I’m preparing for more days in the backcountry in 2010 by putting all of my essential backpacking gear in a bin. The idea is to enable spur of the moment 24s (24 hour outings in the backcountry) by having your go-to kit ready to go at a moments notice with minimal planning to get in the way.

My 24 kit consists of: Golite Jam pack (‘05 model), Mountain Hardwear Phantom 45 bag, 2 liter platy, petzl tikka, Thermarest Prolite 3, 5x8 silnylon tarp, & a bit of tyvek (about 3’x4’).

All my other goods are easily accessible in the same room. So, I can easily swap out for my winter quilt, larger tarp, foam sleeping pad, etc. I’ve also left my kitchen stuff out of this kit, since I’d prefer not to bother with it on a 24. That’s not to say I can’t throw it in if the temps are going to be low, though. Regarding clothing, I wear most of my gear on a daily basis, so it’s going to stay in my dresser/closet. I have enough experience that I feel comfortable making quick decisions about my clothing, but if you don’t have much experience this is something I’d encourage putting some planning into.

I’m looking forward to putting this kit to use in 2010. Maybe you’ve already got one, and if not you should give it a go. Here’s to more days in the backcountry in 2010!