How to Pack the Ten Essentials of Hiking

Everyone that hikes away from a trailhead should be carrying the ten essentials in their backpack. The 10 essentials are the top 10 most important things to carry with you when hiking or backpacking.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

• The 10 essentials
• Backpack to carry them

1. Water. Carry your water in durable bottles that have secure screw on lids, not the bike water bottle type with the pop-up tops. These leak and your water will be gone and your clothes will be wet. Also be sure to carry water treatment in case you run out of water - this includes iodine tablets or a water purification filter.
2. Map. Usually the best type of map to carry when hiking is a topo map (topographic map with contours). Knowing the topography around you is essential to staying on course and not getting lost. Bring a trail guide too - photocopies of hiking route descriptions from books or outdoor book chapters with trail maps printed from Trails.com will do.
3. Compass. The other half of backcountry navigation is a quality compass. Don't skimp on quality when buying a compass - get one with a pop up line of sight reader. A map is only useful for locating your whereabouts if you have a compass and if you know how to use it. Take a class on navigation or read a book on this important topic. A GPS device is a great addition to map and compass, but should not replace them.
4. First aid kit. See my separate how-to article on this important item in you pack. One of the most important items in this kit is a first-aid book explaining what to do in emergencies. You should take a first-aid course to learn proper life-saving techniques.
5. Knife. Many people carry a swiss-army-type knife with mulitple blades and tools. I prefer a leatherman-type tool with pliers - the needle nose pliers have come in handy many times when my fingers were too cold to untie knots for examlple.
6. Light. A flashlight is adequate, but a headlamp is preferred so you don't have to hold it when performing tasks that require two hands. Don't forget extra bulbs if you have a traditional headlamp (LED headlamps are better) and extra batteries wrapped in plastic so they won't get wet.
7. Fire. This really means heat. In the event of an emergency where you may have to spend the night in the cold, if you have fire-starter and wind-proof matches, you can start a fire to keep warm.
8. Extra food. Yes, pack more food than you'll need even though it adds weight to your pack. This means that after every successful hike you should still have food left over. I bring extra energy bars since they have the most bang for the buck (calories per ounce).
9. Extra clothes. Yes, even on hot hikes bring what you would need to spend the night. Many folks have hurt themselves not far from the car and needed a warm layer and a wind-proof layer to wait for help to arrive. Don't forget gloves and a warm hat.
10. Sun protection. This includes sunglasses for hikes that might cross snow. Sunblock for all but the cloudiest of days. Chapstick for any hike. And a wide-brimmed hat when appropriate.

Tips & Warnings

• To avoid forgetting something on this list, store them all in the same closet or duffel bags for easy access. A good idea is to keep this list taped up where you store the items and pack your backpack.
• Hiking smart is more important that anything on this list. Just having these items doesn't render you invincible.
• Let someone know where you plan to hike just in case you don't return when planned. Hiking can be dangerous and you never know when an injury might occur.