Water is essential

Finally, the last equipment post...

One of the best investments that can be made is in a good pack to hold all your equipment for a full field day. With the invention of water bladders, or Camelbacks, it's also possible to carry your water on your back as well. This frees your hands for other things, like catching yourself before you slide down a hill!

This North Face pack has a 100 oz water bladder that sits in the back of the pack in its compartment. This is approximately enough water for a day in the field, as long as it's under 90 degrees. One trick: fill the bladder 1/2 full and freeze overnight. Then fill it the rest of the way with fresh water in the morning. You end up with cold-cool water all day, plus, if you strategically place your lunch in your pack, it acts as an ice pack for your lunch allowing things like string cheese to come into the field.

The other nice thing about this pack is that there are a lot of outside pockets/netting and elastic stretchy things. This allows a lot of equipment to be put on the pack instead of in pockets or on a belt and still be within hands reach. Also, this is a relatively small pack which keeps me from overloading myself and carrying 50 pounds into the field.

One draw back: the mouthpiece on the water bladder is secured to the pack with a magnet. This makes the mouth piece easy to find and keeps it from constantly knocking your arm or back or whatever. It's great if you're hiking or biking, but when trying to use a Brunton, it can cause problems. Thankfully North Face made this movable and I have found a place on the pack to put the magnet that doesn't interfere with my Brunton, but does make getting to the mouth piece a little difficult, but I'll live.

That's it for equipment. If I mention something that I didn't describe, ask and I'll add additional descriptions. For the geo freaks: did I miss any essential equipment? I hope not since this is what's in my box to bring with me to field camp and it means that I didn't bring something...