Ten Essential Items For Every Hike, No Matter How Short

Many day hikers head out to the mountains seeking adventure, and return with more than they bargained for. Ryan Mason, a fourth-year medical student at Brown University, thinks he knows why. Mason and other researchers from Brown studied surveys of hikers in New Hampshire’s White Mountain National Forest, and found that many people hit the trails without essential equipment, often because they don’t think it’s needed for short hikes. Wrong. Young, inexperienced hikers were most likely to lack essential gear. A Brown University news release reports on Mason’s work, and lists the ten items deemed essential for every hiker by New Hampshire’s HikeSafe program. They are: a map, a compass, extra clothes, rain gear, a fire starter, a flashlight, extra food and water, a knife, a first aid kit, and a whistle. Overall, Mason found, three out of five hikers brought seven or fewer items, his cut-off point for preparedness, and only 18 percent of hikers packed all 10 items. Read more from Brown University.