Packing for a travel is never an easy process, but when you are heading out into the wild with no option to buy missing items, it becomes even more critical to give it some good thoughts.
What to pack and what to leave home? How to make sure you can keep going even if the weather change? I am sharing here my packing list for the happy trekker along with a few learnings and tips, acquired kilometre after kilometre.
So, what’s hiding inside the backpack?
Packing list for going trekking
If you want to be a minimalist packer, any item that goes into your backpack should answer one of the 3 essential goals of a hiker: stay dry, stay warm, stay clean. This, and some good food of course, will ensure you remain a decent human being even if you are trekking for more than a week without showering (think it’s too gross, it is still time to move to another post ;-)?)
Packs
It doesn’t matter which backpack or rain cover you have. Eventually, after hours of constant rain, water will go through.
Pack your items in waterproof bags to keep them dry and your spirits high!
- Trekking backpack with raincover
- Zip locks. Waterproof, ultra-light, compress clothes easier and make no noise.
- Dry bags. One for food and one for electronics
- Trash bags. There is never enough of them!
- XL trash bags. Perfect to double your backpack from inside. Can also be used as a carpet in the entrance of our tent, to keep items decently dry even of it’s humid or as an emergency rain skirt/poncho.
Trekking Clothes
My trekking uniform
The secret to pack light for clothes is to have 2 outfits when trekking: a hiking uniform that you will wear day after day -even if stinky, yes-, and a cleaner outfit to relax and sleep in.
This allows you to let you day clothes dry off a bit when you get to the camp and to sleep in clothes that are not too dirty.
Hiking outfit
- Hiking pants. I choose to bring only one pair of quick dry pants. I invested in the Vidda Pro pants from Fjallraven. I also own a lighter version –the Karla pro – for warmer climates which I used for our South America backpacking trip. I love them – they are totally worth the price if you love hiking.
- 1 breathable tee-shirt. I invested in a merino tee-shirt. the price hurts but they really dry quick, keep you warm if needed and don’t smell that bad. A good investment once you are really getting into trekking, otherwise any quick dry sport tee-shirt will do.
- 1 long sleeve tee-shirt. Isolates from the cold but breathable.
- Hiking boots
- Rain jacket/ poncho
- Hat
- Gloves
- Scarf
- Sun glasses
Relaxing outfit
- Fleece
- Sleeping tights (you can also wear them under your hiking pants if it gets too cold)
- 1 tee-shirt
- 1 pair of warm socks
- Sandals. I used to take flip-flops instead but after loosing one during a river crossing I reconsidered my choice 😀
Change
- Underwear. Comfortable and quick dry
- Socks. Always pack 1 more pair than you think (4 pairs seems to be a good number for a 7 days trek)
- 1 additional tee-shirt
Sleep
- Tent. “The palace” as we call it, is a 3 person compact tunnel tent from Bergans.
- Sleeping bag.
- Silk linen. For additionnal warmth, pack a silk linen. It will also keep your sleeping bag clean and can easily be wash on the go as it will dry extremely quickly.
- Mattress. After 3 nights spent shivering and being waking up due to cold every hour or so during a camping trip in the norwegian fjords, I will never do this mistake again. A mattress not only provides comfort for your back, it is also an excellent isolation from a humid and cold ground.
A room with priceless view, camping in Norwegian fjords
Toiletries
- Baby wipes. Life savers for these treks where you can’t shower everyday. Feeling fresh before going to bed.
- Disinfectant for hands
- Toothpaste + toothbrush
- Mini-towel quick dry, to wash your face or your feet in a stream.
- Shampoo/shower gel, 2 in 1 in a small bottle.
- Comb
- Toilet paper
- Lip balm
- Sun cream
Pharmacy
A minimum pharmacy will include some basics items as below and your own medication. Do your research and consult your doctor to have a list adapted to your needs.
- Painkillers
- Bandages (including bandages to heal blisters)
- Disinfectant
- Anti-diarrea, for emergencies
- Life blanket
- First aid kit
- Mosquitoes repellent
Kitchen
Carrying a stove or not when trekking is a personal choice. But for me it is a no question for temperate climates. Eating warm at least once a day is not only satisfactory, it is also a good way to get your body warmer!
- Stove + Fuel/ gas bottle.
- Matches + lighter. Bring both to have a back-up, keep the matches in an ziplock.
- Pots/plates. I have this convenient 2 people kit from MSR.
- Opinel. One knife to do it all, super light and packable.
- Spork.
- Sponges with soap prepared in advance. Cut a sponge in a few pieces and soak it with dishwashing liquid. Let dry and pack in a ziplock.
- Steel water bottle. Better than a plastic one. Too cold, too humid in the sleeping bag? Fill you bottle with boiled water. Close properly and position it in your sleeping bag. Life saver to get warm quickly!
Electronics
- Phone and charger
- Camera
- Power bank. Useful if you are trekking for a long time and will not be able to charge your electronics.
Miscellaneous
A few items to be ready like Mac Gyver!
- Duct Tape. Do everything: fix shoes, keep bags closed…
- Headlamp and batteries
- String / clothes line.
- Locker, can be handy for day hikes when you leave items (not valuables) in the tent, or
- Mosquitoes spiral
- Map. Don’t overestimate the value of a good map when trekking autonomously
- Book, notebook and pen. Many hikers pack a book but I don’t. If I have a bit of time I like just to relax, enjoy the place and if I feel really brave – I write a bit!
Important note: This is my personal equipment list, I have no agreement with any of the brands mention and I only recommend products I have tested for a while and really appreciate!
