Ten Essentials


The Ten Essentials are survival items that hiking and Scouting organizations recommend for safe travel in the backcountry.
The Ten Essentials first appeared in print in the third edition of . Many regional organizations and authors recommend that hikers, backpackers, and climbers rigorously ensure they have the ten essentials with them. However, personal preferences and differences in conditions may dictate otherwise and with experience most adventurers add and subtract from the list depending on the situation. Some ultralight backpackers do not always carry all of the items and believe it is an acceptable risk they take in order to travel light and fast.

List

According to The Mountaineers organization, as of 2018, the Ten Essentials consist of:
  1. Navigation: map, altimeter, compass, GPS device, personal locator beacon
  2. Headlamp: with LED bulb and spare batteries
  3. Sun protection: sunglasses, sun protective clothing, sunscreen
  4. First aid: a first aid kit
  5. Knife: knife, repair kit, multi-tool, tape, rope
  6. Fire: either a butane lighter or matches, fire starter
  7. Shelter: plastic tube tent or jumbo plastic trash bag
  8. Extra food
  9. Extra water
  10. Extra clothing needed to survive the night in the emergency shelter

    Other lists

Other outdoor organizations have variations of the Ten Essentials pertinent to local conditions.
Boy Scouts of America's "Scout Basic Essentials" are quite similar
Utah's Wasatch Mountain Club lists extra water in place of food, as Utah is mostly desert terrain, and water is more difficult to find.
The Spokane Mountaineers list "thirteen essentials", which supplement the list with emergency shelter such as a space blanket, signaling device, and toilet paper and trowel.
The "Ten Essential Groups" is an alternative approach to essential gear selection. Items from each group should be chosen depending on the season, geographic location, and trip duration. In 2011, Columbia Sportswear adopted the "Ten Essential Groups" concept for their iOS app "Take Ten to the Greater Outdoors".
Central Arizona Mountain Rescue Association promotes the 12 Essentials, which includes Signaling Devices and Personal Items.