I feel like I am WAY over thinking this. I tried to pack a little bag to take with me. It's got my book, my phone, 2 stamp pads, whistle, and a sig stamp. But how do you transport things like the ink pads and the stamp(s)? Do you put them in a little tub so they don't ink everything? In a bag?

I put my inkpads, markers, and stamps and pen in a plastic pencil case, inside my backpack. For a short drive by box, I don't need the backpack, and I have a small bag, that just fits a book, pen, stamp and 2 or 3 inkpads.

I carry a lot of stuff with me. Bug spray, water, paper towels, small spritzer bottle of water for spraying stamps, extra baggies, small logbook, compass, snacks, etc.

I love to stamp in different colors. I carry a lot of small dew drop ink pads in a plastic pencil case. I keep my sig stamp in an Altoids tin.

Purse for short walks, backpack for a regular hike and (cue laughter) a hikers fanny pack for longer hikes because my back starts to hurt with a back pack after an hour or so.

I carry everything needed for me and 2 seven year olds. I have a field trauma kit which has a fire starter and water purification tablets, bear spray, tick repellant, an eye glass case with my dew drop inks, my journal, a pen, emergency snacks, a water bottle and TP. Depending on weather, I carry extra clothes/shoes. This sounds like a lot, but it all fits in my backpack or the fanny pack (except the clothes in the funny pack).

I am well aware of how the obese woman looks in a fanny pack, but when people hiking with fewer supplies benefit from my overpreparedness, they tend to thank rather than ridicule me. :)

Oh and two more important things: my hickory hiking stick and a hat.

For quick trips, we use the bags that the kids meals from subway come in. They have draw strings and are easy to carry. I got little lock boxes from the Dollar Tree to put our signature stamps in so they don't get messed up.

On longer hikes, I have a day pack with the Subway bags, one with signature stamps and another with our ink. The log books are in another part of the pack along with the clues folder. It has a pocket for water bottles. And it has a handy pocket for pens and pencils. I keep it simple and light.

I prefer just a fanny pack and a 3 by 5 1/2 inch log. The fanny pack I got last year from EMS has many little zipper pockets for ink, stamps, compass and pencils. I also have a pocket for my cheap, dirty garden gloves and any small trash I collect, and another pocket for a clean paper towel, a moist towelette, and spare baggies. [I don't always remember the paper towel and spare baggies, though.]

I can cram my 5 by 8 log in there, but for hiking, that makes it heavy and hard to get in and out quickly: think rain, for example, or balancing on uneven terrain, ducking under pricker bushes! This week, someone left a HH with a heavy, oversize log. I probably won't take that with me, except to drive bys. It takes up too much space in the fanny pack.

I wear the pack on my side, so I can zip and unzip while walking. The only problem is leaning over to look at a tree base. If I forget to zip up, my stamp and ink can fall out!

Soon I will be adding a mini-iPad, so I might have to start using my back pack. I have a 5 x 8 log for events, when I do take a back pack.

I carry a shoulder bag- I guess it was supposed to be a purse. It was in the purse section of Walmart. But it's got a long strap that crosses my chest.

I use the small square or round inks, and they fit in a pencil case. Sig stamp is now in an altoid tin with pre-inked pad (It's amazing, thanks to Mouse Nanny for the idea and supplying the foam!). That goes in a front pocket on the bag. In a zipper I try to keep spare zip locks, tissues, and I have learned some stomach meds are helpful to have on hand. You never know where you're gonna be!

Also in the bag: A baggie that has stamp cleaner and a cloth. A compass, a few pens (I always manage to misplace them). And of course my log book.

There's plenty of room for snacks and a water bottle which are added for longer walks.

For bug spray: I have that in my car at all times and apply before heading into the woods :)

a hikers fanny pack

I also use a fanny pack (I think we both mentioned this in another discussion before), which was big enough to carry ink, stamp and log. Also room for Dog treats since the dogs often come along and snacks keep them busy during stamping in. Has a water bottle "cage". Unfortunately it ripped apart the last time we geocached. I was probably carrying too much stuff in it. I'm going to try to sew it back together. If I want to carry extra supplies like baggies and boxes, I go with a sling bag that everything can fit into. I keep ink pads and my stamp in a zip lock baggie so I don't get ink on anything except myself. I always wear ink back from a boxing trip. It's my badge of honor.

I prefer a messenger type bag that is waterproofed. A plastic shopping bag for covering anything disposable poncho
Bug spray and sunscreen
Log book
Extra baggies, mini log books, and paper towels
Plastic case with slots for ink pens, regular pens, ink pads, and sig. Stamp (I adapted one I purchased)
Stamp cleaner
Compass
Gardening gloves (in case of icky stuff)
Small first aid kit
cell phone and extra battery
water and snack
Baseball hat in summer, extra gloves in winter
Printed clues (Internet doesn't work everywhere)
Money for McDonald's with the kids afterwards.
A change of clothes and shoes left in the car

Seems like a lot, but I have been through enough that even a little local Outting can be crazy. And we go rain or shine (or hail), cold or heat.

You are the second person to mention stamp cleaner. Alcohol?

alcohol?

Highly recommended when boxing, for snake bite, you know ;-)

No, not alcohol. I started out with baby wipes, but was told they deteriorate stamps. You can buy it or make it. I make it for raffles at events. It's just glycerin, Johnsons baby shampoo, and water. I don't remember the exact ratio off the to of my head, but you can get glycerin in the medical section of Walmart for very little and the dollar store for little pump bottles.

A change of clothes and shoes left in the car.

I should have that in my car. I'm glad that I brought sufficient plastic to cover the seats though. One trip was an accident, but the other was on purpose.

I placed this cache called Marsh Madness 111 feet from shore in a marsh, which requires wading up to ones waist (with mud up to ones knees). I left my shoes and socks on the shore. It was a fun one. For the local boxers, I have no plans on putting a letterbox that requires wading through a marsh.

I think I may add gloves to my pack. I am thinking I should just add some procedure gloves to my med kit since they take up no room.

I have a small shoulder bag I found at a thrift type store (savers) that is perfect for letter boxing. It has many compartments. My husband bicycle dave usually carries our sig stamps,ink and pen. But if he is not with me there is still room in the bag for them plus inks (marvey pens, small square color assortment in the perfect size square card box so they do not rattle around, come open and make a mess), compass, pens, logbook, emergency rain coat, extra ziplock bags, snack, bug spray, wet and dry paper towels. Yeh that's about it and a water bottle. And binoculars sometimes. Now of course the cellphone, or tablet seems a necessity. But the old-fashioned walkie talkies are great if the clues look challenging and we get separated. we can call "Where are you? I found it!", etc.

I love having gardening gloves in my pack. And sometimes ( especially summer in Seattle) I will carry gardening shears to cut away blackberry brambles! I have a wonderful fanny pack from eagle creek that also converts into a " purse". I use that one quite a bit when traveling. But I wear backpacks most often. Zippered pouches like pencil cases are key for carrying markers and ink pads.

Amanda from Seattle

I love having gardening gloves in my pack

Absolutely, but for those of us who are notoriously clumsy (and excessively prone to bruising) years ago, Dbare found me gardening gauntlets. They have longer cuffs that cover my entire lower arm. As long as I remember to actually put them on, I come out of the field relatively unscathed!

I keep a pair of yellow latex "Leave It to Beaver" mom gloves in a plastic zip-lock bag. Great for digging boxes out of gross places.

I have an ArtBin box where I have my logbook, siggie stamp and a slew of different colored inkpads. I also have tape, outdoor loctite stik'n'seal, a lighter, some alcohol prep pads, a few sharpies, and a micron pen. I usually also have a flashlight. If I was smart, I'd have gloves and a picker. Sadly, I'm not usually smart.

Not a carrying thing, but I also want to get a pair of snake boots for when out boxing/caching. I've been too many places in flip flops that have the high possibility of snakes and in Florida, there is a reason we have Venom One with Miami-Dade Fire Rescue.

For carrying the ArtBin I have a boyfriend who acts as a boxing Sherpa.

I also carry rose gardening gloves with me most of the time and they're great for briars, but not that great for cacti. Need something a little more heavy duty.

Oh mah gawsh. Ya'll are making me want a fanny pack!!??! wtcrap? :-/

Ya'll are making me want a fanny pack!!??!

Would you like to borrow mine? ;o)

-- Ryan

Oh mah GAAAAWWD!!!. IT DIDNT LOAD THEN BAM!!! It was all up in my face. D-':

Forgot the flashlight. I do carry one, but then my phone has an app for that too, so unless it's rainy....

All my crap would fit in a fanny pack so big, it would have to have extra straps that maybe go over my shoulders to distribute the weight. ... oh, wait. That's a backpack.... but those make me all sweaty.

I carry a regular backpack with the stuff ya'll listed above. And for longer hikes (especially in the desert)...tiny little garden shovel for making...umm...outhouse deep holes to use and re-cover. I keep an abundance of alcohol/aloe vera baby wipes with me for all sorts of cleaning(stamps, hands, face, etc). IBS makes life tough so being a former waaaaay back in the day girl scout, I'm always prepared!

Thanks for all the ideas. I have the basics right now: Logbook, ink, sig stamp, pens, and a plastic pouch to hold the ink... all stuffed in a cross-body shoulder bag.

I found my first three boxes yesterday and already found something you all missed.

BIODEGRADABLE WIPES! Because it's impossible for me to be in the woods without needing to pee. Yep. First day out and I am squatting behind a tree in 25 degree weather.

For the local boxers, I have no plans on putting a letterbox that requires wading through a marsh.

Ryan, where is the "THANK YOU GAWD!!" button???

~tigs (although, there's a box similar to that in GA. i don't have that one, either)