[pct-l] 10 essentials

[Devon Taig]

The ten so-called essentials list is below along with some comments. Of the
ten essentials, I bring only map,and compass all the time.  There are five
others (sunglasses,extra food,rain-gear,flashlight,first-aid kit) that are
often but not alway in my backpack. Three I don't bring at all
(knife,matches (I use lighter instead),firestarter (I carry a stove)).

1) *Map *- Yep. This is a must have
2) *Compass *- Yes for me, but I'm surprised how many hikers I see who don't
carry one or don't know how to use it properly (it does more than just point
north you know).  If you can't take a bearing with your compass, it's
probably not worth a whole heckuva lot.
3) *Sunglasses & sunscreen* - Hardly essential.  I suppose if you're hiking
naked on a glacier in July.  I rarely take sunscreen as I'm naturally pretty
tan and never burn.  Sunglasses on snow only.
4) *Extra food* - Food yes, Extra? Not so much.  I'm fat enough that I can
go a couple of days if really needed with no food.  On a 10 day backpack
trip, I bring 10 days worth of food.  But really, that does qualify as *extra
*food.  Even in the Sierra, you really are never more than a a few days hike
from a trailhead.
5) *Raingear/extra clothes* - Extra clothes, yes. Raingear? Maybe.  Depends
on where you are.  It's definitely not an essential everywhere particularly
if you have a tent,tarp,and sleeping bag (which strangely aren't on the
list).
6) *Headlamp/flashlight* - Been many times when I didn't have one.  If you
have a tent and plan to use it and not hike at night, then you really don't
have to have one.  More of a comfort than an essential.
7) *First Aid kit* - I once hike with an emergency room doctor who's first
aid kit was so minimal that it could hardly be called a kit.  His contention
was that his first-aid kit was between his ears. A couple bandages, yeah,
some neosporine, some pain killer.  I've heard mostly bad things about
snake-bite kits.  So, I guess this isn't really a necessity for me. If I'm
so badly injured (e.g mauled by a bear) that I can't hike out, it's doubtful
that anything in even the best first aid kit is really going to help...short
of that, I can hike out and get help.
8) *Fire starter* - Never used it.  I bring three lighters (one in my pocket
(stays dry), one with my stove (stays dry), one with the TP (hopefully stays
dry).  That's enough redundancy for me. But I guess this is more about
something flammable to burn, right? I dunno...I guess I trust myself in an
emergency situation to either stay in a reasonably dry tent/bag and/or find
enough dry sticks to start a fire.
9) *Matches *- I've never brought matches.  See above.
10) *Knife *- Of no value that I can think of.

*Notable in there absence*: Water/bottles,shelter,sleeping bag,whistle, a
dose of common-sense (e.g. do not free climb up the face of that 30' boulder
when it's a two day hike out to a hospital).