Survival Skills: Carry The 10 Essentials

Ask a hundred outdoor enthusiasts to write up a shopping list for a wilderness survival kit and you’ll get a hundred different lists. The same is true for preppers building disaster preparedness kits or picking which EDC gear to carry. We all like different products and worry about different scenarios. As individuals, we also have different skill sets and very different budgets. What we do have in common are the same needs.

We all need shelter, water, and food every day. In an emergency, we’ll also have a high likelihood that we need first aid, lighting, signaling and navigation equipment. The simplest “survival priorities” list (shelter, water, fire and food) can help us build a kit for many situations (especially in the backcountry), but the more refined “ten essentials” list will give us the tools for all types of scenarios. The original list of the “ten essentials” was created by Seattle-based group called the Mountaineers in the 1930’s. This simple list of supplies would help a mountain climber during an accident or emergency, and it provided a support system if someone had to spend an unexpected night in the outdoors (or stay out there even longer). In recent years, the group has revamped the list to focus on systems, rather than specific pieces of gear.

The Ten Essentials as "Systems"

1.Navigation (map and compass)

2.Protection (sunglasses, sunscreen, and for some folks - weapons)

3.Insulation (extra clothing)

4.Lighting (headlamp/flashlight)

5.First-aid supplies

6.Fire building (waterproof matches/lighter/fuel packets)

7.Repair kit and tools

8.Nutrition (extra food)

9.Hydration (extra water)

10.Emergency shelter

The original list had some indispensable items on it, like compass, matches, knife, and food. Today’s system-based list, however, doesn’t limit you to ten separate items. You build your own kit based on the things you’d need for your environment and season. Whatever you pack, just make sure your kit contains the game changers for survival – hydration, emergency shelter, first aid, navigation, fire and signaling. These are the most likely elements for survival that you will need.

Ready to do survival skills instead of just reading about them? Join us for a Wilderness Survival class and learn how to build the best wilderness survival kit for your unique needs.

Written by Tim MacWelch First draft published on outdoorlife.com