Gear Geek 10 Essentials

here’s my assemblage of the little important bits :)

bracelet w/ ~ 12′ 170# Spectra cord; first aid kit; mini bic (w/ child proof device removed); sun screen; bug dope; compass; Petzel e-lite lamp; Fallkniven WM1 knife “kit”- firesteel, fox whistle, photon light, ~ 15′ Spectra cord; on the back side MRE hot beverage bag, four Micropur tabs, four tinder tabs; repair kit- duct tape, safety mini pins, mini crazy glue, heavy needle wrapped w/ 30# Spectra fishing line, spare batteries for the e-lite

I don't think those are 10 essentials. More like 10 miscellaneous.

One person's great outdoor adventure that requires carrying 10 or more "essential" survival gadgets is another person's typical morning run.

"You know that is a great idea. Who's going first?"

Not me!! My essentials are just that. Most of the stuff you guys are talking about are "just in case" items. I mean, what do you need a knife for, other than cutting your cheese and salami? For an overnighter, the bare minimum you need to survive is probably nothing more than good outdoor survival skills, but I'll still take my shelter, sleeping bag and food, cos it's not fun being cold and hungry :(

Knife–a few more essential uses besides slicing cheese:
Cutting bandaging material, sometimes just trimming the ends off a too-long bandaid or making a hole in a piece of moleskin.
Whittling "frizz sticks" to make fire when wood is wet. Has anyone ever needed an emergency fire when wood is dry? "Emergency" includes when the grandkids are out with me and want to roast marshmallows!
Whittling a point on long stick to roast said marshmallows.
Trimming broken finger/toe nails.
Cutting cord sections to replace busted shoe laces, tie rocks to tent guylines when the stakes won't go in, and many other uses
Tightening screws on my glasses (which are forever coming loose, and are much easier to repair before the screw falls out and is lost).
I can't get the foil wrap for Katadyn Micropur tablets undone without the knife!
Jason Klass uses his knife to dig a "cathole" but I would never want to ruin the blade like that.
You'll never catch me out on the trail without my knife!

The "Ten" Essentials (originally developed by the Seattle Mountaineers) are basically a list of stuff that certainly a beginner should never venture out without. I can get along without some, especially extra food since as a stout person I already have "extra" on my body! When you're backpacking, of course, all the "essentials" are already with you. It is quite possible for even an experienced person to somehow mess up while dayhiking and have to spend an unplanned night out. You may not be comfortable with them, but at least you can survive!

I don't have the problem with screws like Mary, but just about everything else you use a knife for can be done with a light, cheap razor blade. I usually carry two.

True- while backpacking many of the "10 essentials" are taken care of- the biggie being shelter. And while I certainly wouldn't carry an emergency bivy backpacking like I would day hiking (when I've already got shelter taken care of)- it's not unheard of folks getting separated from their packs.

Having a small amount of cordage to erect a debris shelter and some small reliable fire starting implements probably makes good sense (it does to me anyways :) ). A signaling device (or two) certainly isn't a bad idea. Nor having a small headlamp in case your forced to travel in the dark.

Don't want to start the big knife debate :) I'll just say that Mary hit it on the head w/- the real need to start a fire rarely seems to be under ideal conditions. A small knife can go along way in securing dry tinder/kindling when everything is soaked.

I think the "10 Essentials" still have a role to play even in a backpacking scenario

Jay,

I can't believe no one noticed the essential that's missing from your photo. No fair leaving things out!

Where's the pipe you mentioned? Wood, glass, deer antler? And, do you just suck on it, or do you put something in it for that Mini Bic to light?

Here's the most recent version of the Mountaineers' 10- Essentials list.

1. Navigation (map and compass)
2. Sun protection
3. Insulation (extra clothing)
4. Illumination (flashlight/headlamp)
5. First-aid supplies
6. Fire
7. Repair kit and tools
8. Nutrition (extra food)
9. Hydration (extra water)
10. Emergency shelter

Dale's tale above is precisely why the Mountaineers developed it in the first place. Pacific Northwest weather kills the unprepared any month of the year. Of course, tossing these things into a day pack is no guarantee, as some skills and knowledge must be packed into the brain as well. But, far better to have than to not. I wouldn't necessarily consider this the precise list for, say, summer in the Sierra Nevada but it's close enough.

Cheers,

Rick