The Ten Essentials - Part 1

While it may seem typical for an overland blog to focus on outfitting your rig as a first step, instead you should focus on outfitting yourself. Whenever you are heading into the backcountry, you should be prepared for emergencies and a variety of weather conditions. 

The National Park Service (NPS) has compiled a list of ten essentials which are items that should be carried with you on every adventure. This list is just as relevant for overland adventures as you may leave the vehicle for hikes, or in extreme examples you may need to abandon the vehicle entirely. Additionally, if you are a passenger in somebody else's vehicle, you can rest assured that you have yourself covered rather than having to rely on their preparation. 

For this reasons stated above, I like to carry my ten essentials in a daypack that I always throw into my rig during overland trips. I prefer a daypack because I can easily carry it with me on hikes and if I had to abandon my vehicle, I wouldn't have any trouble carrying it with me. Depending on your use cases and capabilities, you may choose to use a different storage solution. 

This is part one of a two part series. Let's dig into essentials 1-5!

1. Navigation

There are many forms of navigation including but not limited to cell phones, GPS units, and paper maps. 

A compass and paper map will be the most reliable forms of navigation because they do not require reception or power. However, acquiring and organizing detailed paper maps for an overland trip is cumbersome because you're often covering a lot of ground. If you plan on taking an especially long hike or backpacking trip, then it might make sense to prepare the paper maps for that specific area. Otherwise I think other forms of navigation are better suited to overlanding.

GPS units are generally good. I personally like the models that include satellite messaging and SOS capabilities. This offers an extra level of safety that you will be prepared for some of the worst situations. The downside of GPS units is that you have to make sure you keep them charged and their maps up to date. Personally I have found their user interfaces clunky and their maps limited to the few offerings of the manufacturer.

I primarily use my cell phone for navigation with apps that are specifically built for the task. This allows a ton of flexibility that traditional GPS units and paper maps cannot match. For example, I use an app named Gaia GPS which offers me tons of different maps, including an Overlanding map that is intended for motorized travel. On top of that you can include layers such as rain forecasts, snow levels, smoke, cell phone reception for major carriers, and the list goes on. The downside of using a phone as a GPS is that the initial learning curve can be a bit steep and you will probably need to pay a monthly or annual subscription for the service. Usually you need to have a premium subscription in order to download the maps for use offline, which is critical for backcountry exploration.

2. Sun Protection

This is a straightforward category. Always have a pair of sunglasses, sunblock, and a sun hat in your kit.

For sunglasses, they tend to be highly personal in selection. Make sure you get a pair that blocks 100% of ultraviolet (UV) light. Polarization is another big choice to make. It helps reduce glare, but also affects how electronic screens appear, which some people find jarring. I tend to keep a cheap pair of 100% UV light blocking sunglasses that I can leave in my daypack and easily replace if I lose them.

Sunscreen lotion can be purchased in a number of Sun Protection Factor (SPF) ratings. There is a lot of misinformation about these ratings. Many people believe it is the duration of time that the sunblock lasts. This is incorrect. Instead, it is a rating how effective the lotion is at blocking UVB radiation from the sun that burns your skin and causes cancer. SPF 15 blocks 93% of UVB radiation and is considered the minimum acceptable level of protection, whereas SPF 100 blocks 99%. SPF 50 is considered the point where the diminishing returns drop off is high because it blocks 98% of UVB radiation, so going above it is not really necessary.

Sun hats will also be a highly personal choice. However, I would urge you select function over form because the purpose of having it is to protect you from the sun. Wide brims and/or neck capes rarely look fashionable, but do a great job of blocking the sun. Look for something breathable since you may need to hike a distance in them. Packability is important so you can keep it in your daypack for every trip. Technical gear may have a UPF rating, which is similar to SPF and scales in the same fashion. If a UPF rating is provided, look for 15 at a minimum with 50+ being ideal. UPF ratings can also apply to other garments of clothing like long sleeved shirts, pants, bandanas, etc.

Personally I keep an ultra-dorky sun hat in my daypack for when the environment calls for it, but typically wear a ballcap when I know I won't have to be in the sun for long stretches.

3. Insulation

This category will be specific both to your locale as well as the time of year. However, there are some items that you should always carry in your kit. Even the driest areas can be hit by sudden rainstorms, so a rain shell is a must have to stay dry. This can be an emergency poncho if you live in a particularly dry area, or a hooded rain jacket if you plan on using it more regularly. For cold protection, a mylar emergency blanket is easy to pack and could save your life. It works by trapping the body heat you might otherwise lose. This should be considered a backup to your normal insulated clothing.

The NPS also recommends packing a jacket, hat, gloves, and thermal underwear. You could optionally keep backups of these in your 10 essentials kit, but they tend to be season specific so I pack them separately. However, I do keep a set of backup thermals, socks and regular underwear in my daypack at all times.

4. Illumination

I believe a headlamp is the best choice for illumination because it allows you to be hands free and it is always pointing the direction where you are looking. Packing a second form of illumination doesn't hurt though. I personally keep a tiny flashlight that's no larger than a chapstick tube as a backup. Lanterns are fun for camp ambiance, but generally are too large to pack for emergency purposes.

5. First Aid Supplies

Ideally we would all have basic first-aid training and know what to pack in an emergency kit, but that is generally not the case. Instead, you can opt to get a premade kit that will contain the essentials for what you need. Some kits come with directions on how to use each of the items in the field. I would look for that kind. You'll need to balance the size of kit you need with the amount of space it takes in your pack. I have a smaller first-aid kit that I keep in my daypack and a larger kit that stays with my vehicle.

This is the end of part 1. Part 2 will continue with essentials 6-10!