okay so if i was to ask you to make a reasonably lightweight kit for hiking and fishing what would you have in it? etc etc

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Number one, pleeenty of mozzie spray
Number two pleeenty of water

I'll leave the rest to the experts!, but you might also want to indicate a time period ie., day hikes or out for a few days, wet or dry season, and also how remote you might be going.

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A bottle of rum would have to be stock standard kit. just incase you need it for medicinal purposes.

Small first aid kit with compresion bandages for snake bites and such and a tin foil thermal blanket incase you get stuck some where, A lighter or matches, compass and map of area, Water bottle, Knife, spare cord (thin rope), possible a small EPERB if you are serious, and mozzie spray.

Some basics above but would vary depending on where you plan on going and what you are doing.

atm i am only look for day trips so no sleeping or bedding

i got a 2.5 L blander with a case
and a full can of bush mans, and a head mossie net


hahahahaha rum!! i ll stick with the first aid kit

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Hmm, not sure if 2.5 litres of water would be enough - might be ok on a cool dry season day, but in the buildup/build-down, or hiking in windless areas (like scrub, mangroves etc) that would go nowhere! I tend to sweat like a bustard, and I remember one day a few years ago I decided to measure how much liquid (staminade as well as plain water) I was consuming while doing some work on a roof during the buildup. I got to 10 litres by about 12pm (lunchtime) and couldn't be bothered counting after that!! It's very easy to underestimate how much you might need to drink, and after a while it almost seems like you can't drink enough to keep up with how much you are losing.

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Agreed.

That is the fact of it Ash, you can't get the water in quick enough to keep up with the sweat of exertion in the humidity if you are a sweater like you and me. You need to pre-hydrate for a few days to the point of urinating clear hourly, go ya hardest for a day and then spend the next two days re-hydrating, and this means NO RUM FOR FIVE DAYS

hmmmmm would it be worth investing in them water purification pills? cause the hiking is mostly gonna be based around fishing and exploring river and creek systems

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I'll go out on a limb and say no, they make the water taste more like sh1t and discourage you from drinking, my advice would be to take a few short half day trips in the buildup with a few friends just to get a feel for the environment and see how you go from there.

i am guessing they give fresh water a nice and strong chlorine taste? yeah i was thinking of starting with just a couple hours then return to car and feel up and see where i go from there

what other essentials should i have as a general thing?

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Gday mate.
Two most important things are the obvious. water is first but food is second. you have to keep eating small amounts of food especially salty foods as you need those to absorb water into your body. jerky is great. dried fruit and peanuts and chocolate are also great. always have a sturdy sharp knife. some string or rope. first aid kit. for clothing go full length lightweight. the bear grylls type of stuff is good though cheaper no name brands are just as good. those silver space blankets are great they fold up to the size of a wallet and even though you dont plan on staying the night you should still have one just incase you have no choice. lighters in a waterproof bag. jet lighters are even better makes it easier to start your fire. footwear is important too.
Being in the army you learn alot about this stuff. and even in colder temperatures you go through alot of water i take a minimum of 4 ltrs for 4 hrsbut up here its 6 ltrs but the more water means more weight to keep that in mind also. get yourself a good comfortable backpack. and the cooler bags for the fish i hope you catch on your adventures. dont forget the camera though. some of the places you reach on foot are far greater then any you will reach in a vehicle. good luxk have fun and stay safe

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G'day mate,
When going out on foot fishing the creeks I use to take the following: day pack with two large outer pockets, lip grips hanging off webbing strap on side of pack, various spools of leader, a cloth to clean the sunnies, mobile phone and a GPS in the top pocket, moz repellent, knife, a few packets of soft plastics and a collection of hooks in the bottom pocket, lures, camera, 2lt water bladder, snacks and a box of hard body lures in the main compartment, pliers and braid scissors on my belt. If there was a chance it could get dark before I got back to the car I'd throw a head torch in too. I always wore a watch, lightweight long trousers and shirts, good boots, hat and sunnies. Walking the creeks has always been one of the most enjoyable forms of fishing for me. Good luck with it.

I spend a fair bit of time in the bush as part of my job and on the weekend for recreation, often on my own. From experience I have whittled down what I carry to the following for a day pack (meaning I expect to be out by dark) -

Sat phone or IPIRB or both.

Camera, I tend to carry a bit of stuff such as extra lens and flash, I could cut down but half the reason I'm out there is to take photos so accept the extra load.

Both camera and phone/IPIRB equipment go into a waterproof bag inside the pack.

Leatherman and cigarette lighter.

A small printout of a topo map of the area I'm going into, small compass and GPS unless I have a definite route to follow such as a creek. A GPS to ping your start/return point has helped me when coming back after dark a few times, particularly when the skyline has no distinctive silhouettes. The compass is good insurance against battery failure but you have to know how to use one in conjunction with the map, a skill being lost to the world

A small amount of food such as dried fruit and nuts, easy to store and carry.

A small amount of water, no more than a litre. I tend to walk creeks so only have the container in case I need to break away from the creek. A small point on water, don't confuse dehydration with the body overheating. You can be drinking water by the gallon and still get heat exhaustion. Use the shade and wind to keep cool. Know the first signs your body give of overheating, with me it’s a slight headache. As soon as you can pull up stumps in the shade, get a bit of breeze or best of all a dip in the water until your body temp drops only then continue. I can keep myself on that edge all day by just being aware of my temperature and come out tired but in good health at the end of the day.

A good pack that fits the load and my body, one of the most important things you can do.

As I'm sometimes fishing a small amount of fishing tackle.

Spare glasses, my sunnies are prescription but if I loose them I'm buggered with the GPS/maps.

I forgo a First aid kit, the Leatherman can carry out a number of tasks and you can make do with other things on your person. If you get into trouble know the phone number of your local chopper company. I do and have had reason to use it out bush.

All the above is a good weight for a day trip, particularly when you have a rod in the other hand and want to cover the ground.

Some additional things to consider –

Boots that support the ankles, long cotton pants and long cotton sleeves. I'll wear this even in 40 plus temps, though at times for small walks will opt of sandshoes and shorts. A point on the boots, remember that with the ankles supported the load goes to the knees so get used to adopting a way of moving that protects the rest of your body, this is probably the most important thing you can do, stay out of trouble by moving sure footedly even when running.

Harden up, get used to the bush in all its extremes including the days it’s stinking hot. If you’re not used to it you’ll come a cropper.

Look behind at key points so you have a mental picture of your return journey already in your head.

Be observant of your surroundings, the more knowledge you gain can be helpful when needed, where would you land a chopper if you broke your leg???

Know how to communicate information i.e. lat and long from your GPS or information from your map to someone else on the end of the phone

Leave a schedule sheet with someone else with someone else.

If your going fishing... Salt or fresh... if fresh, why take so much water?? I went for an over night hike last week upstream Twin Falls (permit of course) about 5kms in which takes a good 4-5hrs due to the land. I had 1L of water, seen was following the water line the whole way. Jerky is awesome, and I also take the Squencher stuff and just dip my finger in the packet now and then to get a sugar and salt hit.

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Perfect post Dick!

The only additions I have are:

Head Torch (coming back in the dark)
Emergency Survival blanket (multitude of uses and very little weight)
Signalling mirror (spotting a person from the air is often hard work)
Electrolyte replacement (Squincher, Hydralyte - Very important if your sweating a lot)

I carry a Spot Messenger http://au.findmespot.com/en/index.php?cid=102

This allows me to get help when it's not a life threatening emergency. The carry of an PLB (personal locating beacon), Sat Phone or GPS Messaging device is really important, especially if your are exploring alone.

Cheers

Jason