The 10 essentials

These 10 survival items were recommended by hiking and Scouting organizations for safe travel in the backcountry:

1. Navigation
2. Headlamp
3. Sun protection
4. First aid
5. Knife
6. Fire
7. Shelter
8. Extra food
9. Extra water
10. Extra clothes

This list first appeared in print in the third edition of Mountaineering: The Freedom of the Hills (January 1974).

The modern 10

Our day-to-day has changed quite a bit since then. And so we have fun assembling our new collection of essentials and secret obsessions to accompany us in our adventures. GQ has a series on YouTube:

Share your "10 essentials"

Our collections express who we are. This site lets you share your 10 with others and see what they picked for theirs. It's a fun way to connect and discover new things.