What the fluff is a ditty bag? Full gear list of my odds and ends on trail

[@vladd.i]

one unexpected item that I integrated into my repair kit after learning a hard lesson: if you use the sport caps on water bottles, they're extremely fragile and easy to break off if you drop your water bottle. once it's off, you have no secure way of sealing your water bottle which compromises your water storage capacity. so I carry a single regular twist cap to replace any sport cap on my bottle once it inevitably breaks.

[@timbschwartz]

Great point!

[@xmetal280]

Leukotape is amazing, everyone should carry some. Provided you can apply it to dry skin, it will protect an area better than any other bandage I've come across. On one trip on the AT I started to get a little heel blister and applied a nice patch of tape to it, and 6 days later, after much walking and wet feet, it still protected that spot and hadn't moved a millimeter. Great stuff.

[@timbschwartz]

Glad you've had good experience with it! I've been told it will stay on more or less indefinitely.

[@KrizAkoni]

Ah, the small 20…. That’s definitely worth a discussion! I keep mine in a Zpacks multi pack configured as a brain. Reading glasses, pen, charging cords, power bank, leukotape, aquamira, FloLeaf, spare bottle cap, PadPal inflator, thermorest patch, DCF tape, victorinox, NU25, bandaids, excedrin, 3M tegaderm, tiny rechargeable fairy lights, thermodrop.

[@timbschwartz]

Good list! How are you liking the thermodrop? I keep meaning to pick one up.

[@KrizAkoni]

@@timbschwartz Super simple, accurate. I like it a lot.

[@OutdoorsHandbook]

OMG, ditty bags are my friend lol. Even a gallon sized freezer bag is good and serves multi-uses. As for rain gear, it is worth it's weight in gold. Makes a world of difference and can impact the entire trip. I also have a first aid ditty. I LOVE making med kits, but almost never need them. NSAIDs sometimes make me bleed a bit more. They can mess with platelets

[@timbschwartz]

I too love organizing all the small stuff! It's one of my favorite parts of trip planning.

[@OutdoorsHandbook]

@@timbschwartz Yeah, right there with ya, man.

[@Four_Furry_Paws]

Absolutely love your content Tim. The production quality is great as well. You can tell you put a lot of effort into it. Thank you.

[@timbschwartz]

Thanks so much! I appreciate you watching!

[@Teddy-fx6fx]

I have a few small dry bags from hilltop packs, I have a toiletries bag a first aid 2 pocket bag ( first aid and fire and repair stuff) and a battery and cord bag. First aid and battery bags are printed.

[@timbschwartz]

Oh nice! I'll need to check them out!

[@jpriddle]

Great overview. Ditty is always the most creative and thoughtful part of a person’s setup. Don’t go over to Garage Grown Gear to see the new Carbo (NB100000 replacement) with rounded edges. It’ll hurt your wallet.

[@timbschwartz]

Glad you enjoyed it! I almost went for the carbo but it seemed like such a silly amount of money. Now I wish I had haha

[@appalachianwanderseeker]

My ditty bag is relatively similar, and I also keep it split up in my pack. My first aid items and emergency items ride in an outer pocket so they can be reached quickly and inside my pack are the toiletry type items in a separate Dyneema stuff sack. In that stuff sack I also include a men's handkerchief to use as a washcloth and 1/2 of a light load towel for drying.

[@timbschwartz]

Sounds like a solid setup!

[@appalachianwanderseeker]

@@timbschwartz thanks!

[@aadmonk]

Ditty bags are awesome. I am a ole dinosaur who carries a map and compass with mirror and magnifying lens. This is my backup navigation. the mirror also has come in handy for solo first aid. Try looking at your eye without a mirror. I keep my duct tape wrapped around my Bic lighter, it makes excellent tender if it is really wet.

[@timbschwartz]

Those are great tips! Re: backup navigation, I tend to go back and forth on this subject, but mostly because most of the trails that I hike are very well established. So much so that I'm really only checking the map on my phone to judge pace from time to time. That said, off trail or in deep snow., it's something I'd more seriously consider. I haven't used duct tape as tinder - that's a good one!

[@Gneiss365]

Nicely explained, Thank you. I like your leukotape wrap idea, and good use of the space in the centre. I bring many of the same things, but also nail clippers, a few re-usable cable ties, and a 3cm length of a glue stick for a hot glue gun. It can be melted with a lighter if you need to glue something back together. You may be able to soften those sharp corners on your power bank with a wide rubber band stretched around the edge.

[@timbschwartz]

Rubber band is a good idea! I like that its multipurpose. I should add nail clippers - using the scissors on the Victorinox is sketchy, at best.

[@andymytys]

I have my ditties separated into two locations - a ditty bag in my backpack, and in my fanny pack. Some things are so important to always have on my person as, when needed, if they're in my pack I will delay digging them out, and then bad things start to happen. In terms of a "dry bag," I find I can't justify a DCF solution. The smallest ones Zpacks sells, for example, weigh 0.5 oz and cost $30. That's a lot of quart/gallon-sized zip-loc freezer bags. One Ziploc tends to easily last a year of hiking, and actually weigh less than the DCF dry bag - less than half the weight. Re your battery, try wrapping a "ranger band" around the perimeter. Or, ask yourself when you actually use the battery to recharge your electronics. If the answer is, "in camp," store your battery wrapped up in your sleeping clothes. Leukotape is way easier to store and cut to size/remove when stored on a section of parchment paper about 1/4" wider than the tape. I find carrying six inches to be plenty. I tend to tape my feet before a trip in places where calluses typically form and just leave it on until I get home. The longest I had a piece of Leukotape on my foot was three months. It's awesome stuff, as it doesn't leak glue out the sides like duct tape and stays on until you physically take it off, even after being exposed to showers, soap, etc. Even if I didn't pre-tape my feet, I probably wouldn't carry more than six inches. I think after you get some experience with it you'll find three feet to be way too much. With that roll, I cut four six inch strips and put them on a section of parchment paper, and make a stack of these to hand-out at presentations on lightweight backpacking that I give, or to less experienced hikers that I guide, etc. A roll brings a lot of goodwill. I am still active on that great knife/no knife debate you started. I agree with you - a pair of good scissors is priceless. Check out the "Micro Scissors w/Cover" over at Litesmith, and then come back to the dark side by leaving that knife at home. Band-aids are only sterile when pulled out of their package. They don't keep the wound in a sterile environment. What you really want to do is clean with filtered water, apply pressure until the bleeding stops, and then hold the skin together so that it can grow together again. Look into zip stitches or wound closure surgical tape strips. Look up "Spark Lite Aviation Survival Fire Starter" - you should be able to get one in a kit with case and tinders for under $9. It will light your IsoPro stove, no lighter needed, and it is TSA safe. I highly recommend it as a UL backup to your lighter. Way better than those paper matches, IMO. You only need to carry the sparker, which weighs a mere 0.2 oz. I've been fortunate enough to never have a gasket fall out of my Sawyer - my production year must have just been designed right. Still, I keep my filter in a snack-sized Ziploc so if anything should fall out it would be captured rather than lost. In terms of what's in my ditty bags - In my fanny pack - Mini Bic, Body Glide, Leukotape, Sunscreen, Hand Sanitizer, Antibiotic Ointment - Neosporin, Scissors - Micro Scissors w/cover, Bug Dope, Headlamp - NiteCore NU25, Whistle - SOL Rescue Howler, Qt sized Ziploc Freezer bag as waterproof bag for phone, Credit Card In my pack - Eczema Cream, Burn Gel - Max Strength Alocane w/4% Lidocaine, Cotton balls/Q-Tips, Tweezers - Silver Gripper, Tick Remover, Neoprene Knee Brace, Battery - Hokonui 10000 mAh, Aukey 18w wall charger, Cable - Micro USB 6-inch, Cable - USB-C, 3-foot, Cash - $20, $10, $5x3, $1x5, Space Pen, Mosquito Headnet, DCF tape, Driver's License

[@jpriddle]

Wow. How did you look into how I pack my ditty! Exactly how I’m set up. My Fanny pack is my “always on me” items. Even if I’m just walking out to poop in the woods, you may need those emergency items.

[@timbschwartz]

I'm digging those scissors!

[@andymytys]

@@timbschwartz SUPER SHARP. Be careful.

[@andymytys]

@@timbschwartz get the pink for high visibility when out of storage so you don’t accidentally lose them.

[@_crane_7475]

Great video on your ditty bag. Mine is very similar. As far as the band aids go, I bring a few with the intention of combining them with the leuko-tape for a sterile, but reliable bandage. The band aids usually don't ever stay by themselves, so I just tape them down with the leuko-tape. Love the vids Tim, keep 'em coming!

[@timbschwartz]

Thanks for the comment! Totally, and that's a really great point! Have you ever tried tincture benzoin to get them to stick? On my list to add a small dropper at some point.

[@_crane_7475]

@@timbschwartz I have not but will look into it. I always have the Leuko tape, so never looked at alternative ways to make them stick. Thanks for the tip Tim!

[@gwilson3728]

Enjoying your videos. I would hesitate to frame Leukotape as a replacement for Moleskin. Where Leukotape is a fantastic mulitool in the toolbox, Moleskin shines as a doughnut, cut to fit around a hotspot or blister. Leukotape is too flat and too adhesive for that application in my opinion. Maybe you have different techniques. But I suggest anyone play around with Leukotape if you haven’t used it much. Just put some on high-friction-prone areas on your feet and wear it around for a day or two at work and you’ll get a decent read. Just beware, the adhesive is determined and will take soggy skin with it.

[@timbschwartz]

Thanks for the tip! I'll look into it :)

[@redred333]

Nice vid. I especially like the idea of keeping food and hygiene together. That will help for sure.

[@timbschwartz]

Thanks for watching!

[@janehomeyer9516]

good ear plugs (esp for AT shelters and hostels), extra sports lid for smart water bottle

[@timbschwartz]

Both very solid. I should 100% add a spare lid. Thanks!

[@jayv.8298]

Another cool video Tim. Always interesting to see how people use their ditty bag!

[@timbschwartz]

Thanks so much for watching, Jonathan!

[@OutdoorsHandbook]

Also, another tip, I keep Gorilla tape and Gaff tape around each of my tripod legs. Been useful many times. Just don't make the same mistake as I and try electrical tape. It makes a mess of everything! Great arrangement with the cables, btw. As for the airpods, my left one has been stuck on 50% volume since it was 4 months old. I've tried everything.

[@timbschwartz]

Good tip! In what circumstances would you use either tape?

[@OutdoorsHandbook]

@@timbschwartz I've used the gaff tape to keep the limit or stabilization switch from being bumped and taping a mic in place, etc. Gaff tape doesn't leave residue. The Gorilla tape has fixed taprs, connected pieces of plastic (arranged like shingles) over friend's tent. Various repair jobs, great for fire building (like a candle) and literally works for makeshift fletch on an arrow. Also taped a gopro to a branch for timelapse.

[@crunchyhikes5254]

I stopped carrying a knife on backpack trips years ago. I found I never ever had a use for it.

[@OutdoorsHandbook]

Good tip, the skin of birch poltpores is a good bandage. I have used them twice and also experimented and found they helped minor cuts heal quicket than bandaids did. Was pretty cool. I'll upload a video on that on Friday.

[@timbschwartz]

Oh nice! That's definitely new knowledge for me, so thanks for sharing!

[@OutdoorsHandbook]

@@timbschwartz Any time, Tim. I love that kind of stuff, so it's nice to share it with someone who appreciates it. The birch polypores are also good fro stroping and can even return an edge to a blade.

[@chriscook3120]

A tea light. Currently it’s a citronella one.

[@timbschwartz]

Thanks for the tip!

[@daven.7685]

Yes! I tea light between your feet with a trash bag over you can save you from hypothermia. It can also raise the temperature inside your tent by up to 5 degrees.

[@OutdoorsHandbook]

YES! Good item

[@vladd.i]

I switched from HMG DCF stuff sack to the exact same Zpacks small dry bag because the stuff sack isn't waterproof. I found that I had to put certain things inside an additional Ziploc bag inside the stuff sack which defeats the purpose of the stuff sack. the grass is greener on the other side :)

[@timbschwartz]

Haha! Yeah honestly that's how it always works - always some new way of doing things to test out.

[@OutdoorsHandbook]

Hey, Tim. So I put out that Birch Polypore video. Might be useful. I just got home from teaching a nature/wildlife program and campfire. Two Screetch Owls showed up a few feet away after everyone left and started their calling. Pretty cool. they always wait until everyone else leaves, lol. Heading to Pines tomorrow to spend a stealth night. Hope all is well. BTW, what species of frogs did you have singing? The Lithobates and Pseudacris are going to start up here in about 4 weeks or so. Love it.

[@timbschwartz]

Hey! I'll check it out today, thanks for letting me know! Sounds like an awesome experience, I love hearing them. There's one that lives right outside my bedroom window. Pseudacris! It was wild for a while.

[@OutdoorsHandbook]

@@timbschwartz Cool man. I love those peepers lol. I wish you had the Gray treefrogs near you. They look real cool and so s their song, but it can keep you awake! lol. I gotta bounce, but my little camp trip was a....fail. I'll tell ya later. Be safe, Brother.

[@calltheriot]

beware on nitecore battery banks if the button gets held down for so long it goes into hibernation mode rendering it useless until it can get plugged in

[@timbschwartz]

Thanks for the tip!

[@Andy-Mesa]

My ditty bag lives in the outside mesh pocket of my pack, along with my first aid and poop kit. I don't really see the point of keeping my most used items inside my pack.

[@timbschwartz]

Hey Andy! Thanks for the comment. I honestly don't dig around in my ditty bag much throughout the day, really only when at camp. That said I have been considering moving it there just to see how I like it. Thanks for watching!

[@augustsmith9553]

if you're a "scissors" man, what I do is ... I carry a $15 pair of trauma sheers, and they go in a petite molle pouch on the outside of my pack AMAZINGLY useful things, seriously riveling knives

[@PawsitivelyWildandFree]

Same!! Love them!

[@Halp88]

Hey Tim, new subscriber! Find tour content super helpful. Would you please consider a video about how you carry/protect your camera on the trail? I love taking my camera on the trail but curious about the best way to keep it safe in the wet PNW. Thanks man!

[@timbschwartz]

Hey! So glad you've been enjoying the videos! Have you checked out this one yet? kzbin.info/www/bejne/iqWQZ3hohs2Lhs0

[@Halp88]

@@timbschwartz Hey thanks a lot man!

[@hanskloss1331]

my daughter is in school up in Bellingham and says if you have an umbrella you're a tourist HA HA 😊

[@timbschwartz]

Haha they told me the same thing when I moved to Portland years ago. I'm not to far from Bellingham, really love it up there.

[@JustinColavita]

As soon as a you said pacific north west I thought pacific drive and everyone should check that game out.

[@timbschwartz]

Dude this game looks trippy

[@andymytys]

If you charge two devices off your battery at the same time, is the output of the battery to each device to same as if you were charging one device, or is it halved?

[@timbschwartz]

Honestly not sure so I should check. I just like to be able to plug in multiple devices and go to bed.

[@andymytys]

@@timbschwartz these days the charge from 0 to full is fast enough that I recommend getting into the habit of starting your charge either right after you pitch the tent or right after you wake up. The reason is that I also don’t recommend charging past 92%, which you can’t do if you’re sleeping. The reason is that the battery for the last 5% seems to take way longer to charge than say from 50-55%, but doesn’t seem to last longer. My concern is that the battery is going into a slower charge mode or otherwise doing something where it’s losing efficiency. I want to make sure I get the most of my battery, so I stop charging when it’s going into one of these less than efficient windows.

[@wanderingkenknight]

Battery charging definitely does slow down as it approaches capacity. Aldo remember to put the phone in Aurplsne mode so the radios aren’t used. That can drain the battery while it’s charging much more quickly as the phone will work as if plugged into a wall.

[@lukeflynn7025]

❤ From 🇮🇪

[@vladd.i]

the Thermarest repair kit is kind of garbage and it rarely works if you get a hole in a tricky spot (like next to the valve). I carry a tiny 7 g tube of Aquaseal FD and it works like magic sealing tiny punctures and it doesn't come off. though it's essentially single use as once you crack it open it will not stay liquid for more than a few days.

[@timbschwartz]

It's funny I was just looking at those tiny little Aquaseal tubes the other day. Thanks for the tip!

[@melanie3400]

how are you nicking yourself with a pocket knife when YOU DON'T CARRY A KNIFE? lol

[@augustsmith9553]

your videos are cringe-free

[@augustsmith9553]

except when you started talking about iProducts you seemed kinda Millennial