My gear list so far. (Feel free to chime in with suggestions)

[wombatt]

I'm a bit more of the crusty type but just wanna say that those pant short zipper things actually get fucked up reallly quick. you should be fine with jsut the overalls

 

[SnakeOilWilly]

OK I'll stick with coveralls then.

 

[skitter]

Sounds like I'll get a prepaid smart phone then. as long as it can use McDonald's wifi...

got this phone four years ago from AT&T, got a sim card for straight talk one year ago. Prepaid for life. Starbucks wifi, Mcdeezys wifi, Taco hell wifi, library wifi, it is pretty convenient.


2

 

[wombatt]

fancy phones are cool but you HAVE to get a good case if ya wish to keep it. a simple drop on the tracks could utterly destroy your phone.

 

[Anagor]

since what you carry is sooo personal

That's true!

Magnesium fire starter
and
Matches - is there a real reason you prefer these two things over a lighter?

Seems to me that SnakeOilWilly plans to do some hiking/camping in the wilderness. Matches can get wet. Lighters can get out of gas, break. Your backup lighter might loose its flint just when you need it. Bad, if you're 20 miles away from the next road. A magnesium fire starter is the most reliable thing to make fire I guess. Not needed when you travel in urban areas, from town to town or in more densely populated areas, IMHO.
As a smoker I always have at least a BIC lighter with me. When traveling, I keep an extra wind-proof (? wording) refillable lighter I got at an Euro-Store for €1 as backup. I have a Zippo, but the lid is broken. Reminds me to make use of the life-time warranty sometime.

I am rarely somewhere I could get away with lighting a fire without drawing attention to myself.

I'd never make a campfire unless I'm in the wilderness (next to a river perhaps, having water nearby is a good idea - especially if it's not in winter/rainy weather) or I'm some place it's allowed (like a camping ground).

Shorts/pants zipper thing - okay clothes. so when I first "hit the road" I had like all these clothes and extra shirts and three pairs of denim jeans fucking extra shit (AND a laptop! and more dumb shit!) And right after baby's first ten mile hike I picked up a wicked case of tendonitis, a shitload of gnarly face squirting blisters, and the ability to separate myself really quick from a the stuff I thought I needed.

Just a question here: for my next trip (backpacking, hitchhiking, 45°-55°F I guess, cloudy/rainy) I plan to bring along:
Wearing: t-shirt, army pants, zipped hoodie, lined jeans jacket, vans, baseball cap, very lightweight/compact rain jacket if needed
In the backpack: 2nd t-shirt, decent hoodie and decent pair of jeans and converse chucks (for going out, blending in, etc.), 5 pairs of boxer shorts, 5 pairs of socks, flip-flops, 2 old hoodies (in case it gets colder during January to wear underneath) and a rain poncho that covers the backpack too in case of heavy rain.
Does that seem to be reasonable?

Floss With 1-2 sewing needles inside- I carry scissors because the itty little multitool type ones suck. I buy a pack of hand needles because I break em.

I have a tiny smiss army knife (can be attached to a keyring) with a foldable scissors. It's enough to cut floss, I guess. Not going to do extensive sewing work, I guess.

This can be entirely personal... I sew a lot, so one or two needles wouldnt work for me.

Sewing is always a pain in the ass to me. Recently I sew some holes in one of my pants and shoes. I'm not patient enough for that kind of work I think.

Toilet paper wrapped around pen - I sometimes carry an extra roll but it loses its integrity but you never want to be without it. I am a collector of napkins. I am a classy classy gal.

Lol. I'm notorious for never have tissues with me. Don't know why. So I always get some napkins from a McDonald's or Cafe when I have a runny nose or alike.

Chapstick -I find this really endearing for some reason. Like whoops! Almost forgot my chapstick!!! Cute.

Good idea, I'll definitely get one. And a small tube of hand lotion. Not kidding, I tend to get really dry skin in winter. Last winter the skin at my knuckles was really bad, even bloody.

Tablet/laptop - a laptop with a battery and the power cord is a lot of weight for a creature comfort. You can combine the needs of a tracfone, camera, and entertainment device by getting a prepaid smartphone.

Same opinion here. Perhaps I'll bring my small, robust Thinkpad X60 in summer, when there's more room in the backpack since you don't need so much clothes and stuff, but not now. Better to use the space for another hoodie or alike.
I have a Samsung Galaxy S2 and it serves me well for staying in contact with people, finding places, taking photos. Only thing I'll add for the next trip is a battery extender or portable charging device. The idea with that is you charge the device (maybe at a library, hostel, etc.) and then you can charge your phone while you go. 2-3 full charges.
Last trip I stayed mostly in hostels. Sometime it was okay since there was an outlet directly besides the bed and I could charge the phone overnight. But sometime there was only one outlet in the room. I never locked something in and there wasn't something stolen, but I wouldn't just charge my phone somewhere in the dorm room while I sleep. Charging the phone was always a problem, sometimes I forgot to do it, too. It's really annoying to have a phone that's not working cause battery is dead when you would need to look something up, would like to take a photo of something extraordinary, navigate ... So battery extender it is ...

if you use a smartphone to post on facebook or StP complaining about boot rot I will kick yer ass! if you can afford a phone you can get a pair of socks.

The only thing I don't see here that I really like is a small bottle of hand sanitizer.

Good idea!

got this phone four years ago from AT&T, got a sim card for straight talk one year ago. Prepaid for life. Starbucks wifi, Mcdeezys wifi, Taco hell wifi, library wifi, it is pretty convenient.

Starbucks is also great for charging your devices. Many outlets in there. Experience from Germany and UK ...

 

[SnakeOilWilly]

I am planning on staying in the wilderness a lot. I prefer sleeping on a pile of leaves then on the sidewalk/off the side of the freeway.

 

[Anagor]

I am planning on staying in the wilderness a lot. I prefer sleeping on a pile of leaves then on the sidewalk/off the side of the freeway.

Okay, then you need more reliable gear and need to carry food. That's for sure.
I'm more into coach travel/hitchhiking and staying in towns right now. But perhaps I'll try to hike through wilderness sometime, too. Who knows?

 

[kidbob]

fancy phones are cool but you HAVE to get a good case if ya wish to keep it. a simple drop on the tracks could utterly destroy your phone.

I have 2 smartphones that i use,that i swear are almost bullet proof,(1) obviusly is my samsung infuse I997, ive dropped it out the bucket truck so many times,i dont even bother to look at it when i pick it up....its got SUPER ARMOLD display? The screen is TUFF STUFF.
(2ND)phone is a HTC DROID INSPIRE
Ive been drunk stumbling by sharp pointy rocks and dropped and nothing...then one night i was using it as a flashlight and more or less SMASHED IT screen down on a pointy rock(i tripped,phone helped break my fall)and it resulted in a hairline crack (exactly where its comfortable to swipe) but its smooth and uneffected ... U can hardly notice it and i mean....i smashed that shit....

So as far as phones go....i think it all depends on ur model and manufacturer...both mine are on ST...they where ATT,they both have easy unlock procesess(to switch carriers) and have some cool soft/firmware mods.
Ive helped alot of ppl with differant tablets that think they are "broken" because the screen is froze or it wont charge and if u take em apart(u can pretty much just rip em open gently if they dont have screws)u can find a small(sometimes easy to find sometimes hard)button and once pushed it just "resets" not like a hard reset more like a old school nintendo reset...and valia...it works again! ..

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[SnakeOilWilly]

This might be close to my last list.

Medium (or large if riding in winter) ALICE pack w/frame & straps (molle kidney pad)

USGI 4 piece sleep system

10x12 tarp

Space blanket (small one)

US Surplus canteen w/steel cup

Magnesium fire starter

Matches

Food:
Cliff bars (4)
Sardines in oil (4)
Canned tuna (2)
Beans (2)
Bag 'o' beef jerky
Trail mix

Small cook kit

Penny stove

Insulated coveralls

Thermals

2 bandannas (black and navy)

2-3 shirts depending on season (1-2 long sleeve 1 short sleeve)

Socks (3-4 pair)

Warm jacket

Rain jacket (lightweight)

Underwear (2 pairs)

Goretex boots (on feet)

Gloves

Toothbrush

Floss With 1-2 sewing needles inside

Dr. Bronners (Use as toothpaste?)

Toilet paper wrapped around pen

Chapstick

Pocket multitool

Duct tape wrapped round pen

Compass

Baseball cap on head

Single AAA flashlight

Spare AAA battery

Spork

Sharpie

750 cord 50 feet (for tying bag, tarp to pack.)

Playing cards

Wallet, cash

Books

Tracphone (or other pay-as-you-go phone)

Ukulele w/case (in hand/straped on to my back; not in pack)

Cardboard (will find in dumpsters)

Thanks for all the help guys.

 

[wombatt]

even in winter nobody needs a large ALICE
Im glad you refined your list
good luck and stay warm

 

[Ras]

Instead of chap stick you may want to pack a little tub of petroleum jelly. It can be used for lips and to help small wounds heal faster.

 

[wombatt]

Instead of chap stick you may want to pack a little tub of petroleum jelly. It can be used for lips and to help small wounds heal faster.

also for starting fires if on cotton ball.