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The original was posted on /r/Ultralight by /u/Sillyman56 on 2024-08-28 06:43:20+00:00.

I don’t tend to do a lot of trips where I keep my campsite put for a day but go off and do some day hikes/peakbagging. It sounds fun to explore with a light pack, but I get worried not having a shelter with me while out in the wilderness in the event something goes wrong and I need to make an unexpected camp for the night.

My thoughts are to either (1) just carry my whole sleep system with me, which essentially means I’m packing up camp and backpacking that day and not day hiking with a light pack, or (2) I could bring anything from an emergency blanket to a slightly heavier emergency bivy in the event I get stuck out on the hike and don’t make it back to my camp. But then I’m carrying an unnecessary emergency blanket/bivy for my entire backpacking hike, so I’m actually adding to my overall pack weight so that I can have some side trips with a light pack. I do have a Garmin inReach which I would bring on the day hikes, but that certainly doesn’t save me instantly if I need added warmth and protection right away.

I realize when I’m just day hiking in general I don’t bring a shelter with me and I suppose emergencies could happen anywhere, but I don’t typically day hike in places as remote as I backpack.

How do other folks think about this?