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

  1. #111
    Land-Scapegrace Heroique's Avatar
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    Re: Landscape hikers – “10 essentials” or not?

    Quote Originally Posted by David Lobato View Post
    ...Good judgment and awareness of one’s limitations are important...
    A slight tweak to this critical point: Putting together (or thinking through) an “essentials” kit – in advance of any particular hike – is a great way to condition greater awareness, and, therefore, safer behavior in the land you’re headed for.

    That is, being resourceful = developing awareness.

    Especially wise is the awareness that Mother Nature doesn’t care what you’re prepared for. (Source: Stephen Crane)
    Last edited by Heroique; 4-May-2012 at 14:14. Reason: Added important source information.

  2. #112

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

    Quote Originally Posted by Bill Burk View Post
    Map and Compass
    Sunglasses/spare glasses
    Whistle
    Signal mirror
    Eraser
    Pencil
    Gloves
    Level
    Cable release
    Toilet paper from an MRE shrink wrapped
    Poncho
    Steel and flint
    Needle and heavy duty thread
    Emery board
    Nailclipper
    Scissor from swiss army classic
    LED flashlight
    Duct tape
    Vivarin
    Leukotape
    Single-edge razor blade in protective shield
    Moleskin, Q-tips, Floss, sting relief and cleaning wipes, various bandages and Band-aids, steri-strips


    ...
    Replaced underlying photo to improve image quality. Also replaced the single edge razor. It's a "mini scraper" from Ace hardware with excess plastic cut off of it.

  3. #113

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

    Signal mirror? Seriously?

    No but I have brought all those items (except signal mirror haha) at times and in each case I would say...it depends. Hiking and backpacking is a complex activity with a broad list of possible situations, weather, and conditions. I've been a backpacker for decades. That is a good simple list for the inexperienced and novices but will make enthusiasts yawn.

    http://www.davidsenesac.com/Backpack...ckpacking.html

  4. #114

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

    Quote Originally Posted by David_Senesac View Post
    Signal mirror? Seriously?

    No but I have brought all those items (except signal mirror haha) at times and in each case I would say...it depends. Hiking and backpacking is a complex activity with a broad list of possible situations, weather, and conditions. I've been a backpacker for decades. That is a good simple list for the inexperienced and novices but will make enthusiasts yawn.

    http://www.davidsenesac.com/Backpack...ckpacking.html
    Wait! Isn't that a signal mirror next to the headlamp?

  5. #115

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

    Quote Originally Posted by Bill Burk View Post
    OK a declination story.

    My buddy Tom (Mr. Search and Rescue) and I were the only ones of the group who wanted to bag a peak on our first trip of many in the Sierra. We were camped at one of the Mills Creek Lakes and headed on a day hike to Mount Abbott for a nice walk-up. We got to the saddle and I aimed my compass at the appropriate bearing and started towards the mountain.

    It seemed like a really long approach, but with the top in sight, Tom decided to take a break. I did a bit more scrambling. It was a bit dicey but nothing worse than climbing the fireplace next to my house to get on the roof. So I get up and find the register.

    I yelled down... Hey Tom, this is Bear Creek Spire.... I'm NOT climbing down a Class 4 mountain without ropes.
    I took out the compass and map last weekend and checked the memory of this story with the facts on the map.

    It would be impossible for me to make this mistake due to any declination correction error. At the saddle, Mt. Abbott was 90-degrees to our left.

    I think the plausible explanation is that we set the bearing at camp. Then, having reached the saddle, continued on the original bearing. Not realizing we were on the correct bearing and had made the correct distance already... Now all we were supposed to do was turn left and walk up.

  6. #116

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

    This is an entertaining thread, but I must take exception to the signal mirror. If you are hiking in largely wooded terrain, that signal mirror is pretty useless. A loud whistle makes more sense. Headlamp with irritating "strobe" setting also works at night - carry extra set of lithium batteries for the headlamp.
    I like to carry the reusable silvered bivy bag, "just in case". A super-light hollow-fiber water squeeze filter (Sawyer) is great, also - 3 oz plus the plastic input water bag. At least 1.5 L water in bottles (there are streams), duct tape, a few foot bandaids and bigger bandages, tiny vial of soap, tiny towel, a knife, waterproof matches and and one or two stinky Esbit cubes, a few energy bars and gorp, the map and compass, dry socks, lightweight dry undies appropriate for season, large plastic bag, trash plastic bag, paper towel/TP in ziplock bag . 99% of the year is three-season hiking/camping in Missouri.

  7. #117
    http://www.spiritsofsilver.com tgtaylor's Avatar
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    Re: Landscape hikers – “10 essentials” or not?

    Carry a "good" compass - one that has a mirror for azimuth plotting. The mirror will serve for shaving and looking at your pretty face and singling (rescue helicopters don't land in wooded terrain). I also carry a whistle on the packs key lantern.

    You don't need extra lithium batteries for the head lamp unless you are on a very loooong trip.

    I stopped using water filters. You have to carry an iodine back-up anyway so I now just pack the iodine w/ neutralizer. Works every time and is light with zero bulk.

    Unless there will be a scarcity of water sources, 1/5 liters is too heavy. A 1-liter bottle is sufficient with an empty 1-liter bottle for cooking water or if the water supply unexpectedly dries up and you have to pack more. Figure 2.5lbs per liter.

    Foot Band-Aids? You're kidding, right? Wear liners and pack 2d Skin, or whatever they call it, for treating "hot spots" that develop on your feet. Wearing liners will prevent most blisters from forming but having your feet pre conditioned (toughened-up by pre-hike hikes) and wearing liners is best. Take your boots and socks off at regular intervals and examine your feet carefully for developing hot spots. It's also good to "air them out" at regular intervals. You take care of them, they take care of you.

    Thomas

  8. #118

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

    Quote Originally Posted by tgtaylor View Post
    Foot Band-Aids? You're kidding, right? Wear liners and pack 2d Skin, or whatever they call it, for treating "hot spots" that develop on your feet. Wearing liners will prevent most blisters from forming but having your feet pre conditioned (toughened-up by pre-hike hikes) and wearing liners is best. Take your boots and socks off at regular intervals and examine your feet carefully for developing hot spots. It's also good to "air them out" at regular intervals. You take care of them, they take care of you.

    Thomas
    You sound like a military person so you are the one to ask--are all liners the same? If not, what do you use? All-season?

    --Darin

  9. #119
    http://www.spiritsofsilver.com tgtaylor's Avatar
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    Re: Landscape hikers – “10 essentials” or not?

    As far as I know the military doesn't use liners - at least they didn't when I served. Outdoor suppliers like REI carry an assortment of liners. I buy the REI brand - they're cheaper than the brand names and do the same job. The liners are designed to whisk moisture away from your skin. Moist skin slipping backwards and forwards on a sock is what causes hot spots and eventually blisters to form. Removing your boots, socks, and liners and letting everything air (dry) out at intervals during the day will prevent blisters from forming.

    Thomas

  10. #120

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

    Quote Originally Posted by NancyP View Post
    This is an entertaining thread, but I must take exception to the signal mirror. If you are hiking in largely wooded terrain, that signal mirror is pretty useless.
    I've read Colin Fletcher's "The Complete Walker" where he explains the futility of the signal mirror. Red tarp was no good either against the red rock of the Grand Canyon. Smoky fire was what finally caught the pilot's attention. And Colin was only a few thousand feet away from the pre-planned drop-point. "Saw the smoke immediately, but you probably weren't moving the mirror enough. You have to wave the mirror wildly to be seen", said the pilot when they talked later.

    Now I hear SAR can pick up your cell phone trying to contact a tower... even if you can't get reception, they can find you from your signal. So keep those phone batteries charged and powered-up if you are lost.

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