Emergency rations are items of food and drink that a person will be able to rely on for a short time, perhaps one night or a night and a day. The rations are to help people survive until help arrives and are often carried while hill walking or mountaineering, because of the risk of being stranded by an accident. In some organised events, such as Ten Tors, it is obligatory to carry emergency rations.

Emergency rations are often carried by camping enthusiasts, especially back-pack campers, who are more likely to be far from food supplies. Emergency foodstuffs are usually high in caloric content, and sometimes also in nutritional content. Typical emergency foodstuffs are high-calorie foods such as candy bars, nutritional bars energy or sports bars, hard bread or biscuit, dried meat (such as jerky), and dried fruit. If water is available, rations with little water content are lighter to carry.

Emergency rations are generally carried on the person by people on foot in case of becoming lost or separated from normal food supplies. Water or other drinks are carried if water is not readily available from the environment.