3 Overnight Essentials

It doesn’t matter if you’re in the Adirondacks or the Sierras; a few essentials are key to any overnight kit. From an ultralight first aid kit to an emergency lighter and a two-person mess kit – these three pieces of gear are likely to stay in your pack, regardless of the season or the activity.

Adventure Medical Kits Ultralight and Watertight .7: Stoke Insurance

Adventure Medical Kits Ultralight and Watertight .7

Active Junky’s explored this brand’s full line of travel medical kits.  Here’s why this one earns multiple stripes on the road: digging into it spurs the right conversations and planning before you leave. Tweak the contents over time to fit your predispositions, though the core kit is solid. 

Best For: Trips for 1-2 people, up to four days

MSR 2-Person Mess Kit: Make Eating Easy

MSR 2-Person Mess Kit

Active Junky served up high-calorie goodness during backcountry and river outings in Utah and Colorado this summer with this compact combo featuring easy-holding insulated mugs.  Here’s a chance to stop snagging disposable convenience store cutlery and start traveling like someone with wilderness wisdom; color coding lets each person manage their own clean-up business.

Best For: Overnights or extended backpacking trips

Zippo Emergency Fire Starter: The Right Stuff When It Goes Wrong

Zippo Emergency Fire Starter

Zippo’s carried the day through decades of combat missions and international leisure travel.  Now the outdoor enthusiast gets a taste of on-demand BTUs with this flint-wheel ignition system.  Complete with tinder sticks, F.S. floats as it brings a water-resistant seal to the game (a quick wrap with Gorilla Tape ups the protection level).  Get one, practice using it, then secure it inside your pack or river duffel.  The probability is high you’ll use it sooner rather than later, thankful for the U.S.A.-made sparks waiting inside.

Best For: Camping, backcountry trail or water travel, vehicle emergency kits (buy three and spread them around)