The "Ten Essentials" are survival items that hiking organizations recommend for safe travel in the backcountry.

The Ten Essentials were first described in the 1930s by The Mountaineers, a hiking and mountain climbing club. Many regional organizations and authors recommend that hikers, backpackers, and climbers rigorously ensure they have the ten essentials with them. However, some expert lightweight hikers do not always carry all the items.

According to the Mountaineering: The Freedom of the Hills, the ten essentials are:

The textbook recommends supplementing the ten essentials with:

Not every expedition will require the use of an essential item. Carrying these basic items improves the chances that one is prepared for an unexpected emergency in the outdoors. For instance, if a hiker experiences a sudden snow storm, fresh clothes and fire starter may be used to keep warm, or the map and compass and headlamp will allow them to exit the wilderness quickly; otherwise they might succumb to hypothermia and perhaps even death. In addition, what you carry on a short summer trip on a popular trail is much less than a snowshoe trip in winter where you don't expect to see other people because the chances of being benighted are higher and because the risk of suffering hypothermia are greater.