There are some things that have remained on all of my trips that are indispensable. During my studies as a wilderness guide in Finland and Russia I learnt that survival and comfort can depend on the sharpness and quality of tools.
The Finnish ‘Pukka’ knife is a forest knife made for everything from wood carving to cutting up vegetables. In cold and wet conditions it has allowed me on many occasions to get a fire going by shaving off thin layers of resinous pine wood. The Finns have perfected the craft of living in the wilderness and I would not leave home without this beautiful knife.
Equally as important as the knife is the axe that can be used for not only firewood, but a hammer (on this trip it will be used to hammer iron tethering pegs into the earth for horses and also fixing up horseshoes). My axe is a Roselli from Sweden that has a long handle and a notch taken out of the iron head to make it amazingly light-weight. The Swedes, like the Finns have an excellent tradition in wilderness survival.
The compass is of course an essential. When in the north, Australians and all other southerners must remember to get a ‘northern hemisphere’ compass!
Lastly is my head torch. With the advent of LED lamps that run for long hours on AAA batteries it has meant that lightweight, efficient lights are available on the market. There are many good ones but I happened to buy a Petzl. Although LED are not very good for route finding I find that the majority of battery power is used in the campsite anyway.
Another item not in this photo is a leather repair kit. Having an Awl, some good stitching cotton, and needles is essential.
