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The Ten Essentials
By Scott Stoddard
"DON'T leave home without it." But what good will a green plas
tic credit card do you 20 miles from the nearest paved road? What
do you really need when out away from civilization?
Experienced outdoor enthusiasts know what items are most impor
tant to bring - even for short walks or hikes out of base camp.
The "10 Essentials" are items that cannot be improvised from
materials lying on the forest floor. To be found without these
few items, even only a few miles from camp or cabin, can spell
disaster.
The standard list of 10 essentials varies slightly depending
on which source you go to. The Boy Scouts have their list, the
Sierra Club has another, and the Mountaineers in their outdoor
bible, Mountaineering: The Freedom of the Hills, have come up
with another variation. They all incorporate the same basic
items.
The following list is not to be considered cast in concrete -
each survivalist should customize his or her own kit for the
barest minimum of supplies. Note that the first three items are
for finding your way, the second three are for your protection,
and the last four are for emergencies.
1. A MAP of the area you will be hiking, canoeing, or camping
should be detailed enough so that you can find man-made items
like trails, unimproved roads, power lines, etc., and natural
features such as rivers, streams, hills and other terrain land
marks that will guide you. A U.S Geological Survey Topographical
map has all of these features and more. For an index to topo maps
in your home state contact: U.S. Geological Survey, Map Distribu
tion Section, Federal Center, Box 25286, Denver, CO 80225; (303)
236-7477. A 365 page book titled, The Map Catalog, (Every kind of
map and chart on Earth and even some above it), is available
from: High Country Enterprise, P.O. Box 746, Saguache, CO 81149;
(719) 655-2432.
2. A map without a COMPASS is almost useless unless you pos
sess a sixth sense in direction finding. I prefer the liquid
filled "Silva" or "Suunto" compasses. These have straight edges
that are useful in plotting bearings. Military lensatic compass
es are more bulky and don't have a clear base making map reading
through the compass impossible. With both map and compass you
should be able to "orient" the map by lining up magnetic north on
the compass with the magnetic north arrow printed on the map.
Once you do this, you'll be able to identify terrain features and
plot your course.
3. Be sure that the FLASHLIGHT you bring doesn't have a switch
that is easily turned on and off. You may find that it has been
accidentally on all day, and when you need it the batteries will
be already worn out. In that case don't put the batteries inside
the unit until you are required to use it. Even if you have the
most advanced, water proof machined aluminum light source, bring
a spare bulb and spare alkaline batteries just in case. A Mini-
Mag Lite will fit in the smallest of 10 essential kits but may
not be adequate for all-night travel. Headlamps are useful for
cave exploring and when the hands are otherwise occupied.
4. On one trip to the top of an 11,000 foot peak I forgot my
SUNGLASSES and I nearly went snowblind. After tiring of looking
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