The Ten Essentials
By Scott Stoddard
"DON'T leave home without it."
But what good will a green plastic credit card do you 20 miles
from the nearest paved road? What do you really need when out away
from civilization? Experienced outdoor enthusiasts know what
items are most important to bring - even for short walks or hikes
out of base camp. The "10 Essentials" are items that cannot be
improvised from materials lying on the forest floor. To be
found without these few items, even only a few miles from camp
or cabin, can spell disaster.
The standard list of 10
essentials varies slightly depending on which source you go to.
The Boy Scouts have their list, the Sierra Club has another,
and the Mountaineers in their outdoor bible, Mountaineering:
The Freedom of the Hills, have come up with another
variation. They all incorporate the same basic items.
The following list is not to
be considered cast in concrete - each survivalist should
customize his or her own kit for the barest minimum of
supplies. Note that the first three items are for finding your
way, the second three are for your protection, and the last four
are for emergencies.
1. A MAP of the area you will
be hiking, canoeing, or camping should be detailed enough so
that you can find man-made items like trails, unimproved roads,
power lines, etc., and natural features such as rivers,
streams, hills and other terrain landmarks that will guide you. A
U.S geological Survey Topographical map has all of these features
and more. For an index to topo maps in your home state contact:
U.S. Geological Survey, Map Distribution Section, Federal Center,
Box 25286, Denver, CO 80225; (303) 236-7477. A 365 page book
titled, The Map Catalog, (Every kind of map and chart on Earth
and even some above it), is available from: High Country
Enterprise, P.O. Box 746, Saguache, CO 81149; (719) 655-2432.
2. A map without a COMPASS is
almost useless unless you possess a sixth sense in direction
finding. I prefer the liquid filled "Silva" or "Suunto"
compasses. These have straight edges that are useful in plotting
bearings. Military lensatic compasses are more bulky and don't
have a clear base making map reading through the compass
impossible. With both map and compass you should be able to
"orient" the map by lining up magnetic north on the compass with
the magnetic north arrow printed on the map. Once you do this,
you'll be able to identify terrain features and plot your course.
3. Be sure that the FLASHLIGHT
you bring doesn't have a switch that is easily turned on and
off. You may find that it has been accidentally on all day, and
when you need it the batteries will be already worn out. In that
case don't put the batteries inside the unit until you are
required to use it. Even if you have the most advanced, water
proof machined aluminum light source, bring a spare bulb and
spare alkaline batteries just in case. A Mini-Mag Lite will fit
in the smallest of 10 essential kits but may not be adequate
for all-night travel. Headlamps are useful for cave exploring
and when the hands are otherwise occupied.
4. On one trip to the top of
an 11,000 foot peak I forgot my SUNGLASSES and I nearly went
snowblind. After tiring of looking through my balled-up fists I
finally had to cut slits in some cardboard and jury-rig some
Eskimo sunglasses. Sunglasses are available today that stop 99
percent of ultraviolet light. Polycarbonate lenses with
"wraparound" designs provide more protection against wind and
side glare. Glacier glasses are recommended for snowy
conditions. They usually have polarized lenses and leather
side shields to block out the side glare. Buy some retaining
straps when you purchase your sunglasses. Croakies or Chums
cost less than $5 and will prevent damage or loss of your
expensive eye wear. Add some sunscreen to your kit for total
solar protection.
5. EXTRA FOOD and WATER. This
category puzzles me a bit. Does it mean that I should have two
water bottles filled with water and two bags of trail mix? The
amount of water you bring should be determined by the length
of the trip and the temperature and physical demand put on your
body. Water should be used as needed and not rationed
out,(i.e.,a few ounces now and no more for another hour). If
your body needs water, it needs it now not three hours from
now! Water purification tablets might help you use other water
sources. As far as food, some hikers throw cans of sardines or
tuna fish into their packs knowing that they wouldn't eat it
unless there was an emergency. Normal trail foods (dried
fruits, nuts, and granola) should be eaten at regular
intervals to resupply the body with energy. Pemmican is one of
the most concentrated high energy foods you can carry. See the
Oct. 1991 ASG issue on page 57 for directions on its preparation.
6. Once again, the EXTRA
CLOTHING you bring is determined by the time of the year and
the weather. A breezy summer hike may require only a poncho for
rain protection and a light nylon wind jammer for possible cold.
A day snow hike gets more complicated. An extra jacket or sweater
may do, but if you will be in extreme mountain conditions, a
bivouac sack, insulation pad, and a winter sleeping bag may be the
only thing that will save you should the weather go bad. In
normal conditions you should at least throw a metalized space
blanket into your kit. This with a poncho can be used to rig up
an improvised lean-to shelter. Tape the space blanket to the
poncho for support, tie the poncho to trees to form a lean-to
and then build a fire in front. The space blanket will reflect
the heat of the fire back on to you.
7. Expensive WATERPROOFED
MATCHES have always seemed a little too gimmicky for my taste.
Strike anywhere wood matches are a lot cheaper and can be stored
in a waterproof container such as an empty plastic 35mm film
can. If they're too long, just clip off the ends to the right
length. A more convenient item for starting fires can be found
at your local liquor or convenience store. Throw-away plastic
cigarette lighters work well and some have adjustable flames
in case you need "blow torch" action. Other fire sparkers such
as the flint/magnesium bars on key chains are good back-ups should
you lose your matches or lighter.
8. FIRESTARTERS. In this
category you can include a regular paraffin candle (store
inside a plastic bag so it doesn't melt in your pack), commercial
firestarter tablets, Sterno, or my favorite - Hexamine tablets
that are available at most Army/Navy surplus stores. Hexamine
tablets won't evaporate like Trioxane Fuel Bars do when the
wrapper is ripped, and come six tablets to a small cardboard
tube. A firestarter is used only when conditions make it
difficult to start a fire. Preparation is the key to fire
building. You need plenty of kindling sticks or pieces of wood
split thin with your knife to make the larger diameter branches
catch. Most people begin their fires with inadequate supplies of
tinder and kindling and are frustrated when they can't get a three
inch thick log to catch fire.
9. A POCKET KNIFE is your most
important 10 essentials item. Among other things it helps in
first aid, food preparation, and fire building. As long as you
have a knife you can make fire. Striking steel on any flint-like
rock will produce sparks that can catch fire in carefully
prepared tinder and kindling - materials you have gathered and
prepared using the knife. More elaborate versions of pocket knives
contain a treasure chest of useful tools: saws, tweezers,
scissors, screwdrivers, awls, toothpicks, can openers, etc A
good Swiss Army knife will bring out the MacGyver in all of us.
Don't forget this item!
10. A FIRST AID KIT really
isn't one item but a collection of items that can contain the
bare minimum of bandaids, aspirin, and iodine or on the other
extreme contain suture kits, chemically activated cold packs
and prescription drugs. This is where you will have to really
do some customizing and personalizing. I store my first aid
items in a plastic Zip Loc bag so that I can see everything
inside and protect them from the weather. Along with an
assortment of bandaids, gauze pads, and Steri-Strips, are the
following: insect repellent, sunscreen, lip balm with SPF 21,
triple antibiotic ointment, small bottle of Hibiclens Surgical
Scrub, Aspirin, Diasorb tablets for diarrhea, Actifed
(decongestant), Bonine (motion sickness), and Benadryl
(antihistamine). Other items that are helpful are: a needle for
splinter extraction, moleskin or Spenco Second Skin for
blisters, Ace bandage, small needle-nose pliers, single-edge
razor blades, and Calamine cream for insect bites.
The "11th" item of the 10
essentials most people carry is toilet paper. Other
"essentials" I bring include: an Air Force type signal mirror,
50 feet of parachute cord, mini-Leatherman tool, and plastic
fluorescent marking tape for trail marking. You might want to add
a pocket signal flare and other items such as a smoke generator
for signaling.
Your 10 essentials kit can be
packaged in a number of ways. The most convenient is a small day
pack. Day packs will hold your water bottle, extra clothing and
food for most daytime trips. Get one made out of Cordura nylon
with padded straps.
For extensive mountain bike
rides many cyclists like to use waist packs or fanny packs to
store their emergency gear and a banana or two. A waist pack
is generally cooler to wear and provides for a lower center of
gravity. Water is normally carried on the frame of the bicycle,
so the packs can be smaller and lighter.
The last essential that needs to
be taken on all your trips into the wilderness won't fit in a
survival kit. It's called common sense and is a prime commodity
in both the city and in the outdoors. If it looks like rain -
don't go. If it looks too high - stay back. If it's getting
dark - get back to your base. By avoiding unnecessary problems
and dangers you will save on your own personal wear and tear,
and probably get back home in one piece. However, if something
does come up, at least you know you've got those 10 important
items stowed away in your rucksack.
(This article was optically
scanned from :American Survival Guide
/ January 1992
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