I'm surprised that some of these '10' lists don't include cordage, and while I agree with Bacpacjac and others about compasses, I think there is some value to including at least a button compass in a kit. In nearly every part of the country, there is a road somewhere within walking distance. If you take a quick look at a map before you leave your vehicle and know there is, for example, a long east-west road behind you as you start out heading North, you can use the button compass to track back South to that road, even on a cloudy day. Not a preferred nav method to be sure, but better than circling around in the woods.

I've mentioned before that we're heading out to the canyon lands and high plains for nearly three weeks of trail hiking and camping in our Aliner Classic. The day is finally here, and we leave this Saturday at 4:00AM.

The reason I mention it in this post is that I have resolved to whittle my backpack and/or lumbar pack load down to a more manageable size and weight. I'm going to use this series of outings over the next three weeks to analyze what I carry, eliminate non-critical redundancies, and sideline the stuff I really don't need. I'm even (shudder) leaving my Becker BK7 and my Wave at home, with a Mora Clipper and a SAK (or Juice S2) in their place. One reason is that I will have to carry a lot more water than I am accustomed to.

My wife laughed when I finally removed the tiny frog gig that I have carried around for years. Would it be useful in a true survival situation in my home biome? Certainly! Have I ever actually needed it? No! It weighs almost nothing, but it's removal is symbolic of my new resolution. My name is Byrd_Huntr and I am a pack-a-holic.

I plan to return home on the 4th of July holiday, sunburned, snakebit, and with boots full of thorns and crushed scorpions with the stories and pictures to prove it all. I will also work on my own personal 10 essentials (or 9, or 11).