[pct-l] 10 essentials

[Bill Burge]

I think it is important to think of the "10 Essentials" lists more from a purpose than a shopping list.

Rain gear? 	Tarp is fine, it's really "shelter from the elements"
Matches?		Fire.  I carry a lighter.  I also carry a few, maybe 6, "super matches"
Knife?		Sharp edge, but I would like it to be sturdy enough to help with shelter
headlamp/flashlight?	Light.  I always have a Photon button light, and the clip that allows it to be a headlamp.
1st aid kit?	Clean a wound, protect a wound, stop bleeding.  A few gauze pads in a zip and some duct tape.
sunscreen?	Solar protection.  I always have an spf45 chapstick.  I can rub it on my face if I feel the need.
compass?		Direction. I wear a watch, mostly with an analog face (two hands), and a stick and I can find general N
			(I usually have a "button compass" in my pocket)
whistle?		Signaling.  I carry a whistle, small, flat, bright yellow.  It's on a cord with the button light.

Many of these are in my pocket. Other than the pocket knife, chapstik, whistle and light; the matches, button compass, light clip, two spare coin cells taped together and med card;  are in a small extra tough ziplock bag in my pocket.

For the trail, I might put the ziplock in my pack hip belt pocket.

BillB



On Mar 24, 2011, at 9:26 AM, AsABat wrote:

> There are many ten essential lists. Mine (and maybe most) include water.
> 
> Don't think of sunglasses and sunscreen, think of sun protection. It could include a hat or bandanna. But not enough people use good sunglasses outside. Even moderate sun can cause future eye problems like cataracts. (My eyes are worse than that, hence my name.)
> 
> The list of for general hikes  not overnights do so sleeping bags etc are not on it.
> 
> 
> AsABat
> PCT Water Reports SoCal http://pct.4jeffrey.net
> Send water updates to water at 4jeffrey.net
> 
> "Devon Taig" <devon.taig at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
>> The ten so-called essentials list is below along with some comments. Of
>> the
>> ten essentials, I bring only map,and compass all the time.  There are
>> five
>> others (sunglasses,extra food,rain-gear,flashlight,first-aid kit) that
>> are
>> often but not alway in my backpack. Three I don't bring at all
>> (knife,matches (I use lighter instead),firestarter (I carry a stove)).
>> 
>> 1) *Map *- Yep. This is a must have
>> 2) *Compass *- Yes for me, but I'm surprised how many hikers I see who
>> don't
>> carry one or don't know how to use it properly (it does more than just
>> point
>> north you know).  If you can't take a bearing with your compass, it's
>> probably not worth a whole heckuva lot.
>> 3) *Sunglasses & sunscreen* - Hardly essential.  I suppose if you're
>> hiking
>> naked on a glacier in July.  I rarely take sunscreen as I'm naturally
>> pretty
>> tan and never burn.  Sunglasses on snow only.
>> 4) *Extra food* - Food yes, Extra? Not so much.  I'm fat enough that I
>> can
>> go a couple of days if really needed with no food.  On a 10 day
>> backpack
>> trip, I bring 10 days worth of food.  But really, that does qualify as
>> *extra
>> *food.  Even in the Sierra, you really are never more than a a few days
>> hike
>> from a trailhead.
>> 5) *Raingear/extra clothes* - Extra clothes, yes. Raingear? Maybe. 
>> Depends
>> on where you are.  It's definitely not an essential everywhere
>> particularly
>> if you have a tent,tarp,and sleeping bag (which strangely aren't on the
>> list).
>> 6) *Headlamp/flashlight* - Been many times when I didn't have one.  If
>> you
>> have a tent and plan to use it and not hike at night, then you really
>> don't
>> have to have one.  More of a comfort than an essential.
>> 7) *First Aid kit* - I once hike with an emergency room doctor who's
>> first
>> aid kit was so minimal that it could hardly be called a kit.  His
>> contention
>> was that his first-aid kit was between his ears. A couple bandages,
>> yeah,
>> some neosporine, some pain killer.  I've heard mostly bad things about
>> snake-bite kits.  So, I guess this isn't really a necessity for me. If
>> I'm
>> so badly injured (e.g mauled by a bear) that I can't hike out, it's
>> doubtful
>> that anything in even the best first aid kit is really going to
>> help...short
>> of that, I can hike out and get help.
>> 8) *Fire starter* - Never used it.  I bring three lighters (one in my
>> pocket
>> (stays dry), one with my stove (stays dry), one with the TP (hopefully
>> stays
>> dry).  That's enough redundancy for me. But I guess this is more about
>> something flammable to burn, right? I dunno...I guess I trust myself in
>> an
>> emergency situation to either stay in a reasonably dry tent/bag and/or
>> find
>> enough dry sticks to start a fire.
>> 9) *Matches *- I've never brought matches.  See above.
>> 10) *Knife *- Of no value that I can think of.
>> 
>> *Notable in there absence*: Water/bottles,shelter,sleeping bag,whistle,
>> a
>> dose of common-sense (e.g. do not free climb up the face of that 30'
>> boulder
>> when it's a two day hike out to a hospital).
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