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New item for a well stocked Geocaching backpack.


Hobo2

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:) I just found something in a cache yesterday that I thought would be a great addition to my Geocaching backpack, so I thought I should share it with you.

 

It is a small box of “Cutter” insect repellent… they come in individually wrapped packets of wipes. I have been trying to think of different items (because I’m a newbe) I may need with me while out in the field, and thought this was a good one. I have not seen the wipes before, but what a great idea. They will not freeze, or expand with the heat and leek, as I have had the spray do. They will also make putting insect repellent on the grandkids easier.

 

I also would like some suggestions you may have that I haven’t thought of yet.

 

My backpack contains:

 

GPS unit

Small 10x25 binoculars

Insect repellent (wipes)

Bear spray-(when needed)

Small first-aid kit

Small notepad & pen

Camera

Small flint & steel

Extra fine steel wool-(good for starting fires).

Pocket knife

Small flashlight

Extra batteries-(AA for flashlight & GPS)

Trading items

Replacement zip-lock baggies-(for the caches that need help)

Edited by Hobo2
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I bought one of those cranking flashlights. It never needs batteries or bulbs. So far it has worked great! I bought it before I started geocaching, but it works for this although it is a litlte heavy. My friend has a headlamp which allows you to have both hands free. Don't forget to take along some water.

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I recently got a 3X1 watt (3 1 watt bulb) Nichia LED headlamp that runs off 3 AAA batteries. http://canadiantire.ca/browse/product_deta...fromSearch=true

 

It is such a fantastic light I can't believe it. It gives a VERY strong, bright white light that spreads very well and lights up the distance like crazy. The last night time caching I did (2 nights ago) was my first time using this light. I vowed before even starting to JUST use this light. I never encountered a time that this light would have been worse than using one of my other flashlights. I'm a bit of a flashlight whore and I always try to find better and better flashlights. This headlamp really is amazing and the convenience of not having to hold a flashlight some awkward way when signing a log is great.

 

The only problem I really have with it is that the power button is a bit small and hard to push in. Thinking about it though, it could be a good thing if you're ever a klutz goin in caving...

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The old tried and true safety whistle. Oddly enough, this item gets overlooked constantly. Costs about a dollar, makes a good trade item and has saved countless lives in countless situations. :rolleyes:

Anytime we go in to the wilds, caching or not, all the kids carry one. They can be heard a lot farther than the human voice, and it takes a lot less energy to blow a whistle that to scream.

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I have a police whistle in my bag and a wooden whistle on a thong on the end of my hiking stick. Like folks said above, it's a lot easier to hear a piercing whistle than a human voice and takes a lot less energy and lung power to blow one than to yell.

 

I noticed that you had spare baggies on your list for cache maintenance but not spare pens. One day when I was a new cacher I ran into two regular sized caches in a row without pens. From then on I carried spares and have had a number of occasions to be glad that I had them.

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I've got a machete from one of my trips to South America that I took via Uncle Sam's Tours and Vacation Planners Inc. Maybe I should start carrying that. It would tend to "clear out" the muggles on those pesky urban micro hunts. :(

 

Muggle-So whatcha doin there bud?

TC-Yard work...what's it look like?

Muggle-On a lamp post? :P

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Extra fine steel wool-(good for starting fires).

 

How does steel wool help you start fires?

 

Steel wool (extra fine, 000) is one of the best fire starters... the kind without soap added. It will light even if it gets wet, just shake it out and away you go. Steel wool can get started easily with flint & steel, or with your extra batteries. Try it, just place a couple D, or three AA bat. end to end, hold them tight. Tare off a small portion of your steel wool stretched out (about a pencil width, no need to have it twisted together just leave it loose), hold one end on the negative end, and strike the positive end with the rest. You will get a spark that will start the steel wool burning quickly. Blow on it as you set it in your tinder, and walla... fire. :anitongue:

Edited by Hobo2
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I have one of these. i have never taken it caching but may someday depending or terrain.

284-3.jpg

http://www.woodmanspal.com/products.html

 

Also, Tecnu.

Tecnu-4-oz_no-ONI.jpg

 

Not much poison oak around here, but good idea!

 

As far as that big knife goes, WOW, I don’t know if that’s for cutting foliage or defending yourself. I think if I have to use something like that to get into a cache, I’ll pass. But protecting myself is wise, so I let Sam Colt do that for me.

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I have a police whistle in my bag and a wooden whistle on a thong on the end of my hiking stick. Like folks said above, it's a lot easier to hear a piercing whistle than a human voice and takes a lot less energy and lung power to blow one than to yell.

 

I noticed that you had spare baggies on your list for cache maintenance but not spare pens. One day when I was a new cacher I ran into two regular sized caches in a row without pens. From then on I carried spares and have had a number of occasions to be glad that I had them.

 

Extra pens and or pencils are a thoughtful idea too, but I prefer pencils though... pens tend to freeze.

Edited by Hobo2
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i think the best new tool i've added to my bag since the git would be a sturdy pair of tweezers. there are some local caches that the hider recommends you bring some tweezers with you, and since we did a few that day, i will never take them out of the bag. you can pull splinters, micros, squish bugs...and they easily collapse to fit almost anywhere!!! and no, i don't work for the tweezer industry.

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Two obvious ones - Zip Ties & Duck Tape. Ton's of uses and work great for cache container maintenance.

 

Great idea!

\

 

Get the camo duct tape from Wally World - it's in the sporting goods section and also in the paint section. I found it to be cheaper in the paint section. Weird. Different pricing in different parts of the store.

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I have one of these. i have never taken it caching but may someday depending or terrain.

284-3.jpg

http://www.woodmanspal.com/products.html

 

Also, Tecnu.

Tecnu-4-oz_no-ONI.jpg

 

Not much poison oak around here, but good idea!

 

As far as that big knife goes, WOW, I don’t know if that’s for cutting foliage or defending yourself. I think if I have to use something like that to get into a cache, I’ll pass. But protecting myself is wise, so I let Sam Colt do that for me.

 

The woodsmans pal is really more a machete/hatchet. I find the hook part of the blade to less useful than the main blade. Its great for those sticker bushes and such. I bought it for cutting my way along a property line in pretty heavy and dense under brush. Its sort of spendy. You can get a cheapo machete at wall mart for about $8 in the camping department. The difference is night and day though (I have both)

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i think the best new tool i've added to my bag since the git would be a sturdy pair of tweezers. there are some local caches that the hider recommends you bring some tweezers with you, and since we did a few that day, i will never take them out of the bag. you can pull splinters, micros, squish bugs...and they easily collapse to fit almost anywhere!!! and no, i don't work for the tweezer industry.

 

Tweezers, outstanding idea! This is one of the things my bag needs, THANKS!

 

All make a list with all these ideas and post it after a while... just for us Geocachers that want to pack light.

 

I am sure there are a lot more things I could include, but my aim/want was to keep it lightweight, tweezers are just the ticket.

Edited by Hobo2
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With a few exceptions which occur largely when traveling in distant areas, I normally only tackle and place Terrain 4.5+ caches. My standard pack gear includes:

  • Bottled water.
  • Cell phone.
  • GPSr plus spare batteries.
  • Three radiation monitors/detectors with digital readouts, with varying ranges of sensitivity for a variety of conditions.
  • Ambient oxygen level detector with digital readout and auto-alarm for levels below 14%.
  • Tyvek protective bunny suit and hood in a protective Tyvek pouch.
  • Battery-operated PAPR respirator for protective bunny suit.
  • Hydrogen sulfide/ammonia/methane gas detector with digital readout and auto-alarm at dangerous levels.
  • 3-minute emergency air pack for hydrogen sulfide escape.
  • Rock climbing gear, including 4 etriers, 12 carabiners, 28 slings/runners of varying lengths, 180 feet of climbing rope in two sections, two ascenders, two descending bars.
  • 2 grappling hooks.
  • 3 Black Diamond fifi hooks of varying sizes.
  • Black Diamond cliffhanger hooks.
  • Protective helmet.
  • Four high-intensity waterproof LED flashlights.
  • two waterproof LED headlamps.
  • Replacement alkaline cells for waterproof flashlights and headlamps.

Edited by Vinny & Sue Team
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I carry a variety of the things mentioned in this thread. With the heat coming on now, I'm planning to pack lighter and move from a backpack to a hydration waistpack. This means I'll be toting far fewer items due to space restrictions but I'll still have room for essentials. The larger TBs will be the difficult thing.

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I have one of these. i have never taken it caching but may someday depending or terrain.

284-3.jpg

http://www.woodmanspal.com/products.html

 

 

If a park ranger were to encounter you hacking your way to a cache I think that might be the end of geocaching in that park system.

 

I concur, plus it would leave a fresh and distinct trail right to the cache.

 

I just don’t think it would be a good idea for any of us to go into the forest and start cutting brush… destruction of the environment is hopefully not what we are about.

 

But I do like the knife!

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Aside from the total coolness factor of the machete-thing which I would love to have: BENADRYL. A few in their usual sealed foil cards are very handy in case of bites or stings or into some allergen that surprises you way out in the sticks.

 

Finding out the hard way that something may trigger a violent allergic reaction and not having any around is not a fun thing. (Voice of experience here, so I always have some in whatever pack I'm using)

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Yes, just to be clear, I am not advocating destruction, marking trail to cache, pissing people off, etc. Nor would I ever likely take one of these with me caching as standard equipment. I might have it in the truck.

 

There are many times 'round here when the sticker bushes get really bad and grow quickly. I have often trimmed a few with my pocket knife just so I wouldn't have to suffer their wrath.

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I have a police whistle in my bag and a wooden whistle on a thong on the end of my hiking stick. Like folks said above, it's a lot easier to hear a piercing whistle than a human voice and takes a lot less energy and lung power to blow one than to yell.

 

I noticed that you had spare baggies on your list for cache maintenance but not spare pens. One day when I was a new cacher I ran into two regular sized caches in a row without pens. From then on I carried spares and have had a number of occasions to be glad that I had them.

 

My great-grandfather and grandfather used to keep a spend rifle shell in thier pocket. Kinda like whistling with a bottle but MUCH higher pitch. My grandmother gave me one she had laying around from those days a few years ago. I keep it in my backpack at all times along with his old WW2 compass. Technology can fail, so I always have the plain old compass handy just in case.

 

Of course also a regualr safety whistle and assorted other accoutrements.

Edited by wandererrob
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Extra fine steel wool-(good for starting fires).

 

How does steel wool help you start fires?

 

Steel wool (extra fine, 000) is one of the best fire starters... the kind without soap added. It will light even if it gets wet, just shake it out and away you go. Steel wool can get started easily with flint & steel, or with your extra batteries. Try it, just place a couple D, or three AA bat. end to end, hold them tight. Tare off a small portion of your steel wool stretched out (about a pencil width, no need to have it twisted together just leave it loose), hold one end on the negative end, and strike the positive end with the rest. You will get a spark that will start the steel wool burning quickly. Blow on it as you set it in your tinder, and walla... fire. <_<

 

A little 9v battery works very well too.

I've made a couple little 'kits' that contain a fresh 9v, some steel wool in a tiny ziplock, all vacu-sealed with the foodsaver machine.

I made the two I have for my own use, but I'm thinking of making more and leaving as trade items.

~k

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I am going to add some of these great items (some I already have), to the list above.

 

Then I think I will start a thread and calling it something like: Items for a "SMALL" well stocked Geocaching bag, how does that sound? Or has it been done and people are tired of looking at it so it would be locked?

Link to comment

Extra fine steel wool-(good for starting fires).

 

How does steel wool help you start fires?

 

Steel wool (extra fine, 000) is one of the best fire starters... the kind without soap added. It will light even if it gets wet, just shake it out and away you go. Steel wool can get started easily with flint & steel, or with your extra batteries. Try it, just place a couple D, or three AA bat. end to end, hold them tight. Tare off a small portion of your steel wool stretched out (about a pencil width, no need to have it twisted together just leave it loose), hold one end on the negative end, and strike the positive end with the rest. You will get a spark that will start the steel wool burning quickly. Blow on it as you set it in your tinder, and walla... fire. <_<

 

A little 9v battery works very well too.

I've made a couple little 'kits' that contain a fresh 9v, some steel wool in a tiny ziplock, all vacu-sealed with the foodsaver machine.

I made the two I have for my own use, but I'm thinking of making more and leaving as trade items.

~k

 

This is a good idea, but I am thinking lite. If we need to carry extra batteries for our GPS units already, which take AA, wouldn't it be prudent and save on weight to carry a flashlight, camera, etc. that take the same AA's? So then learning how to use AA's to start a fire is best, don't you think? But ya, I'll bet those little buggers get the steel wool burning fast!

Edited by Hobo2
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<_< I just found something in a cache yesterday that I thought would be a great addition to my Geocaching backpack, so I thought I should share it with you.

 

It is a small box of “Cutter” insect repellent… they come in individually wrapped packets of wipes. I have been trying to think of different items (because I’m a newbe) I may need with me while out in the field, and thought this was a good one. I have not seen the wipes before, but what a great idea. They will not freeze, or expand with the heat and leek, as I have had the spray do. They will also make putting insect repellent on the grandkids easier.

 

I also would like some suggestions you may have that I haven’t thought of yet.

 

My backpack contains:

 

GPS unit

Small 10x25 binoculars

Insect repellent (wipes)

Bear spray-(when needed)

Small first-aid kit

Small notepad & pen

Camera

Small flint & steel

Extra fine steel wool-(good for starting fires)

Small tin cup-(for drinking & cooking if needed)

Benedryl

Iodine pills-(for purification)

Pocket knife

Small flashlight

Extra batteries-(AA for flashlight & GPS)

Tweezers

Trading items

Replacement zip-lock baggies-(for the caches that need help)

 

I have added the new items others have suggested here, plus the tin cup came to mind. Can you think of anything else?

Edited by Hobo2
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