John Aebi-Magee
June 1, 2007

Are you heading into the wilderness or looking for a Safer Way to go Solo Backpacking?

Don't forget to bring the 16 essentials:

Essentials 1 - 10 weight only 5.5 ounces and fit in a small zip-lock bag. See details below. whistle waterproof matches compass with signal mirror knife first aid kit sun protection water purification tablets 50 feet of twine 3 feet of duct tape flashlight Essentials 1-10           Essentials 11-16 vary depending on the kind of trip you are on and conditions you expect to encounter. See details below. extra clothing map extra food cell phone bear spray or personal mace in non-bear country personal locator beacon in wilderness areas   Essentials 11-16

Details: The 16 Essentials for Solo Hikers

1. Whistle
A simple ¼ ounce plastic whistle will cost about $3 from any sporting goods store.

2. Waterproof matches
I carry about 6 of these in a little plastic tube that was made for jewelry beads. I never make a fire when hiking. These are just for emergencies

3. Compass with signal mirror
I like using a sighting compass because the mirror can double as a signal mirror. You could also get each separately. I use the Silva Model 426, 1.0 ounce, available from Cascade GPS.

4. Knife
I like the Swiss Army Classic. This is a very small version that weighs 0.7 ounces. I rarely use a knife. It is mostly for emergencies.

5. First aid kit
I suggest making your own kit because you really do not need much in it and you can keep the weight to a minimum by making it yourself. My one-ounce kit includes 4 advil, 2 antihistamines, 8 activeflex BandAids, Antibiotic ointment, and a safety pin.

6. Sun protection
Depending on where you are hiking and the season, you will need more or less, but consider lip balm, sunscreen and a sun hat.

7. Water purification tablets
I carry 10 Katadyn Micropur MP1 Tablets and use them on every trip. This is by far the best way to treat water. Since I hike in Oregon, water is almost always available. I take two Platypus 1 Liter bottles and refill as needed. A portable filter is 8 ounces and has no real advantage over Micropur. 10 Micropur’s weigh only 0.1 ounces. They do not flavor the water at all. You need to plan a bit because it takes 4 hours for full purification to occur.

8. 50-feet of twine
The reason you need 50 feet is so you can hang your pack in bear country. Get very light strong nylon cord.

9. 3-feet of duct tape
Duct tape can be used to repair you shoes, ripped pack, broken clothing etc. 3 feet of this wonder stuff will only weigh 0.3 ounces.

10. Flashlight
If you hike a long day, there is generally very little need for a light. Just set up your tent and go to sleep. Still it is nice to have a Photon MicroLight II LED light on hand. They weigh only 0.3 ounces and give enough light to read your map and even to walk in the dark. There is no need for a headlamp. That only adds extra weight.

Essentials 1 - 16

11. Extra clothing
Especially when hiking in the mountains where weather can change quickly, you should always carry a warm fleece hat (1.2 ounces), one extra pair of socks, lightweight gloves (I suggest the 1.0 ounce Montbell Chameece Inner Gloves), and some sort of rain protection (I carry a 5.5 ounce Montbell Ultralight Trekking Umbrella).

12. Map
Never head into the wilderness without a detailed topographic map and appropriate map skills. An easy way to get maps is to subscribe to Trails.com. This site includes maps and guides to over 30,000 trails across North America. You can search and download the guides and maps from this site and print only the pages you need. There is a subscription fee after the free trial period.

13. Extra food
For 2 day trips, the only food I carry is trail bars and possibly some fresh whole wheat biscuits. Always bring a little extra just in case you don’t get back the same day you expect. My favorite trail bars are Lara Bars and Greens +

14. Cell phone
Leave the cell phone turned off to conserve battery power and use only in emergencies. Mine also doubles as a watch, note pad and voice recorder. Next time you buy a cell phone, consider choosing ultralight instead of ultra-feature. My Nokia weighs only 3 ounces.

The best Personal Locator Beacon on the market is the ACR ResQFix 406. I recommend you purchase it from Puget Sound Inflatables, Inc. because they really know what they are doing. Puget Sound Inflatables is aware of numerous rescues resulting from the units they have sold. They are also a service center for ACR, so you can send it back every 3 years for a new battery.

Once you purchase your PLB, you are given a web address where you register your unit with the NOAA. You provide several emergency phone numbers. When you beacon goes off, they receive a signal and immediately forward your information to a local search and rescue service. After calling your contact numbers to rule out a false alarm, a search will begin almost immediately.

The ResQFix sends signals on two frequencies plus it includes your GPS coordinates. The local search and rescue team will know your location within about 100 feet.

The US government is providing this service for free, so there are no subscription charges. Some local search and rescue teams might bill you for the rescue though. It is really fortunate that the NOAA decided to allow private citizens to use PLB’s. This is a very new opportunity and adds tremendous security for wilderness travelers.

More articles about UltraLight Living by John Aebi-Magee may be found at UltraLightLiving.com