7 Things You Should Never Leave Out Of Your Rucksack

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WRITTEN by CHRIS & ANNE ENSOLL

We all have our rucksack-packing habits, and our go-to kit that is familiar and reliable. Not having to make any decisions when you’re getting ready to head out into the mountains saves time and effort. But it’s good from time to time to try out new things, especially if someone recommends a bit of kit that they really like. Here are seven things that I always take with me in my rucksack, and why I like them.

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1 Sack liner

Even if your rucksack is marketed as waterproof, you should always use an internal sack liner of some kind if you need to keep the contents dry. If you’re on a tight budget, a heavy duty plastic bag will do the job. Exped stuff sacks are my favourite brand, because they come in a variety of sizes and colours which makes finding things in your pack easy. They are a good balance between weight and durability.

2 Head torch

I have tried lots of different makes and models of head torch over the years. The one I use most at the moment is the Petzl Nao Plus – the first rechargeable head torch I’ve tried out. It has good points and bad points:

Good:

  • It’s very bright when the battery is fully charged

  • The battery lasts well if fully charged

  • It’s environmentally good

Not so good:

  • It was very expensive compared to other non-rechargeable torches

  • The battery loses charge when not in use if left attached to the torch

  • It hasn’t come up to my expectations

Because it is really good when the battery is fully charged, I still prefer it to any of my other torches, but I carry a Petzl Tikka as a spare.

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3 First aid kit

You can see what I carry in my first aid kit in this blog post.

4 Gloves & hat

My current favourite gloves are Simond leather mountaineering gloves. They are inexpensive, and work well for lots of different things, including short roping. They aren’t waterproof, so I treat them with Nikwax to keep the worst of the wet out. I carry a pair of Dachstein mittens as spares. You can read more about mountaineering gloves in this blog post. Any warm woolly hat works well.

5 Map & compass

When I’m working locally, my go-to map is the Harvey’s 1:40000 map of the Lake District. I prefer it to the Ordnance Survey 1:50000 and 1:25000 maps for these reasons:

  • the 15m contour intervals on the Harvey’s map give a clearer picture than the 10m intervals on the OS maps

  • the Harvey’s 1:40000 gives similar level of detail as on the OS 1:25000,, but with the contour clarity of the OS 1:50000

  • on the OS maps, the areas that I work in the most – Langdale and Coniston – are on different sheets, but everything I need is on the one Harvey’s map, so I don’t have to check that I am taking the right map with me.

I keep my Harvey’s map in an Ortlieb map case, which makes an already durable map last longer. This is my favourite brand, because it is soft and flexible, and doesn’t become brittle as it gets older.

My preferred compass is the Silva Expedition 4. It has a good magnifying glass, essential for seeing contour detail. The rubber feet grip well on the map case when taking bearings, and a long base plate with 1:25000, 1:40000 and 1:50000 roma scales is great for measuring if you’re like me and not good at maths.

Photo credit: Kelvyn James

Photo credit: Kelvyn James

6 Waterproofs

Living and working in the Lake District, hard shell Goretex is a must – there aren’t many shoft shell days here!  I’m currently using the Arc’teryx Alpha FL jacket and, for most work in the UK, the Arc’teryx Beta AR pants. Arc’teryx kit is top of the range and  therefore expensive, but not significantly more than, for example, the top products by Mountain Equipment. The Alpha FL jacket is simple, light, fits well and breathes well. The pants are also really well designed, and so comfy that I don’t really know I’m wearing waterproofs.

7 Extra layer

What I pack for my extra layer depends on the time of year and the weather. On a dry day in winter I take a down jacket – the Arc’teryx Cerium SV hoody is my current favourite. On wet winter days I take an Arc’teryx Atom LT jacket.

How about you?

Leave a comment below and tell us about your favourite kit and why you like it. We’re looking forward to hearing from you!