The Ten Essentials
—A Systems Approach
The Mountaineers, Seattle

Back in the early 1930's when mountain accidents were not that uncommon, The Mountaineers, a Seattle, WA based climbing club, studied the causes and what might have prevented or reduced the severity of accidents and increased the rate of survival.

They devised a list of ten items that should always be carried on outings. These items are directly related to increasing the likelihood of survival in case of accidents, etc. This list became known as the "Ten Essentials". The list has evolved over time from a list of individual items to a list of functional systems; the updated Ten Essential Systems list is included in Mountaineering: The Freedom of the Hills, 7th Edition.

Ten Essentials: The Classic List
Extra clothing
Extra food
Map
Compass
Matches
Fire starter
First-aid supplies
Knife
Headlamp/flashlight
Sunglasses and sunscreen


Ten Essential Systems: the updated system approach

Insulation (extra clothing)
Emergency shelter (tent/plastic tube tent/garbage bag)
Hydration (extra water)
Nutrition (extra food)
Navigation (map & compass)
Fire (waterproof matches/lighter/candle)
First-aid supplies
Repair kit and tools (knife)
Illumination (headlamp/flashlight)
Sun protection (sunglasses & sunscreen)

Other useful items





Adapted from Mountaineering: Freedom of the Hills, 7th Edition by The Mountaineers
 The Mountaineers Books, $26.95 (paperback), $37.95 (hardback).

The Practical Ten Essentials Kit

In the links above, I give my rationale for choosing certain features of each item from the viewpoint of creating a practical kit, meaning one that is light enough to carry at all times, usable for a survival situation and reasonable in cost.


Jim Yuen, March 2002
revised Sept 2008

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