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Deep dive into what I consider my top essential haversack kit items for bushcraft, hiking or camping.
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0:00
So, I'm on my lunch hour today and I
0:01
thought I'd show you what I think are
0:04
the most essential items to have in your
0:07
Hersack kit. Stick around.
0:10
[Music]
0:18
So, it's a beautiful fall day. Um, I'm
0:20
at work. I'm on my lunch hour trying to
0:23
get out and walk a little bit um and
0:27
just enjoy this weather. But I thought I
0:29
would show you what's in my HSA kit and
0:32
the items that I feel are absolutely
0:36
kind of essential. Um,
0:39
you know, with Hersack kits, people tend
0:41
to really overpack them. I've seen some
0:43
of these bags that these guys put
0:45
together and they're just I mean, you
0:46
might as well get a backpack at that
0:47
point. And I like to keep a hersack in
0:50
my truck so when things like this occur,
0:53
when it's a nice day, I can get out and
0:55
go for a walk. I can throw this over my
0:57
shoulder and have some essential items
1:00
with me and cover some of the basic
1:03
stuff that I need. And then also, um,
1:06
it's a grab-and-go item. When I go
1:08
camping, um, I can take that out of my
1:11
vehicle, sling it over my shoulder, um,
1:14
with my backpack, and then head to a
1:16
campsite, and I have the things that I
1:19
need to start a fire, you know, hydrate
1:22
myself, treat some wounds, first aid,
1:25
things like that. So, I'm going to go
1:27
through my kit and show you everything
1:28
that I carry in my bag and see what you
1:31
guys think. So, here's the HSA. Now,
1:34
everybody's going to ask, "What's the
1:35
HSA? Where can I get one? I love it.
1:37
It's awesome." Well, I hate to tell you,
1:40
this is um a Hersack that I received
1:43
years ago from a company that was
1:46
actually out of Russia. Um, of course,
1:49
you can't get anything from Russian
1:52
companies because of the war. Um, I'm
1:55
not even sure they're in business. It
1:56
was probably a prototype um that they
1:58
sent me. Um, so the havac doesn't
2:02
matter. So if you have a hersack,
2:04
use what you got. Uh, this is one that I
2:07
have. I have many different ones and
2:08
this is one that I've been carrying
2:09
recently just because I like the layout
2:12
of it. But um, there's a lot of great
2:14
makers out there like Tough Possum Gear
2:16
and Hidden Woodsman. Those are probably
2:19
two of the best. I would check those
2:21
guys out for their hacks because those
2:23
are fantastic bags. But this one carries
2:28
all the essential items that I need for
2:30
a day out on the trail or um even a
2:33
couple days camping. And it has things
2:35
that I access and utilize all the time.
2:42
So, a big thing that you always want to
2:44
carry with you is some type of
2:46
hydration. And I have found that canteen
2:49
kits really work the best in habers. Uh
2:53
this is a tough possum canteen pouch.
2:56
It's just a simple piece of 500D
2:59
Cordura, but it holds a canteen kit
3:02
really nicely
3:04
and kind of keeps the contents of my bag
3:06
clean. Because when I pull this out and
3:09
I show this to you, you're going to
3:10
understand why.
3:13
with a metal canteen cup. Uh I'm using
3:18
this over the fire and it gets very sy
3:20
and dirty. Now, this is a Keith titanium
3:24
canteen with the cup. Comes with a lid
3:27
and I've had this for years and years
3:29
and use it all the time. That's a great
3:32
option because it allows me to of course
3:35
drink water, keep hydrated, but also I
3:37
can boil water in it if necessary. I can
3:40
make coffee. I can cook food, ramen, uh,
3:44
soup, whatever I want in this thing and
3:47
it does a great job and it's just a very
3:49
sturdy piece of gear. Like I said, had
3:51
it for years. So, that goes in this
3:53
little pouch that keeps the inside of my
3:55
hersack nice and clean. So, you can go
3:58
to Tough Possum Gear to get that if
4:00
you're interested in it. And also check
4:01
out his Hersack as well. Pretty nice
4:04
option.
4:07
Then along with it, I'm going to bring
4:09
the lid that goes with it.
4:11
that boil time. In here, I've got a
4:15
little spork um that came in this little
4:19
carrying bag.
4:22
Trying to remember where I got this at.
4:23
I've had this for years as well. Oh,
4:25
yeah. This is Wild Camping
4:26
International.
4:28
They're a company out of England. Um but
4:30
there are similar things like this on
4:31
Amazon as well.
4:34
Uh it's just a nice lightweight option.
4:36
You never know when you're going to need
4:39
to dig into some snacks or share some
4:41
food with people or even if you're
4:43
getting carry out or from a food truck
4:45
or something. Sometimes they forget to
4:46
give you the utensils. It's nice to have
4:48
one with you. So, Hersacks can be
4:51
utilized in urban environments as well
4:53
as the woods.
4:55
And then I like to bring my Vargo
4:58
titanium stove. Um I'll cut in some
5:01
video of how I use it. Um it's a
5:03
fantastic option. It's very lightweight,
5:05
doesn't take up very much room. It's
5:06
flat, easy to put together, and works
5:09
very, very well. Another tough possum
5:12
product. This is uh one of his pouches.
5:15
I'm not sure if he makes this one
5:16
anymore, which is if he doesn't, it's
5:18
too bad because it's a fantastic little
5:19
pouch, but I use this for my first aid
5:21
kit. And this is just things that I'm
5:24
going to encounter
5:25
um that are pretty normal. So, it's
5:28
boooo type items. It's band-aids. It's
5:31
uh I got some wipes in here to clean
5:34
myself up with. I've got uh some
5:38
chapstick,
5:39
lip balm. So, it's just basic items to
5:43
care for myself. Um there's also
5:45
probably some Tylenol in there,
5:49
things like that.
5:51
Doesn't You don't always have to have a
5:53
big blowout
5:55
uh IFAC uh for gunshots and things like
5:58
that. Now, another item that I've really
6:00
come to love and find very useful is a
6:03
little saw. And this one is from Openl.
6:06
Had this one for years as well. Um, it
6:09
is a very sharp saw. It performs very
6:12
well. Um, but what I like about it is
6:14
it's not huge. Um, and with that little
6:17
wood burning stove, you really don't
6:18
need big pieces of wood. So, you can
6:21
utilize this little wood saw and get the
6:24
job done pretty easily.
6:28
That's pretty much what I carry in this
6:30
main compartment.
6:37
In this front compartment, there is all
6:39
kinds of stuff. So, in here I have a
6:44
right in the rain pouch. And in this I
6:47
keep, of course, a writing rain notebook
6:50
just to take notes. I've got one of
6:53
their collapsible pens.
6:58
doesn't take up a lot of room, doesn't
6:59
weigh a lot. I really don't need a big
7:01
note takingaking kit.
7:06
And then in here, um, I always carry one
7:08
of these little wrist compasses.
7:10
This is a Sento.
7:12
It does a really good job. It works, uh,
7:15
very well, performs just as well as my
7:17
other larger compasses, but it's a good
7:19
backup.
7:25
And I carry a small hunk of 550 cord.
7:28
Lots and lots of uses. Very, very handy.
7:33
And here I have my uh Falcon Falan DC4
7:39
sharpening stone. Just got this one
7:41
recently, so it's still fairly new.
7:43
Haven't used it a lot, but I've had
7:45
similar ones, and this is definitely
7:48
comes highly recommended. I know a lot
7:49
of guys love this stone and um it does a
7:52
great job because it's got of course the
7:54
the diamond on one side and then you've
7:57
got the an actual stone on the other. So
8:01
always like to touch up my blades when
8:02
I'm in the field.
8:04
Fire starting of course is always super
8:07
important to me. So a big lighter
8:09
because these are what's readily
8:10
available to me. And then I wrap mine in
8:12
some duct tape. That way I have some
8:15
tape with me for repairs. And then I
8:18
always like to have a little tin. Um
8:20
this is an Altoids tin, but I use this
8:23
um for my
8:25
flint and steel kit. So that helps me
8:28
get a fire going. But it's a skill that
8:29
I like to practice when I'm in the woods
8:31
and I just enjoy flint and steel. So I
8:34
carry it. But this gives me the ability
8:37
to char material, natural material. Um
8:40
and I've got some jude in there. So that
8:42
gives me some tinder. Don't need a lot
8:44
of stuff to start a fire, but that's a
8:46
lot of fun to work with.
8:52
Of course, a nice beefy ferro rod. This
8:56
has its own striker, but I can also use
8:58
that the back of that saw to strike the
9:01
ferro rod, but always want to have a
9:02
ferro rod with me just because it's one
9:05
of those items that we as bush crafters
9:07
always like to use.
9:10
And a couple of interesting items here.
9:13
I always carry a pocket bellows and this
9:16
is the original pocket bellows. Comes in
9:18
a little case. This really helps getting
9:20
a fire going um when you're having
9:23
problems with like wet or damp wood. And
9:27
then an interesting item that I've had
9:29
for many years. This is a brass match
9:32
case match safe. And of course I've got
9:35
the
9:38
lifeboat style matches in there. the
9:41
ones that you can kind of dunk
9:42
underwater and then pull them out and
9:44
they'll they'll um they'll reignite. But
9:47
what's interesting about this match case
9:48
is is it has a built-in compass
9:52
and the compass actually works. But
9:54
that's a nice little backup. Now, I
9:56
don't know who makes these anymore. Um
9:59
I'll try to find out and if I if I can
10:01
find um some information, I'll put a
10:03
caption down below for it or link in the
10:05
description. But it's just kind of a
10:07
nostalgic piece of gear that I've had
10:08
for years, so why not bring it? Plus,
10:11
it's nice and slim. Doesn't take up a
10:12
lot of room.
10:20
One thing to throw in your kit is just
10:22
an emergency blanket. This is a Myar
10:25
blanket. I can't remember who makes this
10:26
one, but this actually has like survival
10:29
stuff written on it, like how to make a
10:31
solar still and how to set it up. But,
10:33
you know, if you're going hypothermic or
10:36
you're with somebody who's going
10:37
hypothermic on a hike, having one of
10:39
these can really make um make or break
10:42
the day can really help them out quite a
10:43
bit. So, it's a great item to carry.
10:47
And an overlooked item in your habac kit
10:50
is uh I think is having guides and maps.
10:55
So, I always like to have some kind of
10:56
map of the area that I'm in. Um, but I
10:58
also like to have hunting regulations
11:01
with me so I can quickly look up and see
11:03
what things are in season and out of
11:04
season. Make sure that I'm being legal
11:06
or I know that if there's hunters in the
11:08
woods, I know what they're hunting. Um,
11:11
I enjoy identifying mushrooms. Don't
11:13
necessarily eat wild mushrooms, but I
11:15
like to identify them. So, a mushroom
11:17
guide of the Eastern United States is
11:20
super handy. It's a nice pocket guide.
11:22
And then I had this really cool pocket
11:25
field guide that I picked up from
11:29
who did I get this from? This is from
11:32
Craig Codle. Um he wrote this and this
11:35
is the introduction to animal tracking.
11:37
Oh yeah, there he is. Keep keep on
11:41
tracking Craig. He signed that for me.
11:44
So I was in one of his classes at a
11:46
bushcraft meeting and he I bought this
11:47
off of him and he signed it for me. But
11:49
anyway, there's Craig. Fantastic. um
11:52
knowledgeable expert in the field of
11:54
bushcraft and survival. And this is a
11:57
nice little field guide about
12:00
identifying animal tracks and tracking
12:02
basics and how to do it. So having
12:06
guides along with you is a great way to
12:10
hone your your skills to give you some
12:13
reading material
12:15
and to provide some good information.
12:18
So, that is really what's it in my in my
12:21
habac. Now, you're you're probably
12:23
wondering like, okay, you're missing all
12:25
kinds of stuff like where is the knife
12:28
and where's the trauma kit and where's
12:30
the water purification? Well, you don't
12:33
always need all that stuff. Not
12:35
everything has to be um an extensive
12:38
survival kit. I have a metal container.
12:39
I can sterilize water by boiling it. I
12:42
do have a first aid kit. First aid kit
12:45
to treat minor wounds. I have
12:48
navigation. I have combustion for making
12:50
fire. Um I even have a layer to keep me
12:55
warm if I go hypothermic. I've got maps
12:58
and guides.
13:01
I have a saw. Now a knife is something
13:03
that I'm always going to carry on me. So
13:05
I don't put one in my bag. I'm usually
13:07
going to have some type of pocket knife
13:09
with me,
13:11
you know, at work. Urban carry. I'm
13:13
going to carry a small pocket knife.
13:15
It's a new one I picked up from Walmart.
13:17
This is an Ozark Trail. A nice little
13:20
knife. Cheap, but it works. I usually
13:24
have some type of Swiss Army knife with
13:26
me when I'm in the woods. And then, of
13:29
course, if I'm camping, I'm always going
13:31
to have a 3 to 4 in fixed blade knife at
13:35
the minimum. and that's up to you. But
13:38
this is my habach kit and the essential
13:40
items that I think I need. If you're new
13:43
to bushcraft or survival and you're
13:44
trying to figure out what kind of stuff
13:46
to carry, I hope this video at least
13:48
kind of gave you some ideas of the bare
13:50
minimum that you need and things that I
13:53
find essential and I find handy. There
13:55
are a million different items you can
13:56
always add to your kit, but u what I
13:59
find is they really become unnecessary.
14:02
So, the thing to do is is to start with
14:04
a basic load. Go out on some outings, do
14:07
some hikes, and then start adding and
14:10
subtracting things that you do and don't
14:12
need. Now, um, another thing that is not
14:15
in here that I didn't show and that I
14:17
don't have in here right now is some
14:18
food. You're going to want some snacks.
14:20
So, usually I carry a couple Cliff bars,
14:24
a few instant coffees, maybe some soup
14:27
mixes. Especially now it's getting
14:28
colder. I'm going to add some um things
14:30
that I can make for warm drinks and
14:32
soups. Hopefully you found this video
14:34
useful. If you did, please like and
14:36
subscribe. Leave a comment down below.
14:38
Tell me what you think. Tell me what
14:40
your essential hersack items are. And as
14:43
always, thanks for watching and we'll
14:45
see you next time on the Prepared
14:46
Wanderer.