The Ten Essentials Backpacks Must Know

The Ten Essentials

 

Each scout should carry, on every outing, the ten essentials as outlined in his Scout
Handbook, page 224. What are the ten essentials?

1. Pocketknife. Pocketknives are a really important part of scouting. Each scout
will learn how to safely use a knife, how to sharpen it and how to care for it.
There are official BSA knives that
are fine, as well as other brands.
When buying a knife, do not buy the
cheapest one you can find! It’s really
important that the steel be capable of
holding a good edge. More accidents happen with a dull blade than a sharp one.
Please do not buy any fixed blade knives or overly large ones. There is really no
need for these types of knives. Also, consider the weight. Multi-tool knives, like
Leatherman or Gerber’s are very heavy and should not be used.

2. First Aid Kit. It is very important that each scout carries his own first aid kit The
exact contents should include everything that is detailed in the Scout Handbook
for a personal first aid kit. (Eye protection can be excluded) In addition, each
scout should bring those items that he often needs such as special medications,
bandages, etc. Purchasing first aid kits complete from a sporting goods store can
be very expensive. It’s usually much more cost effective to put your own kit
together. The troop will carry it’s own first aid kit, usually with a more
comprehensive selection of items. This is not to be seen as a substitute for each
boy having his own kit.

3. Extra Clothing. This often can include a shirt, or warm outer layer. On
backpacking trips, extra clothing is important in case the scout gets wet, or
clothing is torn.

4. Rain Gear. This might be self-explanatory, but every scout should be prepared. A
poncho is the absolute minimum that a scout should have, but it is far better to
have a full rain suit. It provides protection from the rain when it’s coming in from
an angle, and can also be layered with other clothing to provide extra warmth. A
pack cover should also be considered. Trash bags don’t work terribly well, but
will do in a pinch. Putting your sleeping bag in a trash bag inside your stuff bag
(lot’s of bags!) will save you the experience of spending a wet, clammy night.


5. Water Bottle. There are as many types of water bottles as there are
scouts. It is not advisable to carry the store bought sports bottle
type. They leak and are difficult to refill.

Each scout should have a real, refillable
water bottle.
If a scout has a hydration pack, like Camelback or
Platypus, they should also have a refillable water
bottle. Nalgene, or other wide mouth bottle fit our water
purifiers perfectly and are very useful for camp tasks. The
hydration packs are great for on the trail. For most backpacks,
all that is need is the bladder and the hose, not an entire
backpack. It’s recommended that each scout have both a
hydration system (just the bag and the tube) and a water bottle.
Scouts should not bring Gatorade or any other flavored drink. They should never put
drink mix in their personal canteens. The troop will bring a large container to mix
drinks in, and it will be hung in the bear bag each night.


6. Flashlight. Even for a day hike, a flashlight is important. If we are delayed, or if
we find a small cave, a flashlight will be helpful. There are

several different types of flashlights, but the key concern
is weight. A Maglite with four D cell batteries is not
going to help out a young scout. Consider something
with two AA batteries, and remember to pack an extra
set. Head lamps are becoming very popular, but they
are still expensive compared to typical hand held flashlights.

7. Trail Food. How much food will a scout need? It’s very surprising, but scouts
will need less food than you think, especially at high elevations. Bringing along a
few snacks, perhaps one energy bar and one fruit snack per day will be plenty on
a long hike. The weight really adds up when you’re going to be on the trail for 9
days! We often bring trail mix, or GORP (Good Old Raisins and Peanuts) as part
of our food preparation. Do not pack super smelly items or things that will melt.

8. Matches and Firestarters. We require every boy to bring matches to each outing.
It is not “safer” if they don’t have matches! If we can’t comfortable. Rest assured, each scout will be taught proper usage and be supervised. Parents please, do not take your scouts matches away!

9. Sun Protection. This is not limited to sunscreen. A scout should also have a hat
that covers his ears, and eye protection. The troop has outdoor hats that meet this
need.

10. Map and Compass. Every scout should own a compass . We use them on every
hike, every camping trip. There are several requirements related
to knowing how to use a compass . While there are many types
of compasses available, the one that best suits the needs of a Boy
Scout is a base-plate or orienting compass. This type of compass
allows a scout to orient maps and take bearings easily. Other
types of compasses, especially those without a base plate are
typically frustrating for a scout. No scout should bring a GPS.