There are ten items that are almost essential for survival for more than a few hours. Even if youre only taking a short walk from base camp, you should bring these items along with you. None of these can be improvised from materials you may find on the forest floor, which is what makes them essential.

Whether you use the Boy Scouts, The Mountaineers, or the Sierra Club as the basis, they all have the same basic items on their essentials lists. You can customize your own survival kit based on their lists and your own needs, but this should be considered a starting point. The first three are for finding your way, the next three are for protecting you, and the final four are for emergency usage.

1. A map. Whether youre canoeing, camping, or hiking, you will need a map that can help you find both natural (hills, streams, and rivers) and man-made (power lines, unimproved roads, and trails) landmarks. A USGS topographical map has enough detail. You can find more information about USGS maps at http://www.usgs.gov/.

2. A compass. A map without a compass is almost useless. Silva and Suunto compasses are my personal preference, as they have a straight edge that is great for plotting bearings. With a map and a compass, its quite easy to line up where you are on the map and plot a course to get where you need to go.

3. A flashlight. It is critically important that your flashlight not be easily turned on accidentally. When you need your flashlight, youll truly need it. A Mini Mag-Lite will fit in just about any essentials kit, though you may find a headlamp more useful, depending upon what youll be doing.

4. Sunglasses. When youre hiking to the top of a 12,000 foot peak, theyre essential. I was in the American Southwest once hiking when a windstorm came through. My hiking companion was stuck looking through his balled fists while I reached into my emergency kit and pulled out a pair of sunglasses.

5. Extra food and water. Dont fall into the water rationing trap. When your body needs water, it needs it now, not two hours from now. Let the length of your trip, the temperature, and what the physical demands on your body will be determine how much water to bring. If other water sources, such as a river or snow are available, you may be able to make use of purification tablets. While normal trail foods, such as granola, nuts, and dried fruits, may suffice, some people put sardines or tuna in their emergency gear, knowing theyd only eat them if it was a true emergency!

6. Extra clothing. While this will be dependent upon what the conditions are where youll be, at the very least, you should have a poncho and a mylar blanket. With these two items, you can fashion a lean-to out of the poncho with trees, and you can use the blanket to keep warm.

7. Matches or a lighter. You dont need to buy expensive waterproof matches. You can keep regular matches in a waterproof container, such as a 35mm film canister. Disposable lighters may also be a good choice for your emergency kit.

8. Firestarters. Whether you use a paraffin candle (be sure to store it in a plastic bag so it doesnt melt and make a mess!), sterno, firestarter tablets, or hexamine tablets, firestarters are essential to getting a fire going in less-than ideal conditions. Whenever possible, be sure to practice lighting a fire. Most people use far too little kindling and tinder when starting their fires, leading to frustration when a four inch log wont light!

9. A pocket knife. This will be your most important essential item. It will help you in fire building, food preparation, first aid, and many other things.

10. A first aid kit. You can purchase one or improvise one, but you will need one! Along with the bandaids and gauze pads, I also keep aspirin, surgical scrub, insect repellent, SPF lip balm, Benadryl, Actifed, calamine lotion, and a couple of razor blades in mine.

There are, of course, other items you can carry. A signal flare can come in very handy, as can a leatherman tool, signaling mirror, and fluorescent plastic tape for trail marking.

The last item cannot fit in a survival kit. Its common sense, and is every bit as important in the outdoors as it is back home in the city. If its getting dark, get back to camp. If it looks too high, dont climb it. If it looks like it will rain soon, dont go. If something unexpected does come up, these ten items will help you get out of many situations you may encounter.