Page 3 of 26 FirstFirst 1234513 ... LastLast
Results 21 to 30 of 255

Thread: Landscape hikers – “10 essentials” or not?

  1. #21
    Scott Walker's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2010
    Location
    Okotoks (rural), Alberta, Canada
    Posts
    956

    Re: Landscape hikers – “10 essentials” or not?

    Quote Originally Posted by Heroique View Post
    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.

  2. #22
    Drew Wiley
    Join Date
    Sep 2008
    Location
    SF Bay area, CA
    Posts
    18,338

    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.

  3. #23
    ROL's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2008
    Location
    California
    Posts
    1,370

    Re: Landscape hikers – “10 essentials” or not?

    Quote Originally Posted by Bill Burk View Post
    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.

  4. #24

    Join Date
    Feb 2006
    Posts
    3,142

    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.
    One man's Mede is another man's Persian.

  5. #25
    Scott Walker's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2010
    Location
    Okotoks (rural), Alberta, Canada
    Posts
    956

    Re: Landscape hikers – “10 essentials” or not?

    Quote Originally Posted by E. von Hoegh View Post
    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.

  6. #26
    Drew Wiley
    Join Date
    Sep 2008
    Location
    SF Bay area, CA
    Posts
    18,338

    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.

  7. #27

    Join Date
    Dec 2009
    Location
    Pacifica, CA
    Posts
    1,710

    Re: Landscape hikers – “10 essentials” or not?

    Quote Originally Posted by ROL View Post
    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.

  8. #28

    Join Date
    Feb 2006
    Posts
    3,142

    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.
    One man's Mede is another man's Persian.

  9. #29
    Steve Smith's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
    Location
    Isle of Wight, near England
    Posts
    707

    Re: Landscape hikers – “10 essentials” or not?

    Quote Originally Posted by E. von Hoegh View Post
    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.

  10. #30
    Land-Scapegrace Heroique's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2008
    Location
    Seattle, Wash.
    Posts
    2,929

    Re: Landscape hikers – “10 essentials” or not?

    Quote Originally Posted by Drew Wiley View Post
    ...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”)

Similar Threads

  1. LF hikers ― is “Map & Compass” a dying art?
    By Heroique in forum Style & Technique
    Replies: 195
    Last Post: 7-Mar-2014, 10:39
  2. California Landscape
    By belle in forum Image Sharing (LF) & Discussion
    Replies: 81
    Last Post: 1-Nov-2013, 15:14
  3. B&W landscape photography
    By Ugo in forum On Photography
    Replies: 51
    Last Post: 30-Mar-2005, 08:39
  4. MF vs LF for landscape
    By Larry Gaskill in forum Style & Technique
    Replies: 6
    Last Post: 29-Nov-2000, 00:04

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •