What to Pack?
What you take with you into the woods will depend on many things. How long will you be out? What do you plan to do? What is the weather going to be like? To help give you some ideas, I'll unpack my most often used pack and go over the contents. This is normally what I would carry on an all-day trip, but would work fine for an overnighter as well.
The Pack
The pack itself is a Mil-Tec 20 liter assault pack. My only modification was the addition of a sternum strap. I like assault style packs because the layout makes it easy to organize your gear, any item can be accessed without unpacking the whole thing, and there are many attachment points on the exterior. And honestly, I think it looks really cool.
Upper outer Compartment
The two outer compartments contain the things I use most frequently, or things I want to access quickly. The upper compartment is where I keep First Aid items; a compact tin containing band aids, burn cream, gauze, tape, etc. (for common minor injuries), some larger gauze packets, an Israeli bandage (for serious injuries), and a tube of lip balm. The lip balm has a multitude of uses, First Aid and otherwise.
Lower Outer Compartment
The lower compartment is where I keep my frequently used everyday items. From left to right: a fire kit in its deerskin pouch, a small pouch containing toilet paper and moist towelettes, an LED flashlight and spare battery, two chemlights (glow sticks), a fixed-blade knife (Mora Companion), and a folding leather strop for maintaining blades in the field.
Smaller middle compartment
The next compartment holds mostly food/cooking items. The amount will vary depending on the trip, but this is pretty typical. A pack or two of instant noodles, an MRE, several packets of powdered drink mixes (handy for masking any bad taste in purified water), an additional bag of instant coffee and tea, an alcohol stove and bottle of fuel, and a spare spoon. Also pictured is a wool winter hat, a cotton bandana (hundreds of uses), an oiled rag for tool maintenance, and several MRE beverage bags for additional water storage.
The Main Compartment
Lastly, in the largest compartment, I have an 8x8 tarp and 50 feet of paracord. This is my primary means of shelter year round, as it can be set up in a variety of configurations to suit different weather conditions. I also have two full size ponchos, a one quart canteen nested in its aluminum cup, and in the mesh pocket, two large trash bags and large-print CPR instructions.
This might seem like a lot to carry, but the full pack weighs under 10 pounds and carries quite comfortably. This is more than enough to sustain me on a typical day-trip, and for a longer trip I would simply attach my sleeping gear to the outside of the pack and be set.
Hopefully this has given you some ideas of what you might include in your kit. Everyone's will be different, but this is what works for me. It's always important to be prepared for anything, especially when you only have yourself to rely on, and your gear list should reflect that.
Thanks for looking.