Adult Lightweight Backpack Assembly

Adult Lightweight Backpack Assembly

For use as a 72 Hour Kit, Backpacking Kit or Camping Kit

Backpack

• Lightweight backpack between 3,000 and 4,000 cubic inches

Water

• 3 Liters (or Quarts) of Water in Nalgene Bottles or Soft Canteens or 3 Empty Gatorade Bottles or Emergency Water Pouches
• One (1) Lightweight Backpacking Filter
• One (1) Pack of Chlorine Dioxide Tablets

Food

• Three (3) Freeze Dried Breakfast Meals
• Six (6) Freeze Dried Entrees
• Snacks

Meal Kit / Cook Set

• Titanium Alcohol Stove  with Titanium Pot and Lid  with 8-10 Ounces of Denatured Alcohol in plastic containers

Or

Esbit Cookset/Stove with 12 Esbit Fuel Tablets

Or

Titanium backpacking canister stove with Titanium Pot and Lid with  Iso/Butane Fuel Canister

• Windscreen for stove selected
• Plastic cup from mess kit
• Titanium Spork or Lexan Spork (or Lexan Spoon and Lexan Fork)

Light

• Lightweight headlamp or lightweight wind-up flashlight

Clothing to Wear

• Synthetic pants or sport-style pants (non-cotton)
• Long-sleeve high collar shirt (non-cotton)
• Sturdy athletic style shoes or low-top trail (trekking) shoes
• Micro Light or Lightweight wool socks
• Nylon or Silk Underwear

Clothing System

• Balaclava (full ski mask)
• Wool or Fleece ski cap
• Hat for shade
• Sunglasses
• Extra pair of lightweight wool socks
• Wool mittens/gloves or fleece mittens/gloves
• Waterproof/Breathable rain jacket and pants
• Synthetic or Fleece zip up pullover/sweater
• Bandana
• Microlight or Lightweight wool underwear bottoms or Lightweight synthetic underwear bottoms
• Microlight or Lightweight wool underwear long-sleeved top or Lightweight synthetic underwear long-sleeved top
• Short nylon or silk underwear

Sleeping System

• Lightweight synthetic or lightweight down sleeping bag
• Closed cell sleeping pad or lightweight inflatable sleeping pad
• Bivy Sack
• Ground cloth (emergency mylar sleeping bag or emergency mylar blanket)

Hygiene

• Small ultralight toothbrush
• Baking soda or Dr. Bronners castile soap for toothpaste
• Alcohol gel or foaming sanitizer
• Small package of wet wipes
• Toilet paper
• Wash cloth
• Insect repellent
• Sunscreen

First Aid

• Small first aid kit with common medications and Sawyer Extractor
• Three (3) N95 masks
• Personal essential items (inhaler, medications, etc)

Misc.

• Lightweight pocket knife or multi-tool or Swiss Army knife
• Waterproof stuff sack or trash bag

Shelter

• Lightweight Double Wall or Lightweight Single Wall Tent

Firestarting

• Cotton balls or cotton lint
• Windproof/Waterproof matches in plastic Ziploc bag
• Magnesium Firestarter
• Mini Lighter

Make Your Own Fire Starting Kit

Easy to Make Firestarting Kit for your 72 Hour Kit or Personal Backpacking Assembly

Contents:

One (1) Small Ziploc Bag

Lint collected from your dryer

One (1) Small box of Windproof/Waterproof Matches (or waterproof matches or strike-anywhere matches)

One (1) Magnesium Firestarter

We will also add a gas lighter with a long tip pictured below:

This firestarting kit is fun to make and easy to put together.  What is better than that?  OK.....let's get to building.  The first step is to take a small ziploc bag and add lint from your clothes dryer to it.  Lint starts well with matches and sparks, and by keeping it in a small ziploc bag you will keep the lint dry.  Add some Windproof/Waterproof Matches and a Magnesium Firestarter and you have the basics. 

We also recommend a gas lighter with a long wand for the times you need to get a fire started quickly and easily.  This won't fit in the bag, but it will be in your pack to stay dry.  You can find the matches, magnesium firestarter and lighter at our store. 

We will even show you how the magnesium firestarter works!  This picture gives you a good idea of the sparking action:

Now that you have your basic kit together, let's go over a basic primer of how to use it.  Before you take anything out of a bag, find some dry grass, pine needles, leaves or other dead, dry plant material for tinder.  Build a small tinder ball.  Then carefully select small, thin twigs.  You can build a tepee on top of or a log cabin around the tinder ball with the twigs.  Now take out a ball of lint and your magnesium firestarter.

Take your green starter tool and scrape off magnesium from the bar using the end of the green starter tool.  (The green starter tool has small teeth at the end.)  Scrape off magnesium onto the lint.  The magnesium shavings will help to start the lint on fire.  If you want larger magnesium shavings, use your pocket knife to shave down the magnesium bar.

Next, place the bag of magnesium with the steel bar on top.  Place the green starter tool firmly on the bar and then slide down hard to create sparks.  Keep sparking until the lint catches fire.  Sometimes this takes me 15 seconds or less.  Sometimes it takes me minutes!  The reason I don't have the lint right on the tinder ball is because when striking hard you can often mess up your tinder and teepee by hitting it!

Once the lint is on fire use a stick or knife to move it over to the tinder.  You now have a fire!

Obviously, the process would be much easier with a match or lighter.  Just place the lint ball on the tinder and light.

CAUTION:  Do not let children use these firstarting materials without adult supervision.  As with most things, I find that if children do this with you and you explain the rules, they won't be tempted to do it again without you.  If you don't let them work with you and you keep your firestarting materials a secret, their natural curiosity takes over!

Out for a Hike

Out for a day hike our family outing?

Here are some essential items to take with you in your day pack:

Map of the area and compass

Emergency Blanket or Sleeping Bag

Rain Poncho

Flashlight

2 Liters of Water

Food bars, Granola Bars or other food

Waterproof Matches or Firestarter

Backpacking Water Filter

Small First Aid Kit

Multi-Tool or Knife

Parachute Cord or other rope

Signaling mirror or small mirror

Having these items in  your pack will help you deal with unexpected changes in the weather, with getting lost or with finding yourself out longer than expected.  Water and access to water are critical, thus having water (and the water conatiner), along with a water filter will help you stay hydrated.  A compass will do you little good for the most part without having a map.  Always tell others (who aren't on the trip with you) where you are going and when to expect you back.  If you get lost, stay put!  Lost individuals tend to head off in the wrong direction.