10 Trail Essentials

There are various lists of '10 Essentials' for taking on the trails, but most are focused on hiking. Here is my take on this list, focused on runners who are not taking a pack of any type.

1. Training Understanding the area, knowing your limits, basic survival training, etc. Without the knowledge, the tools are useless.
2. Water I would recommend not only taking a supply of water, but also taking a supply of water purification tablets. See Portable Pharmacy
3. Food You may be gone longer than expected, so food is useful, but heavy. I always take an energy gel (Gu), as low blood sugar impairs judgment. I will also take a small Ziploc bag of M&Ms as the combination of sugar and fat works well for me.
4. Clothing I will take a lightweight rain jacket and use multiple layers. Things you can wrap around your waist work well.
5. Navigation There are various approaches
   • Map A map is an important element of navigation, but does not work well in dense forest. Ideally take a waterproof map, or put one in a Ziploc bag. Make sure you know how to read a map and how to do basic navigation.
   • GPS A GPS like the Garmin are great for telling you how to get back and roughly where you are. However, they rely on battery power and should not be relied on as the sole source of navigation.
   • Tiny Compass A tiny compass that fits on your watch strap works well for double checking direction quickly and regularly.
   • Compass A good compass is not very large and can be used for taking bearings and reverse bearings, assuming you are not in dense forest. (If you don't know what a reverse bearing is, find out!)
   • Altimeter I find that a barometric altimeter gives me important navigation information. If I know which mountain I'm on, knowing how high up it I am gives me a good idea of location.
   • Blazes The blazes on trees are only useful if you know which paths have which blazes.
6. Light You may be out in the wilderness much longer than you expect. If you don't expect to need a light, then an emergency light like the [e-lite] works great.
7. First Aid It's hard to carry much first aid when you are running, unless you carry a pack. Carrying basic medicine and some duct tape can go a long way without much weight. Portable Pharmacy
8. Fire starter The lightest option is probably strike anywhere matches.
9. Knife I carry the [Hartsook Ultralite] on a chain around my neck. It's a great little knife.
10. Whistle A lightweight, plastic whistle will allow you to call for help. Shouting will not work, as you get too tired too quickly. I have mine around my neck with my knife on a breakaway chain.