A safe hike takes careful planning. It involves studying the terrain ahead of time, checking for trail closures, looking at the weather forecast, calculating your hiking time, and dressing and packing accordingly.

Some tips and tricks for lightening your load.

The Ten Essentials are the items every Scout takes with them on every outing. Combined with knowledge, skill, and common sense they help keep a Scout comfortable, safe, and prepared.

Keep checking back here for additional resources as you work on your Backpacking merit badge.