Equinox Ultralite Travel Bag

My ditty bag of choice

Hikers have different systems for carrying their “sundry” items. Such items include medications, first aid supplies, dental care, repair materials, water purification tablets, fire-starting material and more. What these items have in common is that they are small and often misplaced, but when you need them, you REALLY need them.

Some backpackers simply throw these small but vital pieces of gear into a ziploc and call it good. For hikers that don’t bring many sundry items along with them, this can work just fine. But for those who bring more, it can create a disorganized jumble. And what about if the ziploc tears and you lose some critical items without knowing it?

I personally prefer to keep my sundry items in a dedicated “ditty bag.” The one I’ve used for years is the Equinox Monarch Ultralite Travel Bag. I’m not sure they make this model anymore, but they have something similar called a Tripper as well as other options.

Mine weighs 1.6 oz. and comes complete with multiple zippered and/or velcroed storage compartments. I find it to be a perfect system for organizing all of these items and keeping them in one easily handled location.

The overview below will also give you some insight into what I carry, which may be more or less than other hikers. There is no one way to cover these needs. HYOH.

When open, the Monarch opens like a bivalved mollusc. When zipped shut, you still have access to a large external zippered compartment. I use this compartment for backup water treatment tablets, a couple of firestarters, and for my repair kit- Tenacious Tape and the S2S repair kit for their inflatable pads. I also keep one large just-in-case bandage in there.

When you open the Monarch up fully, you’ll see a narrow zippered central compartment running along the spine of the bag. This is where my DEET bottle would live if I ever remembered to bring it, and it’s also where I keep a pair of tweezers, chapstick, duct tape and sewing kit with safety pins, needles etc. Mini hand sanitizers fit in here nicely too.

There is another zipper parallel to this one that gives you access to a pair of compartments with velcro closures. I use one for medications, which in my case include my blood pressure pill, tylenol, a mixture of ibuprofen and naproxen, claritin (for allergies) and a Pepto-Bismol tablet or two. The other compartment is used for small band-aids and blister treatment items, WoundSeal and an alcohol wipe.

On the opposite side, another zipper gives you access to two more compartments. The larger see-through one is used for toiletries- mini toothbrush, toothpaste tablets, a small tube of Neosporin (used to treat chafe as well as wound infection) and a travel-sized anti-perspirant. No hating. While I don’t really care if others smell a ripe and fermented FiveStar, I can’t stand myself when I smell like an old moldy locker room. The other smaller pocket is where I stash some Dude Wipes and a small roll of dental floss.

Including all of these sundry items, the travel pouch typically weighs about 6-7 oz. at the beginning of a hike. Over the past 6 years I’ve used every item in it at least once except for the pad repair kit, and I ain’t traveling without it. Most of the items get used frequently. So, I think it’s a fairly well dialed-in kit FOR ME. YMMV.

Anyway, if you want to organize things a little better than just throwing sundry items in a ziploc or in your hipbelt pockets, the Equinox Ultralite Travel Bag is as good of a way to go as I’ve found. I also think that using a bag like this make pre-hike prep easier. I just have to open the bag up and replace what’s been used. Except for my constant failure to remember DEET, this has always worked for me.

I’m going to put in that DEET bottle right now!