The sun is out, the snow is melting, flowers are blooming and the mud is drying. Add it all up and summer is here and it’s time to bust out those hiking boots!

That means it’s time to get your gear organized, so you can grab-n-go and get out on the trail quicker! I am a follower of the Girl Scouts’ motto, “Always be prepared.” So what are some things you should hike with, so that you are prepared for any situation?

The “Ten Essentials” were originally written by the Mountaineers in the 1930s and includes a list of things you should pack any time you head into the wilderness. They made an update to this list in 2003, to include “systems” rather than items. Below is the list, and why I believe that carrying these things are important! I keep my hiking pack next to the door, ready to go at a moment’s notice. I have it pre-packed with my “Essentials” so all I have to do is grab it, stuff in some clothes and a lunch and run out the door. This list looks pretty big, but many items do double-duty, or they weigh very little.

 

 

Murphy’s Law states that if anything can go wrong, it will go wrong. When you leave home unprepared, you are bound to wish you hadn’t! Best case scenario, maybe you get wet and cold or you suffer through a blister. Worst case scenario, maybe you need outside help and need to spend a night or two outside waiting for help to come. Are you ready for the worst to happen? It sounds like a lot of gear, but really they are all very small items. I can fit everything into my smallest daypack with room to spare! Pull together your “Ten Essentials” and pre-pack your bag so you are ready to go!

 

 

 

1.  Navigation

This used to mean a map and compass. In the modern, electronic age, this can also mean a GPS. The only problem with electronics is that sometimes, they don’t work!! You could drop it on a rock, get water on the inside, or forget to load maps. So always have a backup. If you rely on your GPS, that means have extra batteries AND a map. I won’t hike anywhere without a topographic map of the area! Same thing with a compass. There is usually one built into your GPS. Do you have a backup? (Pro Tip: Most smartphones have a compass built in now).

 

2.  Sun Protection

This can mean a hat on a super hot and sunny day. Better pack along some backup sunscreen as well. Someone I know flipped his ATV in the hot, Arizona desert and spent hours outside waiting for help. You can bet he got pretty sunburned and was wishing for some sunscreen. If you are in the snow or at high altitude, it’s super important to pack good sunglasses as well. If you don’t have good eye protection in the snow, you can burn the cornea of your eye, which causes “Snow Blindness.” It HURTS. A LOT. And I can’t imagine it is fun to have someone else walk you down a mountain because you can’t see and your eyes are burning in their sockets.

 

3.  Insulation

No one likes to pack around layers that they don’t need, so think lightweight and things that will double-duty. I like to plan for all four seasons in one afternoon, because hey, it’s the mountains! For example, carrying a rain shell will block wind and keep you warm, as well as fend off the rain gods who will smite you with watery abundance if you forget your rain shell at home! Down is always great as it packs down so small and provides ample warmth, but of course is completely useless if it’s wet out. Newer synthetics are lighter and more packable all the time and are much better in a damper atmosphere. Think Patagonia’s Nanopuff jacket. Cotton is not your friend, so don’t pack it.

 

4.  Illumination

There is nothing that sucks more than getting stuck out after dark with no light. I’ve done it twice now and I swear I will never leave home without a head lamp. EVER. AGAIN. The first time, our day hike turned into a 16 hour off-trail, long-way-round adventure. We rolled into camp around midnight, but could have made it way faster if I could have seen where I was going and wasn’t trying to edge my way along a cliff in the dark. The second time was a cross-country ski adventure gone wrong. We made our way back by the headlights of cars along the road, but again, could have been much safer and faster if we had light. Headlamps are awesome because they are hands-free and very light. Flashlights, less so, but will still work in a pinch. Glow sticks… really? Who packs those things anyways? Don’t forget a backup (or extra batteries). Nothing worse than having a light that doesn’t work!

 

5.  First Aid Kit

I’m the first to admit – I LOVE arts and crafts. Fixing blisters, taping ankles, fashioning a 3-sided occlusive dressing out of a ziploc, making a traction splint out of a ski, backpack and webbing… MacGyver is my hero. But realistically, what should you really carry in your first aid kit? The number one cause of injury in the wilderness is slips, trips and falls. So some basics to clean up bloody scrapes are pretty important. Gauze, band-aids, non-stick pads, some antibiotic ointment are pretty key. You should also pack some blister-fixes as that is the other most common injury. Blister pads by 3M are fantastic. Hold them on with super glue, tincture of benzoin or good-ol’ duct tape. Other things that are hard to improvise in the woods: tweezers, nail clippers or a knife, safety pins and some sort of sting/bite cream. Ladies – pack a spare tampon or two – it can double as gauze for wound treatment and saves you (or a friend) in a girl-mergency! As far as meds go, I always bring Ibuprofen, Benadryl and Imodium (hey – you never know). If you are have severe allergies, don’t forget your epi-pen. Generally those basics will get you through and you can improvise the rest!

 

6.  Fire

Matches are great, but only if they stay dry, so double-Ziploc those puppies. Don’t forget to rip off the striker strip to include in the bag if you don’t have strike-anywhere matches.   I always throw a lighter in my first aid kit. It doubles to sterilize needles for popping blisters. More importantly, know how to make a fire! Those fancy lighter sticks that throw off sparks? Cool, but you better practice using it.

 

7.  Repair Kit and tools

Again – these are things I keep in my first aid kit, to consolidate. Think an extra boot lace, duct tape and a multi-tool or pocket knife. These small items can help you out in a bind. Some things I have done with duct tape in the backcountry: Attached the sole of my boot back on, fixed a hole in a jacket, fixed a hole in a tent, fixed a seam in my sleeping bag from hemorrhaging feathers, fixed blisters on my feet, fixed broken saddle parts. Heck – I’m pretty sure I could fix the wing of a jet fighter with the stuff. It’s the most versatile repair equipment out there. Roll duct tape off a big store-bought roll onto a tinier roll you can tuck in your first aid kit. Or, for the truly committed, re-wrap a roll around your water bottle. For a knife, I pack a simple serrated blade for eating, etc. A true MacGyver will use a multi-tool like a Leatherman or Gerber, for fixing stoves, backpacks and generally looking cool at dinner.

 

8.  Nutrition

This just means pack more food than you will need, because you never know what’s gonna happen! If you are ultra-light day hiking, pack three bars instead of one. I always keep a few Luna bars stashed in my pack and some treats for Scotty dog. These never come out, unless they get eaten! If you are backpacking, plan bigger lunches that you think you’ll need. I don’t know about you, but I can gorge myself on GORP all day long, so I LOVE bringing extra. Of course, we all do best out on the trail when we are well-fed. I don’t know about you, but I get super hangry when I’m tired and don’t have food on hand. And no one wants a hangry hiking buddy in an emergency. Ask me how well I did on my 16 hour off-trail death-march when we ran out of food at 3pm….

 

9.  Hydration

Same philosophy as above goes for water. Pack more than you think you’ll need. The general recommendation is to pack 2-4 Liters on a normal day. Remember that wind and sun will both dehydrate you. If it’s a 85 degrees and there won’t be shade, you better pack more! If you have access to water on your hike, you can also carry a backup with a lightweight water filter (Sawyer makes a great one) or iodine tablets and fill up whenever you can.   Water is the one thing you truly can’t live without for very long, so always pack more than you think you’ll need! The extra weight will just make you stronger!

 

10.  Emergency Shelter

You don’t need to pack a tent on a day hike, but you should probably be prepared to spend the night outside. I’m a big fan of keeping a little space blanket in your first aid kit to keep you warm overnight.   It doesn’t weigh hardly anything and it doubles as an emergency beacon if you put it on the ground, shiny side up. You can also bring along a piece of tarp to roll up in, or an ultra-light foam pad to keep you insulated from the ground.