I started a new tradition this year. I took each of my sons on overnight campouts, individually. Before planning each trip I asked them what they wanted to learn on the outing. My oldest son said he wanted to build a shelter. Challenge accepted. So I picked a nice, thickly forested little lake and we hiked in. I didn't realize until we got to the area, but camp fires are never allowed in this area. That was fine for us, since it's August and I was planning on there being at least a temporary fire ban. This permanent fire ban ended up being a huge advantage. The forest floor in that area is covered in dead branches and small trees that in most other places would have been gathered for firewood as soon as it fell. So we had more than enough material to work with! We started out by finding the perfect spot. We found a nice flatish area at the center of a ridge near the middle of the slope. I feel confident there will be minimal water run off that pools up there during a downpour. It's also just a stones throw away from a bubbling spring pouring ice cold water down the slope. It was heaven.
The first step was to decide design. We found a newly dead standing tree that served as our vertical support. We decided on a two sided lean-to. We lashed a main support beam about 14 feet long to the standing tree and started leaning 3" diameter longs against that for the structure. Another reason we were building in that spot is because it was about 30 feet away from a giant windfall cedar. I cut the bark off in long, wide strips and laid that over the structure. We worked for about 2 hours on the thing and we're quite happy with it as a fair weather shelter. We plan on returning and adding several more layers of material to make it a stronger option during rain. We learned a lot from this exercise. First of all, how great it is to be able to just throw a tarp over a rope to make a lean-to. If you've got one...
As a Boy Scout, I had the ten essentials drilled into my head from a young age. To this day I don't even go to work without a more urban friendly version of the 10 essentials with me. And it's come in handy. A co-worker recently had a wardrobe malfunction and I was able to save the day with the basic sewing kit thats in my first aid kit. He said "of course you have a sewing kit..." Be prepared, baby.
As I've grown up and see other people on the trail, I've realized that not everyone has had that same training. I see people pretty far into the wilderness with just a water bottle and a pair of sunglasses. I feel a bit nervous for them and that nervousness has in part been the reason I decided to write about this subject.
The 10 essentials was originally created by a mountaineering group from Seattle in the 1930's. It is one of those things that is pretty timeless, and I don't see it needing much updating. There is of course some flexibility in how to choose to fulfill each need. Navigation, for instance, has come a long way since the 30's, but the principle remains.
The 10 Essentials:
1. MAP & COMPASS
Although there are many ways to navigate, I prefer the old fashioned way. GPS is nice, but batteries die and technology sometimes fails. A good map is a great tool. Especially the new ones with water proof, tear proof paper. It does require learning the skills to use a map well, but they are skills that will make your use of a GPS unit that much better. It's always good to have the old paper back up, just in case.
2. EXTRA FOOD
I generally bring enough food for the trip I'm planning on, and then an extra meal. Just in case. You never know when you might need (or want) to stay longer. What if you sprain your ankle and a 4 mile day hike suddenly takes an extra 6 hours to hobble back to the car? Make it high energy, high protein food like jerky, or trail mix.
3. HYDRATION
You can go three weeks without food, but only 3 days without water. Worst case scenarios aside, staying hydrated can help prevent other first aid emergencies like heat stroke, heat exhaustion, altitude sickness, and many more. Not to mention you'll just generally feel better and enjoy your trip more. Just don't go hiking without water.
4. EXTRA CLOTHES
Weather conditions can change pretty quickly. Especially if you are hiking for 4,000' to 10,000'. Or if you live in the Pacific Northwest. It's always only an hour away from raining around here. Best to carry a jacket or a poncho.
5. SUN PROTECTION
There are a lot of good ways to take care of this one. Sun screen, a hat, lip balm, long sleeves. To each their own. One of my favorite is a bandana. You can wrap it around your neck, or wear it pirate style if you forgot a hat. When it's a hot you can soak it in an ice cold creek first. Very refreshing.
6. MULTITOOL & KNIFE
I would never go hiking without a knife. I don't really go anywhere without a pocket knife, though. Make sure it's a good, sharp one. I have a favorite knife, personally. The Mora Companion. It's inexpensive, and probably the best quality I knife I have owned. It's not often those go together. It is very utilitarian. It's not fancy or the sort of thing that knife collectors are going to drool over. But it will get the job done. And no, I'm not being paid to say that.
7. FIRE
Again, there are many ways to go about this one. Stick with what you are the most comfortable. Remember, if you are going to need it, it's probably going to be an emergency. I love starting fires the primitive way. Flint and steel is my favorite. But in a 10 essentials kit, I usually have a lighter.
8. FLASHLIGHT
Lighting conditions change as quickly as weather conditions. An unexpected injury can add lots of time to a day hike. Make sure you don't get caught in the dark.
9. SHELTER
If you end up needing to stay the night unexpectedly, a shelter can be the difference between life and death. I'm not saying you should carry a 4 man tent with you where ever you go. But a space blanket can go a long way in an emergency. And they don't take up much more space than a deck of cards. A simple tarp and a length of paracord can make a lot of different shelters, as illustrated above. One might work better for you than another, depending on if you're working to stay warm, dry, or cool.
10. FIRST AID KIT
A first aid kit is another customizable thing depending on your personal needs. I suggest looking through yours every now and then to make sure you aren't of bandages and that the medications in it aren't 6 years expired.
Do you have a 10 essentials kit you take on day hikes, hunting trips, or general adventures? I'd love to hear if you have any specific items you won't leave home without.
There are few 50-milers out there as epic as the Washington coast. A local Boy Scout group I've been involved with over the years just got back from that trip. They started at Oil City and ending at Shi Shi beach, near the northern most point of the Olympic Peninsula. It was all just a walk on the beach, though. There's some seriously rugged terrain in between those two points, including a lot of bouldering and areas so steep they require ropes to ascend. Some parts of the trail have to be timed with low tides, making it very important to keep pace on those days. Overall the trip went very well. They all arrived back home tired and a bit blistered.
I've lead a Scout group on a 50-miler backpacking trip and it was amazing. It's one of the best experiences a young man can have in the outdoors. There are so many skills and experiences that can be learned on a long distance backpacking trip. It's an experience they will never forget and will always be proud that they accomplished.
I'll let the photos tell the rest of the story.
Colter Co. was proud to have a few bandanas make the trip.
I've been backpacking since I was a kid. I got my first external frame pack when I was 9, but I was already very much a backpacker at that point. My dad took me to remote hot springs, mountain lakes, and many of the prominent peaks in the Wasatch range. Including one just shy of 12,000 feet. Not bad for a kid.
When I was in college I didn't get out as much as I wanted to and I started to get the itch to go camping. So I went to a campground with some friends and discovered that it wasn't camping that I was missing at all. It was backpacking. I have done plenty of both in my life and I can say with confidence that backpacking is the way to go. And I'll tell you why...
#1 Location, Location, Location.
Backpacking gives you the ability to see places that you can not in a car. Some of natures most spectacular places are impossible to get to except on foot. And sometimes even then it's difficult. Part of their pristine beauty is due to the fact that not very many people are there. It's a chance to see what nature is up to while the rest of us sit in traffic. You get to watch squirrels harvest seeds from pine cones, and see trout go crazy over a cluster of flies. There isn't the noise from a Winnebago blaring Def Leppard to scare away the deer, or an old refrigerator sticking out of the lake. It's just wilderness doing it's thing.
#2 A sense of accomplishment.
My dad was wise to take me backpacking at a young age. It is an experience with so many life lessons built into it. You learn about preparation, perseverance, patience, appreciation of nature. The list goes on and on. For me it's about accomplishing something hard. It is hard to describe the feeling of standing at the top of the highest peak around and knowing that you got there by your own efforts. It is a feeling that backing a car up to a fire pit will never give you. It's something that you earn. It's something that will change you. Once you've done it, you'll want to do it again and again.
#3 It's easier to pack and unpack.
Sure, you need to walk a few miles into the woods on your own two feet, which is effort. But I find that packing up the car with every possible item that you might want, then setting up camp when you get there, is just as much effort. Sometimes more. And I always feel like I end up spending most of my hard earned vacation time moving stuff around rather than relaxing. Backpacking is way more straight forward. Instead of trying to cram one more thing into the car, you're looking for ways to leave more out. The list of things you bring gets pretty small. When you get to camp the only thing to do is set up a tent and eat a meal. Quick and easy. This is very much a case of "less is more." When you get home all you have to do is pull your laundry back, your food bag and dry out your hydration pouch and you're done. Everything else stays in the pack for next time.
#4 Self Sufficiency.
Backpacking makes you think more about what you need. What you really need. When I'm car camping I inevitably end up over packing some things and forgetting other things all together. I'm a lot less careful. When you have to carry everything you take, it changes the game. You think about the word "need" differently. Do you need that cast iron skillet? Maybe not... When you get on the trail you know that you are carrying everything you need to stay alive in the woods for however long your trip is. It's a very empowering feeling to know that wherever you go, your home away from home is right there with you. It's a good way to encourage you to learn some new skills in order to make the most of what you are carrying, and knowledge is really the lightest piece of gear you can carry with you.
#5 Truly unplug.
One of the most important parts of a vacation is the change of pace. It's about not checking your work email and letting everything go for a little while. You've got to get that break! It's becoming increasingly difficult to get away from everything, thanks to cell phones and wifi. Backpacking forces your hand at the disconnect. Even if you want to check your email, you probably don't have cell service. And it gives you something else to think about: walking. I know it sounds lame, but it's very therapeutic. It's like meditation in motion. It lets you rest your mind for a bit. And when you do, you'll be able to see and hear things that you didn't notice before. You will start to notice things that our modern 15 second attention span didn't allow before, like how amazing it is to watch the sunlight fade out and see the milky way appear. And no, watching a time lapse video of the experience on youtube is not the same.
I founded Colter Co. based on a long time love of simple outdoor skills. The kinds of skills that make backpacking better. We want people to be able to tie down a loose rainfly when the strap breaks. Or be able to find the stars in the night sky. Or tie on an elk hair caddis when the trout are going crazy. We want people to be able to carry all this without adding weight to a pack. Most every backpacker carries a bandana. Why not carry one that does more for you?
