Outdoor Gear - The Ten Essentials

If you’ve been hiking and camping for some time you've probably come across the Ten Essentials. The Ten Essentials is a list of items that you should have in your backpack.

It was first assembled in the 1930’s by an outdoor recreation and awareness group, The Mountaineers, based in Seatle, Washington. These guys are also responsible for the book “Mountaineering: The Freedom of the Hills”, a reference for serious climbers and mountaineers.

Here’s the original Ten Essentials:

   1. Map
   2. Compass
   3. Sunglasses and sunscreen
   4. Extra clothing
   5. Headlamp/flashlight
   6. First-aid supplies
   7. Firestarter
   8. Matches
   9. Knife
  10. Extra food

The purpose of this list is basically to survive in outdoor activities like hiking, backpacking and mountaineering and safely spend the night in the outdoors taking into account the likelihood of accidents and emergencies. This list also applies to day hikes because in an emergency you might have to spend the night whether you like it or not.

The list was updated in the 7th edition of the book, “Mountaineering: The Freedom of the Hills (The Mountaineers Books, 2003)”. The old list contains a list of items, the updated list contains areas of concern e.g. navigation, sun protection, etc. Below is the actual updated list:

   1. Navigation
   2. Sun protection
   3. Insulation (extra clothing)
   4. Illumination
   5. First-aid supplies
   6. Fire
   7. Repair kit and tools
   8. Nutrition (extra food)
   9. Hydration (extra water)
  10. Emergency shelter

Items for navigation includes a map, compass and altimeter. The map and compass are essential but an altimeter is more like an extra tool. You can also use a GPS and if you do carry one, you still need to have a map and compass in case the GPS breaks.

There is no point in having any of these navigation tools if you don’t know how to use them so it’s important that you learn navigation techniques.

Some people don’t realize this but clothing is an important part of your defense against the sun. The reason I say this is that I see a lot of people taking off their shirts on a hike when it’s hot. Over exposure to the sun can cause sunburns, dehydration, heatstroke and heat exhaustion.

Sunscreen for your lips and skin is also important. Experts suggest that you use sunscreen with an SPF (sun protection factor) of at least 15. Make sure you put a sufficient amount of sunscreen on your skin.

You also need to protect your eyes from the sun as the sun can damage your eyes permanently. Sunglasses made of glass is the most effective barrier against UVA and UVB rays but they’re very expensive.

In the mountains, ultraviolet rays are less filtered so it’s important that you always have your sunglasses on. I use goggles instead for maximum protection because the sun’s rays bounces off the snow and terrain and can reach your eyes where it’s not covered.

How much insulation you need would depend on your destination. Wherever you are in the world, there is still a chance that the conditions can get cold.

Think of the worst condition possible for the trip and prepare your clothing accordingly. A beanie or balaclava is always useful because you lose most of your heat through the head.

If you’re hiking, it’s easy to extend your hike until there is barely enough light to see your surroundings especially when you can’t find a good place to set up camp.

I carry a headlamp and a flashlight with me everytime. The flashlight only gets used in case something goes wrong with the flashlight.

The main reason I use a headlamp instead of the flashlight is because it keeps my hands free to do whatever I want. I use LED (light emitting diode) headlamps because they have a very long battery life. Lanterns are also very useful. LED lanterns last longer and produce better light than candle lanterns.

It takes time and experience to assemble the ideal first aid kit that would suit your individual needs. However, if you use pre-assembled kits you take away the guesswork and is usually sufficient.

The first aid kit should contain treatment for the basic injuries like cuts and grazes, blisters,  cramps, sunburns, etc and major injuries like broken bones, sprains, unconsiousness, etc.

Consider the length of the trip and the number of people involved when stocking up your first aid kit. Like the map and compass, the first aid kit is almost useless if you don’t know how to use them. Be sure to learn some first aid and bring along the instructions manual just in case.

Fire is used for warmth, signalling and cooking. Matches need to be waterproof. You can buy waterproof matches or dip the normal safety matches in wax.

You also need some firestarter that can help you build and fire and even sustain it. There are good tips on building a campfire.

Even though campfires are great for cooking, I recommend that you use camp stoves instead in order to protect the environment. They’re much faster and cleaner too.

Carry repair kits for anything important like your internal frame backpack, stove, boots, shelter, camping mat, etc. A knife or a multi-tool is very useful for repair jobs. You should at least have screwdrivers, a blade and anything specific to the gear you’re carrying.

The duct tape is a good universal fix-it-all item. You can use it to fix just about anything from your boots to your sleeping bag.

You need food to survive so pack at least one day more than your planned trip. There are quite a few options to choose from.

You can carry freeze dried food, energy bars and gels, nuts, dried fruit, trail mix, beef jerky and more.

Water is far more important than food so always carry at least one bottle of water and a collapsible water reservoir.

Also carry water treating equipment like a portable water filter and chemical water treatment.

Before you start the hike, find out where the water sources are and plan your hike accordingly.

This applies to day hikers only as overnight hikers would surely bring along some kind of shelter, whether tent, tarp or bivvy. Day hikers need to be prepared in case they need to spend the night. This happens quite often as hikers get lost or sidetracked.

There are a few options you can take but ideally they need to be light. You can carry a bivvy sack, an ultralight tarp or an emergency space blanket. If you’re really reluctant to carry the extra weight then just bring along a large plastic bag which weighs almost nothing.

You might use only some of the Ten Essentials but to have them with you can save your life.