We all bring various items for outdoor activity. Some people might remember their water bottle, others will bring a small medi-vac setup. During a back-country situation, you need a clear head, some experience...and the ability to use/manipulate your surroundings.

• Medical:
• I carry a couple of different sizes of suture kits.
• Maxi pads (far superior to most large bandages)
• Sunscreen in season
• 30% Deet all year (ticks are now active for 10-12 months. Deet is about the only thing that works.)
• A couple of the tablespoon size Vaseline tubs from the Dollar store in the bike bag. Anti-chafers.

• Gear:
• I always carry a spare pair of socks.
• A couple of grocery bags
• Garbage bags are useful as rain ponchos or part of a shelter
• The only waterproof matches worth buying are the ones with half the stick covered in red stuff
• Tim Horton cup lids (the best fire starters)
• A small notebook with waterproof paper (think I got mine at Staples ??)
• Throwaway latex gloves for bike repairs or surgery
• Flagging tape is useful for bread-crumbing
• I have a small Trail Blazer folding saw I sometimes pack on searches.

• Misc:
• I have everything I need to survive for 48-72 hours in my GSAR pack, except for water & food, which I add when we go out on a search.
• My pack weighs about 8 -9 lbs. depending on season, plus food & water. In the winter I add an extra pair of wool mitts & toque, and change the spare summer socks over to heavier ones.
• There’s a lot of other gear in my GSAR pack that I wouldn’t normally carry hiking, like safety glasses, reading glasses, ear plugs (for helicopter landings), folding water carrier, blah, blah, blah.
• Some people carry small packs of Gatorade powder or Emergen-C , etc.