Skip's Trailhead: Essentials make great holiday gifts

But first lets take a closer look at why we need to carry the 10 Essentials: The “Rule of Three.”

The rule of three is a simple rule to let us know what our priorities are in extreme outdoor emergency.

We can survive only three minutes without oxygen, three hours without shelter, three days without water and three months without food.

There isn’t much we can do about the three minutes without oxygen but the 10 Essentials covers the other “three” situations.

Everything on this list costs under $30 and could easily save someone's life.

SHELTER

All weather blankets can be used as a tent against rain or snow, and as a blanket to keep warm. Cost is $17 for a good one. An emergency “bivouac sack” is also a great way to stay warm on an unplanned night in the woods. Cost is under $20.

RAINGEAR AND CLOTHING

A plastic poncho to keep dry in a rainstorm or cut the bite out of a cold wind is also important. Cost is under $10. A high tech long sleeve shirt that will keep you warm even if you are wet will cost under $30. And don’t forget gloves and a warm hat. Cost of each is under $25.

SAFETY

Matches, fire starter, flashlight and signal mirror. Purchased separately, these cost between $2 and $7 each. A survival kit including a nylon bag with all of the above and maybe more will set you back about $25. My favorite addition is a headlamp because it frees up my hands for other chores. Cost is $25. A first aid kit for most day hikers will cost under $25.

KNIFE OR TOOL

My favorite knife is a single lock blade Opinel knife from France. It’s perfect for slicing cheese or shaving kindling to start a small fire. This knife hasn’t seen too many changes since it was introduced in 1890. Cost is $16. On the other end of the spectrum you can buy a multi blade Swiss Army knife for $14 or a multi-tool knife complete with needle nosed pliers for $30 bucks.

MAP AND COMPASS

These items probably should have been first on my list of essentials for you backpack.

Most unplanned nights in the woods are caused by someone being lost.

My motto has always been to stay found with a good map and compass.

A compass without a map is kind of useless and a map without a compass isn’t much better.

A very usable and accurate compass can be purchased for under $20, be sure you buy the compass style with a clear base so you can set it on top of your map.

Maps vary wildly in usability in the field. The hand outs they give you at visitor centers are useless and the same with any map that covers many square miles.

My favorite maps are Green Trail Maps that cover much smaller areas, list miles between trail junctions and give elevations. Cost is $8 each.

WATER

Water bottles come in a huge variety of styles, sizes and colors. Take your pick for $15 or less.

Just in case you run out of the water you brought from home but don’t want to risk getting sick with giardiasis (that’s what we used to call Beaver Fever) have a bottle of Potable Aqua Iodine Tablets handy. Cost is $7.

FOOD

Although you can survive a long time without food a power bar sure can give you the energy you need to climb the next hill or heat your body for a long cold night. Energy bars and energy gels are available at all grocery stores and cost $1.50 each. A bag of trail mix comes in at $8 apiece.

SUN PROTECTION

Best prices for sunglasses and sun screen are at your local big box store. Sun glasses are $20 and sun screen is $15.

PACKS

Now you need something to put your 10 Essentials in. Backpacks are great for colder weather and families. For a quick day hike I like my waist pack, which will hold all of my warm weather gear. Cost for either is about the same. A bargain hunter should be able to find them under $30.

If you have deep pockets and give a gift that covers every category listed above, including a pack, it will cost about $300. But you have given peace of mind — for them and yourself — as they step out on their great adventure.