#LETSTALKABOUT the 10 Essentials

Pop Quiz: what are the 10 essentials?

Palms sweating? Brow furrowed in confusion? Fear not, I’m here to help!

The Ten Essentials is a list of gear meant to keep you safe as you get outside, especially in the event of an accidental overnight or emergency. The list has been updated with modern information since it was first created and contains the following:

• Navigation: Map, altimeter, compass, GPS device or app, PLB or satellite communication device and a backup battery pack for charging.

• Headlamp: Plus extra batteries.

• Sun Protection: Sunglasses, sun-protective clothes, and sunscreen. Double check local regs: some destinations require “reef-safe” sunscreen.

• First Aid Kit: Don’t forget blister and foot care as well as bug spray.

• Knife: Or a multitool.

• Fire Starter: Matches, lighter and tinder, or stove as appropriate for your adventure.

• Shelter: Carry at all times but feel free to adjust for the season and terrain you’re adventuring on.

• Extra Food: At minimum, one extra day of food is recommended. More if you know you’re going into a more risky or remote location and weight allows.

• Extra Water or Water treatment ability: Carry more than you think you might need if weight allows, or make sure you have access to a water treatment device or tabs.

• Extra Clothes: Think layers. If you need to hunker down, you’ll want to stay warm.

Bonus items:

• Extra Medicine: this is particularly important f you take something that will result in additional risk to your health if you skip it. Example: blood pressure medicine, insulin, etc.

• Eye Care: if you wear contacts or glasses and are dependent on them for safety, have a plan for how to store your contacts safely overnight should you need to.

Questions or comments? Let’s hear them!

#LETSTALKABOUT Sleeping Pad Ratings

Now that we have chatted about sleeping bag ratings, it’s time to hit on the next piece in the comfort quiver: your sleeping pad!

Whereas sleeping bags are given an EN/ISO rating, sleeping pads get an r value that indicates their thermal resistance. The higher the number, the warmer the pad will keep you! It’s important to note that unlike the EN/ISO rating, there isn’t (yet!) a standardized testing procedure for assigning r-values. Some brands conduct rigorous internal testing, others simply guesstimate based on the available data. Do your own research on the brand before taking the rating they give their product at face value.

Let’s begin talking about the practical application of r-values by thinking of them as stand alone pieces. The following table lays out recommend r-values for different climates:

This is a helpful starting point for thinking about climate, warmth, and what sleeping pad you want to bring with you.

Now, let’s think of your sleeping pad as part of a sleeping system that’s comprised of your pad, your sleeping bag, and the clothes you are wearing. Each part of the system has a different temperature rating, with pros and cons depending things like size, weight, packability, durability, and so on. You can play around with these variables for each adventure to balance things out. For example: let’s say you’re on a fall alpine adventure and the temps are expected to drop into the frigid. You don’t want to carry your massive 0 degree sleeping bag and you have an ultralight sleeping pad with an r value of 5.7. In this situation, you can likely forego the heavier bag for something lighter and rely on the warmer pad and some solid base layers to keep you toasty. If weight isn’t an issue, as with car camping, you have even more room to play.

Things to consider:

1. As with sleeping bags, these recommendations are based on the mythical “Average Person” and what works for someone else may be a poor fit for you. If you can, rent or borrow sleeping pads from friends or local gear outfitters before investing and see what works for you. The higher the r-value or the lighter the pads get, the pricier they tend to be so a little field research is a wonderful thing.

2. You can stack pads for cumulative warmth! A popular combination is using a lightweight closed-cell foam pad, like the Therm-A-Rest SOLite under your usual pad. It’s relatively light, relatively inexpensive, and textured enough to prevent slippage when stacked beneath your other pad. With an r-value of 2.8, it’s an easy boost to your sleeping system if you can spare the space for an additional pad.

There you have it, a basic run down! Questions, comments, or concerns? Let me know!