First on the list of the Ten Essentials System is Navigation. This is a big topic, so I'll be splitting it up into several posts: one for the actual gear, and one to provide an overview of the knowledge needed to use the gear. Navigating through the wilderness, whether by GPS, map and compass, or both, is a tricky task that requires knowledge, the right gear, advanced planning, and lots of practice. Orienteering is definitely a skill that requires actual field use to really learn. Reading this (or any) blog alone won't prepare you to head out into the wilderness safely. The intent is to make you aware of what you do need to know, and encourage you to go learn these skills prior to heading out on anything more that the simplest hike through a city park. So, let's tackle the gear you're going to need.

The Ten Essentials list was created by a climbing organization (The Mountaineers) to help make sure people would have the basic tools necessary to respond to unforeseen events while out hiking, camping, hunting, etc. The list includes items that you should always have with you when you go to enjoy the outdoors. In our last poll, we provided a list of 11 categories and asked which one is not on the list, and the correct answer was: Communication.

The YAKTRAX Pro shoe crampon is a lightweight traction assistance device designed to slip over most shoes and hiking boots. The design is a single piece of rubber that has a criss-cross pattern across the bottom and wider sides designed to slip up over the toe, sides, and heel of your footwear. The sections that criss-cross the bottom have a long piece of steel that coils around them from one end to the other. As you walk through your normal gate, the pressure pushes the various parts of the steel coil down into the packed snow and/or ice, providing the traction. The design is wonderfully simple and ingenious at the same time, with the makers claiming it provides up to 10 times the traction of the various micro-spiked versions made by competitors. Overall, it fared well on my one limited trip with them, but there are some concerns as well.