The Ten Essentials list was first presented in the 1930s in an article that appeared in a Mountaineers newsletter. It attempted to list the ten most important survival items for an outdoors man to carry- and it did a pretty good job. Of course, any list of ten items isn’t going to be perfect, and will fail to cover everything. As a basic introduction into what is important, though, it is quite good and held in high regard.
So without further adieu, the Ten Essentials list:
1) Strike anywhere matches- it’s important to have strike anywhere matches, and not strike on box matches, and they’re easily confused. The latter become useless if the box becomes wet. Place them in a waterproof box, with a piece of emery board as a striker.
2) Fire starter- always include some fire starter in your waterproof case. There will be times when it will just be impossible to get a fire started without it. If you find yourself in such times, you’ll be glad you have it.
3) A map- a lot of trouble people have gotten into could have been avoided if they had a map of the area. Don’t make this mistake- be prepared.
4) A compass- and know how to use it.
5) A flashlight- with extra batteries and an extra bulb.
6) Extra food- supplies you with energy, keeps you thinking clearly, and helps ward of hypothermia in cold wet weather.
7) Extra clothing- a rain coat and a good wool hat are essential. A rain coat keeps you dry in rain and protects you from wind. A large amount of body heat is lost through the head, hence the hat.
8) Sunglasses- helpful in sunny or snow covered environments.
9) First Aid Kit- always essential.
10) Pocket knife- Go for a multi-use, Swiss army style knife.
Check out this article for more details on building your own wilderness survival kit.
Good luck and stay prepared!
Hey Rambo – nice looking site here.
One thing I’d add to all of the outdoor survival kits is a good sturdy knife, not just a Swiss style (which are great by the way.) A good survival knife is essential for cutting wood and general use around the camp. I wouldn’t make it a huge knife, but something sturdy and dependable.
Good luck with your writing.
-Jarhead
Congratulations on a wonderful and informative site. Best of luck in the future. I’ll keep watching.
(Canadian ex-army prepper)
Thanks for the kind words, guys!
@JS: I agree, this was an article written in the 1930s, and it’s simplicity is both great as intro but lacks much. I wrote an article on building a wilderness survival kit (http://preparedforthat.com/?p=22) which goes into a lot more detail on other helpful items.
essential imformation to ill imformed great work guys and gals keep it coming everybody needs to know this stuff turns ordinary people into well versed individuals