The Ten Essentials are a checklist of categories of gear hikers should carry to stay safe and self-sufficient in the backcountry: navigation, sun protection, insulation, illumination, first aid, fire, repair kit and tools, nutrition, hydration, and emergency shelter. They guard against the unexpected on any hike.
Leave No Trace (LNT) is a set of seven principles for enjoying the outdoors responsibly while minimizing your impact — including planning ahead, traveling on durable surfaces, disposing of waste properly, and leaving what you find. It is the ethical foundation of modern hiking and camping.
A summit is the highest point of a mountain or hill — the top, and the goal of many hikes and climbs. Reaching the summit is called 'summiting' or 'bagging' a peak. A false summit is a high point that looks like the top from below but isn't, a common morale-tester on big climbs.
A blaze is a marker — usually a painted rectangle on a tree or rock, or a metal tag — used to mark a hiking trail's route. Different colors denote different trails, and a double blaze signals a turn or junction. Following blazes is a basic trail-navigation skill.
A cairn is a stack of stones built to mark a trail or route, especially above treeline or across rock where a worn path is hard to follow. Hikers use cairns to navigate; building unofficial ones can mislead others, so the principle is to follow established cairns rather than create new ones.
A switchback is a sharp zigzag in a trail that climbs a steep slope at a gentler angle, reversing direction repeatedly to ease the gradient. Switchbacks make steep terrain walkable and reduce erosion. Cutting straight across them — 'cutting switchbacks' — damages the trail and is discouraged.
Backpacking is multi-day hiking that involves carrying everything you need — shelter, sleeping system, food, and water — in a pack and camping overnight along the way. It lets hikers travel deep into the backcountry beyond the reach of day hikes, and is the foundation of long-distance hiking.
A day hike is a hike completed in a single day, without camping overnight. Day hikes range from short nature walks to long, strenuous summit pushes, and let hikers access trails and views with a light pack and minimal gear. They are the most popular and accessible form of hiking.
A dead hang is hanging from a hold, bar, or hangboard edge with straight, relaxed arms and engaged shoulders, used both as a rest position on the wall and as a core finger-strength exercise. Timed dead hangs on a hangboard are one of the most effective ways to build the specific finger strength climbing demands.
Spotting is the technique of guiding a falling boulderer to help them land safely on the crash pads, protecting their head and steering their body upright rather than trying to catch their full weight. A spotter stands ready with hands up, and good spotting is a key safety practice in bouldering, where there is no rope.