What's in my Mountain Leader expedition ruck sack?

In this video I chat through the kit I take on ML expeditions, training & assessments. Could be just as appropriate for any hill walkers wanting an overview of what to carry when camping in the mountains!
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[@JBMountainSkills]

So what have I missed?! There’s definitely something that slipped through the net!

[@TheDingleberry24]

Hey, what is the make of your Group shelter? Cheers!

[@JBMountainSkills]

ian daly, yo! Summit Supalite :)

[@mattbaker1683]

On the subject of group shelters, I have a 2 person but you'd have to be quite friendly with them... Any particular size restraints, does it need to be 4p or so for first aid administration or any other requirements?

[@Jack-lr4hv]

@@mattbaker1683 closer you sit.. The warmer you are!

[@KirstenBayes]

It's probably in the bag o' bits, but a whistle might usefully be on the list!

[@Meg_Cardiff]

Time stamps if people looking for a particular item: 1:47 Light overall pack weight 2:20 Hot drink/water bottle 2:53 Navigation 5:25 Headtorch 6:07 Tents 8:06 Sleeping mat 8:50 Sleeping bag 9:59 Cooking 11:40 Miscellaneous items 12:08 First Aid Kit 12:47 Hats and gloves 13:23 Waterproofs 14:12 Warm jacket 14:57 Trekking poles 15:27 Rope 16:10 Pack

[@tomgreene2282]

Good video and best of luck in your work .

[@highflyer243]

ensure your first aid kit contains zinc oxide tape! whilst not a first aid "event", that stuff saved me last week when my walking boots decided to give up the ghost in the lakes and become talking soles! obviously also useful to prevent rubbage on shoulders/heels etc

[@IAAITKEN]

Spare boot laces for your odd ball bag! Many unthought if used I find for them even without needed for boots. 35Ltr bag for all that - should do a packing video! I can fill my 35Ltr in a day trip 😂😂

[@JBMountainSkills]

Reminds me to check because I think I've used my last spare!

[@christophersimpson52]

Thanks will check out your other videos.

[@Will-dm8oz]

Nice work jez, keep it up :)

[@keirmcewan4392]

Great video, your patagonia sleeping bag looks really cool.

[@JBMountainSkills]

Not going to lie, it's ace!

[@brunanburh]

Thanks for the video! If you get bored another vid showing how you pack your bag or maybe pros and cons of different bags would help! Keep up this excellent content.

[@JBMountainSkills]

I'll see what I can do..

[@robbiesmith7386]

I can't believe that I've only just found your channel!!! I've been unashamedly binge-watching your videos for the last few days. Not sure how much of it has actually sunk in though.... This might have already been suggested but, continuing the theme of what to carry as an ML or similar, I'd be interested to see a video on what you would take when leading a group just for a single day out in the hills. What I carry on a day-hike typically fills a 35 litre rucksack if I'm taking a 30 metre rope for emergency use, and I'm certainly not carrying spares for other members of the group (although these would be available at the start of the day). I don't consider what I take to be excessive, but I'd be very keen to get your take on this for comparison. I'm really enjoying your videos, and I now have plenty of time to practice skills during this latest lockdown, so please keep up the good work!

[@JBMountainSkills]

Hi Robbie, Glad you' e enjoyed the videos! I'll put that subject on the to do list for when I'm back in the UK :)

[@seanhedley931]

Cracking advice , great vids , sean Winter ML 😉😁. Only other thing i can think of is for some locations , water filter and larger water container for overnight use .

[@JBMountainSkills]

Good call, they're much smaller and more affordable than they used to be!

[@simondavies5319]

Another great vid Jez! Perhaps the only extra thing I always carry is an orange plastic bivy bag for emergencies (in addition to my emergency shelter. Oh, and my separate toilet/trowel kit. Also, from now on, never heading into the mountains without my sun glasses! lol

[@JBMountainSkills]

Got to have the sunnies!!!

[@katherinegrugeon178]

Thanks for that, I was about to go and sort out my camping cupboard anyway. Did you mention a whistle? Whenever I go out, especially if I'm on my own, I take a good look at what I'm carrying and think 'would I be embarrassed if I had to be rescued by the mountain rescue team?', then I usually put an extra spare warm layer in the bag.

[@JBMountainSkills]

Good shout! I didn't, but do always have one... it lives in the first aid kit! I like your thinking about being rescued!

[@robertdavies9435]

I carry a toilet bag with a loo roll, alcohol gel and some dog bags. My daughter joins us walking and rarely does that bad stay in the bag! In my first aid kit I carry about 5m of duct take for kit repairs.

[@JBMountainSkills]

Thanks for sharing :)

[@richardallen5643]

Another great video! One thing I often take, but I may have missed it. Is a handful of generic emergency kit fixing bits, few cable ties, some gaffa round a water bottle, few hooks and thin bits of bungee and a bootlace. Stuff that a client wouldn't always carry, but life and therefore often safety would be much better if you could fettle something together and get it fixed.

[@JBMountainSkills]

Yeah absolutely, those bits have saved my bacon many times! I do mention in the video that I carry a "Bag of Bits", all those odds and sods that you don't want to be without!

[@richardallen5643]

@@JBMountainSkills that's my poor listening then! Sorry!

[@JBMountainSkills]

@@richardallen5643 Trying to listen to me for 20 minutes deserves a medal so no apologies necessary!!!

[@danielnorvock5714]

Great video, wish i could afford a toasty sleeping bag like that lol. One more thing I would take out with me is a spare pair of socks I always look forward to a nice clean fresh pair at the end of a day :)

[@JBMountainSkills]

Spare socks was a big omission! I take a small dry bag with socks / boxers / base layer in as spares, no one likes putting wet socks back on!!!

[@creatamax16]

Cool video mate, always like to see what others pack out on there missions. Want to do my ML at some point soon so will definitely be in touch to sort that out. I always pack a small sea to summit aluminium retractable toilet trowel that i drilled holes in all over to make it even lighter haha, still really strong and one of those bits of kit you don't really want to carry but leave no trace and all that is vital when out in the hills in my opinion. Do you ever carry a separate gps or use your watch and phone?, i normally carry a gps map64s at the bottom of my pack for a last resort just incase which did actually potentially save myself and a friend in the alps 2 years ago, things got a bit crazy! haha. Great video, keep them coming.

[@JBMountainSkills]

Cheers Mike! Trowel is a good shout. I don't normally carry one, only because where I go I can normally dig a small hole with the heal of my boot or a tent peg or similar. I used to carry a separate gps but now having the phone (plus battery pack) and the watch, I don't feel the need personally, they are definitely worth consideration though.

[@creatamax16]

@@JBMountainSkills Thats cool. Ive been looking at getting a good watch for a while now, with the watch and the phone it definitely save on weight not having the gps, will be looking into it in the near future. Absolutely clucking to get back out climbing and adventuring the mountains and hills again especially with all this amazing weather. But still playing with ropes and gear and training at home will have to suffice for now hahaha. Cheers!!!

[@mgunthe]

I always take a water filter. I was surprised that you're able to just "scoop water" to drink it. We've got so much nasty stuff in our streams in the US (e.g. giardia, etc) that you really can't trust a water source unless it is a well known spring.

[@JBMountainSkills]

Filters are getting more popular here now they're so small, but if you're sensible around here, you'll probably be good!

[@sigaar109]

Very informative JB. Where do you stand on sleeping bag liners? Getting into hiking and i find this to be the most confusing topic actually (go figure 😜)

[@JBMountainSkills]

Glad you liked it! I'm not a liner user, just added weight, but will keep your sleeping bag smelling fresher for longer that's for sure!

[@MrLinknel]

Hey Jez, I have been looking at purchasing a rucksack for multi-day expeditions and not sure what litre to get. I'd rather buy one now that can do it all then buy some in between sizes later down the line. So can you fit everything you need for a 3 day expedition in a 35L? What about in winter and or if you were say doing a 4/5 day expedition? Love the videos. Cheers.

[@JBMountainSkills]

Hi Greg, glad you like the vids! Yeah I can get everything in a 35, due to having lots of lightweight kit. In winter I opt for a 45, partly for more space, partly for ease of packing with cold fingers etc. Hope that helps 👊

[@raimundolanas4273]

Hi! thank you for this video. Can you tell me what the weight of your Patagonia pack is once you have everything packed? Cheers!

[@JBMountainSkills]

Hi, glad you liked it. Depending on exactly what’s in it, around 10-11kg 😊

[@cw7469]

Thanks for the great videos. One question: why carry an emergency shelter when you have a tent? Surely, even if you couldn't erect your tent properly, you could still use it as an emergency shelter if it came to it? Genuine question. I guess I would also take a windproof with mild insulation, e.g. vapour-rise or similar, as I tend to find a waterproof or insulated jacket tend to be a bit too sweaty/warm most of the time.

[@JBMountainSkills]

Good question! On the ML course, we leave the tents to go and do night nav, so that's one reason, the other is, if there's a group there's not actually much space in a tent, and they're a faff for a quick lunch stop.

[@trytheoutdoors]

Just subscribed. I hope to do my ML at some point. What size and model of rucksack would you recommend? I am looking at either the osprey 48 L or 58 L and can't decide. There's actually nly about 100g between them, but the bigger the pack, the more likely we'll fill it...although the 58 gives more options for winter walks. What all round (lightweight but functional) rucksack would you recommend for ML? Thanks. Imran

[@JBMountainSkills]

Depends what other kit you've got... I use a 35 litre pack (Patagionia Ascentionist) for day work and over nighters in the summer, but in the winter for overnighters I use a 40 litre pack (BD Speed). Personally I'd go for the 48...

[@trytheoutdoors]

Thank you. I will stick with the 48. May I ask further: what very light weight single person 4 season tent would you recommend for ML assessment. I'm afraid budget is a factor :(

[@jamesgerrie6784]

Sleeping bag wise you mentioned that you have mainly take down bags, if you were opting for a lighter bag, which have you tried and favour? Both space and weight wise?

[@JBMountainSkills]

My favourite bag at the moment is my Patagonia one, it's so nice! Not cheap though. I really like my Alpkit winter one as well (think it's a pipe dream, don't know if they make it any more, proper bargain.

[@lucyrollins9582]

do you have a recommendation on a good compass? mine have formed bubbles!

[@harrylewis9526]

What size backpack do you carry so you can take all of the necessary gear for a scrambling/ mountaineering trip or a short backpacking trip?

[@JBMountainSkills]

Something around 40 litres personally :)

[@jeremyballard7461]

Good morning Jez. What pare personal clothing do you carry?

[@JBMountainSkills]

That was my main omission from the vid. As little as possible is the answer... Usually a spare dry bag with a spare base layer t shirt, as well as boxers and socks.

[@jeremyballard7461]

JB Mountain Skills I assume the thinking is that the fabrics used in the clothes we were wearing should dry out quickly and we should be able to keep ourselves reasonably dry?

[@JBMountainSkills]

Yep, that's right that's the idea :)

[@anthonymccourt1239]

Any tips on a decent 35l bag that wouldn't cost the earth!!

[@JBMountainSkills]

A lot of people love Deuter stuff like this: www.absolute-snow.co.uk/V/Deuter_Guide_Lite_32_Technical_Alpine_Backpack_32L_CranberryNavy-(258246)?Curr=GBP/?keyword=&gclid=CjwKCAjwydP5BRBREiwA-qrCGp2DtJd5KKCtN-Idgh9P2R8n_m5vNyZwkHkvxqaP2gn1Euu0TZ41TxoCEA8QAvD_BwE

[@mattfairhead441]

Surely you’ve forgotten coffee making facilities?! We definitely compared methods on my ML...

[@JBMountainSkills]

You'll have to watch my aero press video!

[@mattfairhead441]

I'm catching up, mostly going through the RCI type stuff but fancied checking out the ML bits as well so went back to this! Love them all, particularly liked the scrambling ones.

[@cheryllaw9086]

@@JBMountainSkills wild camped with an aeropress and even a top quality metal Italian stove top which definitely isn't UL lol, but my absolute go-to now after lots of trial and error is really good quality COFFEE BAGS - life changer :)

[@ralphdavidson2932]

Small trowel toilet paper /wipes dog poo bags bury your waste remove your paper leave no trace

[@jaiguru8487]

How much is patagonia paying you for advertising their product?;)🤣

[@JBMountainSkills]

In my dreams!

[@jaiguru8487]

@@JBMountainSkills stop free advertisement then mate bloody shame x