How do you rate the BSA's 10 essentials?

Shotgun said:
I agree 100%. Proper clothing is your number 1 essential. All else is a matter of how comfy you want to be IMO.

The list is a good one. I would expand it to 12-15 essentials to include tarp, water purification method and cordage but as a start it's a good one.
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well said, I will just add good foot wear/boots aswell, when your hiking or tramping etc looking after your feet and body is number 1 priority. If you cant walk and your not warm yous stuffed
 
stewey1 said:
well said, I will just add good foot wear/boots aswell, when your hiking or tramping etc looking after your feet and body is number 1 priority. If you cant walk and your not warm yous stuffed
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Yeah, the list is lacking - in the body - clothing - then again naked can be fun some times
and body - good health
and mind - good education and mental health-
and emotion support - good family and friends
and financial - good job and savings/investments
and transport - getting to/from the trail
and Ipod, backpack ...

Boy that list of 10 seems very inadequate now.
 
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dextersp1 said:
Yeah, the list is lacking - in the body - clothing - then again naked can be fun some times
and body - good health
and mind - good education and mental health-
and emotion support - good family and friends
and financial - good job and savings/investments
and transport - getting to/from the trail
and Ipod, backpack ...

Boy that list of 10 seems very inadequate now.
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your right mate the more you think about it the longer the list gets, yay naked hiking a good way to scare the local wild life away and get some free accomodation from the police lol
 
Spare pair of socks.

It's remarkable what a pair of clean, warm and dry socks can do for mental spirit, comfort, and mobility. Especially in wet and cold environments.
 
We keep the list down to 10, because "we" feel that those would be the absolute minimum essential items to have on their person if they were to get lost.

I usually don't encourage a scout to carry cordage with them, because I really don't teach them how to use it. Mainly because I've seen kids do very stupid things with rope/cordage before. I teach them how to stay alive and get rescued, not stay alive and self rescue. I would only teach self rescue to an Eagle scout who I thought would be mature enough to learn it being so risky. That being said I don't think cordage is an absolute essential for them to have. But, if one of you can sway me on that, I'd reconsider.
 
stealthchaser13 said:
dang...I have some stuff my mom got from AVON (I think) that is sunscreen, and bug spray. it seemed to help...But then again, I don't use it very often; heck, I rarely even use sunscreen.
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The stuff from Avon (Skin so soft) works okay as a bug repellent - and does not have Deet in it - I do not believe. Double check me. That may be okay.

TF
 
I don't think of cordage as an implement for self rescue, more to ease shelter building (lean-to, debris shelter, etc) a small yank (25') takes up very little room/weight and can be darn handy

Might be a fun project having them make a survival bracelet- this would give them ~ 10' of cordage w/o having to pack anything :)
 
Skin-So-Soft works very well as a mosquito repellent -- for about 15 minutes. There are herbal repellents that work longer.

As for me I use DEET when the bugs get really bad and sunscreen all the time, in separate bottles.
 
I think we have officially taken the sunscreen/insect repellent too far when AVON gets brought up. LOL!

This reminds me of the time a guy told me that panny-hoes were the best thermal clothing ever invented. My only reply was, "What on God's green earth ever made you want to find out?!"
 
CM_Rick said:
We keep the list down to 10, because "we" feel that those would be the absolute minimum essential items to have on their person if they were to get lost.

I usually don't encourage a scout to carry cordage with them, because I really don't teach them how to use it. Mainly because I've seen kids do very stupid things with rope/cordage before. I teach them how to stay alive and get rescued, not stay alive and self rescue. I would only teach self rescue to an Eagle scout who I thought would be mature enough to learn it being so risky. That being said I don't think cordage is an absolute essential for them to have. But, if one of you can sway me on that, I'd reconsider.
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cordage is really handy, you can use it to build shelter, tie splints in place and other first aid stuff, make snares, replace shoe laces, repair gear ie a pack strap breaks, the main one for me tho is building stuff from shelters to rafts and stretchers for geting an injured mate out. theres more uses but they are the only ones that are coming to mind right now, If it was me I would get them to carry 5metres or so minimum
 
This is implicit in several of the posts, but if you can get people to focus on finding out about what their survival needs might be and how they might meet those needs, they have much less trouble deciding what things they should bring. 98.6?: shelter (includes clothing); fire; safe water; calories; salt; ???

I know the pocket knife is often listed. I think that's much better than not having a knife at all -- but no more than that.
 
dextersp1 said:
I've seen that pop up on a lot of lists. I don't see the need. If you are in an area where you needed it; you would have applied it at the start of the day. So, you have some protection.

I would put a hat in instead of sunscreen. It provides protection from the sun and warmth.
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I guess you are in a country that has a decent UV-protecting atmosphere above you. That's not the case here in New Zealand. Summer sun can burn in 10-15 minutes. Sunscreen needs to be reapplied every two-to-three hours, more often if you are sweating a lot. It also neds to be applied to face, neck, arms and legs. It is scary where you can get sunburnt if you ar enot careful, and sunburn is not fun. I imagine that in a survival situation it would add pain and stress you just don't need.

The motto here is "slip slop slap wrap". Slip on a shirt, slop on sunscreen, slap on a hat, wrap on sunnies.

To add to the original list, the most important item on a list of survival items is "positive mental attitude".
It is a bit of a cliche, I know, but it is an essential item for survival.

Cheers
Craig
 
Havokk said:
I guess you are in a country that has a decent UV-protecting atmosphere above you. That's not the case here in New Zealand. Summer sun can burn in 10-15 minutes. Sunscreen needs to be reapplied every two-to-three hours, more often if you are sweating a lot. It also neds to be applied to face, neck, arms and legs. It is scary where you can get sunburnt if you ar enot careful, and sunburn is not fun. I imagine that in a survival situation it would add pain and stress you just don't need.

The motto here is "slip slop slap wrap". Slip on a shirt, slop on sunscreen, slap on a hat, wrap on sunnies.

To add to the original list, the most important item on a list of survival items is "positive mental attitude".
It is a bit of a cliche, I know, but it is an essential item for survival.

Cheers
Craig
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That depends upon what you are wearing. Along with long pants, a shirt with long sleeves and a collar leaves a little skin showing. As we all know modern synthetics designed for the outdoors are best. Cotton should be avoided due to it's lack of thermal retention when wet.

So a hat would complete the outfit. Most people carry a bandanna for its multiple uses. In this case it can be added to the hat to shade the neck.
 
First off, I don't allow scouts to hike in shorts. For protection from the poisonous plants and sun. I strongly recommend wearing a hat (boonie, but any will do). As for insect repellents, when they have it or when it is needed. Some parents go overboard with it, but that's fine. My biggest concern is the scouts staying hydrated. It is amazing when you have to tell kids to drink water, and they argue with you about it.

Us scout leaders generally look at sun protection as a regionally specific or required item on the list. At times, clothing only will suffice. Others, specific UV resistant clothing and or strong sunscreen is required. One thing about sunscreen that was touched on earlier, is it is not a one application item. It needs to be applied consistently throughout the day. Sweating and swimming are the main reasons for this. Sunglasses are even considered "part" of the list pertaining to sunscreen. It is whatever is needed at the time and place.
 
I think CM has it - local conditions rule.

If the "ground" is light-colored sand or rock with mica chips, the sun screen will be needed in addition to the brimmed hat.

Sadly, the BSA Wilderness Survival Merit Badge pamphlet shows lots of posed pictures from Philmont (Think Southern Rockies.) with Scouts in shots, T-shirts, and no head covering whatsoever = Crispy Critters. It also expressly advises shorts and T-shorts for wilderness wear in "hot" weather -- before advising some pages later that trousers, L.S. shirt, and brimmed hat be worn in "sunny" conditions. (The committee didn't communicate.)
 
This is a list from an English site:
1 Take plenty of warm and weatherproof clothing.
2. Carry food, warm drinks, a whistle and a torch.
3. Take a map and compass; know how to use them.
4. Allow plenty of time, turn back if in doubt.
5. If you're taking high level routes, know how to use your ice-axe and crampons.
6. Leave your route plan with a responsible person.


I would start a list with 'know how" , then
Broken in Boots
Season appropriate clothing including a hat
Map and Compass
 
CM_Rick said:
That being said I don't think cordage is an absolute essential for them to have. But, if one of you can sway me on that, I'd reconsider.
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I've seen cordage listed on some other 10 essentials lists. IMO its not one of the 10 essentials. It can come in handy in a survival situation, but not an essential.

But what is "10 essentials" can vary by terrain, seasons, and to a lesser extent experience and/or training. Knowing how to prevent getting lost and what to do when you do get lost is 10 times more important than your survival kit.

For example, I have a friend that considers himself an avid outdoorsmen. Yet he doesn't have a clue how to use a map and compass, only how to use a GPS. That GPS dies and (possibly literally) so does he!
 
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