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THE TEN ESSENTIALS

Let's begin our gear discussion with a bit about survival -- since survival gear is pretty fundamental. There are an awful lot of "ten essentials" lists. I've bought into this philosophy myself. But you have to wonder: why ten? What if the eleventh essential is the one that would really save your bacon? I think there are ten essentials for the same reason the are "three strikes" laws: it's a catchy number that's easy to remember. I propose, heretofore, that it has no basis in logic or necessity, and is in fact a construct designed more to be easy to remember, than to be practical.

So forget about the ten essentials.

THE RULE OF THREES:

Now that you've cleared a little cerebral room by blowing out the ten essentials, put that extra memory to good use with this: prioritize your survival needs with the Rule Of Threes. You can live:

Three MINUTES without oxygen -- so stop that arterial bleeding!

Three HOURS without shelter -- so string up that survival blanket/tarp, put on your dry clothes, and get a fire going!

Three DAYS without water -- purify!

Three WEEKS without food -- by which time you'll very likely be either rescued, or dead from one of the other issues listed above. In winter, extra food is good to keep you warm.

Remember, instead, that there are some items that, while they won't guarantee your survival, will make it more likely. Don't go anywhere, anytime, in any season, without these. Bring them on every 3-hour dayhike. Put them under your pillow at night. Live with them. Learn them. Love them. I've known two people who had to be rescued from the mountains. In both cases they had just enough of the essentials to ward off hypothermia (see "Rule of Threes" in sidebar) but not enough to get themselves out, though if they'd been fully-equipped they would have been able to self-rescue. The point being, survival gear works but only if you have it with you.

And, I might add, only if you know what to do with it. Make sure you learn how to use all the different parts in a controlled situation, before all your carefully-laid plans have gone South. Necessity may be the mother of invention - and desperation must certainly be the grandaddy - but trying to learn in an emergency situation is a recipe for disaster. You'll note I don't list any commercially-made $10-20 all-in-one survival kits. Personally I'd rather have a reflective blanket, knife, and matches than a bouillon cube, fishing line, and a Band-Aid. Call me crazy.

CANDLE or FIRESTARTERS: Matches are great, but why risk squandering them? Use one match to light a candle or a firestarter (either the pressed-sawdust commercial version, or cotton balls soaked in Vaseline), which will burn a while and give you time to get your fire going.

EXTRA CLOTHES: When the sun goes down and your clothes are soaked from wandering lost through the snowdrifts, changing clothes -- or at least adding layers -- can boost your morale and stave off hypothermia long enough for you to get a fire going. And if you have no fire, a few extra layers may keep you warm enough to make it through the night in your emergency bivy. At the very least, bring a warm hat.

MAP/COMPASS: You'd never go out without these, would you? But have you ever practiced navigating with a map and compass when you can't see any landmarks? If not, why bother bringing them? A compass is one of those items that, in my experience, many people bring and few actually know how to use.

SURVIVAL BLANKET: You know these, the foil things that reflect 4,687% of your body heat (not really). I never go anywhere without one, but don't count on one to save you from all circumstances, especially in winter. They'll block wind and reflect heat, true, but they have no insulation and they won't stop heat loss through conduction. Plus they hold in moisture, which means that after having one wrapped around you for a while you'll be damp. Also useful as the inner layer of a survival shelter.

FLASHLIGHT: Really, is there any substitute for a flashlight? No, though GLOW STICKS are as good -- even better in some ways, since they won't run out of batteries -- as long as you're not planning on walking anywhere in the dark.

MIRROR: Great for reflecting sunlight to potential rescuers (also, I have learned, for reflecting spotlights at night, such as those from helicopters). Like a compass, you need to practice with this ahead of time (note that the mirror to the left includes the same whistle listed below -- quite a bargain!).

WHISTLE: Carries much farther than a human voice, and takes less energy than shouting. Essential.

FIRST-AID KIT: You can probably get by with a piece of duct tape for most little cuts, but a first-aid kit is a good idea. Just remember that things like antibiotic ointment might freeze.

EXTRA FOOD: This is good, since calories keep you warm (see Food).

WATER: Begin your recreational activity with a bottle/bladder/canteen/container full of water. Keep in mind that it may, through careful use, become empty before you are back in front a faucet. Plan for this. For winter camping I recommend a wide-mouth bottle -- like a Nalgene -- that you carry upside-down so the neck doesn't freeze closed.

WATER PURIFICATION TABS or FILTER: To refill your water bottle from wild water sources. In winter, assuming you can build a fire and have a pot to heat water in, you can either melt snow or boil wild water (filters can freeze anyway, and some purification tabs don't work well when it's cold).

KNIFE: Holy mackerel, this is a biggie. You can make tools, split wood, build shelters, conserve precious resources, all thanks to a knife. If I could choose one single survival tool to be equipped with, it would be a knife. Multi-tool give you little extras -- like pliers and a little saw -- that aren't essential but come in handy.

MATCHES: You know the old joke: it's easy to make fire by rubbing two sticks together if one of them is a match? This is true. I know how to make fire by rubbing sticks together. I've done it a bunch of times. And I never go out in the woods without macthes, and also maybe a lighter (with matches as a backup). The theory of building a fire without matches is pretty simple, but in practice it requires nearly-perfect technique to work. Especially in winter, matches are a necessity (as is being a competent fire-builder; otherwise you'll just waste your matches). An alternative to matches is a MAGNESIUM FIRESTARTER, which is a wonderful thing but which requires a knife to work( so carry your knife!).

INTERNAL FRAMES.

Internal frames tend to provide better balance for activities like skiing and snowshoeing. However, remember you'll need to factor in the load of your pack when choosing skis or snowshoes, as the extra weight will make you sink deeper into the snow.

Internal frames, body-huggers that they are, tend to make your back sweaty; this isn't much of a problem while you're wearing one, but it's a chilly situation when you take the pack off, and a real mind-blowing, toe-curling spinal freeze when you put it back on.