Woodsmoke's recommended equipment list, with bushcraft tips and hints on caring for your kit

Recommended Equipment List

Sleeping System
Sleeping Mat Thermarest Ultralite ¾	When not in use Thermarests should always be stored flat, with the valve open - Under a bed or behind a wardrobe is ideal.
3 - 4 Season Sleeping Bag Down: Mountain Equipment Synthetic: Nanok or Ajungilak’s ‘Tyin’ range	Store Down sleeping bags in an old pillowcase when not in use, never store them in their stuff sacks or use a compression sack with a down bag, as it damages the feathers.
Bivi Bag British Army Gore-Tex	Gore-Tex fabric can be damaged if repeatedly folded along the same crease, so stuff your bivi bag into it’s stuff sack to avoid this problem.
Shelter System
Fly-Sheet / Basha Auscam Australian Hoochie	With a bit of know-how, you can even turn your hoochie into a boat. Remember, good cheap options such as a British army poncho or ‘Basha’ are also available.
Tent Golite ‘Hex 3’ Tipi	Too many innovative features to list. Great for woodlands, as you can ditch the pole and suspend it from a branch – weights in at 800 gm.
Hammock Nomad’s ‘Jungle’ Hammock	On cold nights, put your thermarest inside your sleeping bag to eliminate cold spots, caused by sliding off it. This works best if the mat is only slightly inflated.
Carrying System
Rucksack Berghaus Vulcan 100-litre (inc. side pockets) Karrimor Sabre 45-litre (65-litre with side pockets)	The Vulcan is an ideal choice as an all-purpose bag, as it’s big enough for overseas travel and winter camping. The detachable side pockets zip together to make a 20-litre day sac. The Sabre is a good size ‘short trip’ bag. Again, you may also pick up a good cheap Bergen from an Army surplus store.
Rucksack Liner Rubble Sack or Dry Bag: Ortleib or Exped bags	Whilst not designed to be submerged, the Ortleib and Exped canoe dry sacs are guaranteed to keep your kit dry, even if you fall in a river.
Navigation System
Map Case Ortlieb	Unlike other map cases, when wet, the Ortlieb map case stops your compass sliding around when taking a bearing. Also useful for collecting wild foods (and sitting on!).
Compass Silva Type 4	Stitch a loop of elastic to the webbing of your rucksack shoulder strap, for a convenient place to keep your compass while walking. If you are going to use your compass overseas, make sure you buy one that is balanced for multi-zones.
Pace counter Ranger beads or click counter	Great for night navigation or ‘white-outs’ up on the hills. Count each time you left foot hits the ground. 65 paces will roughly equate to 100mt on flat terrain. (Varies from person to person.)
Planisphere Philip’s	To aid celestial navigation at night, as a guide to the stars, constellations and sunrise and sunset times. Make sure you get one for the right Latitude, 51.5 degrees North is the one you want for Britain & Northern Europe.
Maps Ordnance Survey	1:25,000 maps are ideal for most walking conditions, but when snow blankets the land, obscuring the smaller details, 1:50,000 will give a better overview.
Whistle Fox 40 or Hurricane	The international distress signal is 6 blasts at every 1-minute interval. The reply is 3 blasts. Emergency equipment should always be kept accessible.
Stop Watch	Invaluable aid for navigation.
Cooking System
Stove Primus Omnifuel	A robust, performance stove that will run on literally any combustible fuel, including screw-on gas canisters. It is a good idea to purchase the spares and repair kit.
Fuel Sigg fuel bottle	Doubles as a hand reel for fishing – just wind your monofilament around the bottle and protect it with a length of gaffa tape (to avoid tangles), and remove tape when required.
Bowl Stainless Steel Mini Wok	A bit of a luxury item, but superb for making fresh bread on the campfire.
Mug Stainless Steel NATO Crusader Canteen	The stainless steel is heavy, but can be cleaned thoroughly with scourers, grass roots, sand, etc without scratching. To sterilise, rinse and hold over a flame.
Billycans Two nesting stainless steel cans (with stuff sack)	Zebra or Seagull billycans are good, but you can also make your own from stainless steel coffee canisters (available from TK Maxx stores). Top-hat style billycans are best for open fires, whilst shallower, wider based pots are better for stove use.
Wooden Spoon	Should be handmade!
Fire System
Tinder Pouch Tobacco Pouch by Smokecraft	To contain birch bark, lighter, matches and any other emergency tinder, e.g. wax paper, strips of rubber, tampons, etc.
Means of Ignition Fire Steel, Matches, Lighter	Always carry more than one way of making fire, and keep them dry. A 35mm film case makes an excellent, watertight match-safe.
Water System
Water Bottle NATO 1 Litre Osprey Bottle	Virtually un-breakable. Beware of the cheaper ‘military style’ copies, as they tend to leak or break.
2nd Water Container Water Bottle, Canteen or Hydration Pack	Although they require scrupulous cleaning, with a final rinse with weak Milton fluid, the Cammelbak water bladders are an excellent water carrier. To store, put it in the freezer, and leave frozen until you plan to use it again.
Water Purification Milbank filtration bag, Iodine Drops and/or Pre-Mac Trekker pump.	Use you Milbank bag to filter wild herbal teas. Always ensure that you leave iodine treated water for the prescribed ‘contact time’ before drinking.
First Aid System
First-Aid Kit	Include Lip Salve, Blister kit & Foot Powder. Also include a specialist first aid kit for teeth, if you are prone to losing fillings.
Lighting System
Small Torch: Photon Micro-Light (+ Spare Batteries)	Wear it round your neck with your whistle, helps you find your other torches at dusk. Get one with an on/off switch, for hands-free use.
Head Torch: Petzle Zipka Plus (+ Spare Batteries).	Coloured lenses are useful – Red / Amber light for wildlife watching & Green for night navigation, as it makes red contours stand out. Beware of poor quality imitations.
Hand Torch: Peli Stealth Light (+ Spare Batteries)	Powerful waterproof diving torch, great when you need a lot of light. Can be turned on/off one-handed
Candle Small Tea-light	Perfect as a small heat source or for evening reading.
Tool System
Axe Gransfors Small Forest Axe	The best axe available for British woodlands. Always keep your axe sharp, as the sharper the axe, the safer it is.
Knife Mora training knife or good bush knife	Always pack your first aid kit before you pack your knife! Never point a knife at someone, even in jest, as it is legally construed as an offensive act. Be sensible and know the legal remits of carrying a knife.
Folding Saw Sandvick/Banco Lapplander	A handy alternative to carrying a bow saw, although with a bit of know-how, you can carry a coiled bow-saw blade in your billycan and make your own frame for it.
Field Sharpening Stone Arkansas or Japanese water-stone	Cut down your own stone for a perfect sharpening system in the field. Personally, I go for approximately 12cm x 4cm in size.
Multi-Tool Leatherman ‘Wave’ or ‘Pulse’	Invaluable bit of kit when travelling by vehicle, or for mending stoves.
Hygiene System
Wash Kit (Inc. Bio-degradable soap)	To reduce pack size, decant your shampoo and soap into smaller containers, look out for trial-sized toothpaste; switch from foam to shaving oil, etc. Earplugs are a good idea if travelling, for snoring companions or very wet, windy nights.
Towel Shemage or cotton towel.	On the trail, hang your towel on the outside of your rucksack to dry.
Insect Protection System
Bug Juice Nordic Summer – for midges Avon ‘skin so soft’ – for mosquitoes	The products opposite are non-DEET based. Use ‘Skin so soft’ to keep that youthful yet rugged, outdoors look! Consider using DEET base products for malarial areas.
Mosquito net Life systems	The best nets are treated with permethrin, a chemical agent that kills insects on contact. When travelling overseas, it is worth treating your sleeping bag liner with permethrin too, to avoid bed-bug bites.
Mosquito head-net Life systems	Make sure you buy a midge proof mesh, as some of the cheaper nets are mosquito proof only. Essential for sleeping out in the ‘mosquito months’ of May and June.
Sun Protection System
Sun Cream	Even tough guys get skin cancer!
Sun Glasses	Polarised glasses are a good choice for fishing or canoeing
Fishing System
Fishing Rod	A small telescopic rod is a good addition on a wilderness trip, although a hand reel can be used. A rod should have a rod licence.
Monofilament Line	Replace you fishing line every year, as it is photodegradable. Always burn waste line; never bin it, as it is harmful to wildlife.
Hooks	When fishing for food, always use barbed hooks, standard size 6 hooks and size 5 ‘Ondex’ spinners should catch your supper.
Traces, weights and floats	When fishing for predatory fish you need to use wire trace. Floats can be easily improvised; a rose hip or swan feather is ideal.
Extras
Parachute Cord	Avoid the cheap flat para-cord sold in packs; only buy good quality cord, with a core. The thin strands from the core can be used to make nets and fishing line.
Sewing Kit	As well as buttons, needles, and thread, include a sail-makers needle; fishing line, thin wire and super glue for tough field repairs.
Gaffa Tape	For putting up mosquito nets, repairing rucksacks, fixing thermarests, improvised steri-strips, you name it gaffa tape does it!
Note Book & Pencil	For recording events or sketching leaves, flowers and tracks.
Large Ziploc Bags	Great for compartmentalizing wet/dry clothing, food and kit.
Camera & Film	Personal choice
Mountain Environment Additions
GPS Garmin	You’ve heard it before, but I’ll say it again – A GPS is no substitute for knowing how to navigate with a map & compass.
Altimeter Sunto	In many incidents, with a map & compass, an altimeter is more useful than a GPS.
Survival Bag Blizzard Pack	The Blizzard Pack is an innovative new product that comes packed to the size of a video tape, but has a temperature rating to that of a 2 – 3 season down sleeping bag!
Emergency Food	Something so disgusting that you will only eat it in an emergency, for example - a Power Bar.
Mobile Phone	Please bear in mind, that most people come to enjoy the silence of the mountains, not to listen to folks yakking away on their mobiles. But, this handy little device has saved many lives on the hills. If you have it, pack it!
Walking Poles Pacer Poles	Helps protect those knees.