Travel and Comfort Kit
… designed for friends who do not actively hike much.
Oftentimes we invite friends to join us outdoors who are not experienced hikers. If we’re lucky they will bring a bottle of water. They never bring what we consider essential items for the unexpected situation. They expect you to provide a sunny day, good weather and an easy path to stroll on.
This is a comfort kit small enough and light enough for them to carry in case of a “Plan B” situation. Everything in this kit can fit into a quart sized Ziploc bag.
There’s a trash bag for the unexpected shower, sunscreen for the hot sun, Band Aids for scratches and blisters, Tylenol for headaches, repellent for bugs, Kleenex for sniffles and emergency TP, Purelle and Wet Wipes to clean up, and a few emergency items just in case.
A cute zippered case ($5.00) can make it more appealing to carry.
Essentials:
- Comfort
- Black plastic trash bag – $0.15
- Purelle 1-2 oz alcohol hand sanitizer – $2.00
- 4 Wet-Wipes – $1.00
- 4 Insect repellent wipes – $2.00
- Kleenex pocket pack – $0.50
- Bandana – $4.00
- Sun Screen cream – small tube – $2.00
- Hard Candy – $1.00
- (NO Diet Candy; get Lifesavers, Jolly Rancher, etc. with sugar for energy)
- First Aid
- 4 band-aids – $1.00
- 4 Tylenol – $0.50
- 4 Ibuprofen – $0.50
- 4 Safety pins 2 inch – $0.50
- Ziploc Bag – quart size – $0.10
- Repair and Emergency
- Whistle – $2.00
- Small knife – $4.00
- 10 feet paracord – $1.00
Total: About $23; less if you scrounge around home.
- Optional extras:
- Squeeze LED flashlight – $2.00
- Small compass – $4.00
- Butane lighter – $1.00
- Emergency plastic poncho – $4.00
Total: $11.00 if you purchase all the contents new; less if you scrounge around home.
Add the extras for a total of $34.00 or less
This makes a great gift for someone you’re encouraging to enjoy hiking.
Jim Yuen
March 2015, 2020