This Spring, Take a Hike—But Make Sure You Have These 10 Essentials With You

What a gorgeous country we live in! To know and appreciate the beauty of our homeland, however, we need to get out and walk—up a mountain, through woodlands, or on the shores of one of the myriad bodies of water. Wherever you hike, it is vital to gear up properly before you go, especially if you choose to walk through the wilderness or a sparsely populated area, starting with the 10 essentials of hiking.

The first 10 essentials list was compiled in the 1930s by The Mountaineers, a nonprofit organization based in the Pacific Northwest, dedicated to helping people learn about and enjoy the outdoors. The list was formalized and included in the third edition of Mountaineering: The Freedom of the Hills, released in 1974. The list contained 10 items: (1) a map, (2) compass, (3) sunglasses and sunscreen, (4) extra clothing, (5) headlamp or flashlight, (6) first-aid supplies, (7) fire starter, (8) matches, (9) knife, and (10) extra food. The list has evolved into a list of 10 essential systems. The following limerick provides a way to remember them (the systems are in bold type; other punctuation is the authors):

THE MOUNTAINEERS TEN ESSENTIALS LIMERICK ¹
By Steve McClure

To navigate, head for the sun

With first aid and knife on the run.

Bring fire and shelter;

Extra food is a helper—

But water and clothes weigh a ton.

THE MOUNTAINEERS TEN ESSENTIALS SYSTEMS
Items in brackets[] can be shared by a group; text in italics added by the author.

1. Navigation: map, altimeter, compass, [GPS (global positioning system) device, personal locator beacon (PLB), satellite communicator, or satellite phone, plus extra batteries or battery pack]—Consider downloading an app that provides detailed information about the terrain you will be hiking.²
2. Headlamp: plus extra batteries. Using a headlamp leaves your hands free, but consider taking a small, powerful flashlight and batteries as well.
3. Sun protection: sunglasses, sun-protective clothes, and sunscreen. Do not forget a hat! A sunburned scalp can be extremely painful.
4. First aid: including foot care and insect repellent (if required). Make sure to include plenty of appropriate-size Band-Aids in case you get blisters.
5. Knife: plus repair kit. A multi-tool that includes a knife would be ideal.
6. Fire: matches, lighter and tinder, or stove as appropriate. One person can be elected to carry the stove.
7. Shelter: carried at all times (can be a lightweight emergency bivy). Some bivies, or bivouac sacks, weigh as little as 6–10 ounces.
8. Extra food: beyond minimum expectation. Make sure to pack calorie-dense food, such as nuts and energy bars.
9. Extra water: beyond minimum expectation, or the means to purify. Take at least one liter of water per person for every 2 hours of hiking.
10. Extra clothes: sufficient to survive an emergency overnight. A change of clothes would be most welcome if you get drenched in a rainstorm or slip into a stream. Walking in wet clothes can cause blisters or chafing, and it can even lead to hypothermia once night falls—and it feels quite uncomfortable.

Those are the essentials. Other items that you may want to take (keeping in mind that each item adds weight to your backpack) include a good pair of binoculars; a whistle in case you get separated from each other; a warm hat (remember: a lot of body heat escapes from the head); and a camera. The Mountaineers fragile, needs no electricity, and provides both backup and the ‘big picture’ about a region that cannot be replicated by written descriptions or a tiny screen.†Please do not rely solely on your cell phone, which will eventually run out of charge, rendering it useless for your trip.

Use sunglasses while the sun is out, even if the day is cloudy. According to the Mountaineers website, “The eyes are particularly vulnerable to radiation, and the corneas of unprotected eyes can easily burn before any discomfort is felt, resulting in the excruciatingly painful condition known as snow blindness. Ultraviolet rays penetrate cloud layers, so do not let cloudy conditions fool you into leaving your eyes unprotected.â€

Wear moisture-wicking clothes and appropriate footwear with good traction, support, and protection. Also, dress in layers so that if the temperature soars, you can shed the extra clothing— and, of course, if the temperature drops, you can add back layers.

So go outside and appreciate the beauty that America has to show you. Just follow the Scouting motto and “Be Preparedâ€!

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1 This limerick is from the Mountaineers website: https://www.mountaineers.org/blog/what-are-the-ten-essentials.

2 Churchill, a hiking and backpacking guide, recommends downloading an app such as Topo Maps+ before hiking a new route. “The app lets you download detailed hiking maps of any trail and see your location on those maps offline.” https://www.wikihow.com/Hike.