The Ten Essentials are Still Essential: And so are Responsible Headlines
Recently, Backpacker published an article titled “How ‘Essential Are the Ten Essentials? According to This Study: Not Very.” This click-bait headline was followed up with a statement that the Ten Essentials “don’t necessarily stand up to scientific scrutiny.” While I’m sure this headline resulted in a jump in traffic due to sheer surprise, titles like this are reckless and potentially dangerous. Even the article itself came to a different conclusion than the title and summary. Organizations with impact in their industry need to be thoughtful about what and how they share information. Ill prepared adventurers are not only a danger to themselves, but also to the first responders, and good Samaritans, that try to help them when they find themselves in trouble.
We believe that safe and valid information should be a top priority. In order to set the record straight FOYOSAR spoke with Dr. Nicholas Daniel, the lead researcher of "Rethinking hiker preparedness," and Mount Monadnock State Park (where the study took place). Their responses were no surprise.
Dr. Daniel’s cross-sectional survey study assessed items carried, adverse events, satisfaction, and whether hikers felt prepared for adverse events. Those surveyed were day-hikers on a popular, low-altitude peak in Mount Monadnock State Park. A Mount Monadnock park representative told us the park average around 20-40 rescues per year. These rescues could vary from a hiker simply needing encouragement to a full carry out. Compare those statistics to Grand Canyon National Park which has an average of 300 SARs, and an additional 530 hiker assists per year; or Yosemite which averages 200 to 250 emergency calls per year, ranging from on-trail litter carries to complex vertical technical rescue. Suggesting, as Backpacker did, that this research conducted in Mount Monadnock would have far reaching implications for the usefulness of the Ten Essentials, across a board is ill-thoughtout at best and dangerous or deadly at worst. Each park is different, with different terrain, weather patterns, and hazards. Each person is different in knowledge, skill, and ability. “Satisfaction” levels are a much different measurement than safety outcomes when adverse events happen.
The limitations of this study’s scope and general application are obvious. Add to that the actual conclusion of the study, “Carrying more items did not translate to improved satisfaction for day hikers, but was associated with fewer events for which the hiker was unprepared [emphasis added]. Other than adverse events related to hunger, thirst, weather, and minor medical events, adverse events were unlikely during this day hike. Nutrition, hydration, and insulation were items reported as most often needed, followed by a kit to treat minor medical events, while the remaining 6 items were infrequently used,” and we are left wondering how Backpacker ever approved the publication of such a headline in the first place.
In contrast to Backpacker’s attention grabbing headline we are actually going to recommend an additional, 11th essential. Don’t worry, it’s something you already have, and you already carry it with you anyway… your brain. Being thoughtful about your outdoor activity is invaluable. If you are going out for an easy hike, on paved trails, with cell phone access your needs are going to be different than if you go on a backcountry hike in alpine terrain. Making sure to take adequate precautions for your particular trip, checking the weather before you leave, knowing your limits, and making good choices along the way are important parts of your safety/survival essentials. It will also be invaluable when parsing through information you read online while preparing for your trip. The Ten Essentials were never intended to be a protection against something going awry, they were made in case something did.
We can’t tell you how many times people come to Yosemite for a long “day hike,” overestimate their abilities or underestimate the trail, and end up on an overnight excursion. The Ten Essentials are an added safety net when things like this happen. They won’t prevent something from going wrong, and they won’t guarantee safety, but they could be the difference between a lot of really bad scenarios or just an unpleasant experience. Just because you didn’t need extra water on one hike does not mean you won’t need it on the next. Remember your safety is, first and foremost, your responsibility.
A lot of visitors assume that they can just call 911 and get immediate assistance no matter where they are. “Why carry anything extra, or worry about planning, when I can just get someone to come get me if something happens?” Immediate help is not the norm in wilderness settings. Preparing to go into the backcountry, or even just a few miles out for a rescue can be an ordeal, depending on the situation. Many things can slow rescues and rescuers down, and helicopters can’t do things like fly in storms, nor are they called in all scenarios. If you get stranded overnight, what do you need? If you get caught in a storm, what do you need? If you have an allergic reaction, what do you need? Our YOSAR team members go above and beyond to help rescue people in trouble. When you prepare well, and do your best to make good choices along the way, you are helping to keep our valuable resources free for when there are true emergencies.
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FOYOSAR reached out to Dr. Nicholas Daniel for a statement after the publication of the Backpacker article. This is his response :
The study “Rethinking hiker preparedness: Association of carrying “10 essentials” with adverse events and satisfaction among day-hikers” was a cross-sectional survey study of day-hikers only, on a popular, low-altitude peak in New England (3150’ elevation, ~4.0 miles round trip). The results are not generalizable to all hikers everywhere, particularly overnight hikers or those in other much more remote locations, as those populations were not studied. The data show that carrying increased numbers of the “10 Essentials” is not protective against the occurrence of adverse events, but that more items led to the hikers being more prepared for adverse events that did occur. The satisfaction level of day-hikers did not significantly change, no matter the number of preparedness items carried. The biggest take-aways from the study that could be applied to the knowledge base of hikers are the types of adverse events that occurred and how often certain items of the “10 Essentials” were needed by the hikers in this specific setting. Based on the data, water, food, a medical kit, and extra clothing were exponentially the most needed items. From a standpoint of statistical occurrence, these four item categories may be most important for day-hikers.
Today, cell phones are ubiquitous and should be considered the “11th essential.” Hikers should always carry a cell phone but not consider it an alternative to comprehensive preparedness. In many situations, a cell phone may serve as the most accessible means of rescue, should an emergency occur.
The “10 Essentials” should not be considered the crux of wilderness preparedness, but as useful tools should an emergency occur or if the hiker is unexpectedly benighted. True wilderness preparedness is a broad construct based on education, physical attributes, mental preparedness, wilderness knowledge and experience, and gear. Hikers must know how to use the gear they choose to carry and realize that no amount of gear can replace education on how to be prepared and safe in the wilderness. The “10 Essentials” is a fantastic guide to pertinent gear that may be required in a wilderness emergency or if a hiker must spend an unexpected night outside. Hikers should be aware of the limitations of gear and that it makes up only a portion of comprehensive wilderness preparedness.
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The Backpacker Article, “How ‘Essential Are the Ten Essentials? According to This Study: Not Very” can be found here
