The “Ten Essentials” is a list of emergency items that is supposed to support you through an unexpected overnight stay in the backcountry and has been around for nearly 80 years. I was first exposed to the ten essentials as a Paratrooper in the Army, where the typical mission was 36 to 72 hours long and the only supplies we had was what we could stuff into small “butt packs,†or hip packs as they are known in the civilian world.
How to Start a Fire with Magnesium, Cotton and Petroleum Jelly
A warm fire on a crisp Fall evening - photo by Steve Wall on Flickr
For starting fires in our campsite, I use dryer lint and wax for tender (see How to make your own campfire starters) which is a quick and easy way to get a campfire going. Anytime I venture out from the campsite, however, I carry a number of emergency items in a small daypack, including a fire starter kit.
Trail Mix
4 3/4 Cups of trail mix goodness
Popcorn and s’mores provide plenty of nighttime enjoyment around the campfire, but trail mix is the fuel that keeps the family going, on hikes and excursions during the day. There are as many variations of trail mix as there are stars in the sky, but the classic mix is peanuts, M&Ms, and raisins. The M&Ms tend to melt in hot weather, though, so it is a good idea to substitute additional dried fruits, such as bananas, apples, mangos, or apricots.
Summer Fun Giveaway Winners
Congratulations to Shawna, in Utah, for winning one of the Summer Fun Giveaway bundles! If Shawna sounds familiar, that’s because she and her husband write the Nature for Kids blog, which is one of my regular reads. A second winner has been notified, too, but I have not received a response, yet (are you out there, Kurt?). Many thanks to Klean Kanteenâ„¢, Trek Light Gearâ„¢, Kiss My Face®, and The Drink Toqueâ„¢ for helping me put this together.
Stay tuned for our next giveaway – I have already been approached by some great outdoor companies looking to get in on the action, so it should be a good one!
Cool Summer Camping Gadgets for 2009
Garmin® Dakota™ 10
The new Dakota 10 ($299.99) is a new touchscreen GPS receiver similar to the Oregon® line in a slightly smaller (2.2†W x 3.9†L x 1.3†D) package with a 2.6-inch display. The Dakota features a 25% longer battery life on its two AA batteries, at 20 hours, than the Oregon, which is probably attributable to the smaller display (the Oregon has a 3-inch display). The Dakota 10 does not have an expansion slot (the $349.99 Dakota 20 does), but it does have 850MB of internal storage.