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The Ten Essentials started as a list from The Mountaineers in the 1930s and got reorganized into “systems” in the early 2000s. Here’s the modern list, what each one is really for, and the time I skipped number seven and spent an hour walking down a trail by the light of my phone screen at 4% battery.
1. Navigation
Map, compass, and these days a phone with the route downloaded offline. The word “offline” is doing a lot of work in that sentence. Cell signal in the mountains is a rumor.
2. Sun protection
Sunglasses, sunscreen, a hat. At altitude, the sun is closer and angrier. You will burn in 20 minutes through clouds.
3. Insulation
One more layer than you think. The summit is always colder than the trailhead, and it’s always windier, and you’re always sweatier than you expect. A packable puffy weighs nothing and ends arguments.
4. Illumination
A headlamp. Not a phone. This is the one I skipped.
See the headlamp roundup. Put one in every pack you own.
5. First aid
Blisters, cuts, headaches, the occasional sprain. A small kit, plus blister pads and ibuprofen, which the small kit never has enough of.
Compact Hiking First Aid Kit
Buy the kit, then add blister pads and ibuprofen. Those are the two things you'll actually use.
6. Fire
A lighter and some tinder in a bag. Not for cooking; for the night you don’t plan to spend out there.
7. Repair kit and tools
A knife or multitool, some duct tape wrapped around a water bottle, a couple of zip ties. Fixes trekking poles, packs, boots, and attitudes.
8. Nutrition
More food than you need. Hunger makes bad decisions, and the extra bar weighs an ounce.
9. Hydration
Water, plus a way to make more. A squeeze filter is the best $30 in the outdoors. With one in your pack, every stream is a refill.
Squeeze Water Filter
Weighs three ounces, filters a liter a minute, and means you never have to ration again. Carry it even on short hikes.
10. Emergency shelter
An emergency bivy or even a big trash bag. If you have to stop moving, you have to stay warm, and wind is what kills you.
The modern eleventh
Satellite Messenger with SOS
The one piece of gear you hope is a waste of money. Two-way texting without cell service and a real SOS button. Worth every cent if you hike alone.
If you hike alone, or anywhere without signal, a satellite messenger is the single biggest safety upgrade you can make. Two-way texting so someone knows you’re late and fine, plus an SOS button for when you’re not.
Packable Rain Shell
Stuffs into its own pocket, lives in the bottom of the pack, saves the day about twice a year.
