Essentials

All outdoor activities including trekking, camping, skiing, bird watching, river rafting, involve a lot of adventure and some amount of risk as well. But being cautious and alert can actually help you. Its your will power which allows you to cope up with the toughest of situations .
There are a number of items which are essential for survival in the wild. The list depends entirely upon the kind of activity you undertake. But carrying extra clothing, a strong pair of shoes and lots of packed food becomes a necessity when you are in Himalayas. When you are buying equipments for your trip then make sure that they are light weight but do not compromise on quality. One should be clear about the requirements for the trip as sometimes people pack extra things which are not required and just add to the weight of your baggage.
Some of these essentials includes:
Extra clothing:
It depends upon the place you are visiting and in which season as you may have to encounter really bad situations as well. Keeping an extra inner wear is a must as it gets soaked soon because of perspiration. Never stay in wet clothes for long. Heavy woolens , Sweater, pants shirts, hat and cap, Gloves and waterproof Jackets should be a part of your luggage if you are planning to visit Himalayas in Winter. A strong light weight pair of shoes is also required to save you from cold and it is a great help while walking on slippery areas like snow.
Food:
You should carry light weight , packed food with you. It can be a great help in the case of emergency. Dry Fruits such as cashew nuts, almonds, groundnuts, raisins or chocolates , biscuits can be a good choice.
Water Bottles/ Pouch:
You may not find water sources easily at some places so you should carry a water bottle or a water pouch along with you. A wide variety of bottles and pouches are available in the market. For water purification you can either choose water purification tablets of Chlorine or can even opt for boiled water.
Map:
one should always carry a topographical map of the area you are planning to visit as it will be of great help while locating the routes. Try to keep it in a plastic cover for safety from water and snow.
Flashlight:
Hand held torch or flash lights are essentially required for an outdoor trip. Make sure that it is water resistant. You should always keep extra batteries and extra bulbs along with you.
Sunglasses:
Ultraviolet rays affect your eyes to a great extent especially when you are at an elevation of 10,000 feet or above. On clear days sky remains blue, sunshines brightly and the light reflected by snow is really harmful it can even cause snow blindness. Therefore goggles or sunglasses are a must.
A great care should taken while selecting sunglasses as they should be light weight, having side shields which reduces the amount of light reaching to the eyes, however it should allow enough ventilation to stop fogging.
First Aid Kit:
Your first aid kit should be compact and packed well in a waterproof cover. It should have basic medicines like for fever, Nausea, headache, Sprain, loose motions, constipation etc, band aids, scissors, Bandages, gauge pads, glucose, crapes, oral rehydration salts. If you take any prescribed medicine regularly than you should keep that as well.
Pocket Knife/ Swiss knives:
It is multi purpose tool as it is required for building fire, preparation of food, rock climbing and even first aid . Apart from having two blades these kind of knives have a can opener, screw driver, scissor, a chord attached to it so that it can be secured to the belt and can be kept in the pocket for fast access.
Fire Starters:
They are useful in igniting wet woods. Common fire starters are chemical fuels and candles. Apart from a lighter, a pack of match box wrapped in water proof packet should be taken on all trips.
Sunscreen Lotions:
A good sun protection lotion should be kept handy as it will save you from the harsh sun on higher altitudes. Keep on reapplying it after few hours.
Insect Repellent:
To avoid mosquitoes, ticks and biting flies covering the body with clothes is an ideal method . But in hot weather this is not comfortable so carry a bottle of good, less sticky insect repellent with you.
Walking Kit/ Ice Axe:
Walking Sticks are very useful on the trails where lots of ascents and descents are involved. It helps while crossing a stream, passing over a scree slope, keeping away the animals, and at an higher elevation ice axe is necessary for snow covered trails, glaciers and snow fields.
Repair Kit:
It is a good idea to carry safety pins, needles , threads, tape , wires and other things in a small repair kit.
Other Essentials:
Sleeping bags along with Inner, Ground Sheet, Toiletries, Camera, watch, Whistle, Tent, Cooking Accessories, pots, Altimeter, Binoculars, Climbing Rope, Rescue Pulley.
For Higher altitudes covered with snow:
Snow shoes and Goggles, Gaiters, Snow Shovel, Crampoons, Carabiners, Seat Harness, Slings etc.