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The 10 Essentials

Assorted hiking essentials on a white wooden surface, including gear, clothing, food, navigation tools, and first aid kit.

When you are recreating outside, whether that’s hiking, backpacking or climbing, it’s important to make sure you have the gear you need in case of an emergency. You never hope to actually use the 10 essentials – but if you’re caught in a bad situation, you’ll be glad you have them.

What are situations where the 10 essentials would be helpful?

  • If the weather changes rapidly while you’re out – as is common in mountaineous regions where storms can move in quickly or where the weather at the top of the mountain is drastically different than that at the bottom.
  • If you hurt yourself and it takes you longer to get down a trail than you expected – do you have the gear you need to stay out longer? What about overnight?
  • If you encounter others who are in need of help – do you have something that can be of assistance?

Again, in the ideal scenario you’ll never touch your 10 essentials. But these tools have been the difference between life and death in countless search and rescue situations. As a result, these tools are worth their weight!

Below are the 10 essentials that I always pack on every outing, no matter what:

1. Navigation

Do you know where you’re going? I subscribe to AllTrails Pro, which is about $35 a year. In exchange I can download every map I want and access it offline in case I get lost. I also have a compass. Somewhat related to navigation, I also carry subscribe and use a SPOT device which is used for emergency communication, but there are numerous other popular ones on the market including Garmin (Canadian link here). This is used to activate an SOS call in case something bad happens to you and you don’t have cell service.

A Garmin inReach Mini 2 GPS device displays a route map and distance information on its screen against a gray background.

2. Insulation

I always pack a hat and gloves, as well as a rain jacket / poncho and a puffy jacket (I have a Marmot puffy similar to this one – it packs down very small. Canadian link here). Even if it’s a warm day, if you get caught outside overnight or if it rains and you’re soaked through, you’ll be glad to have some extra clothes. I always bring some hot hands hand warmers too.

A person wearing a black puffer jacket, light-colored beanie, and jeans stands facing forward with one hand in their pocket.

3. Sun Protection

I always pack a sunhat (this is my current fave), sunglasses (I’ve been pretty loyal to Tifosi brand due to the polarization) and sunscreen.

Black baseball cap with The North Face logo in white on the front.

4. Illumination

I always pack a headlamp (Canadian link here) and a ziplock with extra batteries.

A Petzl headlamp with a yellow and black adjustable strap and a front-mounted LED light.

5. First Aid

I have a kit with bandaids, medicines, and an ace bandage. You can buy a complete kit from Backcountry.

A comprehensive medical kit with bandages, medication, gloves, scissors, tape, documents, and various first aid supplies arranged neatly.

6. Fire

I carry waterproof matches and fire starter in a kit that is waterproof. This is used for emergency signals or for heat.

A green waterproof match case with the cap removed, showing red-tipped matches inside.

7. Repair Kit and Tools

I carry a Swiss army knife and duct tape – useful for any situation!

A Swiss Army Rescue Tool with multiple open stainless steel blades and tools, featuring a black handle labeled Rescue Tool.

8. Nutrition

I pack extra Clif bars (my favorite flavor is cool mint!) and other electrolyte drink powders like nuun in case I’m caught hiking longer than expected.

Six varieties of Clif Bar energy bars in their packaging, including chocolate and peanut butter flavors, are displayed in two rows.

9. Hydration

I always pack at least half a liter more of water than I need, plus iodine tablets in case I need to purify more water on the go or my handy Platypus gravity filtration kit (Canadian link here).

Two hanging water bags labeled Dirty and Clean are connected by tubes, forming a gravity water filtration system.

10. Emergency Shelter

If you do get caught in a storm or on a trail overnight unprepared, it’s helpful to bring an emergency bivy or emergency blanket.

A box of SOL Emergency Bivvy showing two people in a green bivvy sack in a snowy forest, with product features listed on the front.

 

Rebecca runs The Adventure Beckons, a travel and outdoor adventure blog based in Vancouver, British Columbia. As an experienced traveler to over 40 countries and counting, she provides her readers with practical travel itineraries from day trips to multi-week adventures. She strives to balance nature and hiking with the must-see tourist highlights that are genuinely worth your time and money.

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