The Ten Essentials
Knowing the Ten Essentials is good. Carrying the Ten Essentials is better.
Updated Ten Essential "Systems"
- Navigation (Map and/or Compass and/or GPS)
- Hydration (extra water)
- Sun protection (Sunglasses and Sunscreen)
- Insulation (extra clothing)
- Illumination (Headlamp/Flashlight)
- First-aid supplies (First-Aid Kit)
- Fire (Matches and/or Firestarter)
- Repair kit and tools (including knife)
- Nutrition (extra food)
- Emergency shelter
Classic Ten Essentials
- Map
- Compass
- Sunglasses and sunscreen
- Extra clothing
- Headlamp/flashlight
- First-aid supplies
- Firestarter
- Matches
- Knife
- Extra food
The original Ten Essentials list was assembled in the 1930s by The Mountaineers, a Seattle-based organization for climbers and outdoor adventurers. The group's updated "systems" approach made its debut in the seventh edition of its seminal text on climbing and outdoor exploration, Mountaineering: The Freedom of the Hills (The Mountaineers Books, 2003).
Why create such a list? The book's editors explain: "The purpose of this list has always been to answer 2 basic questions: First, can you respond positively to an accident or emergency? Second, can you safely spend a night—or more—out?"
Packing these items whenever you step into the backcountry, even on day hikes, is a good habit to acquire. True, on a routine trip you may use only a few of them. Yet you'll probably never fully appreciate the value of the Ten Essentials (or the wisdom that went into building the list) until you really need one of them.