Re: Landscape hikers – “10 essentials” or not?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Heroique
Do you always carry the famous 10 – or just this or that item, depending on hiking terrain, distance & duration?
If you have to make a choice, does your photo gear trump the essentials, or do the essentials trump the gear?
What lessons can you share for the over-burdened LF photographer? ;^)
1. Topographic map (rarely, GPS has taken over in this department, but I still use topo maps on occasion)
2. Compass (always)
3. Flashlight/spare parts (flashlight with extra bulb & batteries, always)
4. Extra food/water/clothing (extra water and Potable water pills, always)
5. Sun protection (never)
6. Matches (never, I carry a flint)
7. Knife (always, I have a skinner attached to my backpack harness plus I almost always have my SOG folder in my pocket)
8. Signal mirror (always, it's attached to the compass)
9. First aid kit (always)
10. Emergency shelter (never)
A few other things that I always carry are a cable saw, fire-starter, and flint. I usually have a GPS with me as well.
Re: Landscape hikers – “10 essentials” or not?
Yes indeed! When things get rough, the most important piece of equipment is your brain.
Think; don't panic. But experience sure helps. Most of the places I go a cell phone is worthless. You can't get reception in the mtns or even much of the coastline. And if you're worried about getting fined for use of matches, then why don't you just ask the Ranger giving you the ticket to rescue you! No first aid??? I wouldn't even travel in the
truck without that.
Re: Landscape hikers – “10 essentials” or not?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Bill Burk
I highly recommend an online community hosted by a small commercial outfit called Backpacking Light.
Having followed a number of links over the past few years to "Backpacking Light", I am continually pissed off by their marketing scheme requiring payment to read information which can be found elsewhere, written first hand. Others have found more open ways to monetize their web-based passions. It is IMO, the most egregious of a "spend more to carry less" bologna paradigm.
Re: Landscape hikers – “10 essentials” or not?
So guys, which essential items do you pack when going into a big city? Any major metropolitan area is infinitely more dangerous than the woods.
You're going into the woods to take pictures, not on an expedition into the Gobi desert.
Re: Landscape hikers – “10 essentials” or not?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
E. von Hoegh
So guys, which essential items do you pack when going into a big city? Any major metropolitan area is infinitely more dangerous than the woods.
You're going into the woods to take pictures, not on an expedition into the Gobi desert.
The only time I take the essentials out of my pack is to test them or use them, that way I can't need them someday and discover that they aren't there.
Re: Landscape hikers – “10 essentials” or not?
In this era of techie gadget obsession I find it ironic that people who don't even know how
to read a topo map think a GPS will make them safe. I've run into flatlanders on the verge
of heading right to a cliff or toward some massive goge by following those devices without
sufficient experience with the terrain in general. And even in autos they've been know to
lead folks down some deadend backroad or across the gang-infested part of town. Several
well publicized tragedies in that category. I have a compass in my first aid kit but have never actually had to use a compass in my entire life. If you're a beginner it's best to tag
along with someone with actual experience before entering backcountry. Someone who
doesn't want to carry what I call the essentials ain't traveling with me, that's for sure.
Just one hike last fall to me where two search & rescues ended by finding the hypotherimic
bodies, just because someone forgot their parka that day.
Re: Landscape hikers – “10 essentials” or not?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
ROL
Having followed a number of links over the past few years to "Backpacking Light", I am continually pissed off by their marketing scheme requiring payment to read information which can be found elsewhere, written first hand. Others have found more open ways to monetize their web-based passions. It is IMO, the most egregious of a "spend more to carry less" bologna paradigm.
I also have a similar aversion to Consumer Reports. But when I try using alternative, free sites to obtain the same information I find exceedingly poor organization of info. For example... Went to buy a washer and found "desired feature" categories are organized by the feature as named by the manufacturer. There are about a hundred "features." You can't just pick "steam clean" you have to know it's called "SanitizeTM".
I subscribed to Backpacking Light for two years and enjoyed it immensely. Got my value out of it. Now I don't subscribe. But I know what you mean. The paid articles were fun while I had a premium account. But that's not where their site's greatest value comes. I sometimes miss having free access to the paid articles, but I know they are the "value added" part of the site. It's like the Gallery on a site many of us also participate in. Worth the price but not necessary for participation.
Their online forum is free.
Re: Landscape hikers – “10 essentials” or not?
Interesting that none of the "experts" have mentioned the second most important equipment, after your brain. Adequate footware, that is.
Re: Landscape hikers – “10 essentials” or not?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
E. von Hoegh
Interesting that none of the "experts" have mentioned the second most important equipment, after your brain. Adequate footware, that is.
That's true. I wear walking boots all the time (except in bed) so I have an excuse!
Steve.
Re: Landscape hikers – “10 essentials” or not?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Drew Wiley
...I find it ironic that people who don't even know how to read a topo map think a GPS will make them safe...
And if you’re “stuck” w/ a real compass (I carry two), be sure to check your area’s magnetic declination – the difference between true north and magnetic (compass) north. It’s usually stated on any good topo map.
In my local Washington mountains, there’s an 18-20ş (E) declination!
I’d get lost real fast if I didn’t subtract that amount from my compass readings.
(To apply correction: “East is least, West is best”)