The Ten Essentials are survival items that

hiking Hiking is a long, vigorous walk, usually on trails or footpaths in the countryside. Walking for pleasure developed in Europe during the eighteenth century.AMATO, JOSEPH A. "Mind over Foot: Romantic Walking and Rambling." In ''On Foot: A Histor ...

and Scouting organizations recommend for safe travel in the

backcountry In the United States, a backcountry or backwater is a geographical area that is remote, undeveloped, isolated, or difficult to access. Terminology Backcountry and wilderness within United States national parks The National Park Service (NPS) ...

. The Ten Essentials first appeared in print in the third edition of '' Mountaineering: The Freedom of the Hills'' (January 1974). Many regional organizations and authors recommend that

hikers Hiking is a long, vigorous walk, usually on trails or footpaths in the countryside. Walking for pleasure developed in Europe during the eighteenth century.AMATO, JOSEPH A. "Mind over Foot: Romantic Walking and Rambling." In ''On Foot: A Hist ...

, backpackers, and climbers rigorously ensure they have the ten essentials with them. However, personal preferences and differences in conditions may dictate otherwise and with experience most adventurers add and subtract from the list depending on the situation. Some ultralight backpackers do not always carry all of the items and believe it is an acceptable risk they take in order to travel light and fast.

List

The ninth edition of ''Mountaineering: The Freedom of the Hills'', published in 2017, defines the Ten Essentials as: # Navigation:

map A map is a symbolic depiction emphasizing relationships between elements of some space, such as objects, regions, or themes. Many maps are static, fixed to paper or some other durable medium, while others are dynamic or interactive. Although ...

altimeter An altimeter or an altitude meter is an instrument used to measure the altitude of an object above a fixed level. The measurement of altitude is called altimetry, which is related to the term bathymetry, the measurement of depth under water. The m ...

compass A compass is a device that shows the cardinal directions used for navigation and geographic orientation. It commonly consists of a magnetized needle or other element, such as a compass card or compass rose, which can pivot to align itself wit ...

GPS device A satellite navigation device (satnav device) is a user equipment that uses one or more of several global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) to calculate the device's geographical position and provide navigational advice. Depending on the ...

, personal locator beacon # Headlamp: with

LED bulb An LED lamp or LED light bulb is an electric light that produces light using light-emitting diodes (LEDs). LED lamps are significantly more energy-efficient than equivalent incandescent lamps and can be significantly more efficient than m ...

and spare batteries # Sun protection: sunglasses,

sun protective clothing Sun protective clothing is clothing specifically designed for sun protection and is produced from a fabric rated for its level of ultraviolet (UV) protection. A novel weave structure and denier (related to thread count per inch) may produce sun p ...

, sunscreen # First aid: a

first aid kit A first aid kit or medical kit is a collection of supplies and equipment used to give immediate medical treatment, primarily to treat injuries and other mild or moderate medical conditions. There is a wide variation in the contents of first aid ...

, wrapped in waterproof packaging # Knife: hikers on a short trip may also carry a

multi-tool A multi-tool (or multitool) is a hand tool that combines several individual functions in a single unit. The smallest are credit-card or key sized units designed for carrying in a wallet or on a keyring, but others are designed to be carried ...

, strong adhesive tape and cordage; on a longer trip, further small tools may be useful # Fire: the means to both start and sustain a fire; either a

butane lighter A lighter is a portable device which creates a flame, and can be used to ignite a variety of items, such as cigarettes, gas lighter, fireworks, candles or campfires. It consists of a metal or plastic container filled with a flammable liquid or c ...

or matches, or other

fire making Fire making, fire lighting or fire craft is the process of artificially starting a fire. It requires completing the fire triangle, usually by heating tinder above its autoignition temperature. Fire is an essential tool for human survival and ...

device. Firestarters for igniting even wet wood, and in areas where no firewood will be available, a stove is highly advisable. # Shelter: plastic tube tent, jumbo plastic

trash bag A bin bag, rubbish bag (British English), garbage bag, bin liner, trash bag (List of American words not widely used in the United Kingdom#G, American English) or refuse sack is a disposable bag used to contain waste, solid waste. Such bags are ...

or bivy sack # Extra food: at least one day's food for a short hike, that should require no cooking. # Extra water:

drinking water Drinking water is water that is used in drink or food preparation; potable water is water that is safe to be used as drinking water. The amount of drinking water required to maintain good health varies, and depends on physical activity level, a ...

and the skills and tools to purify water # Extra clothes: additional items may be needed if spending the night in the emergency shelter The first five items are intended to prevent and respond to emergencies, the second five to safely spend one or more nights outdoors.

Other lists

Other outdoor organizations have variations of the ''Ten Essentials'' pertinent to local conditions. Boy Scouts of America's "Scout Basic Essentials" are quite similar (Map and Compass, Sun Protection, Extra Clothing, Flashlight, First-Aid Kit, Matches and Fire-starters, Pocketknife, Trail Food, Water Bottle, and Rain Gear.) Utah's

Wasatch Mountain Club The Wasatch Mountain Club is a recreational outdoor club for adults based in Salt Lake City, Utah. It is a non-profit organization and has no restrictions on who may join. Some of its missions are: * To promote the physical and spiritual well being ...

lists extra water in place of food, as Utah is mostly desert terrain, and water is more difficult to find. The Spokane Mountaineers list "thirteen essentials", which supplement the list with emergency shelter such as a space blanket, signaling device, and toilet paper and

trowel A trowel is a small hand tool used for digging, applying, smoothing, or moving small amounts of viscous or particulate material. Common varieties include the masonry trowel, garden trowel, and float trowel. A power trowel is a much larger gas ...

(for sanitary disposal of human waste; the toilet paper also doubles as

tinder Tinder is easily combustible material used to start a fire. Tinder is a finely divided, open material which will begin to glow under a shower of sparks. Air is gently wafted over the glowing tinder until it bursts into flame. The flaming tinder i ...

for starting a fire). The "Ten Essential Groups" is an alternative approach to essential gear selection. Items from each group should be chosen depending on the season, geographic location, and trip duration. In 2011, Columbia Sportswear adopted the "Ten Essential Groups" concept for their iOS app "Take Ten to the Greater Outdoors". Central Arizona Mountain Rescue Association promotes the 12 Essentials, which includes Signaling Devices and Personal Items.

References

External links

* * {{cite web , url=http://www.rei.com/learn/expert-advice/ten-essentials.html , title=The Ten Essentials , last=Wood , first=T.D. , date=2014-02-18 , publisher= REI Hiking equipment

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Other lists

See also

References

External links