What are the top 10 essentials for a complete beginner?

Sleeping pad (with adequate insulation)

Backpack (not too small)

Wool inner clothing (especially in winter)

Enough food (don’t diet while camping)

Don’t bring just 3 bandaids for small cuts, bring a whole pack. One bandaid probably won’t sit on your finger for long.

A sturdy knife (for batoning) is a knife that has a sturdy handle. I.e no kabar knife.

18650 batteries are nice, lasts a good long while, compared to AA batteries.

A foldable saw is nice, and easy to use. Try not to cut your fingers though, best keep them 5+ cm off the saw blade when sawing.

A 1L water “bicycle” bottle, has little weight and lets you keep whatever excess boiled water you end up with.

Finally, the written checklist. One cross for items you want to bring. Add another cross AFTER you packed that item.

Mole skin!
Headlamp
Gators
Duel fuel MSR (best stove ever and yes jetboils are nice too)
Purifier
Tent
Bag
Pistol or spray
Mess kit
Multitool