We will start with the basics because I believe that in sports, business, life, etc. you have to begin with and many times return to the basics! The first and MOST IMPORTANT tool you need is your mind. KNOWLEDGE and CONFIDENCE really are the best tools you can ever have in a desperate situation. From knowledge comes confidence and even if you feel yourself getting a bit panicked when your lost or you’ve traveled too far out to return to the trailhead before dark, or you’re tracking that elusive buck trying to angle in for that perfect shot and you’ve lost track of the time and where you are; your knowledge or lack there of will in many cases determine whether you spend a comfortable night in the woods and return with an exciting story or you become part of the “Great Circle of Life”. Coyotes got to eat to you know.
The Ten Essentials are considered the basic tools that you should consider carrying with you whenever in the woods and for the most part these essential items should fit into your pockets and/or a small pack. Now, when I say in “the woods”, I also mean when you’re on a boat, a snowmobile, fishing, hunting or on an easy walk along a well groomed trail. When you’re out and about, these are the recommended MINIMUM resources necessary to increase your level of comfort and when necessary your survival in the field.
There are several variations to the Ten Essentials list. I of course have my own opinions and experiences to add otherwise I would just hyperlink you to about 5 different websites for the cookie-cutter version. My list of essentials begins with the most accepted and suggested 10 plus several of my own. For example, why toilet paper is not one of the Ten Essentials I’ll never know. We’ll discuss the many merits of toilet paper later on.
The “Standard” List:
1. Map
2. Compass
3. Sunglasses & Sunscreen
4. Extra Food & Water
5. Extra Clothes
6. Flashlight
7. First Aid Kit
8. Fire Starter
9. Matches
10. Knife
My List of Essentials: This list can vary depending on the climate, activity involved in and time of year. I will break each item down in subsequent postings and discuss the use, need and benefits for each.
1. Knife (Actually KNIVES, plural)
· I carry two knives at a minimum. If you remember the now famous movie line from Crocodile Dundee, “Knife, that’s not a knife, this is a knife!” and Dundee proceeds to pull out a huge knife, that’s not what I’m talking about. With knives size does matter but bigger is not always better. I typically carry a multi-tooled knife and favor what Victorinox has provided over the years. I also carry a larger heavier bladed, either folding or fixed bladed knife. Over the years I have amassed a variety of fixed and folding knives and enjoy discussing the merits of each.
2. Map & Compass
· As standalones each has a function but together they are best. As important as these two items is the KNOWLEDGE TO USE THEM. Too many times I’ve been in the field and have run across individuals that do not know how to use either. If you don’t know how to use a map and compass the compass is a shiny thing around your neck, like jewelry and the map is good for wiping your bum or for use as a fire starter. You should never combine those last two functions however.
3. Hat, Bandanna, Sunglasses & Combination Sunscreen/Insect Repellant, Lip Balm
· I like functionality when it comes to my outdoor gear and favor light duty hats with ear flaps, chin straps, loops to hold my glasses or other items. I have been known to take out the sewing machine and rivet set to install these things myself. Heavier hats made of wool or polypropylene of course are appropriate when the weather is colder. Bandannas: I can spend a solid hour in discussing the benefits and functionality of a simple bandanna. Bandannas can be draped across the back of your hat to keep the sun off your neck, they can be used as bandages, a basket for carrying delicious mushrooms found along the trail, I’ve even fashioned one into a makeshift kite one time just to see if it would work and it did!
4. Matches (in a waterproof container), a Lighter & a Candle
· Strike anywhere matches are in my opinion by far the best. I still have not found commercially made water or windproof matches that really live up to their advertisement. If you do use these types of matches make sure you take the striker pad from the package along with you. I have also had mixed results with dipping my matches in wax or nail polish to make them more “durable” in the field. What I have found that works great are Grandma’s Diamond brand strike anywhere kitchen matches in a good waterproof container. The old school of thought is that lighters are unreliable and fail in the field. This is why I also carry matches. With that having been said, a lighter is a great accent and quick access fire maker and is great for quickly trimming nylon cord, burning the ends of a tear in a nylon poncho to keep it from unraveling to lighting up your cancer sticks (non-smoker here). A candle can sustain a fire for a long period of time as you well know and is great for helping start damp kindling or for comfort lighting so you don’t use up the batteries in your flashlight that we’ll discuss later.
5. Nylon Parachute Cord
· Too many uses to go into, I’m hoping the merits of this item will be self explanatory. I do favor the type of nylon cord that has individual strands of twisted nylon string inside of the over braid because you can separate each component to multiply the amount of string you can have.
6. Headlamp (or flashlight), Extra Batteries & Bulb
· A word of advice before discussing powered equipment. Make sure that whatever you choose to carry with you that all your accessories use the same size batteries. All my gear use AA batteries. This allows me to borrow from one for the other. For example, what is more important when making your way back home in the dark (which you should almost never do especially in unfamiliar territory), powering your digital camera or your headlamp?
7. Plastic Bags (Various Sizes)
· If I am only carrying the standard Ten Essentials I will always add at least one 30 gallon trash bag and a couple one gallon zip-locks. These can be folded and placed in a hip pocket without taking any extra room. The larger bags can be used for emergency shelter, rain gear and of course for carrying whatever you need to. I have many times handed out all my larger bags to hikers who were caught unprepared by a fast moving and very typical afternoon thunderstorm. Taking no more room, you can add a couple more 30-50 gallon trash bags, grocery sacks and other smaller bags.
8. Poncho
· As I stated before, I like equipment with versatility and function. There are many good and bad ponchos out there. Coated nylon will give you the strength you need in extreme conditions and can be folded and rolled down to a very small package and carried in a pack or tied to the back of your belt. If your poncho does not have grommets around its edge, at leas 8, you should install or have them installed for you. A poncho can be used for shelter, for carrying large loads like firewood, a ground cloth, and when worn will make you highly visible over distances. I never leave home without one.
9. Extra Clothing
· First of all you should be dressed like an onion, dressed in layers. There are many great sources that discuss dressing for conditions when in the field so I won’t go into great detail here. I will say that you don’t have to spend much money to dress smart in the field. Any local second hand clothing outlet will give you many choices at very reasonable prices. I will add that all of the clothes I use in the field have lots of pockets and I look for versatility in design. Pants that convert to shorts by zipping off the lower leg sections, a thin coat/windbreaker with a hood that folds into the collar, a fleece vest, long sleeved shirt and/or tee shirt (easier to roll up your sleeves than try to find the means to protect your arms from the sun, bugs and brush. In cooler and wet conditions stay away from cotton in favor poly/synthetics and wool. Your feet are important and I can’t stress that enough. If you damage your feet, you severely limit your mobility; take care of them. For most purposes I like to use the green wool, padded sole military socks. They breath, they wick moisture away from your feet, they dry easily even in low temps and they can be rolled tightly and tucked away in your pack or rolled up in your poncho. On long hikes I will many times change my socks for a fresh pair, especially if I start to develop ‘hot spots’ on my feet. Hot spots are blisters that have not formed yet and need to be attended to right away. A piece of Mole Skin (adhesive felt material found at any drug store) on hot spots and blisters can be a real life saver. Of course, the cooler the weather, the more clothing you must carry. Your clothes should be stored in plastic bags during wet weather or wet activities.
10. First Aid Kit
· I have taught Wilderness First Aid and Wilderness Preparedness and the question of what to carry in a first aid kit is always a topic of great discussion. Actually it is more like first aid kits, plural. Again, here is a topic that has many good and probably better sources of information like the American Red Cross so I will not go into great detail here. Think of it this way, rather than trying to make a single kit that fits every scenario, I try to customize several different kits taking into account what environment or activity I will be involved with. The first aid kit I would take on the boat differs in some areas from the kit I would take on an extended backpacking trip or for a larger hunting camp. Key considerations are if you or someone in your party takes prescription medication, has any special physical needs, the time of year, the number of personnel, etc. We will explore more on this topic later.
11. Extra Food
· Eating wild foods found along the trail can be fun way to add to your menu, but honestly many ‘edible’ plants are sometimes barely palatable so don’t depend on ‘living off the land’. You should always carry extra food with you in the event that you have to stay out over night. Staying warm on a cold night, walking out of the forest or through arid country, climbing, all consume large quantities calories and require high energy foods; those high in carbohydrates, fat, sugar and protein are important. A pound of jerky can last for several days if rationed and chocolate is not only an instant energy provider but is also a great comfort food. Sausages, cheese, ‘granola’ bars, candy, nuts are all great sources of food that will typically not spoil or require additional preparation and can be eaten while on the go. When we were young, my good friend and I used to take little ‘survival’ trips in the local mountains, living off of what we hunted and gathered. I will spend more time on the topic of hunting and gathering in subsequent postings.
12. Water Bottle & Water Gathering Gear
· For carrying water I favor at least one quart-sized, wide-mouthed water bottle with a cap attached by a lanyard. The wider mouthed bottle is easier to fill from shallow water sources, for stuffing snow or foodstuffs into, fishing out ‘floaties’ and the attached cap keeps you from losing the top in the most inconvenient moments. I grew up drinking water from a shallow well and the irrigation ditch that ran out back and I believe that as a result my natural immunities are stronger than someone who has been raised on bottled or tap water alone. While this may or may not be true, I am not in favor of picking up a parasite by drinking untreated water and do carry a variety of water purifying devices with me from filters to iodine tablets. Boiling water is a great alternative but takes time and energy that you may not be able to spare. There are many commercially available water treatment systems on the market and in later postings we will explore not only where to find water, which is the most important topic but how to purify it enough for drinking. The last thing you want to do in a survival situation is complicate things by getting sick or injured.
13. Repair Kit
· If I could only take one repair item with me into the backcountry it would probably have to be white cloth athletic tape. While I’m not arguing against the many merits of grey duct tape and some may argue that it is basically the same thing, I have found athletic tape to be more versatile in different weather conditions and when making small repairs athletic tape stronger and easier to use than duct tape. Other important items would be, wire, wood screws, 5-minute epoxy various sizes of nails and staples, superglue, electrical tape, an adjustable wrench or multi-tool, etc. When putting together a repair kit, think plural, to save weight and increase the versatility you’ll need more than one. The kit I carry in my fishing vest while floating down the Colorado River is different from the repair kit I might carry while backcountry skiing where I might have to reattach or repair a binding in order to get back to the trailhead.
14. Whistle & Signaling Device(s)
· Anything that will reflect light can be used as a signaling device. A signal mirror of course, the shiny top of a lip salve bottle, the lens from your glasses or camera, the back of your watch are all types of signaling devices. A whistle, like those carried by your old gym teacher, is a valuable signal device. You cannot yell louder than a whistle can sound especially if you are thirsty or horse from having spent a night out in the cold. I recommend a plastic whistle as it is less prone to freezing and clogging in cold temperatures. Bright colored surveyors tape is great for marking your trail, marking your bivouac, writing messages that can be seen over long distances and adds another means of binding things together like branches for a makeshift shelter to protect yourself from the elements. Pocket aerial flares can also be added to your signaling kit.
15. Sierra Cup
· For years I used to carry a US Army canteen cup. I still have my old dented and stained cup but it has been retired for a smaller and more versatile folding handled stainless steel Sierra Cup. I have made a small leather carrying case for my cup that fits on my belt and carries various items in it like a wing stove and fuel, instant coffee, tea, instant soup and the like. I’ve eaten many a trail meal from this cup and is another item I usually never leave home without.
16. Toilet Paper
· I always carry mine in a strong zip-lock bag and since toilet paper is not heavy I never skimp on the amount I carry even on a half-day trip. Toilet paper is a fairly good fire starter, it can be layered in between a folded bandanna and used as a water filtering device (not for biological contaminants but for sediment), a bandage, trail marker, mixed with epoxy to fill a hole in your skis, etc. As stated earlier, I don’t know why toilet paper is not considered one of the Ten Essentials. The first time you wipe your bum with something provided by nature, you’ll never leave home without it again. In an emergency you can cut off the tops of your socks or even your shirt tails. Have fun explaining that one.
17. Insulating Material
· I have two closed cell foam pads cut to fit inside my pack. They take up very little room and are great for sitting on and when I lay out the two pads plus the padded back of my backpack, make a nice insulated pallet to sleep on or to insulate an injured person to protect them from shock and hypothermia. I add to this a Mylar ‘space blanket’, my extra clothing and the poncho and you have as comfortable a bed as you’re going to have for spending a night out in the field in relative comfort. Okay so it won’t be like your bed at home but nothing else is.
18. Backpack
· This is really a matter of personal choice. Versatility, form and function should be the features you should look for in any and all outdoor gear especially a pack. For most circumstances whether skiing, hunting, climbing or hiking I favor my small internal framed backpack with lots of pockets, loops and straps. From this pack I can carry skis, crampons, ice axe, tent, bivouac sack, gear slings, rifle and when necessary the kitchen sink. I have humped out hundreds of pounds of meat in this pack and would have a very hard time finding its equal anywhere. For half-day trips I use a variety of butt/waist packs, knap sacks or a shoulder bag. My dad calls the shoulder bag my ‘man purse’ while others like myself prefer to call it my ‘European Carry-all”. Some of you may catch the reference.
Next I will break down each of the items listed here, elaborate on the individual items and show you many illustrations.
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