Hello everyone, with the holidays coming up and current events, it's always good to update your camping and outdoor gear.
This opportunity was given to me by the recent contest organized by 
So I decided to pull out my favorite hiking items and review them to share with you. Usually, all these tools are gathered in one place in our flat and ready to be taken away if anything happens. Obviously, my list changes whether I go to the sea or the mountains, for two days or two weeks, but let's say that this is my usual base. After that, I compose according to the possibilities of weight, volume, utility...
Typically, I won't always bring these two, but I have to say that for the plant book, it's pretty systematic. They are quite dense and therefore rather heavy, but definitely worth it. The one about wild edible plants is good for learning more, but it's mostly useful for identifying plants that you can eat. The second one is more for an ornithology outing and I usually go with more experienced birdwatchers who are already well equipped ^^.
The drawings are very well done for both the first and the second. For the one about plants, there is a side with all the information and the other with the drawn plates that refer to the different species.
I always carry a few fishing spoons and nylon line. It doesn't take up much space and it's not particularly heavy. If I have room, I take a small fishing rod, but this one is in the country, so I couldn't take a picture of it, but it's very basic, not a rare or really specific model.
A set of survival blankets and a sun lamp which also has a distress signal mode - but which I use most often for reading !... I complete these two items with a first aid kit. Inside: bandages, scissors, scalpel, disinfectant, needles, thread, super glue, basic tablets.
Rope and tape because we always need to fix, bind, tie things together. It's like in anthropology books, you quickly realize that the basic gestures are quite limited: cutting, drilling, splitting, assembling...
Two small magnifying glasses, one of which is a jeweller's or a botanist's magnifying glass... it depends :) The smallest one I carry mainly to light a fire if my stove doesn't work or if my matches are wet. With it, there's no risk of it going out of order, and although it's made of glass, it's quite solid and robust. The second one is more for observing plants, minerals and insects. Its magnification is x20, which is more than enough in my opinion.
As with the other items, I rarely leave with more than two of them. The second one from the left is the one for mushrooms. The last one is a titanium diving knife that I bought more than ten years ago, I find its aesthetics very "Action Man", but it's just threatening as it should be and finally quite versatile. Most of the time I think I carry the first and the last. I haven't unfolded the first one on the left, but it's a pretty basic blade, simple and practical for cutting small pieces of wood or for cooking.
Again, this will depend on the trip and where we are going. In France, fires are almost all forbidden in natural areas, so it is rare that I leave without my stove. Especially since I bought a model from MSR that I really like. It is particularly powerful for its size and has a small trigger to light the gas. It's quite handy if the matches are wet or you've forgotten them... I complete this with a standard gas cylinder and a small plastic tripod to stabilize the whole thing. It's useful if you don't want to spill your food everywhere ^^ !
After, I also take this small Swedish flint, in case I run out of gas or if I can make a real fire...
I always take these super light cotton bags. They are the ones sold for shopping in bulk shops, but I use them mostly for collecting edible plants. It allows me to carry them without damaging them by compressing them too much.
Finally, I still have my MSR water bag too. I've had it since I was a teenager and it really holds up well. I seem to remember that it has a lifetime guarantee and despite a little plastic smell inside, it's really perfect. *(I put a few pieces of fresh ginger to reduce the plastic taste).
It has three different types of openings which makes it very versatile and easy to use. The 5 litre capacity also means that it can be used on a lot of roads and the water missions are not done in vain!
In addition, I always have an insulated water bottle that keeps liquids at their initial temperature, which is very useful for tea or water from the spring the day before...
I might as well tell you right now that the title above is a lie. In fact, the first picture is missing my real favourite. It is the nettle. It is truly a gift from nature: a bomb of vitamins and antioxidants and 7 out of 8 essential amino acids, so you can almost survive without deficiency by eating only nettles.
In order, you'll find goosefoot, lamb's-quarters (Atriplex patula), another type of goosefoot (Chenopodium album) and finally pondweed (Amaranthus retroflexus)
Both the fruit and the leaves are edible, but as far as goosefoot is concerned, even if some are free of saponins, I always prefer to boil them and throw away the first water.
That's about it :) Of course, all this equipment needs to be completed with a good bag, a light and robust tent (the one we currently have doesn't meet any of these criteria :), good walking shoes and many other items I could have talked about (cooking equipment, sleeping gear, etc), but I really wanted to make a list of my essential tools for going out in nature.
I hope you've enjoyed this little overview and I'd love to hear about your personal lists, as well as your favourite items! Feel free to put it all in the comments if you feel like it :-)
Have a nice weekend and see you soon !
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@anttn