Stay Prepared: Ten Essentials for Every Hiker’s Backpack
If you’ve ever spent time hiking or camping, you’ve probably heard of the “Ten Essentials” of the wilderness. These are must have items when you’re on the trail.
The Ten Essentials is something taught to members of the Scouts of America, and it starts at a young age. If you want to start hiking and spending time in the wilderness you should prepare a small, easy-to-carry bag with these ten items inside. These items will give you the right tools to handle an emergency if something goes wrong on the trails.
What are the Ten Essentials of hiking?
The ten items listed are the minimum you should take with you when heading out into the wilderness during day hikes. If you want to enjoy backpacking or longer hikes, you’ll need to expand your list of essential gear to be prepared for any event that could happen while on the trail.
The Ten Essential of hiking are:
- Navigation and Communication: GPS app, satellite system, paper map & compass, trail map.
- Sun Protection:Broad-brimmed hat, gaiter, sunscreen, protective clothing
- Clothing:Proper footwear, rain gear, and insulated clothing
- Water:Bring more water than you anticipate needing or a water filter
- Food:Bring more food than you might need
- Headlamp:Make sure you have batteries for the headlamp. A flashlight works too, but it means you have a hand unavailable for tasks.
- First Aid Kit:Ensure it has the right stuff in it for basic first aid
- Knife or Multi-Tool:A multi-tool is better, and a knife with a small utility blade is excellent.
- Fire Starter:A weatherproof Firestarter and dry tinder or small lightweight stove.
- Emergency Shelter:Lightweight space blanket or emergency bivy will work.
- Extra: Bag For Trash:It is a good idea to have a small grocery back that can be good for your trash while on the trail.
Do you need all ten on every hike?
If you’re hiking on a short, well-trafficked trail that’s close to home you might not need all of these items. When the trail is a simple, and short one, you could probably get away will leaving the fire starter, emergency shelter, and navigation items behind, but should probably have most of the other items.
You never know when something in your Ten Essentials will come in handy on the trails. If you visit your local outdoor store, you’ll find that these items fit in a small backpack that’s easy to carry, even the small stove.
What should your first-aid kit include?
Among these essential items, the most important that you might easily forget is a first-aid kit. You’re likely going to bring water, which is the most important item, but your first-aid kit should be next. This kit should include:
- Various sized Band-Aids
- Blister Band-Aids
- Medical tape
- Antibiotic ointment
- Ibuprofen
- Imodium
- Hydrocortisone
- Benadryl
- Tweezers
- Whistle
As you begin hiking, you might realize you want a few additional items added to your kit to make sure you have everything you need.
What type of knife should you carry?
Whether you choose a knife or a multi-tool you’ll want a small, non-serrated blade to make it easier to cut precisely when necessary. There are some uses for a serrated knife, which you might find if you choose a larger pocket knife with many blades.
It’s unnecessary to carry a hunting knife or sheath knife. Choose a folding pocket knife that can’t cut you if you fall on it while hiking.
Make your hike more comfortable
If you want to have a bit more comfort during your hike, you’ll want to go outside of the Ten Essentials when packing your bag for the hike. This is especially true if you enjoy longer hikes that last several hours.
Some of the additional items you might want include:
- Fresh pair of socks
- Extra shoes
- Insulate bottle of ice – This is good for after the hike; leave it in the car while hiking
- Extra snacks
- Quick-dry towel
Enjoy the wilderness, but do so safely by grabbing your bag filled with the Ten Essentials before you hit the trails. Remember to take some great photos of the cool places you’ve gone during your adventures.