The list of Ten Essentials was originally compiled by the Mountaineers of Seattle, and its use is recommended by other wildnerness hiking and mountaineering organizations, including the Sierra Club. It should be considered a guide only; if your travel take you into wilderness areas other than the mountains od the West, such as tropical or desert regions, you probably should add or delete various items.
These essentials should accompany you on a wilderness outing of any length, from a day hike lasting a few hours to an extended expedition. They should not be packed away in your backpack because their purpose is to keep you safe and relatively comfortable in the abscence of any other gear.
Always carry a full liter water, and keep it full. Refill at every water source. The next source may be a long way off.
2. Extra Clothing: This, too, is gear you do not expect to use. A polypropylene or wool sweater is fine. Even better is a small Mylar space blanket, the kind that comes folded up in a little cellophane package about 2 inches by 4 inches. Add a couple of thirty-gallon trash bags, 2 or 3 millimiters thick if you can find them. These are extremely compact, weigh pratically nothing, and can be tucked into your emergency kit and forgotten until needed. Garbage bags make good rain and wind protection. They can also be used for gathering food, for insulation, as fire-making material, for forming part of a shelter, or for melting snow.
3. Map: A topographic map is essential for wilderness navigation. It can also be tucked inside your clothes for insulation or used to leave notes or directions addressed to potential rescuers.
The maps most useful to wilderness travelers are the 7.5-minute topographic maps published by the United States Geological Survey (USGS). These are available at local outfitters or at USGS Maps.
4. Compass: Be sure you know to use both a map and a compass or they will not do you much good. If your compass is the type with a mirror, it can double as a signaling device.
5. Flashlight with Extra Batteries and Bulb: A small AA-battery light is fine. Its most important use is for reading a map and perhaps for signaling. A headlamp that keeps your hands free is the most convenient and usually the smallest and lightest weight. The LED type is brighter and conservers batteries longer than the kind with a standard bulb. You will probably find that if it is absolutely necessary to walk after dark, starlight alone provides enough light once your night vision adjusts and you are sure of your footing.
6. Sunglass and Sunscreen: These might not be crucial for wandering through the Eastern woods, but they are absolutely essential for survival in deserts, on snow, or in high mountains above timberline where the atmosphere is thin. Sunburn can lead to severe dehydration. The same conditions can cause snow blindness, a particularly painful, though usually temporary, condition that can occur within less than an hour's exposure, though the symptoms may not show up until eight hours later.
7. Matches in a Waterproof Container: The wooden strike-anywhere variety is best. Just be sure to store them in such a way that they cannot rub against one another and light themselves. An airtight pill bottle or film canister will keep both oxygen and water out.
8. Fire Starter or Candle: In rain or wind a match will not stay lit long enough to ignite damp tinder. A candle, even a small piece of candle at least a half-inch in diameter, will give a more lasting flame. Better yet is fire starter, available at outfitting stores in several forms, from tablets or small blocks of paraffin or other flammable material to a gel that squeezes from a tube.
9. Pocket Knife or Utility Tool: One simple blade will do, though the models with scissors, saws, tweezers, screwdrivers, and other utility tools are handy for preparing tinder, preparing food, first aid, equipment repair, and almost any other task you can imagine.
10. First -Aid Kit: Your kit should include a few alcohol swabs or most towelettes, antibiotic ointment, aspirin or ibuprofen. Band-Aids, small tweezers, and scissors. Also include whatever prescriptions drugs you take regularly. If you travel alone or carry the main kit for a group, take a more elaborate kit.
Duct Tape - This versatile item can be used for everything from blister protection to equipment repair. At home or in the wilderness, it is easily stored by wrapping a yard or two around a water bottle, match container, pencil, or flashlight.
Whistle - Much more audible than a human voice when signaling for help, a whistle alo does not wear out as quickly.
20-gauge Wire - Another versatile item, a wire can be used for everything from repairs to rigging a tarp. Several feet can be wound into a compact coil that weighs almost nothing and takes up little space.
Extra Eyeglasses - If you are absolutely dependent on eyeglasses, carry a small repair kit (sold in many stores) that contains a tiny screwdriver, screws, and a magnifying glass. Make sure the screws fir your glasses. It is also a good idea just to bring an extra pair of glasses.
These essentials should accompany you on a wilderness outing of any length, from a day hike lasting a few hours to an extended expedition. They should not be packed away in your backpack because their purpose is to keep you safe and relatively comfortable in the abscence of any other gear.
The Ten Essentials
1. Extra Food and Water: Extra food means food that is not part of a planned meal or snack, food you do not expect to eat. So you will not be tempted to eat it except in case of emergency, it probably shouold not be one of your favorites. It does not have tobe or large quantity. It probably will not keep you from starving, but it might give you some comfort as well as a few calories to burn to keep you warm. One or two high-energy sports bars might be a good choice.Always carry a full liter water, and keep it full. Refill at every water source. The next source may be a long way off.
2. Extra Clothing: This, too, is gear you do not expect to use. A polypropylene or wool sweater is fine. Even better is a small Mylar space blanket, the kind that comes folded up in a little cellophane package about 2 inches by 4 inches. Add a couple of thirty-gallon trash bags, 2 or 3 millimiters thick if you can find them. These are extremely compact, weigh pratically nothing, and can be tucked into your emergency kit and forgotten until needed. Garbage bags make good rain and wind protection. They can also be used for gathering food, for insulation, as fire-making material, for forming part of a shelter, or for melting snow.
3. Map: A topographic map is essential for wilderness navigation. It can also be tucked inside your clothes for insulation or used to leave notes or directions addressed to potential rescuers.
The maps most useful to wilderness travelers are the 7.5-minute topographic maps published by the United States Geological Survey (USGS). These are available at local outfitters or at USGS Maps.
4. Compass: Be sure you know to use both a map and a compass or they will not do you much good. If your compass is the type with a mirror, it can double as a signaling device.
5. Flashlight with Extra Batteries and Bulb: A small AA-battery light is fine. Its most important use is for reading a map and perhaps for signaling. A headlamp that keeps your hands free is the most convenient and usually the smallest and lightest weight. The LED type is brighter and conservers batteries longer than the kind with a standard bulb. You will probably find that if it is absolutely necessary to walk after dark, starlight alone provides enough light once your night vision adjusts and you are sure of your footing.
6. Sunglass and Sunscreen: These might not be crucial for wandering through the Eastern woods, but they are absolutely essential for survival in deserts, on snow, or in high mountains above timberline where the atmosphere is thin. Sunburn can lead to severe dehydration. The same conditions can cause snow blindness, a particularly painful, though usually temporary, condition that can occur within less than an hour's exposure, though the symptoms may not show up until eight hours later.
7. Matches in a Waterproof Container: The wooden strike-anywhere variety is best. Just be sure to store them in such a way that they cannot rub against one another and light themselves. An airtight pill bottle or film canister will keep both oxygen and water out.
8. Fire Starter or Candle: In rain or wind a match will not stay lit long enough to ignite damp tinder. A candle, even a small piece of candle at least a half-inch in diameter, will give a more lasting flame. Better yet is fire starter, available at outfitting stores in several forms, from tablets or small blocks of paraffin or other flammable material to a gel that squeezes from a tube.
9. Pocket Knife or Utility Tool: One simple blade will do, though the models with scissors, saws, tweezers, screwdrivers, and other utility tools are handy for preparing tinder, preparing food, first aid, equipment repair, and almost any other task you can imagine.
10. First -Aid Kit: Your kit should include a few alcohol swabs or most towelettes, antibiotic ointment, aspirin or ibuprofen. Band-Aids, small tweezers, and scissors. Also include whatever prescriptions drugs you take regularly. If you travel alone or carry the main kit for a group, take a more elaborate kit.
Some other Essentials
Water Purification Device or Chemical - When the Ten Essentials list was originally assembled, water from free-flowing streams was safe to drink in most wilderness areas. That is not always true anymore. Keep soe iodone in your emergency kit (as long as you are not allergic to it) whether or not you travel with a filter in your pack.Duct Tape - This versatile item can be used for everything from blister protection to equipment repair. At home or in the wilderness, it is easily stored by wrapping a yard or two around a water bottle, match container, pencil, or flashlight.
Whistle - Much more audible than a human voice when signaling for help, a whistle alo does not wear out as quickly.
20-gauge Wire - Another versatile item, a wire can be used for everything from repairs to rigging a tarp. Several feet can be wound into a compact coil that weighs almost nothing and takes up little space.
Extra Eyeglasses - If you are absolutely dependent on eyeglasses, carry a small repair kit (sold in many stores) that contains a tiny screwdriver, screws, and a magnifying glass. Make sure the screws fir your glasses. It is also a good idea just to bring an extra pair of glasses.
A Nonessential
Cell Phone - They do not work in remote areas or even in not so remote areas if you are surrounded by rock. They also rely on batteries that may fail. Satellite phones work almost everywhere but are expensive, heavy, and also depend on batteries. There are no substitute for care and competence.