Cretul Brothers North Carolina Hike 2024

What was in my backpack for the Cretul Brothers latest below freezing hiking trip? Keep reading. Brian, Scott, Ben and Max are some hardcore dudes. Was it cold? Yes! Did it stop them? No! Check out what was in Scott’s pack. We are unapologetic gear nerds. Don’t judge us. It makes us happy. 

2024 North Carolina Gear Loadout

Backpack 

Hill People Gear Qui-Ya Light 85 Liter

Hill People Gear Prairie Belt

Hill People Gear quart bottle holsters (2 mounted on Prairie Belt)

SOL Slim Rescue Howler Whistle

Kifaru rain cover

Osprey 80 Liter dry bag to line the inside of the backpack

 

Hill People Gear Runner’s Chest Kit Bag

Contents

Bic Lighter with Exotic Firesleeve waterproof lighter case

Streamlight Nano with with carabiner clip mounted to bag

Natrapel inspect wipes, 20% Picaidin

LMNT Electrolyte Drink Mix powder

Katadyn Micopur MP1 water purification tablets

Wazoo Viking Whetstone for sharpening

Sig P365 with Foxtrot mounted light, spare magazine

James Gibson neck knife with kydex sheath

Vaseline Lip Therapy Petrolium Jelly

iPhone 

Sleep System

Warbonnet Blackbird hammock, single layer 40D Dream-Tex nylon

Enlightened Revelation Custom Overquilt, adjustable footbox, 850 fill down, 20 degree, 10D nylon with draft collar

Enlightened Revolt Custom Underquilt, 850 fill down, 20 degree, 10D nylon with draft collar

Warbonnet Mountainfly Tarp 30D Silnylon

Enlightened Equipment Torrid booties, 4 oz Climashield Apex synthetic insulation, 10D nylon

REI thick wool socks, “Sacred Socks” - never to leave the sleep system

Lawson Equipment Reflective Glowwire cordage 2mm (this stuff is amazing and does not stretch)

Lawson Equipment bar tensioners for tarp cordage

MSR mini groundhog aluminum tent stakes

 

Water Kit

Nalgene 32 oz Canteen water bottle

Handcrest 1 Quart Military Canteen, plastic

MSR Trailshot Backcountry water filter

 

Fire Kit

2 Bic Lighters

Uberleben Tindar Wick & Bellow

Uberleben Kräftig Fire Starter Ferrocerium Rod and Striker

4 inch chunk of pine fatwood 

Procamptek Fast Fire Stick - fire starter

Pathfinder Mini Inferno - fire starter

 

Cooking Kit

Four Dog Stove 1.8 Liter Mors Camp Pot

Woodknot Gear titanium coffee press, 750 ML with bail handle

Titanium Spork

Firebox Stove Ultra Cook Kit, frying pan, dish and pot lifter

Plastic pot scraper with attached scrub brush

Red Eyed Hog - BFat stick

 

Cutting Tools

Silky Pocketboy Curve 170, 8 inch folding saw, I plan to buy a larger one

Ontarion SP-53 Bolo Machette Chopper, custom leather sheath by Dennis Thompson

Cretul Limited Reece Puukko knife

 

Food

Mountain House (various)

M&M’s, snickers, ramen, coffee, hot chocolate

Triscuits, summer sausage and Laughing Cow cheese (the ultimate trail snack)

 

First Aid Kit

CAT Tourniquet 

Epi Pens

Brave Soldier Antiseptic Healing Ointment

Baby Powder

Transcend 15 gram Glucose packet

Benadryl

Ibuprofen

Aspirin

Superglue

4 bandaids

Fingernail clippers

Roll of gauze

Gorilla tape

 

Clothing

Carharrt/Hurlie Collab Beanie

Outdoor Research leather gloves

Outdoor Research Fairbanks fingerless hobo gloves

Outdoor Research 350 fill down jacket

Outdoor Research 350 fill down vest

Prana cotton t-shirt

Smartwool base layer shirt

Dickies Hoodie

L.L. Bean insulated pants

Stance underpants

Darn Tough Socks

Nick’s Builder Pro Boots

Sierra Designs rain poncho

 

Miscellaneous

Toilet Paper and Cottonelle Moist wipes in a ziplock bag

Hand sanitizer

Garmin inReach Mini for emergencies and navigation, paired with iPhone

Suunto MC-2 compass. For Navigation, and the mirror on the inside is used more than you think  

Zebra Light head lamp with 2 replacement lithium batteries

5’ x 7’ Tarp from Walmart

The Hidden Woodsmen 16’ x 10” Sit & Kneel pad, blaze orange

The Hidden Woodsmen signal panel, blaze orange, infinite uses for this small tarp

Ear plugs

Paracord

Tarred bankline cordage on a Sagewood Gear Spoolcard

REI telescoping trekking poles

Helinox Chair Zero - a folding camp chair that is so important that if I don’t have it, I’m not going.

Helinox Ground Sheet - so your chair legs don’t sink into the earth.  They will.

You’re not hardcore, unless you live hardcore.

-Cretul Limited

Please share with me what your favorite pieces of gear are in the comments section!