10 Essentials

 If you spend any amount of time hiking or camping you've likely heard of the 10 essentials. So here is how I handled them both camping and hiking. It should be noted that I don't do long hikes. I capped out this summer at about 4.5 hours on the trails and no longer than 7 miles a day. 

1- Navigation

    Car- Google Maps, Paper Map I pick up as I enter each new state, off line maps

    Hiking- All Trails both online and office map options. I also have a Satelite com system for emergencies. 

2- Sun protection

    Car- Sun Shade for when I was parked. Sun Glasses and Sun Screen

    Hiking- Sun Screen especially in stick form made it easier to re-apply on trail. Wide brim hat. UPF clothing from Eddie Bauer. 

3- Insulation

    Car- I have heated seats

    Tent- 40-degree bag + synthetic Quilt 

    Hiking- Wool hiking sock, Down Puffy Jacket and Rain Coat, Thin but warm layers 

4- Illumination 

    Car- Flares in case of emergency and reflective vest for visibility on the road

    Hiking/Tent- Rechargeable head lamps- I had 2 in case on ran out. A normal flashlight with 3 intensity settings. 

5- First Aid

    Car- The kit in my car had everything, over the counter and prescription medications, extra band aids, disinfectant, Epi Pens, Instant Ice Pack and Instant hot patch. 

    Hiking- I always carry my epi-pens and a small pill box that has a limited supply of all the larger bottles that are in the car kit. Extra sunscreen, lukotape, and bandaids, as well as 2 electrolyte pack. 

6- Fire

    Car- Water proof matches, 2 different cooking methods and a fire blanket to aid in putting out a fire. 

    Hiking- 3 water proof matches in my First Aid kit. 

7- Repair kit

    Car/ Tent- Repair kit for my tent and sleep pad. 

    Hiking- I don't bring one as I'm not taking anything with me that would require a repair kit. 

8- Nutrition

    Car - 2 Bins of dried food/shelf stable items and 2 coolers. 1 Small cooler for beverages and 1 larger cooler for meat, dairy and other perishable items. 

    Hiking- Snacks, both sweet and salty to take on the hike. 

9- Hydration

    Car- I purchased two 3-Litre bottles a year ago and just keep filling them up. They are the perfect size for me to navigate with and there is always somewhere to fill up water jugs. They also make it easy to re-fill my own bottles. I always have at least 1 filled.  I also have two 1-Litre bottles of water and a 2-Litre water bladder. When everything is full I am carrying 10 Litres of water the minimum I ever allow in the car is 3 Litres. 

    Hiking- In cooler weather I carried two 1-litre bottles. 1 Bottle was pure water and the other had electrolyte powder in it.  As the weather got hotter and hikes more difficult I increased to 2-3 Litres of plain water and 1 Litre of Electrolytes.  It was on a trip where i was maxed out with 4-Litres that I actually ran out of water on a hike- I only had .2 miles left, but it wasn't fun to realized if I'd been any further back that I could have been in some serious trouble.  

10- Emergency Shelter

    Camping- My car is my emergency shelter.  When I camp I'm always within 100 feet of my vehicle so if something goes wrong with my tent, I will get in my car.  On this trip I experienced several major storms in which me being in my tent is the only thing keeping the tent on the grown, so I can't imagine switching to my car, but it's always an option. 

    Hiking- I carry one of those really small emergency bivvy bags. It basically is like an emergency blanket but triangular in shape. 

My Other Hiking Essentials:

Day Pack- I used to carry a 30 litre day pack it was way to big. So the last gift from my ex this past Christmas has really been a nice addition to my gear. I use a 20 Litre Ultimate Direction day pack and it's truly the perfect size for me. 

Proper Footwear- I love my trail runners.  I use Altra Lone Peaks. I use to believe you needed a high ankle support- but that's just not been the case for me.  The big toe box and zero heel drop has been a game changer to help me enjoy hikes- Also they are obnoxiously brightly colored and I love that about them. 

Support for when Nature Calls- A carry a small trowel (which is completely useless in the dessert and rocky onlytrails), a spray hand sanitizer and a kula cloth (alternative to TP)

Emergency Support- 

    Car- Self- Jumper Cables - can also be used to charge electronics in an emergency. AAA membership- I get the Premium any time I have a big road trip planned. Worth the peace of mind. 

    Hiking- I went with a Zoleo- I thankfully didn't need it but I'm glad I had it. Again it takes away the anxiety to know it's there if needed. I liked being able to text my parents that I got to a remote campsite that I otherwise would not have had any service.