Originally Posted by
nsherry61
Of course it can. And frankly, that is the danger of this discussion. As you say yourself, it is rare that you don't take extra clothing or rain-gear, but, there are apparently times when you probably prudently choose not to. And, I guess that is what I am getting at with my criticism of the soundbite nature of "The 10 Essentials". They are not essential, but they are absolutely wise to consider for every trip along with a good trip plan and telling people where you are going, practices which I almost, but not quite always adhear to.
So, in the end, I'm not interested in doing away with the 10 essentials. BUT, I do think they need to be treated with less dogmatic rhetoric and included in a broader discussion of being prepared and managing risk. In other words, the ten essentials are absolutely NOT essential and they DO NOT stand up on their own without a broader, knowledge driven context.