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A question on Quora asked, ‘What kind of equipment do I need to go camping?’ Self-proclaimed ‘Master of the Ten Systems’ Adam Turner answered by breaking the camping trip into the following ten considerations. See his answer below and add to the list if you think there’s anything missing!
From Adam Turner:
The most important piece of ‘gear’ you own is that mushy, gray mass between your ears. Using it, consider where you’ll be and for how long.
When doing so, put together your Ten Systems:
1. Navigation — Map, compass, and the ability to use them. Look for maps made of Tyvek; virtually indestructible.
In this system I include the 3 W’s: Tell three people who care about you where you’re going, when you expect to return and, what to do if you don’t. Also, post a list of your main gear; this will give SAR information about your ability to extend your survival until help can come. Include a picture of yourself in your gear to give them an idea of what to look for.
2. Water – A means to carry enough between sources and a way to make it potable. I use the Sawyer Squeeze system; [it’s] inexpensive and good for one million gallons. Me and ten people won’t drink that much water in our collective lives. Also [it’s] very light.
3. Fire — I carry a few disposable lighters in different places, like pack pockets, in my kitchen system, jacket pockets, and in my fire starting kit. Besides the lighter, the kit consists of petroleum jelly balls (warm it in a pan, use tongs to soak it up with cotton balls, let cool on paper bag, put in pill bottle,) and squares of birch bark (which I found on the ground; never peel bark from a living tree.) [Keep them] all in a Ziploc bag.
4. Shelter — Usually a tent, but a large garbage bag, tarp, tube tent, even man-made and natural shelter like lean-tos or caves [will do].
5. Insulation — Because you’ve done your homework on weather and terrain conditions, you’ll know to prepare for at least ten degrees cooler than the forecast. In a pinch, consider alternative sources of insulation like grasses or tree boughs. Your sleeping bag is rated to survival temps, so add 10-15 degrees F for its comfort level. Thus, a 0 degree-rated sleeping bag should keep you relatively comfy into the teens, provided you’re on an insulated sleeping pad, wearing a full base layer and hat.
6. Food - Nothing fancy; couscous, bullion, coffee, sugar, orange drink powder, some rock candy, instant oatmeal. Anything that is dry, light, and can be prepared with water. If you think that wherever you’re going is far enough away that rescue would take more than a day, pack ‘SHTF’ food appropriately.
7. Sun — Sunglasses, wide-brim hat, light-colored, long clothes, and sunscreen. Your shelter can, of course, protect you from the glaring sun. If you’ll be in a glacial environment, [bring] glacier glasses or goggles.
8. First Aid — Be smart, here. I daresay most people go overboard on their FAK. Do you really need an 8 oz. bottle of insect repellent? Or twenty-seven Band-Aids? You should have alcohol swabs, a small tube/packets of Neosporin, some pain killers, Pepto-Bismol tabs, tweezers, a sewing kit, duct tape, gauze, and maybe an ace bandage.
9. Repair — I put my repair and FAK items together. This includes stuff like fabric patches for tent/sleeping bag and sleeping pad, glue, a small knife, razor blade, and extra batteries.
10. Audibility/Visibility — To get rescued, you need to be either seen or heard. Consider your environment and choose these items with contrasting colors; loud piercing sounds, and again; the number three. Most often the color orange will provide the greatest contrast, like spring, summer, and winter camping. Orange, however, may be difficult to distinguish when it blends with the leaves of the trees around you. White or blue contrasts well. Have an emergency whistle. They’re cheap and loud. Something reflective, like a small mirror or a CD [will] direct sunlight to a distant rescuer.
The best gear is light and made of quality materials, but it’s expensive. There is a point of diminishing returns, however. I’ll put it this way, if you need it and can’t afford, don’t go. There are hacks, but there are just some things you don’t want to second-guess.
Again, and finally, your brain is the best piece of gear you own. Do research. Not only on budget gear, but on how to use a map and compass, to build a fire, to abide by ‘leave no trace’ principles, and how to find water. Also, use it to appreciate the wild places we go, to protect them, and to advocate for them.