I learned about the idea of a 10 essentials kits at the West Coast Adventure College
These are 10 things you should pack with you whenever you venture out on an adventure into nature
They will help you get through many of the challenge mother nature and adventure sports will throw at you and make many other situations more enjoyable
To be caught without 1 of the 10 essentials in the certain situations can be at the least unpleasant and utterly disastrous in others
Pack your 10 essentials in a sleek bag so you can take them with you on everywhere adventure and leave them in your car the rest of the time
The 10 essentials
- Water
- Rope
- Fire starter
- Multitool
- Whistle
- Compass
- Waterproof paper and pen
- Emergency poncho
- First aid kit
- Instruction manual
Water
Always bring water
Bring a water filter on over night trips or if you could end up outside overnight if things go wrong
Rope
Setting up a tarp can get you out of the worst storms the Pacific NorthWest can throw at you
You need rope to set up a tarp
You also need rope to cache your food away from bears
And it can be used to repair gear and tie things down
Good rope as light and thin as you can get for the loads and strain you expect plus a bit extra to stay relaxed for storms
The wrong rope can add needless weight to your kit and take up too much space
Fire Starter
Forget about your fantasy to start a fire with flint.
Get a never fail fire starter so you never have to mess around with flint when you are cold, it's raining, and the wood is wet
A butane powered fire starter can be used to warm up wet tinder and sustain enough heat to get a fire started on the wettest of days on the west coast of Vancouver Island.
Use a special fire starting material to super charge your kit.
A decent fire starting kit should get you a warm fire within 10 minutes
Multitool
It has a knife, pliers, and screw drivers. It should help you in most situations. I've had a Leatherman Super Tool 300 for over 10 years and I still take it with me on every adventure
Whistle
No need to yell, just blow your whistle if you need help. want to get someones attention.
You won't need it often but you'll be glad you have it when you do need it.
Compass
The forest is thick on Vancouver Island and the fog can set in within minutes on the water. Instead of getting disoriented and stressed out, use a compass and keep going the right way
Waterproof Pen & Paper
Warn people about wasps, and anything else.
Emergency Poncho
In the worst case scenario, you should have windproof, water proof emergency poncho lined with heat reflecting material so you can always escape from the elements and preserve body heat
First Aid Kit
You need to be able to treat minor cuts and injuries
Ideally, you should be able to handle any potential injuries that could occur
But some first aid is generally better than none
Tape
A good adventurer can fix almost anything with tape. Don't be caught lacking tape.
For space efficiency, you can wrap tape around a small plastic card
Summary
The 10 essentials kit is 10 things you need to bring on every adventure. They will help you through most of the challenges you will experience on your adventures. To be caught without 1 of the 10 essentials in some situations could be disasterous