The traditional alpine mountaineering Ten Essential Systems

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THE TEN ESSENTIAL SYSTEMS

The Mountaineers was organized as a Club in Seattle in 1906 to meet the needs of men and women in the Pacific Northwest who hiked and climbed in the North Cascades. Their standard text for these activities is Mountaineering: The Freedom of the Hills, now in its 7th edition. The Mountaineers became active in introducing people to the Wilderness and they began offering their annual Climbing Courses in the 1930s. It was soon determined that each participant in their activities must have certain essential equipment. This equipment became known as The Ten Essentials. It is now known as THE TEN ESSENTIAL SYSTEMS.

As a teaching aid in Mountaineering: The Freedom of the Hills the original traditional Ten Essentials were listed as follows:
1. Maps of the area; 2. Declination adjusted compass; 3. Flashlight, extra batteries/bulb; 4. Extra food and water; 5. Extra clothing; 6. Sunglasses and sun screen; 7. First aid kit; 8. Pocket knife; 9. Waterproof matches; 10. Fire starter. Across the nation, over the years, hikers, backpackers, climbing club and outdoor program participants, by the countless thousands have memorized this list. The traditional Ten Essentials have been listed and discussed in countless books and magazine articles.

What it all comes down to is that all members of an outing’s group must be individually prepared for the inevitable unexpected situations. The pooling of this individual equipment such as a foot square insulating "shorty pad" or extra sweaters may help save the life of a member of the group.

Mountaineering: The Freedom of the Hills, 7th edition, © 2003 by The Mountaineers now lists the TEN ESSENTIAL SYSTEMS:
1. Navigation
Added to the obligatory map of the area and the base plate compass must be the ability to use them. This requires training, study, and practice. Navigating with a map alone is also a necessary skill. Attach a whistle to your compass lanyard. Almost everyone will add an accurate $100.00 GPS receiver. Learn to use map, compass and GPS together.

2. Sun Protection
Sun glasses and a sunscreen are an obvious addition to a pack. Sun protection should come from SPF 35 sun screen lotion, dark glasses approved for altitude and reflective snow fields, and long sleeves, gloves and hat rated for strong sun. Have a sun skirt on the hat or wear a bandana under the hat and over your neck and ears.

3. Insulation (extra clothing)
This brings us to extra clothing - the most essential of the list. In Central Oregon, the weather can change in a very short time, leaving people shivering in shorts and vulnerable to rain, sweat and wind induced hypothermia. Hiking fast may keep your body heat up, until you "bonk" or "run out of gas" (glycogen), or have to hike slow with others, go slow to find your way or have to stop and tend an injured companion or stranger.

Cotton clothing, soaked in sweat, rain or melted snow, hold water loosing 70% of its insulating value and has caused the death of too many people. Layers of polypropylene, pile and Gortex are the equivalent to the wool underwear, pants, shirts, sweaters and coated nylon jackets of the 70s and before. Polypro, pile, softshells and Gortex had not been invented when Everest was first summited. However, they all used layers to 1. wick body moisture, 2. to adjust insulation and 3. to cut off wind and rain. Remember, layers must be “pealed” to avoid sweat soaked clothes! All of this essential seasonal personal clothing and equipment must be accommodated in a sturdy day/summit pack large enough to hold it. Garments or equipment tied to the outside are likely to catch on something, get wet or lost.

A larger day/summit pack is needed for the light but bulky pile or wool insulation layers in the winter.

4. Illumination
A small flashlight can assist in finding a lost or injured person. Also, many hiking groups have returned to the trailhead after dark. Headlamps now weigh in at 3 ounces!

5. First-Aid Supplies
A first aid kit sized to the trip is a must. First aid supplies can fit in a Ziploc baggie and should deal with cuts and scrapes with small and large Band-Aids, Neosporin and mole skin. In June and July, add mosquito repellent for the woods. Have OTC drugs and a personal prescription pain medication for that broken ankle. Weight can be 4 ounces. Don't forget the toilet paper!

6. Fire
Waterproof matches and a fire starter can be combined in an adjustable propane pocket lighter. Remember, when you most need a fire, it will be windy, wet and cold. Do not depend on being able to start a fire. Learn how to stay warm without a fire. Don't try to be a "survivalist".

7. Repair Kit and Tools
A small knife should be light and sharp - a tool kit knife is heavy and of little use. I carry the smallest Swiss Army knife and six feet of duct tape.

8. Nutrition (extra food)
Extra food should be carbohydrates in the form of easily digested quick acting fat-free fig newtons, jelly filled breakfast bars or ClifBars with a bit of protean to aid utilization. Glycogen (sugar or starch) is the one essential fuel that must be replaced during a hard hike or climb or an unexpected cold wet night under a tree - most people have ample stores of the other essential muscle fuel: fat.

9. Hydration (extra water)
Add extra water or the equipment to obtain it (stove for snow or a filter for summer), to your list. In the summer you may need to drink a gallon or more per day. In the winter you may be able to get by with three quarts if you are careful not to sweat. Use electrolyte replacement powder such as Gookinaid or Gatorade. Remember that only two quarts of water weigh almost four pounds plus 12 oz. for the two Nalgene bottles! Instead, use Nalgene or Platypus plastic bags that weigh one ounce per quart. I am not a fan of bladders, but they are popular at this time.

10. Emergency Shelter
Emergency shelter can range from a 9oz. Emergency Bivy Sack sold by Adventure Medical Kits for about $30. to a four season Gore-Tex $200. bivy bag, pad and 20 degree sleeping bag. You can not shelter on snow without an insulating pad such as the Cascade Designs RidgeRest three-quarter length, 9 ounce ensolite foam pad, strapped to the side of your day or summit pack.

11. Communication
Carry your common digital cell phone, (and perhaps a small and inexpensive SPOT II Satellite Messenger). Several cell phones in a group are far better than one. Call rescuers on your cell phone and give them your exact UTM coordinates read from your GPS in NAD27 to match the Quad maps, your current condition and proposed plans. If you can not communicate, mobile phone Providers such as Verizon, upon 911 request, can find your latitude longitude location, triangulated from cell phone ping records. Most cell providers do not use coordinates found by a GPS from DOD Satellites. They use Lat-Lon coordinates from cell tower triangulation, misnamed “GPS Coordinates” by cell phone marketers and the un-informed.

An option for many is to carry a $149.00 SPOT II Satellite Messenger which can give your friends or 911 Coordinators your exact Lat-Lon location from the on-board Spot GPS. Note that Oregon SAR Statutes require you carry a means of communication such as a cell phone, a radio or a SPOT Satellite Communicator.

YOUR LITE AND FAST BACKPACK
Which light backpack do you use for winter and summer?    Analysis   pdf
What would you carry in your backpack to climb Shasta or Adams?
What is the best traditional alpine mountaineering summit pack?
Photos of lite gear packed for a multi day approach to spring and summer summits
Backpack lite gear list for spring and summer alpine mountaineering    4 pdf pages

ESSENTIAL PERSONAL GEAR
What does Steve House wear for light and fast climbing?
What clothing do you wear for Light and Fast winter mountaineering?
What do you carry in your winter day pack? Photos?
Which digital camera do you use in the mountains?
What about Boots and Shoes?

About Alpine Mountaineering:
The Sport of Alpine Mountaineering
Climbing Together
Following the Leader
The Mountaineers' Rope
Basic Responsibilities Cuatro Responsabiliades Basicas de Quienes Salen al Campo
The Ten Essentials Los Diez Sistemas Esenciales

Our Leader's Guidelines:
Our Volunteer Leader Guidelines
Sign-in Agreements, Waivers and Prospectus     This pdf form will need to be signed by you at the trail head
Sample Prospectus    Make sure every leader tells you what the group is going to do; print a copy for your "responsible person"
Participant Information Form    This pdf form can be printed and mailed or handed to the Leader if requested or required
Emergency and Incident Report Form    Copy and print this form. Carry two copies with your Essentials
Participant and Group First Aid Kit    Print this form. Make up your own first aid essentials (kits)

WARNING - *DISCLAIMER!*
Mountain climbing has inherent dangers that can in part, be mitigated

This is the best basic to advanced
book on mountaineering!
click the image!