Overview of my Camping Gear-Part 6-Miscellaneous Items

Okay, are you guys getting tired of looking at gear? I know I am. Well, it’s almost over, this is the next to last post. Here I will look at what was listed as number 11 in Part 1 of my post on gear. This is a bag which includes all my miscellaneous items. I have numbered them in the picture to make it easier to see.



1. This is a ziplock bag which contains toilet paper, a collapsible toothbrush, and two small bottles, one with Purell and the other with liquid soap.

2. This is a mosquito head net. I’ve never had to use it, but it has many other possible uses.

3. A mirror. I originally got it to serve as a signal mirror in case of an emergency, but it has proven to be very useful. It can come in handy to be able to see your face.

4. This is just a larger box of tinder. I carry it in addition to the tinder I have in my pocket kit. Particularly in winter, when you don’t have time to mess around with natural tinders, this can be of great value.

5. This is the Coleman CR123A Lithium Pack-Away Lantern. It is a collapsible lantern that can put out over 100 lumens, and weighs 4.8 ounces with batteries. This is an item that is not necessary. I’ve often thought about leaving it out. Even though it is very light and compact for a lantern, it is still the heaviest object in this bag. It is a very expensive option as well, coming in at $60.

6. This is the NiteCore D10 flashlight. It runs on a single AA battery, but because it uses a computer chip to process the power, it can achieve spectacular results. It can put out 130 lumens, or at the low setting of 3 lumens, can last over 45 hours. The one thing I don’t like about it is the “infinitely adjustable” power setting. Some people love it, but I prefer a flashlight with a low, medium, and high setting. I don’t like having to play around with things like that. NiteCore has recently come out with the D11 version, which is supposed to be an improvement. You can buy the D11 for about $55. I prefer a hand held flashlight to a headlamp. It is just a personal preference. If I get rid of the lantern though, I would have to get some type of head attachment for the flashlight.

7. A replacement AA battery for the NiteCore.

8. A whistle for emergencies.

9. A compass-nothing too fancy. It just does what it’s supposed to do-it shows North. I think I got it for about $10.

10. This is a bottle of 100% DEET. I find it very useful. As you know, I don’t use a tent or a mosquito net, so the DEET is very useful at keeping the mosquitoes away.