Minimising to Essentials

[jh92]

Just thought I'd update on the korda compac camo luggage 👍 

The 3 rod holdall fits 3 rods made up with my daiwa sportsmatic-x 5500 reels, they fit really nice and not too tight. Its also carrying a spod/marker sleeve on one of the outside pockets. Distance sticks, net/handle, and camera tripod all fits in it too.

The real challenge was stripping down the nash monster carp holdall and tfg coolbag, I've transfered to a 45l rucksack and a xl coolbag. The hardest part was emptying the ridgemonkey armoury into a korda basix tackle box, what I've ended up doing is putting all the metal/kickers etc into the basix box and using a small case/bag for the hooklink materials etc. I've done it though and feels much more organised.

The 45l rucksack takes the tackle, scales, radio, popups, camera, torches/lights and some spare batteries etc.

The xl cool bag has everything to do with cooking. I can fit a kettle, stove, gas, ridgemonkey deep xl pan and griddle, with room in the bag for teabags, coffee, milk and food etc. Has some straps I can slide the ice blocks into. It also has a front pocket where I can keep cutlery etc. And the bottom of the coolbag I can keep a thin chopping board too.

All I can really say at the moment is I'm pleased with how organised all my kit is now. Quality feels wicked too, but time will tell I suppose 👍🤣 sad to see the monster carp holdall go, it was the first ever holdall that my dad got me when I was a kid, it really gas took a beating 🤣

 

 

[Roughtor]

I fish some big ressis or small private waters  so I try and go minimal as I can 

 

I use a 45 litre ESP rucksack ,all my cooking kit plus bait and alarms go in that bag ,cook kit is a Trangia 27ul triggers broom version..tiny cup,  spork that's it ...

 

Food is frozen ,meant to last one day til cooked ,rest of food is easy cook stuff so I don't have the extra hassle of a another big bag ..my little food bag is the NGT tiny version  ,my car is my hub ...

 

I try and keep everything in its place ,so I know where it tis,...

[yonny]

British Army NI Patrol Pack.

These are getting tricky to find in good condition. Most of the surplus stores now show as sold-out. I used my old one for 15 years+ until the foam padding in the straps and back plate became brittle and it became uncomfortable to wear. I managed to find a dealer on e-bay so messaged him and he went through his stash and found an absolute corker..... almost looks new which is mad since they've not made the DPM one for almost 20 years. That's me sorted until 2040 now 😁

[elmoputney]

I need to have a trim down of what I take, my rucksack has got to the stage where it is heavy again. I don't know what I take that I don't need though 😂

Will have to get ruthless 😱

[kevtaylor]

1 hour ago, elmoputney said:

I need to have a trim down of what I take, my rucksack has got to the stage where it is heavy again. I don't know what I take that I don't need though 😂

Will have to get ruthless 😱

Been saying to my mate that my rucksack weighs silly amounts, I just don't see where the weight is coming from tbh it must weigh 30-40k 

Anyway into the fishing store room goes the rucksack, everything is now packed into the barrow luggage - hopefully this will be a game changer for me. 🤞

[jh92]

Really happy with this, keeps it all organised 👍 also got rid of the stuff I didn't use 🤣

[Roughtor]

1 hour ago, yonny said:

British Army NI Patrol Pack.

These are getting tricky to find in good condition. Most of the surplus stores now show as sold-out. I used my old one for 15 years+ until the foam padding in the straps and back plate became brittle and it became uncomfortable to wear. I managed to find a dealer on e-bay so messaged him and he went through his stash and found an absolute corker..... almost looks new which is mad since they've not made the DPM one for almost 20 years. That's me sorted until 2040 now 😁

OK Yonny ,..I gave my son my original NI patrol pack ,he uses it all the time for fishing and shooting on the moors..

 

If anyone is interested,Kombat UK do a klone version of the NI packs and I've seen the originals for sale in the local surplus store..

 

Kombat ones are good ,but not as good as the proper ones ..

[elmoputney]

17 minutes ago, kevtaylor said:

Been saying to my mate that my rucksack weighs silly amounts, I just don't see where the weight is coming from tbh it must weigh 30-40k 

Anyway into the fishing store room goes the rucksack, everything is now packed into the barrow luggage - hopefully this will be a game changer for me. 🤞

Are you gonna get it down to 1 trip now 😱😂

[salokcinnodrog]

I've stuck with British Army Bergens, my old 100litre DPM Bergen lasted years, probably around 15 I guess, the only reasons I replaced it is that the top skirt had a rip in it and it was delaminating. As a rucksack it still works!

I replaced it a couple of years ago with an Airborne Bergen https://www.militarykit.com/products/kombat-airborne-bergen-100-litre

Front pockets take Delkim receiver, stove and Spods and Spombs.

Top outer pocket takes cup, top inner pocket takes scales and weigh bar. The main rucksack is loaded as such:

Frying pan, spatula and plate against the back of the rucksack.

Waterproof jacket and trousers right at the bottom. On top of them go spare socks, trousers and t-shirt and a long sleeve top dependant on time of year. Then the saucepan, 2 gas canisters, Bialetti coffee maker, a rig bin with bottom bait rigs and a rig wallet with pop-up rigs. On top of that is my fleece and my coffee and sugar containers, usually packed in last.

As much as @elmoputney hates it, my tackle box contains all the bits, leads, baiting needles, rig rings, quick links, hooklink materials etc.

My food bag is the Korum ruckbag which also has a couple of powerpacks in the side pocket.

3 hours ago, yonny said:

British Army NI Patrol Pack.

These are getting tricky to find in good condition. Most of the surplus stores now show as sold-out. I used my old one for 15 years+ until the foam padding in the straps and back plate became brittle and it became uncomfortable to wear. I managed to find a dealer on e-bay so messaged him and he went through his stash and found an absolute corker..... almost looks new which is mad since they've not made the DPM one for almost 20 years. That's me sorted until 2040 now 😁

 

1 hour ago, Roughtor said:

OK Yonny ,..I gave my son my original NI patrol pack ,he uses it all the time for fishing and shooting on the moors..

 

If anyone is interested,Kombat UK do a klone version of the NI packs and I've seen the originals for sale in the local surplus store..

 

Kombat ones are good ,but not as good as the proper ones ..

 

[yonny]

1 hour ago, Roughtor said:

Kombat ones are good ,but not as good as the proper ones ..

Agree.

The proper ones are the nuts. Half the price of tackle brands, ten times as tough, and carpy as Terry Hearns nut sack.

[Roughtor]

I love threads like this ,minimalist I be, after many years of trying different ways of carrying our essential kit ..

I find it very interesting seeing others kit,as in reality I don't fish with or see many other anglers ..

 

So 40 litre ESP rucksack 

27ul Trangia ,+ bit of fuel

Old skool fox Alarm pouch plus bankstix underneath 

Bit of bait front pocket, coupla head torches, and my monster sized pouch .lol.....took me years and years to refine it ..

[kevtaylor]

1 hour ago, elmoputney said:

Are you gonna get it down to 1 trip now 😱😂

Deffo 1 trip now, was a struggle with 2 trips lol

[salokcinnodrog]

16 minutes ago, Roughtor said:

I love threads like this ,minimalist I be, after many years of trying different ways of carrying our essential kit ..

I find it very interesting seeing others kit,as in reality I don't fish with or see many other anglers ..

 

So 40 litre ESP rucksack 

27ul Trangia ,+ bit of fuel

Old skool fox Alarm pouch plus bankstix underneath 

Bit of bait front pocket, coupla head torches, and my monster sized pouch .lol.....took me years and years to refine it ..

 

2 minutes ago, kevtaylor said:

Deffo 1 trip now, was a struggle with 2 trips lol

I minimalised my kit for years, rucksack, unhooking mat strapped to rucksack, rod holdall with lightweight bivvy dome or umbrella in, bedchair and then bait bucket. I could carry it in one trip or barrow to the swim, and it worked nicely. I did plenty of weekend or two night sessions like that.

Sky totally changed my fishing, I then had to add extra water and dog food, and the barrow was struggling, so now it's 2 trips if I barrow, although I'm lucky on the syndicate that I can unload behind the swim most of the time, and then put the car in the car park. I've had to move swim mid session, and although only 100metres, it took 3 hours!

 

[kevtaylor]

13 minutes ago, salokcinnodrog said:

 

I minimalised my kit for years, rucksack, unhooking mat strapped to rucksack, rod holdall with lightweight bivvy dome or umbrella in, bedchair and then bait bucket. I could carry it in one trip or barrow to the swim, and it worked nicely. I did plenty of weekend or two night sessions like that.

Sky totally changed my fishing, I then had to add extra water and dog food, and the barrow was struggling, so now it's 2 trips if I barrow, although I'm lucky on the syndicate that I can unload behind the swim most of the time, and then put the car in the car park. I've had to move swim mid session, and although only 100metres, it took 3 hours!

 

I think my kit is pretty minimal looking on the outside tbh but there's clearly a lot more weight than there should be.

My tackle box itself weighs a bit and that's coupled with a big non-essentials pouch and 2 rig cases.  I bet I could fit what I actually NEED in my pocket lol

Needs going through AGAIN! 👍

[elmoputney]

1 hour ago, kevtaylor said:

Deffo 1 trip now, was a struggle with 2 trips lol

I did one trip at the social but it was a struggle lol, most of the time I don't need a barrow so it makes it easy to take extra stuff, I will get down to 1 bucket one day 😂

[Roughtor]

I once seen a guy with so much weight in his lead bag ,it was heavier than my main ESP bag,rucksack ..so I thought about it and carry 6 leads ,3 on and 3 spare ,but with spares in me car...

[kevtaylor]

10 minutes ago, elmoputney said:

I did one trip at the social but it was a struggle lol, most of the time I don't need a barrow so it makes it easy to take extra stuff, I will get down to 1 bucket one day 😂

That's the first thing I ditched - a bucket of alternative hookbaits.  I think the 8 tubs I carry anyway should be enough lol - all pop-ups, I figured I don't need wafters or bottom baits until later in the year anyway so they can stay in the garage.

I've got beef with my tackle boxes tbh all those tiny things do seem to add up and when you don't ever use over half of the stuff what's the point I'm asking myself 🤷‍♂️

Think I need a tiny new tackle box and then keep the rest of the spares in the car.  I must carry 1000 hooks easy, 10 different hooklinks minimum - just silly really

[kevtaylor]

22 minutes ago, Roughtor said:

I once seen a guy with so much weight in his lead bag ,it was heavier than my main ESP bag,rucksack ..so I thought about it and carry 6 leads ,3 on and 3 spare ,but with spares in me car...

Easily done, I must take 12 big leads and a few small ones and backleads with me, then there's at least 20 more in the car.

I wont admit how many I've got at home - can barely move the box lol

[salokcinnodrog]

4 hours ago, kevtaylor said:

Easily done, I must take 12 big leads and a few small ones and backleads with me, then there's at least 20 more in the car.

I wont admit how many I've got at home - can barely move the box lol

I'm trying to work out how I lose leads. I've had a few snaffled by pike, and last week the swans caused a break-off by dragging the line through the rushes. I did get the rig back but lost the lead.

I'm just looking at my modelling table, and noticed that I have 10 3oz leads that are in a state of mid paint and coat in protective varnish. I can't remember buying them unless I stuck them on a sea fishing leads order which is a distinct possibility.

I've got a tub full of 4 or 4.5oz Stonze, I don't like using them, they cast like a bag of spanners and can only be lowered in or go straight in a PVA bag, but that weight is too heavy. 

[jh92]

5 hours ago, kevtaylor said:

Easily done, I must take 12 big leads and a few small ones and backleads with me, then there's at least 20 more in the car.

I wont admit how many I've got at home - can barely move the box lol

I'm afraid to weigh it but I emptied my lead bag at the beginning of the year and it equated to two Chinese containers full of leads, I was carrying all of them all year round 😬🤣 

 

[elmoputney]

I quickly went through my rucksack this evening, i removed a dozen leads and that was about it,still have about 10 spares but it still feels quite heavy, but everything in there all seems to serve a purpose. My tackle box didn't seem that heavy, just a few things that weigh a bit combined. Will try and reduce all my other stuff next. 

[Roughtor]

1 hour ago, elmoputney said:

I quickly went through my rucksack this evening, i removed a dozen leads and that was about it,still have about 10 spares but it still feels quite heavy, but everything in there all seems to serve a purpose. My tackle box didn't seem that heavy, just a few things that weigh a bit combined. Will try and reduce all my other stuff next. 

What I used to do is ,if I don't use it on a couple of trips ,it don't come along anymore ..it sounds ruthless ,but I'm an older angler now ( 😭 )..so less is more 

One thing I won't get rid of is my original lockey stainless ,my wife bought it for me ,so I appreciate it even today ,when there is much light options ..to be honest ,much of my inspiration comes from the Bushcraft/wild camping crowd,they seem to have it down with minimalist ideas 

[elmoputney]

33 minutes ago, Roughtor said:

What I used to do is ,if I don't use it on a couple of trips ,it don't come along anymore ..it sounds ruthless ,but I'm an older angler now ( 😭 )..so less is more 

One thing I won't get rid of is my original lockey stainless ,my wife bought it for me ,so I appreciate it even today ,when there is much light options ..to be honest ,much of my inspiration comes from the Bushcraft/wild camping crowd,they seem to have it down with minimalist ideas 

There wasn't that much I don't use, other than some bits in my tackle box, and scales, camera etc if I am blanking 😂

I have 5 sections in my rucksack 

1) rig box, scales, unhooking bits like forceps, side cutters and antiseptic etc. 

2) marker float, pva mesh x2, glove, mini weed rake, spomb, lead pouch. 

3) buzz bars, bite alarms and receiver, banksticks and matrix piledriver, and one spare alarm just incase. 

4) electronics in a case , camera, light, head torches x3, binoculars, power bank, camera light and intervalometer,leads, spare batteries etc. 

5) tackle organiser korda tackle box, 2 other sections one with a korda pouch for my tools (files, baiting needles, floss, lighters, the other one with a few spools of leaders and hooklinks that don't go in my tackle box. And a rig tray 

Maybe I could lose a headtorch and some items of tackle but it seems to work because I know where stuff is lol. 

I mainly fish with the car so I could quite easily leave some stuff in a car bag which could be my main barrow bag as I always take it just incase I need it, I can feel a reshuffle coming on. 😱😂

 

[yonny]

8 hours ago, Roughtor said:

What I used to do is ,if I don't use it on a couple of trips ,it don't come along anymore

Nah, you're doing it all wrong fella. The correct way is to clear it all out in spring, then slowly add it all back in, plus more, over the course of the year 😅

8 hours ago, Roughtor said:

One thing I won't get rid of is my original lockey stainless ,my wife bought it for me ,so I appreciate it even today ,when there is much light options

Yeah it's tricky to justify hauling stainless around nowadays with such decent ali, carbon and titanium stuff available. The obvious answer is your mrs buys you some new stuff 😅

[elmoputney]

1 hour ago, yonny said:

Nah, you're doing it all wrong fella. The correct way is to clear it all out in spring, then slowly add it all back in, plus more, over the course of the year 😅

😅

That's what I do every year 😂😂😂

One day I will justify a power barrow 😱