Hiker Ditty Bag

A friend calls and says “Let’s go hiking”. You grab a daypack, stuff in some snacks, a bottle of water, maybe a jacket and run out the door.

Did you forget something? What else is in your pack from your last hike. In case the hike turns out not to be a perfect warm, sunny day with no problems, consider bringing some support items.

1. A small First Aid kit with a few Band-Aids, Tylenol, Moleskin, insect repellant, Ace bandage, etc.
2. A whistle to get help
3. An emergency blanket if you’re stuck overnight
4. A disposable butane lighter to start a fire
5. A small flashlight or headlamp for light
6. A compass for direction
7. A folding knife or multitool to make or fix things
8. A 50 feet length of thin nylon cord
9. A 6 feet piece of duct tape wound around a pencil stub

The problem is that you won’t have time to gather all this stuff when your friend calls. What you can do is gather it all up, put it into a small zippered pouch or a ZipLoc bag  and keep it always in the bottom of your daypack. This way it’ll always be available when you go hiking.

Let’s call it your Hiker Ditty Bag (A ditty bag is a small bag that old sailors used to keep miscellaneous useful items readily at hand).

p.s check it once in a while and keep it stocked up.

Jim 2024