My goal here is to help you understand EXACTLY what you need to buy, beg, borrow or steal, so we can get you outdoors and on the trail. I’m preparing to give a talk about the 10 Essentials at the AMC Spring Hiking Program based around thse recommendations, so if you have any feedback on these items or want to suggest others, please leave a comment.
The 10 Essentials
- Map and Compass
– You need to carry a map of the area where you’re hiking and learn how
to find your location on it based on the landmarks and trail junctions
marked on it. It’s good to practice this, even if you’re just hiking in
an urban park. Learning how to use a compass at a basic level soon
follows. The first thing you’ll learn is how to find north which is
quite easy and helps to orient your map so you can figure out where you
are if you become turned around. That’s often all you need to know to
find your way, but it’s nearly foolproof and doesn’t rely on batteries.
GPS Receivers and Cell Phones are not part of the 10 essentials. You can
bring them if you want, but nothing is more reliable than a map or
compass.
- Sun Protection – It’s always a good
idea to carry a hat, lip balm, and some sunscreen to prevent sun burn
when you’re out in the open. Sunglasses can also be very helpful,
particularly in winter, to prevent snow blindness (which is temporary).
If you’re very sensitive to sun, you should also consider wearing
special sun-proof clothing.
- Insulation – The
amount extra clothing and insulation you bring on a hike really depends
on whether you’re hiking near a city or in the backcountry, the average
day and night temperature, and whether there’s a chance you might get
stuck outdoors at night. For example, if you’re doing an all-day spring
hike in the mountains, it probably makes sense to bring an insulated sit
pad, an insulated jacket, sweater, hat and gloves along just in case
you’re out after sunset.
- Illumination – You
should always carry a headlamp or a flashlight and some extra batteries.
You want enough light that you can walk with after dark if you’ve been
delayed, or that you can camp with if you decide to stop and wait until
daylight.
- First-Aid Supplies – When you go
hiking, it’s important to bring a few first aid supplies along for
yourself or for the other people you’re hiking with. The eastiest thing
to do is to buy a small personal first aid kit from Adventure Medical
for about $17. You can also assemble your own for much less.
- Fire – If
you unexpectedly have to spend a night out because you misjudged the
distance you needed to hike, you got lost, hurt, or someone in your
group is hurt, you want to have the option to make a fire. This means
you should practice making a fire and have the means to reliably light
one if necessary. The most reliable way I’ve found to make a fire is to
use a fire steel, which is a flint-like device that throws lots of
sparks, and a fire-starter like dryer lint or cotton balls that have
been covered with vaseline. You can also carry matches for convenience,
but these can get damp. Don’t waste your money on emergency matches that
will burn 10 minutes under water; it’s just not necessary.
- Multi-tool and Repair Kit – You don’t need a big knife when you go hiking. In fact, scissors are more of a necessity than a knife, so it’s best to bring along some kind of swiss army knife or leatherman-style multi-tool. That, a small roll of duct tape, and a few safety pins are all you really need to patch up broken or torn gear.
- Nutrition – Hiking is
exercise and you need to eat to keep your body going if you’re hiking
for more than a few hours. It’s good to bring along healthy snacks with a
good balance of carbohydrate, protein and fat or a sandwich if you plan
on hiking all day.
- Hydration – When you go
hiking it’s important to bring water with you and to drink it liberally.
I usually drink a quart of water before I go hiking and then drink 1
quart after every two hours. You’ll feel better if you stay hydrated,
particularly if it’s very hot or very cold, the water will help you
digest snacks or meals, and eliminate waste. If you go for an all day
hike, it’s often good to carry a water filter or Chlorine Dioxide
tablets so you can purify water from a lake or stream when you run out. I
rarely carry more than 3 quarts on a hike (6 pounds of water,) and just
resupply from natural sources as needed.
- Emergency Shelter – It’s useful to carry an emergency shelter like an emergency blanket, emergency bivy, or regular bivy/sleeping bag cover if you get cold and wet or need to camp out unexpectedly. If this happens, it’s also important that you avoid lying directly on cold ground all night because it will literally suck the heat out of your body. It’s best to bring a foam torso length sleeping pad or sit pad that you can lie on top of to remain warm. The pad doesn’t have to be full length, just long enough to fit from your hips to your collarbone.
Other Suggested Essentials
Here are a few other items that are very useful to have when you go hiking.- Toilet paper and a trowel to dig a cat hole so you can bury your waste
- Gloves or glove liners to keep your hands warm
- Rain jacket and pants. Great if it gets windy and they provide additional insulation.
- A piece of paper with that has your emergency contact info and a list of daily medications that you need to take
- Doggie bags, so you can pack out dog poop if hiking with your dog
Clothing Advice
Don’t wear any cotton clothing or clothing that is partially made out of cotton, bamboo, rayon, tencel, or modal because it is very slow to dry if it becomes wet and insulates poorly. Always wear synthetic or wool clothing because it’s far safer.Choosing the Right Day Pack
You need to carry the 10 essentials in something, so you’re going to want some kind of day pack. I recommend something between 25 and 40 liters in size, depending on the length of your hiking trips. If they’re in an urban area like a park or under 4 hours in duration, you can probably get by with a smaller pack. If your hikes are longer than 4 hours in length, or you’re hiking in more rugged terrain, you’ll probably want a larger day pack so you can carry more food, water, and insulation.Personally, I like daypacks that have a lot of external stretchy pockets and a minimally organized internal storage compartment. I put everything I will need during the day on the outside of the pack – water bottles, a wind breaker or rain coat, hat, snacks, and my map in the outer pockets, and store everything else I might need inside the pack.
Packing like this makes it very easy to quickly find things if you’re hiking with a group, especially if they have short rest stops and you’re always falling behind because it takes you so long to pack when the rest stop is over.
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