10 Hiking Essentials!

10 Hiking Essentials
1. Water	Water is the most vital necessity in a survival situation. You can' t live long without it, especially in the desert where you lose water rapidly through perspiration. Your body loses fluid as a result of heat, cold, stress and exertion. Even in cold areas, you need a minimum of 2 liters of water each day to maintain efficiency. You can live for up to a month without food, but only a few days without water.
2. Map	So you can get where you're going or communicate your location to rescuers. If you get lost you may be able to find features on the map to help pinpoint your location.
3. Compass	Critical for navigation!
4. Flashlight or Headlamp	Walking in the dark can be dangerous. Not seeing a pot hole or loose rock can make your situation even worse. Don't forget spare bulbs and batteries.
5. Extra Food	To generate warmth and increase strength.
6. Extra Clothing	Temperatures at night can drop dramatically. Wet clothes can deplete your body of essential heat. Having spare clothes can save your life.
7. Sunglasses	Eyes are especially vulnerable to bright sunlight and damaging UV rays typical in the desert and mountains. These can help avoid eye damage.
8. First Aid Supplies	A ready-made, store-bought kit may not have everything you need. It is best to construct your own, based on expert advice. Some standard elements include, but are not limited to: sterile gauze pads band-aids antiseptic roll of 2" gauze moleskin tweezers adhesive tape triangular bandage personal medication (if applicable)
9. Knife or Multi-tool	Can be incredibly versatile in time of need. Click Here for more information.
10. Matches or Fire Starter	Being able to start a fire can be the difference between life and death. Be sure to keep them in a waterproof container. A fire starter, such as a candle, kindling or chemical accelerant, increases your odds of successfully getting a blaze going. If you must start a fire, be responsible! Wildfires are a real threat to the Wilderness as well as to victims and rescuers!

Why Carry a knife?

Start with the basics, everyone should have a quality knife on hand for emergencies. I thought the following quote by James Mattis was absolutely brilliant so I had to add it to my post.

"My good reason to carry a knife is that God gave me rather weak teeth and rudimentary claws in an evolutionary trade-off. The hairy-armed person who figured out how to put an edge on a suitable rock made it possible for us to be recognizably human in the first place. I wear a wristwatch whether or not I have an appointment to keep, and I carry a pen and/or pencil because I am a literate person whether or not I have a specific writing task ahead of me, and I carry a knife because I am a human and not an ape.

A knife comes in handy for all sorts of random tasks that involve separating matter. Like cutting a string, or making a sandwich, or opening a package. It can also come in handy in an emergency, which need not involve a human assailant, and emergencies are by their nature unforeseen, so one should carry a knife all the time."

I readily concur with Mr. Mattis. To be prepared you must have an adequate blade. My personal choice as a daily carry is the SOG Trident TF-6. I like the Tanto blade for a working blade because it's a little more stout at the tip. For my Bug-Out Bag (future post) I keep a SOG FP-3 Field Pup hunting knife with a SOG B63 Powerlock E.O.D (Explosive Ordinance Disposal) Multi-tool in the pocket of the Field Pup sheath.

In my opinion the average survivalist should doesn't need a huge military knife for time in the bush. Your going to be skinning & dressing game, building improvised traps, tools and shelters. For these tasks your better off with an approximate 4" blade which is why I choose the Field Pup.

I hope this helps.