Disclaimer: This post is not a substitute for formal training. Seek professional training and advice before doing any survival activities.
Overpacking is one of the fastest ways to sabotage yourself in the field. It wears you out, slows you down, and makes it more likely you’ll leave your gear behind when you actually need it.
Here are a few items worth reconsidering, especially if your pack’s starting to feel like a burden.
1. The Rambo Knife
Big knives are cool until you have to carry one for 10 miles. Most tasks knives are used for such as whittling, food prep, fire starting, and batoning are better handled by a smaller, well-made fixed blade. Unless you’re doing serious backwoods shelter work, ditch the massive steel and carry something manageable. We prefer something in the 4.5” to 6” range.
2. Too Many Ways to Cook Food
You’re not setting up a full-service camp kitchen. If you’ve got a folding stove, a grill rack, and a hanging pot tripod all stuffed in the same pack, it’s time to scale back. Choose one method that works reliably and learn it inside and out. A single pot, a small pan, and one heat source is plenty for most field needs.
3. Redundant Fire Starters
Fire matters. But if you’re hauling four different fire-starting methods and haven’t mastered one, it’s wasted space. Two is enough: one fast and easy (like a lighter) and one durable backup (like a ferro rod). Then focus on tinder prep. Even the best tools won’t help you if you don’t know how to build a proper fire lay or choose dry material.
4. Heavy Flashlights
Big flashlights drain batteries fast, take up space, and keep your hands full. A lightweight headlamp is better in almost every situation. Just make sure you carry extra batteries and store them properly.
5. Tactical Toys
This includes multitools shaped like skulls, “survival” credit cards, belt-buckle knives, or anything you packed because it sounded useful on a forum. Ask yourself: Have I used this in the last three trips? Would I trust my safety to it? If the answer’s no, pull it.
Take Skills Instead
Skills don’t weigh anything. They don’t rust, run out of batteries, or fall out of your pack. The more you practice, the less you rely on gear — and the more options you have when something fails.
A person who knows how to make fire with one lighter, cook with a single pot, and navigate with a map will go farther, faster, and safer than someone carrying every gadget known to man but no idea how to use them.
Your pack should be a reflection of what you know, not what you saw on a checklist. Every piece of gear you carry should serve a real purpose you’ve practiced. Knowing how to use something is more important than simply owning it.
The Terra Tactica Outfit 