking gear/fire:
multifuel stove (another good investment - will run on anything from paint thinner to an isobutane canister), backup tiny isobutane burner. Matches, flint and steel, lighter. Wax log (I've started a fire in the middle of a snowstorm using one of these).
Shelter:
backpacking tent, sleep sack, sleeping bag. full rain gear, mosquito net. Folding saw (lighter than a hatchet, but you'll take longer cutting big pieces of wood).
Emergency supplies:
med kit (also keep a pack of matches, lighter, and iodine tablets in here). Hiking poles (I put these under emergency supplies because I carry them mostly for the purpose of in case I need a splint support or something to make a shelter out of). 6'x8' tarp. A few bundles of paracord. Pocketknife. Tiny folding trowel.
As you can see, there's quite a bit of redundancy here. 2 easy options for building a shelter and multiple options for water treatment. I left off the usual knives and guns, as everyone will have a different opinion on that. For me, if I'm in a big hurry, I'd grab my .22 revolver and a 500-round box. If there's more time, I'd be bringing all I could carry.
I'm going off the top of my head, so I'm sure when I go home and take a look at the shelf I'll see something I completely forgot to put on the list. For me, the key thing anyone should look to buy is a ceramic-element water filter. I love the MSR Miniworks, but other companies make a similar product.