SESKStuff Everyone Should Know

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Stuff Every Hiker Should Know

The Ten Essentials, trail etiquette, water, weather, wildlife and getting found if you get lost.

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Free to start, no sign-up. 61 cards so far. One Knowledge Score and day streak across all your courses.

⏱ Timed practice exam

SESK practice exam: 50 questions, 50 minutes, pass with 40 right (80%).

Take it like the real thing: a countdown, no hints until you finish, then your score by topic, every miss explained, and a readiness score from your last 3 exams.

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Try 3 cards

  1. Which group first came up with the Ten Essentials packing system for hikers?
    Show the answer

    The Mountaineers. The National Park Service credits the Ten Essentials system to The Mountaineers. It groups the gear every hiker should carry into ten categories, so you can handle injuries, weather changes and surprises.

  2. Why does the Park Service recommend a headlamp over a regular flashlight for hiking?
    Show the answer

    It keeps your hands free. Illumination is one of the Ten Essentials. The Park Service says headlamps are the recommended light because they are hands-free. Pack extra batteries too.

  3. How much extra food does the Park Service suggest packing as one of the Ten Essentials?
    Show the answer

    An extra day's supply. Plans change: you might get delayed, lost or stuck by weather. The Park Service suggests an extra day's food, preferably no-cook items with good nutrition, to keep your energy up.

All 61 practice questions

The first 50 are free, with the answer, why it's right and the official sources. The other 11 (🔒) are for SESK members. Or play them as a game and track what you've learned.

Show all 61 questions
  1. Which group first came up with the Ten Essentials packing system for hikers?
  2. Why does the Park Service recommend a headlamp over a regular flashlight for hiking?
  3. How much extra food does the Park Service suggest packing as one of the Ten Essentials?
  4. Which three items make up the sun protection part of the Ten Essentials?
  5. Why does the Park Service suggest your extra layer of clothing be brightly colored?
  6. In the Ten Essentials, which category does the knife belong to?
  7. Which lightweight item does the Park Service list as an emergency shelter for a day hike?
  8. Besides warmth and cooking, what else can fire do for a hiker in an emergency?
  9. Before a hike, what should you check on every item in your first aid kit?
  10. On a hot, hard hike, how much water can a hiker lose through sweat in one hour?
  11. Who should you leave your written trip plan with before a hike?
  12. What is a hiking turnaround time?
  13. The Park Service says plan for an uphill stretch to take how long compared with going down it?
  14. You find a rock cairn beside the trail. What does the Park Service say to do?
  15. What color are the painted blazes that mark the Appalachian Trail?
  16. In the STOP plan for when you are lost, what does the S tell you to do?
  17. A child gets lost on a hike. What does the Park Service teach kids to do?
  18. If you are lost and have a whistle, how many quick blasts should you blow at a time?
  19. What is magnetic declination, which compass users must adjust for?
  20. Why do rangers suggest airplane mode for your phone on a trail with poor signal?
  21. Which device do rangers suggest for calling for help where there is no cell service?
  22. Why does the Forest Service say to carry a compass even if you have a GPS device?
  23. If you can hear thunder while hiking, what does that mean?
  24. In the 30 30 lightning rule, what does the first 30 mean?
  25. In the mountains, when do summer thunderstorms usually build, so hikers should start early?
  26. Which skin sign points to heat exhaustion in a hiker?
  27. Can a hiker get hypothermia in summer?
  28. Which is an early warning sign of hypothermia to watch for in your group?
  29. At about what elevation does the Park Service warn hikers they risk altitude illness?
  30. Your heel feels red and tender on a hike, a hot spot. What should you do?
  31. What does the American Hiking Society say to put on a blister on the trail?
  32. Who has the right of way when two hikers meet on a steep trail?
  33. When you meet horses or pack mules on a trail, what should you do?
  34. How many principles are in the Leave No Trace program?
  35. What does pack it in, pack it out mean?
  36. Where should you dig a cat hole for human waste?
  37. At elevations no higher than 6,500 feet, how long should you boil clear water at a rolling boil?
  38. What does a filter with an absolute pore size of 1 micron or smaller remove?
  39. What kind of illness can Giardia in backcountry water cause?
  40. Hiking in the heat at a moderate pace, how often should you drink water?
  41. When should you check your body for ticks after hiking?
  42. What is the best way to remove an attached tick?
  43. After hiking in tick country, what can lower your chance of Lyme disease?
  44. What does the saying leaves of three, let it be mean?
  45. What substance on poison ivy causes the rash?
  46. If a black bear attacks you, what does the Park Service say to do?
  47. What should you do if a grizzly bear charges and contacts you?
  48. What is bear spray for?
  49. Where should food be stored in bear country at night?
  50. Why should you make noise while hiking in bear country?
  51. Which habit helps hikers avoid snake bites? 🔒
  52. What is a rattlesnake's main warning signal? 🔒
  53. What is the first aid for a venomous snake bite? 🔒
  54. What should you do if you meet a mountain lion on a trail? 🔒
  55. In national parks, how long can your dog's leash be? 🔒
  56. What is one main benefit of using trekking poles? 🔒
  57. What is the correct three-layer clothing system order from skin outward? 🔒
  58. Why do hikers avoid cotton clothing? 🔒
  59. Why should hikers not cut switchbacks on a trail? 🔒
  60. Which household product can disinfect clear water in an emergency? 🔒
  61. What should hikers do with their dog's waste on trails? 🔒