Posts Tagged hiking
Maxpedition water bottle holder and mini rollypoly
Need to carry plenty of water on that pack of yours? Looking for a way to carry 32 ounce water bottles instead of canteens? While looking for a water bottle option for my Maxpedition Vulture-II, I came across the Maxpedition water bottle holder and the Maxpedition mini rollypoly dump pouch.
The water bottle holder is just that – its a padded pouch that is designed to hold a standard 32 ounce water bottle.
This is some information from the Maxpedition website:
Water bottle holder
The water bottle holder has webbing on 4 sides – 1 side to attach it to the pack, then webbing on the 3 other sides. The zipper closure makes sure that the pouch stays closed. I like the extra webbing so you can attach a couple of smaller pouches to the outside of the water bottle holder.
The 10” x 4” Bottle Holder is designed to fit a 32oz / 1L Nalgene bottle (sold separately) or similarly sized containers.
Product Features
* Main compartment: 10” high x 4” diameter, padded, with drainage grommet
* Frontal: 6” x 3” x 1.5” with elastic retention
* PALS attachment webbing: Front and sides
* Attachment1: D-rings for optional shoulder strap
* Attachment2: 5″ TacTie™ (sold separately)
* Attachment3: Keyper quick release hook on back
* Available colors: Black, OD Green, Khaki, Foliage Green
Product Materials
* 1000-Denier water and abrasion resistant light-weight ballistic nylon fabric
* Teflon® fabric protector for grime resistance and easy maintenance
* high strength zippers and zipper tracks
* UTX-Duraflex nylon buckles for low sound closures
* Triple polyurethane coated for water resistance
* High tensile strength nylon webbing
* High tensile strength composite nylon thread (stronger than ordinary industry standard nylon thread)
* #AS-100 high grade closed-cell foam padding material for superior shock protection
* Internal seams taped and finished
* Paracord zipper pulls
* Stress points double stitched, Bartacked or “Box-and-X” stitched for added strength
MINI ROLLYPOLY® FOLDING DUMP POUCH
Its a pouch that can fold up until you need it. Then its unfolded. Unlike the water bottle holder, the dump pouch has a folding top for easy access.
Folded: 3.5″ long x 2.25″ wide x 1.5″ thick
Open: 4″ diameter, 8″ tall
Total Volume: 100 cu. in.
Belt: Integral Closed Loop
The Mini Rollypoly® (#0207) is a folding dump pouch designed to hold a standard 32 oz. / 1L Nalgene or smaller water bottle. Bungee cord cinch and velcro flap lid secure top.
One of the big benefits of the mini rollypoly – it can be rolled up until its ready for use. This means you can attach several of them to your pack, and their not going to take up a lot of room – until their needed, unrolled and filled up.
Conclusion:
A lot of it depends on what your looking for. Do you want a pouch that is secure with a zippered closure, or easy access?
I found that both pouches fit a 32 ounce water bottle just right. The pouches were not too snug or too loose.
Post your comments in this forum thread about the Maxpedition water bottle holder and mini rollypoly.
Related Articles:
Maxpedition Kodiak Gearslinger Review
Internal vs external frame backpacks
ALICE, MOLLE II or Maxpedition backpack for a 2 day trip
Maxpedition Falcon-II and Pygmy Falcon-II
Maxpedition Sitka Gearslinger Review
5 fire building tips
Whether your at the deer lease, building a fire in your bar-b-q pit, or lost in the wilderness, building a fire is a skill that must be mastered. There is a difference in knowing how to build a fire with a lighter and charcoal lighter fluid, and knowing how to build a fire just before sundown when your lost in the woods.
1) Alcohol prep pads – These are the things that the nurse uses to clean your skin right before you get a shot. Their good for cleaning wounds and starting fires. The alcohol content allows the vapors to burn before the cloth of the pad to burn, so you might get a couple of minutes of burn time out of 1 pad. Their lightweight, easy to use, easy to light, and multi-purpose items.
2) Pencil and pencil sharpener – Not as easy to light as the alcohol prep pad, but will help you get a fir built. Use the pencil to write with, just as leaving notes at the truck before you head out on a hiking trip, and use the sharpener to get wood shavings to help build a fire.
3) Dip your matches – Even though a lot of people recommend dipping your matches in wax, I do not like doing that. The wax coating makes the match difficult to strike, and in some cases the match head might just snap off instead of lighting. Waterproof finger nail polish will give you a thin water proof coating that is easier to remove then wax.
4) Bow and Drill – Might take you a long time to build a fire, but if it was good enough for primitive man, its good enough for you.
5) Magnifying glass – May only work when the sun is out, but its good for looking at splinters. Being able to look at small splinters and start fires makes the magnifying glass a dual purpose item.
Comments – Post your comments in this forum thread about fire building tips.
Maxpedition Vulture-II
Looking for a good quality 2 – 3 day pack? The Maxpedition Vulture-II might be just what your looking for. When your looking at backpacks, there seems to be small, medium, large and super large.
Small – good for day hikes and short trips
Medium – good for day hikes or overnight trips
Large – good for 3 – 5 day trips
Super Large – good for 5+ days trips (think expedition)
The problem I have, I need a pack that fits right in-between medium and large. These are the ones where you can pack enough for a 1 – 3 day trip, but not too big or too small.
This medium sized pack is where I’am trying to fit the Maxpedition Vulture-II. I need something for warm / hot weather camping, and just big enough to carry some food, one man tent, rain poncho, hammock, poncho liner,,,, but not too big that I’am tempted to carry gear that is not needed. If your like me, and if there is spare room in your pack, your going to find a way to fill it up. A half full pack just does not look right.
Before a pack is taken out on a hiking or camping trip, it needs to be loaded, tested and checked out. So before my Maxpedition Vulture-II was taken on a real hiking / camping trip, it was loaded up and taken on a trip to the deer camp. Inside the pack I was able to fit – hammock, one man tent, 3 legged stool, couple of MREs, compass, map, and topo map compass.
From the Maxpedition website:
* Main Compartment: 20.5″(H) x 16″(W) x 7.5″(D)
* Front Pouch: 15.5″(H) x 12″(W) x 2.75″(D)
* Slip Pocket: 15.5″(H) x 12″(W)
* Capacity: 2810 cu. in. / 46 liters
* Weight: 3 lbs , 8 oz
* Hydration: Up to 100+ oz Bladder
* Support: 1″ Sternum Strap, 2″ Integrated Belt (min 19″ strap alone / max 52″ strap alone; min 34″ loop / max 67″ loop)
* Optional accessories: Hook & Loop Modular Accessories and Grimloc Carabiner, Hydration reservoir
*1000-Denier water and abrasion resistant light-weight ballistic nylon fabric
* Teflon® fabric protector for grime resistance and easy maintenance
* High strength YKK zippers and zipper tracks
* Triple polyurethane coated for water resistance
* High tensile strength nylon webbing
* High tensile strength composite nylon thread (stronger than ordinary industry standard nylon thread)
*AS-100 high grade closed-cell foam padding material for superior shock protection
* Internal seams taped and finished
* Paracord zipper pulls
* Stress points double stitched, Bartacked or “Box-and-X” stitched for added strength
The 2 complaints that I have about the Vulture-II – it needs a couple of small pouches on the outside of the pack, and I wish it was just a “little” bigger. 2,810 cubic inches is nice, but 3,000+ cubic inches might have been a little better for a 3 day pack.
If you need more room, just add a few extra Maxpedition pouches on the outside of the pack. Even though the pack has a place for a water bladder, I added a mini-rolly polly dump pouch and a Maxpedition water bottle holder. The water bottle holder has an extra pouch built onto it that large enough for a GPS or map compass.
In pack design you have 2 basic types – the panel loader and the top loader.
Panel loader – this is when the pack fully unzips and makes it easy to organize the contents. This type of pack is good for people who like to organize stuff.
Top loader – just as the name describes, you load the pack from the top. This design is good people people who like to cram stuff into the pack, and when its full stomp on the contents, and pack some more.
Strength – by design top loaders are usually stronger then the panel loaders. Panel loaders are limited by the strength of their zippers, top loaders are limited by the strength of the fabric material and stitching.
The Maxpedition Vulture-II seems to be a combination of a top loader and a panel loader. The pack unzips down both sides, but not all the way. To help hold everything together there are 2 compression straps on each side, and the classic Y strap at the top of the pack.
Please post your comments in this forum thread about the Maxpedition Vulture-II.
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Related Articles:
Maxpedition Kodiak Gearslinger Review
Internal vs external frame backpacks
ALICE, MOLLE II or Maxpedition backpack for a 2 day trip
Maxpedition Falcon-II and Pygmy Falcon-II
Maxpedition Sitka Gearslinger Review
Disclosure: The Maxpedition Vulture II used in this article was supplied free of charge. But that did not influence the authors opinion.
Why I like to go camping
Being raised in Southeast Texas has presented a vast opportunities to go camping. This includes everything from my parents taking my brother and I to local parks, to camping on the bayous with my buddies, to camping at the lake with my kids, hiking in and camping at remote areas, to take my kids camping on the river.
While I’am sitting around the camp fire looking at the coals and staring at the stars, I often wonder about the people that came before me. And I’am not just talking about the people in the last 100 years.
Did the neanderthal look up at those same stars and wonder where he came from and where he was going?
While Julius Caesar was fighting the Gauls, did he sit around the camp fire with his troops, look up at the stars and talk about humanity?
There is a certain peace and quit in the woods that being at home can not substitute. Its a natural peace, something that just turning off the TV can not match.
A couple of weeks ago I took my son and my nephew camping along the Angelina River in Southeast Texas. While we were in the trip I bought along “The Raven: A Biography of Sam Houston”. There is no way to describe how peaceful it was, sitting there next to the river reading my book. The only sounds were my nephew, my son, the wind and the birds in the trees. Every once-in-awhile a boat went by, but there must have been 2 – 3 hours where we did not see another person or boat.
The quit times provide a chance to reflect on our lives, where we have came from and where we are going. Have we done good things in our life, or bad things? When we die, will others be glad that we are dead, or will we be missed?
Getting your backpack ready for the trip is like life – you have to pick what is important and what has to be left behind. Its impossible to bring “everything” with you. So you have to sit down, make some notes and decide what is “really” important.
There was this one trip that a couple of my buddies and I went on. We took the boat and headed up into a low marsh area that was full of cypress trees, spiders and snakes. Two of us pack our bags and were ready for the adventure that awaited us. The third guy, all he brought was a 5 gallon water cooler with a blanket, snacks and a few canned drinks. I guess that would be a good example of how people prepare for life. If you know that something awaits you, an adventure, how do you get ready for it? In other words, how do you get ready for life? Anyway, my buddy and I brought a tent that was big enough for 4 people, so the three of us fit in there fine.
Being out in the woods also reminds people how comfortable their lives back at home are – they have a bed, TV, internet, running hot and cold water, blankets,,,,. While on a camping trip, it might be really hot, or really cold, or you could fall down a creek bank and get covered with mud – and no way to take a shower. You just have to take things as they are when you in the woods. Sure you can take a bath in a pond or stream, but there is not going to be a hot water heater upstream; so you have to take the water as it comes.
Then there is the self reliance while on a camping trip. Its up to you to bring your own gear, to fix your own food, to setup your own tent,,,,,. While back in the real world, someone might be there to help fix dinner, or just get in the truck and drive to sonic. Who needs to cook anything when you have fast food.
Then there is the closeness to nature. For tens of thousands of years, mankind lived in the wilderness. We hunted, we fished, we gathered, we survived. But over time something changed. People starting cutting down the trees and building cities. We were no longer “part” of nature – we just took what we wanted (like a thief in the night) and gave nothing back. At one time mankind was at the mercy of nature, but now nature is at the mercy of mankind. The rolls seemed to have been reversed a little bit.
When you look up at the stars, do you think about the stories those stars could tell if they could talk? What about the trees? Do you ever wonder what stories they could tell? The tree that was in your parents backyard – the tree that watched you grow up. Did you ever pay that tree any attention? Did you ever think about what that tree has seen? When you had your parties, the tree stood by as a silent friend that offered shade from the suns heat.
Next time your in the wilderness, think about what those trees have seen in their life time. In some parts of the world the trees can grow to be 300, 400, 500+ years old. They were here before Europeans ever set foot in North America – oh the sights they must have seen.
MOLLE Pack VS ALICE Pack
“which one should I buy, an ALICE Pack or a MOLLE Pack?” – that is one of the questions that I see a lot of on the forum. The answer is not a simple one. Before you can answer a question, sometimes you have to ask a few questions.
How much room do you need
How rugged do you need the frame? – the MOLLE pack has a plastic frame, ALICE has a metal frame
A couple of weeks ago my son, nephew and I went on a boating / camping trip. We loaded up the gear, launched the boat and headed out to a camping spot on the river. While we were there, I decided to put together a video about the packs and do a little comparison.
My first exposure to the ALICE pack was way back in either 1992 or 1993. One of my good buddies had just came back from the first Persian gulf conflict, and one of the first things he did was buy himself a medium ALICE pack to replace the one he had been using in the ARMY. I liked the pack so much, I bought myself one. The difference between my buddies pack and mine – my pack was woodland camo, while my buddies pack was olive drab. After using the medium ALICE for a few years, I found it was a little so, so I bought a large ALICE pack in olive green.
My first exposure to the MOLLE pack was a couple of months ago after I bought 3 packs off ebay.
The three packs that my son, nephew and I brought on the camping included – Large MOLLE with internal sleep system, MOLLE with external sleep system and medium ALICE pack.
Large MOLLE pack with internal sleep system compartment – digital camo, internal sleep system compartment, plastic frame, no external pouches or internal pouches, map case in top flap, no radio pouch inside of pack, no hydration pocket for water bladder. The shoulder straps and waist belt are desert camo because I bought 2 desert camo packs off ebay, and used one set of straps and waist belt on my large molle. I would really like to replace the desert camo stuff with woodland green, but woodland green MOLLE stuff is a little difficult to find on ebay. Also, the military is supposed to be releasing its new camo to the troops pretty soon. This might cause the price of digital camo items to drop.
One of the things that I really liked about the large MOLLE is how much webbing it has. The pack also has webbing on the bottom of the pack to strap a sleeping bag, tent, tarp or anything else.
One of the things that I did not like about the large MOLLE – it did not have a radio pouch inside the pack like the alice pack does. Nor does the pack have pouches on the outside of the pack. The plastic frame is also a draw back. Nor do I like having to use the pack with a frame – if the frame breaks your just out of luck.
Large ALICE VS Large MOLLE – If I had to pick between the Large ALICE and the Large MOLLE, to me there is no real comparison – Large MOLLE all the way.
When the Large ALICE is loaded, it seems to “fat”, and sticks too far off my back. The makes me have to lean forward to off set the weight sticking off my back.
The Large ALICE does not have any compression straps around the pack – this might be one reason why it seems too fat. Once th pack is loaded up, there is no way to take the slack out, because there are no compression straps. With the Large MOLLE pack on the other hand, it has a couple of straps where you can cinch it down nice and tight. So if your carrying a large load, it can be cinched up so that its close to your body.
The Large ALICE pack has 6 external pouches – 3 large and 3 small, while the Large MOLLE has none. This has its pros and cons. The small pouches on the Large ALICE are almost to small to store anything but small items. The larger pouches are big enough to store rain gear, and a 1 pound propane bottle will fit just right.
The Large ALICE pack has a radio pouch inside the pack, the Large MOLLE Pack does not. This may not seem like a big deal – but I like a place to store my smaller items, like bug spray, small flashlight, small muti-tool, bible, FM-2176, personal hygiene kit, camera and camera case along with spare batteries,,,,,, stuff like that.
MOLLE with external sleep system – lets just call this one the Medium MOLLE pack – desert camo, external sleep system compartment, claymore pouch on outside, no internal pouches or compartments, plastic frame, map case in top flap – but has plastic on one side of the map case so you can see the map without having to take the map out.
Overall, I view this pack as the least flexible – it has only a few webbing around the pack, none that wrap around the entire pack, and no webbing on the bottom of the pack. has very little webbing on it, no pouch on the inside and only one pouch on the outside of the pack.
Without the external sleep system compartment attached, and with something in it – the pack would not stand up on its own. It had to be leaned against a tree or something else in order for it to stand up. Its nice when you can drop and pack, and it stands up so you can dig through it.
Medium MOLLE VS Medium ALICE – If I had to pick between the Medium ALICE and the Medium MOLLE, I would have to pick the Medium ALICE.
The Medium MOLLE does not have enough webbing – this makes attaching extra pouches nice and easy. So if you need a place to keep a canteen, just attach a canteen. If you need a first aid kit on the outside of you pack, just attach a first aid kit.
The Medium MOLLE does not even webbing on the bottom of the pack for lashing a tent, sleeping bag, tarp,,,, or anything else to it.
The Medium ALICE pack has 3 outside pouches – which are just the right size for storing rain gear and a 1 pound bottle of propane for a stove. There is also webbing that runs the circumference of the pack, which makes attaching more pouches easy. The Medium MOLLE does not have any external pouches, and with a lack of webbing, there is no way to attach extra pouches.
Neither the Medium ALICE nor the Medium MOLLE has a place for a hydration bladder. As long as you can carry plenty of canteens, this should not be a big deal. But one more thing but that webbing – or rather the lack of it on the Medium MOLLE- if you dont have the webbing, your no going to be able to attach canteens to the outside of the pack.
When the canteens were put in the top flap (map case) the pack became top heavy. On the camping trip my son used the Medium MOLLE, and noted that it was top heavy because of where we had to put the canteens.
Review:
If I had to re-buy any or all of the packs in this article, it would be in this order:
1. Large Molle – Well designed pack, the few things I do not like about this pack can be easily fixed with a few add-on pouches. I still wish it had a metal frame instead of that junk plastic.
2. Medium ALICE – Battle proven through military use for around 40 years. Metal frame, lots of webbing,,,. The only draw back is that its a little heavy.
3. Large ALICE – Lots of room, but when fully loaded can be un-comfortable to carry. The lack of compression straps makes this pack too fat.
4. Medium Molle – I dont know if I would even buy this pack again. For something that supposed to be used by the military, I’am really disappointed in it.
Post your comments in this forum thread – comparing the MOLLE and ALICE Packs.
Related Articles:
ALICE, MOLLE II or Maxpedition backpack for a 2 day trip
Internal vs external frame backpacks
Maxpedition Kodiak Gearslinger Review
Maxpedition Falcon-II and Pygmy Falcon-II
Maxpedition Sitka Gearslinger Review
Related Forum Post:
Alice Packs
Molle packs
Backpacks
Heat related problems while hiking
Summer time is almost here, and so is the summer heat. It wont be long and the 90s and 100 degrees will be the norm, so lets take some time to review.
Pace yourself – You should know your own physical conditioning, your not superman, so dont act like it. If you rush up a hill, get overheated, wear yourself out and still have 6 more miles to go, you have nobody to blame but yourself.
Carry plenty of water – stay hydrated at all times. If your thirsty, then get something to drink.
Wear a hat – to keep the sun off the top of your head.
Wear clothing that wicks away moisture and promotes evaporation – this will help keep your body cool.
While on a hiking trip with my son and nephew in 2009 I got overheated, and I felt like I was on the verge of heat exhaustion, if not heat stroke. It was a very dangerous situation in which we arrived at our destination just in time – a nice cool stream.
Video from my July 2009 hiking trip.
One of the mistakes that was made on the 2009 trip – we did not carry enough water bottles. Instead of having 32 ounce water bottles, 2 of us carried 1 quart water bottles and canteens. For the heat, the 1 quart canteens just were not big enough. When its 100 degrees outside, and you just hiked a hike uphill, 1 quart could be sucked down in a matter of minutes.
For this years trip, the 1 quart US Army canteens are going to be replaced with 32 ounce water bottles. The clear bottles also allow the water level to be viewed, so there is no guessing “the canteen feels like its 1/2 full”. Even though a 1 quart canteen holds the same amount of fluid as a 32 ounce water bottle, I think being able to see the water level helps the hiker keep things into perspective.
Even though my hiking team had some heat related problem during the 2009 trip, I’am hoping to avoid some of those same problems this year.
Post your comments in this forum thread about heat related problems while hiking.
Getting the maxpedition vulture II ready for a camping trip
The other weekend I took some time to get my maxpedition vulture II ready for a camping trip. Over the next few months, my family and I have a couple of camping trips planned. One is supposed to be next weekend, on March 13 to Dam B in Jasper, Texas. There is supposed to be another camping trip on the river, and another camping trip along the Sabine River sometime this summer.
Regardless of where your going on a camping trip, its best to be prepared. On my camping trips, I like to be comfortable, that might include bringing a hammock and a tri-pod stool, or even both. That way I can get off the ground for a little while and relax.
There is nothing quit like laying in a hammock, in the woods, in the middle of nowhere. No phones, no cars, no noise pollution to bother you, just the relaxing sounds of nature.
Contents of the backpack:
One man tent
Sleeping pad
Sleeping bag
Hammock
3 eversafe meals
Rain poncho
Garmin GPS
TOPO maps
Map Compass
Maglight flashlight
Maxpedition Sitka Gearslinger Review
This review of the Maxpedition Sitka Gearslinger should be able to answer most of the questions that people have about the pack. First of all, when the Sitka was received, it was well packaged. Inside the box was a large packing slip that was easy to read and everything was spelled out. The toll free phone number is located in the top left hand corner of the packing slip – so its easy to find.
First impressions: This is everything you might expect to find in a daypack – and more. There is a pouch on the outside for a 32 ounce water bottle, a compartment for a water bladder, the main compartment is big enough for a Meal Ready to Eat (MRE), or an Eversafe meal, rain poncho, some tent stakes (for setting up an emergency shelter), water filter or water purification tablets, and a few other odds and ends. The large outside pocket is big enough for a small first aid kit, TOPO maps, flashlight, matches,,,. The small outside pocket is big enough for map compass, medium sized GPS and maybe a couple of other small items such as a swiss army fire starter.
The reason why its called a “GearSlinger” is because the pack has one shoulder strap and another strap that goes under the opposite arm. The under strap is released and the pack can be “slung” under the right arm and positioned in front of the wearers chest. The pack is designed to be unzipped in a horizontal position while being worn.
Lets get started with the amount of gear that can be carried in the Sitka. Just to show how much this pack can carry, an assortment of dayhiking equipment was rounded up.
This list includes – 2 quart water bladder, 32 ounce water bottle, Meal Ready to Eat (MRE), home made first aid kit with a custom logo custody of my daughter, toilet paper, rain poncho, GPS, TOPO map in water proof case, map compass, water filter, bible, hand sanitizer, insect repellent and strike anywhere matches in a pill bottle. Two things that were overlooked was some cord to build an emergency shelter with and a cell phone.
This should be everything that anyone might need for a warm weather hiking trip. The MRE has enough food for 2 meals – 3 meals if its stretched out, the poncho can be used to build an emergency shelter or worn during a rain storm, water filter to refill the water bladder and water bottle, first aid kit of minor cuts and scraps, bible for reading material, toilet paper for taking care of business in the woods.
Maxpedition Falcon II Pygmy for a warm weather pack
This is a Maxpedition Falcon II Pygmy that is used for a warm weather pack. Its just big enough for a day long hike, or a light weight overnight camping pack.
One of the questions I have been asked, “what makes a pack a warm weather pack?” In my opinion, its the packs size – its so small you can not carry spare clothing. In a cold weather camping or hiking situation, you will probably want to bring extra clothing, maybe a hat gloves, extra socks,,,, the usual stuff that hikers and campers my need in cold weather.
In hot weather you can take clothing off, in cold weather you have to have extra clothing to put it on. If the extra clothing is not in the pack, there is nothing to put on.
Recommended Products and Contest for September
Contest for September:
Red Flare Kits is having a contest to win one of three kits.
First prize: Fundamentals First aid kit Everything you would want in a grab’n’go Medical Kit now arrives in a sleek, light-weight, water-resistant package featuring E-Z Easy Care First Aid System.
Second prize: SOL 3 First aid/survival kit This 3-in-1 kit covers all the basics of outdoor safety. Containing medical supplies, survival tools, and gear repair items, the S.O.L. 3 enables you to survive almost anything that Mother Nature throws at you.
Third prize: Pocket Survival pack Keep this indispensible collection of survival tools with you at all times! Designed by Doug Ritter for Equipped to Survive Foundation. A portion of all proceeds is donated by manufacturer to worthy causes.
Read about all of the details in the Red Flare Kits Giveaway forum thread. The contest ends midnight on September 30, 2009. So go on over to that forum thread and get signed up.
Recommended products: These products that have been tested and are survivalist approved.
Item #1: Maxpedition #0605 Operator Tactical Attache Fully-padded large tactical attaché. Main compartment: 15.5” L x 4” W x 11” D. Fits up to 15.4″ (diagonal screen size) laptop computer. Internal divider; external organizer.
Item #2: Maxpedition #0513 Falcon-II Backpack The MAXPEDITION Falcon-II (#0513) has all of the best features of a small/medium hunting pack or day pack, plenty of room for an overnighter, and is rock solid throughout.
Item #3: Maxpedition #0431 Sitka Gearslinger Main compartment: 16.5” high x 8.5” wide x 3” thick with internal organization. Approximate Capacity: 618 cu. in.
Item #4: Eco Twist’r Flashlight This flashlight never needs batteries, just a few twist of the the handle. 10-30 seconds of twist equals 10 minutes of light. 3 Powerful, Focused White LEDs. It is water resistant. Brightness up to 25000 mcd.