By the end of this piece you will have a packed day bag and a one-page checklist to keep with it. You need a small backpack, whatever gear you already own, and a pen for marking the gaps.
The list used here is the U.S. National Park Service one. The agency describes the Ten Essentials as a set of items that can help you or others with a minor injury, a sudden change in the weather or an unexpected emergency, and its Hike Smart page calls them the minimum to carry whenever you are out.
Do this in 10 minutes
- Print or copy the checklist below.
- Walk through your home and put what you already own for each line into one bag.
- Circle the lines you could not fill. That is your shopping or borrowing list.
- Write down where you are going, when you will be back and who is with you, and give it to someone who is staying home. The Park Service asks hikers to leave a trip plan with a trusted person who is not on the trip.
The printable checklist
These are the ten categories as the National Park Service names them, in its order (the page prints the category names in capitals):
- Navigation: map, compass, and GPS system
- Sun protection: sunglasses, sunscreen, and hat
- Extra clothing: jacket, hat, gloves, rain shell, and other layers
- Illumination: flashlight and headlamp
- First-aid supplies: First Aid Kit
- Fire: matches or lighter and fire starters
- Repair kit and tools: duct tape, knife, multi-tool, and scissors
- Nutrition: Extra Food
- Hydration: water and water treatment supplies
- Emergency shelter: tent, space blanket, tarp, or bivy
- Also, not one of the ten: a trip plan left with someone at home
The last line is an addition, not an eleventh essential. The Park Service asks for it: the Ten Essentials page says to tell someone where you are going and when to expect you back, and the Hike Smart page describes the trip plan.
The list, item by item
Everything in this section is the National Park Service’s guidance, summarized.
Navigation. Learn to use your map, compass or GPS before the trip. The agency suggests bringing a physical map as a backup, and an extra battery for your phone.
Sun protection. Sunglasses, sunscreen and a hat. Long sleeves and long pants count too.
Extra clothing. Pack a layer for the most extreme conditions you might meet that day. The agency adds that bright clothing makes you easier to spot if a search team is looking for you.
Illumination. A headlamp is preferred because it keeps your hands free. Bring extra batteries.
First-aid supplies. Start with a pre-made kit and adjust it for the trip. Check expiry dates, and include any medication you take regularly.
Fire. Waterproof matches if you can, or a lighter, plus a fire starter that catches quickly. Check the local fire rules first.
Repair kit and tools. Duct tape, a knife, scissors or a multi-tool. The agency notes that a trowel and toilet paper may matter as well.
Nutrition. An extra day’s supply of food that needs no cooking. Its examples are trail mix, nuts and granola bars.
Hydration. The agency’s advice for anyone active outdoors, particularly in the heat, is to drink regularly and not to wait for thirst. Find out ahead of time whether there is water where you are going, and carry a way to treat it.
Emergency shelter. Something light: a tarp, a bivy sack or an emergency space blanket.
How much water
The National Park Service gives no fixed amount on either page. Its Hike Smart guidance says to plan your water for the day in hot weather and warns that some trails have no reliable source.
The American Hiking Society does offer a figure: half a liter per hour in moderate temperatures and terrain. The Society presents it as a guideline, alongside carrying enough for your trip and knowing where and how to treat water on the trail.
Where other lists differ
The four lists cited in this piece are not identical.
- The American Hiking Society counts appropriate footwear as one of its ten and folds light, fire and a whistle into a single “safety items” entry. It also suggests a trash bag as an eleventh item.
- The Park Service treats footwear as additional equipment, suggesting sturdy boots with ankle support for dirt and gravel trails.
- The Washington Trails Association’s version names the clothing category “rain gear and insulation” and suggests wool or “poly” blends over cotton. It lists a whistle, insect repellent and extra socks among further items to consider.
- A Forest Service page for Dixie National Forest prints what it calls the original ten items, with matches and fire starter as separate entries and map and compass as separate entries. That page says the list was first suggested in the 1930s in the newsletter of the Mountaineers, a Seattle-based outdoor club. The Park Service likewise credits The Mountaineers for the system of ten categories it uses.
The list is a base to adapt. The Park Service says you may need more depending on the activity, with a life jacket and bug spray as examples, and the Forest Service page calls its list a starting point to add to.
Common snags
Owning it but not knowing it. The Washington Trails Association stresses knowing how to use each item, and the American Hiking Society makes the same point about first aid supplies, suggesting a class.
Counting on your phone. The Park Service says not to rely on a cell phone, because parks may have no coverage.
Running out of daylight. The agency suggests setting a turnaround time and keeping to it. It also says that if any part of the hike is uphill, plan for that part to take at least double the time the downhill took.
A stale kit. The Washington Trails Association says to test your light before each trip. A photo caption on the same page adds a reminder to replenish your first aid kit regularly during hiking season.
What this list cannot tell you
This is general preparedness information drawn from the agencies above. It is not safety or medical advice. Conditions vary by trail, season and weather. The Park Service recommends asking a ranger about conditions before you set out and checking for park alerts such as trail closures. For a trail on land run by someone else, check with that land manager.
For health questions, a healthcare professional is the person to ask. The Park Service suggests that hikers with any medical condition consider discussing their plans with their healthcare provider.
Do this next
Put the checklist in the top pocket of your day bag and hang the bag by the door.