What essential items do you keep in your Ditty Bag? What's something you won't hit the trail without??? 👇Let Us Know Down Below!👇

I put a Queen-size Tempur-Pedic mattress in my Ditty bag, but that's just a personal decision.

MD, neurologist and mountaineer here, one thing, that bugs me about people taking acetazolamide with them on trips, is that 99% of people don't understand how it works and how it's supposed to be taken. For treating AMS (acute mountain sickness) it's really the wrong tool for the job. If you have a trip coming up, you can start taking it 5-7 days prior PROPHYLACTICLY and prevent AMS. If you find yourself or others suffering AMS, you need something to remedy AMS and its two major complications, being HACE (high altitude cerebral edema, i.e. when people get bad headaches, get nauseaus, photo- & phonophobia, start acting weird, speaking nonesense, etc.) and HAPE (high altitude pulmonary edema, i.e. a dry high elevation cough & dyspnea, not to be confused with the dry cough you get in elevation due to cold dry air, kinda hard to tell apart in the field though); that's when you want dexamethason (NOT prednisolon, as it can't cross the blood brain barrier). Now after having taken dexamethason, you can, according to expert-opinion (not much evidence that exists for this yet), start taking acetazolamide, in order to help acclimate and reduce your need to take more dexamethasone. But if you already have AMS and HACE or HAPE, just taking acetazolamide will do exactly nothing for you. TLDR: 1. if you already have AMS take Dexamethason, not acetazolamide 2. you can take acetazolamide, starting PRIOR to your trip, to prevent developing AMS 3. if you have AMS and have taken Dexamethasone already and feel better, expert opinion (not much evidence) suggests, you can start taking acetazolamide, to help prevent further AMS bouts

Black binder clips, the ones with "butterfly" handles. I've lost light gear I draped on a branch to dry. Also good to dry your socks on the outside of your pack as you hike without fear of losing them. Cheap as chips, as the brits say.

Ive a tiny sewing kit inside a used Vic's inhaler (do you get them US?). Cut out the little tube thingy inside. stuff a little piece of ear plug foam into the base for needles and a thin bit of card wrapped in thread. Wrap luko or duck or finger tape on outside cap..

Spare O ring for Sawyer Squeeze, and an extra cap for a Smartwater bottle.

Pretty similar. My headlamp doesn’t go in my ditty bag, I have a pocket on the top of my pack where it lives. I have Trail Toes ointment in there, been carrying liquid bandage(my finger/thumbs always crack and it’s way better than a band aid) a bandana or lite load towel for drying after cleanup/brushing teeth. Sometimes my spoon is in there for when I’m gonna eat something soaked for lunch, but don’t want to pull out my food bag. Extra snacks/electrolytes in there too. My food bag tends to get buried under clothing layers, ditty bag, etc so I don’t like to have to yard sale to pull it out😅

Learned about leukotape from you yrs ago Darwin & it's been wonderful for me for a non=backpacking purpose: protecting my heals & tendons when wearing pumps, high heels, etc. So ... thank ya 😊

I did my first solo backpack overnight last weekend in Ohio. Archers Fork in Wayne National Forest. I had way too Many things in my diddy bag. Thanks for the motivation and great ideas.

I always have one Immodium and one Benadryl tucked away somewhere, plus a random plastic grocery bag for unexpected trash or wet clothes.

Great look into what you usually take--domestic and international. I also take extra boot laces, much more Leukotape than you had (ha ha), a fairly emptied out but larger first aid kit, a mini multi tool, dental floss, a small amount of duct tape, and mini hand sanitizer.

Interesting ! The very one thing I do differently is I keep my 1st aid kit separated in a red bag (guess red is the international color ?) so it's easily spotted by someone else in my group in case I need something and I can't reach it

Good to see you back. I started watching you when I first found out what UKposts was and have been surprised by some of the current innovations. I have been a backpacker for over 50 years and have even taught some courses and believe me things have changed drastically. Example a 10 pound canvas shelter half to 18-20+ DCF. Look forward to more of your sage advice in the future.

Lots of good suggestions… one I haven’t heard is a tube of Aquaphor. Great for dry feet, to prevent blisters, for sun/wind burnt lips, for dry cracked cuticles, for rub rashes, etc. Never leave home without it!

I love it! This is my favorite piece of equipment of my pack actually. It's fun going through it with a fine tooth comb and updating/swapping out things as you go from one adventure to the next (backpacking, rock climbing, ice climbing, back country skiing) mine always seems to be changing. Also the old plastic zip loc bags are great! I still have a large gallon ziplock from my PCT thru hike. It's like a trophy Cheers

That bag would be useful for traveling anywhere. Love that pouch/bag. One thing I bring with in a repair kit are a couple of safety pins. And for pain I use curamin which is a great curcumin pain reliever. For tummy issues I carry activated charcoal capsules and a product called cell food. It’s saved my bacon so many times. Never leave home without it.

That little packable purse thing is awesome I think I need one of those!

Similar to your spare BRS O-ring, I carry an extra sports cap for my BeFree filter, because I always seem to break the top off at some point, and it's no good without one (if you want to carry it with water in it). But my ditty bags (yes, plural) are kind of a mess, so this winter I will work on getting it all into one bag, and all organized!

I like the combination of trusted, long-serving items and the new and improved items. The combination of new and old shows growth and change. I have to carry some prescription medicines in my travel bag.

Darwin, glad you are back. I keep an extra Sawyer gasket and an extra cap for my smart water bottle.

Saw a case of West Nile virus this year from Southern Utah. Be safe out there. Glad you are back.

Chip clips. These are so under rated. If the zip lock fails, or you just want to keep some snacks from spilling everywhere. I always carry chip clips.

Man that first aid kit is really minimal and see you got it dialed in. Mines twice that size. One thing I take in my repair kit is an extra O ring for the sawyer squeeze. Really like that little man purse as it would be a nice thing for those times you set camp but then do a short side hike. toss that on a few snacks and water bottle and you are set Was over seas and the streets were lots of cobblestone. Lots of walking. Lots of standing. After 3 days of this my feet were wrecked. I took your advice years ago about the rawology ball and had mine. While in hotel room rolled them out. It hurt but man the next day i had a spring in my step. Im looking at buying another one so one is in pack and another in travel bag

Love the mini visine/soap idea. I too have a kids bamboo toothbrush. In addition to your basics minus the camera batteries and such, I also carry a bit of extra UL rope or twine and have used it more than once, an extra lighter, Imodium and also Benadryl as I tend to overreact to insect bits. I’m not a thruhiker yet, but older and ounces do count.

Thanks. Very helpful. Be well. Be safe. Wishing you peace and good fortune. Happy Trails!

Good to see you back on YT, Darwin! I tend to be a hike & cook kind of guy that likes to dream about some longer trips, so your adventures always give me something to think about. Thanks for putting this together and sharing.

Where did you find the individual packets of Sawyer Picaridin? I didn’t see them listed for sale on Sawyer’s site.

I made a shoulder strap for my ditty bag with grosgrain ribbon and matching buckles. That Monbell pouch is pretty sweet and would save me from having to dump the ditty contents, though.

Snake bandage - I’m in Australia. Thankfully haven’t had to use it.

I carry mostly the same things. I do carry 2 of the little Vitamin I pill bottles. One has ibuprofen, and I wrap leukotape around it. The other is perfect size for my toothpaste tablets. They don’t get crushed and stay dry.

I always have a roll or 6 of "athletic tape" or as I call it Doggy Tape. Sticks to itself, comes in crazy colours and does a number of jobs.. Wrap a sprain, cover a hotspot, cover palms for abrasion etc And it's reusable a few times, if you are checking a wound etc (using proper sterile pads of course) Love the stuff

I like to toss in one of those silica moisture absorbing packets in my electronics bag as well.

Don't leave home without TUMS! Seems like getting dehydrated backpacking and eating not so great backpacking meals gives me heart burn from time to time.

Thanks for the vid! I'm a always curious what lil misc ditty items carried by experienced ppl because my ditty bag always ends up way too big and heavy.

I always carry moleskin, bug spray and sunblock (seasonal). It rains a lot in the PNW😊

Towel tabs, just add water and you have a washcloth. Sunscreen. Chapstick. Small bottle of hand sanitizer but I like your idea of eye drop bottle for Dr. Bronners soap.

Happy New Year Darwin! Enjoy the ride!

Glad to see you back on youtube Darwin! I've been watching your content for the past 6 or 7 years now. I have a Petzel Bindi and loved it, but it recently broke. Why don't you like the Nitecore usb c model?

CPR face shield, quikclot, water treatment tabs and (yes really) a condom as an emergency water container, whistle, signalling mirror, mylar blanket, atwood mfg "nanocord". But my dav is a UL saw with reciprocating saw blade and a plastic plumbing tube as handle that uses cord to tension by twisting with any found stick. An amazing design for imho the most valuable hand tool in a emergency; make a splint, crutches, stretcher, shelter, firewood, etc.

Hey Darwin, if you’re interested I know an alternative to your multi-purpose adapter cable: the inCharge by Rolling Square. Available in different lenghts, super high quality and also includes Micro USB. Bought them for my diddy bag a while ago 😊 Thanks for your video! ❤️

love you Darwin! Helpful update. I take those goodies plus plus plus....seems I pack my fears - what can go wrong stuff :)

My ditty bag set-up is very similar. I also add a few Plackers dental picks as I like having clean teeth on the trail.

I learned leukotape from you years ago and it's a total game changer. Stay amazing!💪

Awesome. Thanks!

I carry a few water treatment tabs, in addition to the stuff you mentioned.

Nice to have you back again Darwin.

One of the things I keep in mine is a small 2 ounce pouch that contains needle, thread, pins, monofilament, superglue, eyeglass repair kit, nail clippers, small magnifying glass, a button, rubber bands, a twenty dollar bill, and whatever else I can cram in there that I may need. I'll probably never need anything in there, and I hope I don't, but if I do, I'm saving the day. I keep a mini notepad with a small ball point pen and pencil in my ditty bag too. Electronics on the trail aren't always reliable and it's nice to be able to communicate with someone if you're ahead of them on trail or have to leave camp.

I had a food bag and dry bag made out of that white ecopak on my PCT hike, they only lasted about a month of use. Both failed in the exact same way, the plastic inner lining separated from the outer material and tore so they weren't waterproof anymore. Hilltop packs customer service was good though, they sent me upgraded replacements made out of Dyneema for free. Regular ecopak is good but I would not trust the thin stuff to last long.

Dr Bronner's in an eye dropper is such a great hack even just to keep in your car for road trips or purse/bag for everyday carries! It's my nightmare going into public restrooms and not having soap to wash my hands.

My ZMI powerbank allows for pass-through charging and has 2x usb-c ports each capable of 45W output and one usb-a port. Power brick plugs into wall and power brick and I charge everything straight from the battery in one go. With my setup I can charge 3 things (including the battery) at once. My powerbrick is a little 45 W 2oz Anker.

I didn't know they were called Ditty bags! I have one, well a few ziploc bags, one for first aid and toiletries, another for electronics (I don't mix wet stuff/gels with electronics!) Similar in mine: Blister plasters, normal plasters, emergency water tabs as backup, a small pot of Vaseline - people never talk about chafing in hiking, a small pot of Sudocrem - amazing for sweat rash and burns at a pinch, silnylon tape for tent repair, not Leukotape - not sure what that stuff is, is it a US thing - but I do take a small roll of surgical tape which was ESSENTIAL when I fell over this year.... Eczema creams, suncream (and will be taking a small pot of aloe gel in summer in future) travel toothpaste, a folding toothbrush, spare AAA batteries for my headtorch (this will change to the spare headtorch as I'm going rechargeable 18350, I have the little micro-usb chargeable ones, those will go in the spare), spare headtorch, small USB-C and micro cables including one longer USBC to USBC for pubs and restaurant charging,, powerbank, charger - Fifo are great for those in the UK but Mokin looks good too. Solar panel..yes I take one, but only for basecamp trips....Ibuprofen, IBS/gluten mint tablets - yes I am a walking pharmacy....but as I've found the hard way I HAVE to be :-( For soap I take a small thing of shower gel, I learned the proper way to shower on a few drops this time (you get wet, lather up and then jump back in - obviously not for use in nature) and...might be contentious - but I take a few Dr Beckmann Magic Leaves sheets if I find a washing machine to wash my clothes. Very light, and nothing like fresh clothes on a 2-3 week trip. Oh I forgot, I have a massive bottle of Hedgewitch, it's Picaridin for horses and horse riders so is super cheap cos they pump that stuff all over the horse and rider..., so I put that in a little pump bottle. It works.

POM floss is great as sewing thread. Also as floss.

My ditty bag for bikepacking contains two smaller power banks because i’ve had one fail in the past! Anker ftw too! 🙂👍🏻

Awesome informative video. Thank you for sharing! Did airport security staff give you trouble about the Victorinox Classic SD Knife? I had a slightly bigger one before, and it got confiscated at airport security...

You da man! I've been following you for a while, but not recently. Then I caught this video! I always enjoy your content, your knowledge, and experience, as well as your opinions or advice! Great job, and thank you very much! 😊

My "don't leave home without it" repair item is Tear Aid Type A.

Ear plugs, small tube of Vaseline for chafing chapped lips blisters or emergency fire, and small Kevlar string for many possible uses and repairs

I always carry an emergency blanket. It's not heavy and can definitely save your life if you have a critical gear failure

For anyone wondering you can still, for now, find the old NU25 which is arguably better than the newer version.

I carry a lighter and additional first aid triple antibiotic and sunscreen

Thanks for the summary! I have found that the NOSO patches don't stay on very well. I wish they did because they're cute. Also, the Picaridin itself does not protect against diseases, only against being bitten by mosquitoes that carry the diseases. There is no preventive measure for these illnesses; you have to not get bitten! Darwin probably knows that, but many folks may not. On what I carry - a lot more than you! Way more bandaids, pills of all kinds - and I have used them all. As you age, you may find what you carry changes. If you're lucky, maybe not!

I’ve stared with carrying squirrels nut butter. Works well for me to preventing from getting blisters. (I’ve use to have blisters on every single tows and the heals and blister under blisters… But now I have a system that’s works. (Maybe to must information😅 ))

Not headphones but earplugs… The tiny satchel is great!😊

Visions bottle of soap! Genius! 👏🏼

thanks Darwin! and welcome back to making videos!

A lot of similar items, plus a little key chain capsule of zippo fluid, a pocket bellows, and a dude whipes body shower whipe thing I've never used. Well I guess I should get rid of that lol.

stoked to see you making content again!

Dental floss instead of sewing thread - multipurpose!

Great content Darwin. Thumbs up. 💯👍

Thank you.

I thought the eye drops bottle was a great idea….. even smaller an carries what you need…. Great to see you back…🍺🍺

I picked up a box of little pouches from the local craft store. Crafters will use them to store beads or pack earrings, but they are great for sorting meds and such. My favorite thing is my ‘purse’. I store my electronics in the little stuff sack my sea 2 summit pillow came in. It has a handle, so it is a great little purse for in town as it fits my phone, travel wallet, and headphones, in case my town clothes from the hostel don’t have pockets. I will also die on the hill that is my deodorant. While it may not combat hiker funk on the day to day, it does keep chafing at bay like a boss. Then when I’m in town, poof, I’ve got deodorant and can feel a little more human for a moment.

How amazing was Nepal? Have hiked some of Alaska, but would love to see Nepal someday.

What size cork massage ball do you carry? It looks like either 4 or 5cm. My normal one is 7cm, but that's way too big/heavy.

Maybe I don’t understand , but the power banks you linked only have 18w input, curious how you get 40w to it?

One thing I carry, that you didn't mention, is a chapstick with high spf. Other than that mine's pretty similar.

Nice to see you post on UKposts.

One thing about Cipro, it’s possible to have a reaction to it. I did and have crossed it off my list of medications.

FYI - giardia is a protozoan. Ciprofloxacin is an antibiotic which is good for some bacteria but NOT a protozoan like giardia

I am a comfort fan. Fewer miles is fine with me. I even carry an ultralight chair. Don't leave home without it!!!

I carry fingernail clippers as the scissors on my swiss army knife don't work well for me deal with a broken or torn nail.

I knew a guy who was rescued (compound fracture in leg) 16:47 after flashing a rescue mirror at a search plane. Has a hole in the center to aim the mirror. So I carry one. Light and you can use it as a mirror

I've been looking at the small version of that Montbell pouch for a year or so now - the "U.L. MONO POUCH S". Just can't decide which colour. Probably the Leaf Green. Please ask before you copy my great ideas.

Ditty bag has a whole new meaning now 😂

I was checking out the Mokin based on this, but note it is pretty heavy, about 2.45 oz. I just weighed a random different one I have (with less wattage) and it's 1.4 oz.

Basically the same except I have a homemade tyvek bag for my poop bag

Knee brace. I’m as old as the hills I walk. I knew them back when they were much taller.

Hey mate will there be a Nepal video? 🇦🇺

Would love know if any eczema sufferers what they do for hiking and camping? I've had to decant my various creams into travel containers - but my steroidal cream is a real pain cos its so thick, so had to put that in a pot! (Yes I used to not take them, I had to abandon a trip last year because sunburn set off my eczema and would not go away...one dose of steroidal cream sorted it). Also why the advice of 'stay dirty!' isn't totally good for us eczema types. Embrace the stink, yes,...but I don't really want to embrace the eternal itch that makes me want to rip my skin off, either. And if I leave sweat and salt on my skin for too long, unfortunately that's what happens....unless I have creams. BTW you can't get Ciprofloxacin over the counter in the UK.

COULD we say the 'bear necessities?"

The BRS stove does come with the O-ring. I recently had to re-buy the BRS stove as TSA took it away from me the last time I flew. Dumb, I know.

Since I have to wear glasses, either my sunglasses or my normal ones along with some microfiber cloth to clean them live in my ditty bag. Also my buff if I'm not wearing it.

Piece of cord for fixing something or attaching to a backpack or making a cloth line.

What’s the weight if it all? When I look at my kit, it’s my ditty bag that annoys me the most because it is mostly stuff I’ll never use.

I dont have a ditty bag. I have an electronics bag and i keep all the other stuff in ziploc bags and stuffed in a side pocket like a savage.

I don’t use a short toothbrush for weight savings. I use it because it fits in my ditty better.

might i suggest the Ankar power block/battery bank combo. will be one less thing to carry.

Love toothpaste tablets, but if you go that way, get the ones with fluoride! A lot of brands don't have fluoride, and that's a mistake.

i have a pack of steri-strips in my first aid stuff. not a fan of super glue.

I finally ditched my nitecore from micro-usb to the USB-C, because I was sick and tired of having ONE micro USB cable for 1 thing. Now we're all USB-C BABYYYY... Except my Garmin Fenix watch. Why aren't you a big fan of the USB-C nitecore UL lamp??