May 19, 2024 a busy day For Fish and Game
- Thread starter skiguy
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griffin
Active member
Didn't some clever clog do a "study" at Monadnock several years back trying to prove that the "10 essentials" weren't really necessary or helpful? (IIRC, the study consisted of surveying hikers before and after their hike on whether or not they had the gear, and whether it improved their enjoyment of the hike - if they had it - or if they missed it if they hadn't brought it)
Not that you need to pack the kitchen sink. But within reason better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it.
DayTrip
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If that was how it worked it was a highly flawed study. That is like saying you shouldn't have paid your insurance premium because your house didn't burn down while you were out shopping. They're not the "10 Things I Use On Every Single Hike". They are items that can save your life or make you able to withstand bad situations until help arrives. It's not just about being comfortable.
Making a run through North Conway today it sure looks like Memorial Day week has gotten off to good start. I did the North Moat/ Red Ridge loop today and no monorail, but plenty of wet rocks to slip on.
This was written up in Backpacker magazine last year:
https://www.backpacker.com/survival/survival-gear/ten-essentials-less-important-than-you-think/
<While that result surprised Daniel, he speculated that some hikers may mistakenly believe that the Ten Essentials are a kind of armor against trouble.
“I think some people get the idea in their head that the Ten Essentials may prevent things from happening somehow, like if you’re prepared, [then the adverse event won’t happen],” Daniel says. (While trouble can find people no matter how they pack, Daniel does note that carrying essential gear may prevent that trouble from becoming a true emergency.)>
Meanwhile Daniel is working on talking himself out of a paper bag.
sierra
Well-known member
Conducting such a study on Mt. Monadnock seems flawed from the beginning. Not to sound elitest, but I'm not sure the majority of hikers you ask on that hill are experienced enough to provide sound data. My pack weighs almost 20 lbs. even on a summer day, I may use 20% of its contents on a regular basis, but the rest is for the once in a blue moon emergency. I've had multiple instances where I had to rely on that gear, and I would not even consider trimming down my kit. Just recently a partner got hurt and our 4-hour hike turned into 9. We never ran out of food or water and had everything we needed to wrap up her knee and get out in pretty decent shape. I have helped many a beginner learn how to hike, when they ask "what should I bring?" I answer like this, what would you want for the worst possible weather, if you got injured? or if you got lost? Thats how you pack in my humble opinion.
