Originally Posted By: chaosmagnet
The classic Ten Essentials were:
  • Map
  • Compass
  • Sunglasses and sunscreen
  • Extra clothing
  • Headlamp or flashlight
  • First-aid supplies
  • Firestarter
  • Matches
  • Knife
  • Extra food



My urban Ten Essentials are:
  • Smartphone and means to charge same
  • Cash and credit cards
  • ID
  • Appropriate outerwear and footwear for long walks
  • Pistol and reload (where legal to carry)
  • Flashlight
  • First aid supplies (OTC meds, boo-boos and trauma)
  • Knife
  • Small multi tool
  • Pen


I tend to carry around $200-300 in cash, sometimes more and never less. Cash is the great problem solver.

Most of the urban areas I frequent I know well enough to not want to carry a paper map. If cellphone networks go down and I don’t have a vehicle, I hope to be able to get a taxi. When all else fails I should be able to get a hotel room.


I was on the road for 26 years in mostly rural Northern MN, MI, and WI. I pretty much agree with your list, even in rural areas. In that time, I got stuck in deep snow at night out of cell phone range and had to walk 7 miles on a deserted road to a backwoods truck stop to summon a tow truck. It was -1F and snowing. I was dressed in business clothing, but also had my deer hunting clothes and boots which I put on for the long walk.

Another time I was traveling and had only a $50 bill. It was late evening and I was very hungry. No open diner or fast food along the way would accept the bill. I got home about 1:00AM quite hungry with a crumpled 50 in my pocket. .

I have seen cash machines out of service, gas pumps in remote area where they required cash. I got stuck in flash blizzards in Northern MI and had to shelter in my car until the log trucks came by to break a trail on the road.

I was checking into a hotel late in the evening (snowing of course) and found out my corporate card had been deactivated by mistake. Took several hours and a call to the company VP to get me into a room.

I got stuck on a dead end forest road when a 200 car train stopped on the track, blocking my exit to the highway. There was no way back or around, and I was there all morning waiting for the train to move (no cell service). I was lucky because sometimes those trains sit there for several days. I had water and food with me.

You never know what is going to happen.
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The man got the powr but the byrd got the wyng