Do you always take the classic hiking essentials?

My most important tool is my brain. It seems sometimes I leave it at home by accident :)

I bring on most trips:

*Fire starters:
Mini Bic lighter
2 books of matches

*Water and water treatment
Platys or 2 2-quart Gatorade bottles if water is scarce, Micro Pur tablets only.

*First aid kit
a few band aids, antiseptic, 7 advils, luekotape.

*Map and compass
Sometimes leave compass at home if I know the area.
Cammenga Lensatic compass on most trips.
USGS Map(s), or Topo! maps, or USFS Map, or sometimes just a road map.

*Lighting (flashlight, headlamp)
Photon II.
Sometimes an eLite.

*Knife
Razor blade, or DuraKnife, or SAK Classic.

*I try to come home with no food. I can go hungry for a day or too.

*Extra clothing
Usually just a MB EX UL vest or jacket, down balaclava, wool glove liners and a poncho.

*Sun screen
Never. I always like to work on my sun tan.

*Insect repellent
Rarely. Dogs, kids, liberals, conservatives, and insects don't like me.

*Sunglasses
Rarely. Sometimes Maui Jim bifocals. I don't like to look at the world through "rose colored" glasses :-) Snow conditions are the exception.

*Whistle
Fox 40

* Toilet paper & titanium cat trowel… sorry Mike C, at my age I am entitled to a luxury.

I keep the whistle around my neck on a piece of guy line. I plan to never lose my pack. The only things in my pocket are a camera (if I bring one) and chap stick.

I also carry a small roll of duct tape, I quit bringing a hotel freebie style sewing kit because I didn't use it once in 20 years, plus I don't know how to sew anyway.

I do hike solo much of the time too. Also, I leave information on the trail I will be traveling and a due-back time with my wife every time I go out, but she knows if I see something interesting I may wander off. I have lots of life insurance in case I don't return :)

Hi,

The most important item is the last one you both mentioned in your lists. It's about informing other people where you go and when you should come back.

I once was very angry with my wife. After she left with kids and went to her mother I left home for a 25km hike to clean my head. I didn't tell her where I'm going. She even didn't know that I went hiking.
So I hiked a new route I never did before. There was canyon at the end of the route. Here in Israel the sun goes down very quickly and it takes a 15-20 minutes until it become complete dark. So I started to run, because being there at night is no fun. I slipped, fell 3 meters, almost fell another 25 meters. Fortunately I was OK.
I took my cell phone as I always do, but there was no signal in the canyon. When I got to the road I was happy. God knows what could happen. I do always inform people about my route now. Learned that hard way.

Sorry for off-topic.

I think there are some real possibilities of losing my pack in the following scenarios:

*River crossings

*Losing it over a cliff

*Bears

*Theft

I want just enough in my pockets to get by for a night. With my key ring, match case and knife, I can make a small shelter, get a fire going, find my direction of travel, and signal others. I forgot about the emergency water bag that stows in the crown of my Tilley hat. A space blanket would make another good pocket item, but it is just bulky enough keep me from doing that.

If I were planning to be away from my camp and/or main pack, some sort of UL fanny pack or maybe a stuff sack on a bandoleer would carry enough to keep me alive. One of the very Spartan stuff-sack-with-shoulder-straps would be great that but that starts to add to the weight and cost.

Yeah, or get off track and end up in another country with a lot of explaining to do!

Your points are quite valid. Much the same thing happened to Aron Ralston, the poor fellow who went for a canyon hike and ended up amputating his own arm to get free. His major failing was that no one knew where he was. This scenario happens over and over again with lost and injured hikers. My impression is that most are identified by rangers noticing their car at a trailhead.

I want SAR to find me with my swollen ankle propped up, warm, dry, and hydrated– and soon :)

Yes, anything is possible. And I did not mean to demeanor your statement.

With my light packs, I rarely take them off when hiking… just at rest stops and am very careful with placement. Almost anything can happen at any time. I stopped worrying about all the "what ifs" a long time ago. Aside from winter, I can take care of myself with little or no gear for several days… just need to have enough water, stay warm and dry in the cold… and that can be done without gear; just not fun. Winter has its unique challenges.

Also, I have had a lot of military SERE training, so I have survived for a week at a time with nothing but a knife, a vague map, and aggressors trying to hunt and capture me everyday. So perhaps my perception of all of this is a little different. However, the true goal is to avoid a survival situation in the first place :)

But as I stated out my post, I need to remember to take my brain with me on the trip :-)

The biggest thing is to stay calm, analyse your situation and make good decisions. Not as easy as it might sound.

Any overnight, yes, I bring the ten essentials. They're in my pack. On a dayhike, generally no; there's usually at least one thing from the list missing. For a dayhike on a beautiful day on a trail I know or am certain will be easy to follow, I might leave with nothing more than a water bottle and a pocket knife. My knife, though, is enough to get me through a night or two alive. I leave it when I backpack because it's redundant with all the purpose-built gear I carry to make everything easy and enjoyable. Like Nick, I take care to not miss my pack or gear. Yes, anything can happen, but the what ifs get out of control too easily. One packs their fears.

I too hike solo the vast majority of the time, and I always tell my girlfriend where I'm going. Aron Ralston's story specifically cured me of being lazy on that front. For backpacking, I always email her my itinerary and a description of me and my gear along with the right agency to contact if I don't return by morning the day after I'm supposed to be back.

1 Fire:
Dayhike – usually not, but there's matches and a lighter in my FAK
Backpack – yes, lighter in cook kit and matches and lighter in FAK

2 Water:
Dayhike – at times as little 1 liter, other hikes I bring a filter
Backpack – yes, MSR Autoflow filter

3 Insulation:
Dayhike – again, usually not, though I bring something on ambitious hikes
Backpack – if you define it as extra insulation, I guess not, but my bag is good to ~30F and I bring a Sierra Designs Gnar hoody if it's going to be that cold anyway, so I'm covered

4 Navigation:
Dayhike – almost always, a basic Brunton that I forget the model number and has worn off, though there are very benign trails I've hike before that I don't bother.
Backpack – yes, and the compass is on a lanyard through a belt loop. Map is in my back right pocket, and a whistle is on the compass lanyard.

5 Knife:
Dayhike – yes, Kershaw folder
Backpack – technically yes, though a Leatherman PS4 is pretty useless for firewood or shelter building

6 Extra Food:
Dayhike – usually nothing, but if it's gonna be a full day, I want something to eat for lunch; never "extra"
Backpack – Never by intent, but I always come home with SOMEthing I didn't eat

7 Sun protection:
Dayhike – long sleeves, sunglasses, maybe a hat, plus maybe sunscreen
Backpack – Long sleeves, sunglasses, sunscreen, if summer then the straw hat in my profile picture

8 FAK:
Dayhike – typically no, but again, it comes on big hikes, and it has sunscreen, matches, lighter, at least one extra battery, and fire starters in addition to bandages and the like.
Backpack – yes

9 Light:
Dayhike – I do now. At least a Fenix L0d1, maybe a Princeton Tec Remix. Seems like too many of my hikes end after dark, simply because I can't hit the trail early enough.
Backpack – yes, one or the other

10 Shelter:
Dayhike – almost never, though I've started grabbing my Golite poncho since it's so easy. I've never spent the night out on what was supposed to be a dayhike, but I came close not too long ago. I was VERY glad for the poncho because I pulled it over me like a bothy bag on a dayhike that ran long and it was sprinkling.
Backpack – Always. Lately, the Golite Poncho Tarp plus MYOG bivy. Can't imagine not bringing something.

-Jeff

I'm with Nick- hopefully I've engaged my brain but sometimes I've forgot to boot it up and even then its an older unit and seems to be a little slow.
SO I also make sure I carry on all hikes- in a small silnylon stuff sack about the size of a large orange:

My take on the essentials list:

*Fire starter: In an Alsak sack (3"x5") Three REI stormproof matches, mini firesteel, book of paper matches, 4 cotton/vasoline balls in a short plastic straw.

*Water and water treatment: 2 AquaMira tablets, old 1 lt gatorade bottle

*First aid kit: very small, few bandaids, couple motrin, couple imodium, few feet tape, 1 gauze pad, very small tube super glue, small moleskin

*Map and compass: Suunto M3 (all I've every needed)

*Lighting (flashlight, headlamp):Petzl E-lite

*Knife: SAK (only used the scissors in the last 5 years)

*Extra food (a little more than my planned meals): 1 Clif bar or the like

*Extra clothing (other than what I am wearing): Its the NW, always a rain shell (7 oz sherpa), other stuff depending on the hike

*Sun screen: small dropper bottle- 3 to 4 years old now, need to restock (again its the NW not much need- I also wear long sleeves, wide brim hat, long pants

*Insect repellent- small dropper bottle, REI Deet- its about 3-4 years old now too

*Sunglasses- lightwieight, suncloud (polarized for fishing)

*Whistle, small orange thing , .02 oz purchased at the boat store- very loud

BTW- this was good to go through my kit, I found some Diphen (antihistamine) I had that expired in 2004- I guess I don't need them any more (and I don't have allergies)

I’m definitely slanted towards the boy scout end of the spectrum :) even my tiny trail running pack is relatively well equipped- I carry a windshirt, lightweight fleece beanie and gloves, 2 person heatsheet, small firekit (mini bic, spark-lite, wetfire cube, couple of tinder tabs), sunscreen, anti-chafe, small first aid kit, e-lite headlamp (Zebra H31 if I know I’m going to be running in the dark), small neck cord w/ a Fox micro whistle, Photon light and Ladybug knife, TP, cell phone, little grub and two 22 oz bottles

I wear an analog watch that I can roughly navigate w/ if need be- if I’m running in unfamiliar country I’ll carry a map & compass

Fig Newtons!! Dump the rest of the stuff and get more. I love Fig Newtons!!

I hike alone most of the time and always carry the essential items in Dale's (OP) list.

My most important items, a knife, firesteel, whistle, flashlight and compass, are on a lanyard around my neck. My map is in my shirt pocket.

A second neck knife (ESEE Izulu), firesteel (with magnesium)and map are in my pack.

Tad, good point on checking for expired items. Batteries loom large on that list and "strike anywhere" matches have a shelf life too.

I wondered about DEET and found what appears to be an industry web site at http://www.deetonline.org/faq.html and the quote below:

"How many years does a DEET repellent remain effective? What is the shelf life of DEET?

DEET is very stable and is effective indefinitely as a repellent. For this reason, the federal government doesn't require an expiration date on product labels. But manufacturers of repellents say that the feel, smell and appearance of their products may change after about three years. This does not reduce the DEET's ability to repel mosquitoes and ticks but may make the product less appealing to users. If you're not sure about your particular product, contact the manufacturer."

We just got back from a trip up from the Columbia River on up the Washington coast and across to the west coast of Vancouver Island. We had several days where my stash of REI DEET made life bearable. The age of the product crossed my mind. It is at least 3-4 years old, but it worked fine.

I still have a tiny bit of DEET left in my Jungle Juice bottle from the Army over 40 years old. It still seems to repel bugs and still smells awful.

Modern living throuh chemistry!

–B.G.–

Maybe it's like old Scotch or wine, eh?

Too bad Scotch doesn't work for insect repellent– I would happily bath myself in the stuff. It does seem to repel human females in direct proportion to the amount I have consumed. Pity that. :(

I'm still trying to hammer out the exact placement of essential items. I want them on me at all times, but I don't like too much stuff in my pockets, either. If my hip pocket were quickly moveable from my pack to my belt, that would be ideal. Pack off, pocket on.

As to the OP, I carry all those things if I plan on staying out. Truthfully, for dayhikes I usually take little more than a knife, lighter, water, food, sunscreen, space blanket, and a big garbage bag for poncho/groundsheet.