Packing List

Background

This page is intended to be a checklist for us and a reference for others who find it. It started out as a packing list for our Grand Canyon trip, but has evolved beyond that to become a general checklist that we use on all of our backpacking trips.

The packing strategy page discusses how we pack this gear and distribute it within in our frame packs.

There's a compact, printable version of this list that's a little easier to use as a checklist if you just want to sit on the floor and confirm that you have everything.

Revision History

Because this list can (and does) change over time, I think it's useful for visitors to be able to see what's changed.

Revision History
Date	Comments
1 Oct 2009	Original revision, for Grand Canyon trip.
8 Aug 2011	Web site reorganized. Starting now, this list will no longer be Grand Canyon-specific.
11 Aug 2011	Series of changes focused on our Glacier trip in September of 2011: Clean up various product and reference links that no longer worked Combine Cooking and Eating categories into one category Update list of stakes to include MSR Groundhog and Vargo Titanium Nail Cytomax is optional and only taken when it's hot Replace Warmlite poncho with The Packa and Moonbow Chaps; hated the poncho No need for windbreaker now that we're using The Packa Add TreeLine Spectra as kitchen bag rope Remove space blanket from emergency kit's list of optional items Add Adventure Medical Kit SOL emergency blanket to Miscellaneous (Individual) Add bear spray as optional item within Miscellaneous (Individual) Specify Manzella Silkweight Windstopper as our lightweight glove of choice Add note about how Kelty Trip Tease may damage trees Add pill identification card to first aid kit Remove sealed scalpel blade from first aid kit's optional items Add Light My Fire FireSteel 2.0 to emergency kit
29 Aug 2011	Several more changes focused on our Glacier trip: Remove electrolyte mix from food section; this is now part of meal planning Reference the new gear discussion section called DAM Inflation
12 Oct 2011	Changes based on "lessons learned" from our Glacier trip: Reference a new discussion of stove fuel on the meal planning page Add glove liners to the list, to supplement the Windstopper gloves List small OP Sak to store food needed on current day (no digging in bear bag)
14 Aug 2012	Changes based on new gear for our Olympic National Park trip: Add Osprey Argon as one of Ken's packs List Bearikade as one of the food storage options Wear Outdoor Research Sentinel shirt for SPF and bug protection Move to Peter's Headnets full-size model after realizing my cheap headnet sucked
03 Sep 2012	More changes for Olympic National Park trip: List Tilley LTM6 as our wide-brimmed hat Add notes about items that we might choose to treat with permethrin Created compact, printable list that's easier to use as a checklist List river-crossing footwear Add a section for travel accessories Add plastic bag for boots (necessary under wet conditions) Be more explicit about bike pump and related valve for DAM inflation Add spare DAM valve cover to emergency kit
26 Feb 2015	Changes in preparation for Isle Royale trip: Fix or remove dead product links, which seem to go obsolete nearly as soon as they're listed Remove dead links from references section (ocspray's canyon list) Add First Need XLE as optional water purification (unlike SteriPEN's UV, it works against tapeworms) Add optional Big Agnes AirCore Mummy for sleeping in warm weather (lighter, easier to inflate) Remove loperamide from medications; we now think simple Pepto-Bismal is a better general solution Add lightweight collapsible Seattle Sports Pocket Bucket to hydration section

References

The following online checklists were useful to us as we developed this list:

And, although it doesn't contain a specific checklist, the The Australian Bushwalking FAQ also contains a lot of useful information.

The Essentials

A number of different sites and books document "the essentials" or "the ten essentials" for a wilderness hike. The list below is a good union of the various sets:

Maps (trail and optionally topo)
Compass (and the ability to use it)
Flashlight and spare batteries
Sunglasses (and maybe a strap)
Spare water and food
Protective clothing and hat
First aid kit
Pocket knife
Toilet paper
Matches
Sunblock (and sunblocking lip balm)
Emergency whistle and mirror
Emergency medical information

Most references cite a requirement of one gallon of water per person per day. This might go up past three gallons per person per day in hot, stressful conditions (i.e. Grand Canyon in the warm half of the year).

Packing List

Below is the complete packing list, sized for a 3-4 day trip in spring, summer or fall (but not extreme conditions). Not everything listed is required.

Some notes:

Below, items annoted as "(J)" indicate Julie's gear, while items annoted as "(K)" indicate Ken's gear. There will usually only be annotations when there is a significant weight difference.
When a weight is indicated, it is generally for "one each" of the item in question, unless otherwise noted. So, the weight shown for hiking socks is the weight of one pair of socks, not the total weight for all of the socks.
Quantity is omitted unless it is important. For instance, we don't bother to suggest a quantity for tent but we do for hiking socks.

As shown below, without food, water or optional items, the total weight is about 9.4kg (20.7 lb) each. Add in food and water for a 3-4 day trip and the total averages around 17kg (37.4 lb) each.

This is not "ultralight" backpacking, but likewise an 21-lb base weight is not ridiculous. This weight leaves us some room for a few optional items (i.e. cards, book, camera) while still keeping close to that magical 20%-of-body-weight number — around 30 lb for Julie and 40 lb for Ken.

Pack
Item	Example	Weight	Notes
Frame pack	Deuter ACT Lite 45 GoLite Quest Osprey Argon	1502g (J) 1410g (K) 3000g (K)	See Backpacks
Pack cover			For rainy conditions The Packa has a pack cover built-in
Total Weight		1502g (J) 1410-3000g (K)

Travel Accessories
Item	Example	Notes
Overbag		For carrying pack on train/plane
Fuel canister recycler	Jetboil Crunchit	Puncture empty fuel cans for recycling
Canvas storage bags		Keep sleeping bags uncompressed for rest of vacation
Dark sheet		To keep things covered in the car if trunk isn't big enough

Navigation
Item	Weight	Notes
Compass	25g	And ability to use it `:)`
Maps	95g	Trail and topograhic
Backcountry permit	10g	Not always needed
Total Weight	130g

Hydration
Item	Example	Weight	Qty	Notes
Water		4000g	4 L	Per person per day
3L hydration insert	Camelbak Platypus	210g 170g	1	Packs have a sleeve to hold this
1L bottle	Nalgene	180g	1-2	For extra capacity Use spare for purification?
Purification	SteriPEN Classic First Need XLE	230g 515g		See Water Treatment SteriPEN weight includes pre-filter UV not effective for tapeworms
Collapsible Bucket	Seattle Sports	82g		For collecting water To let sediment settle
Towel/rag				For wiping off SteriPEN and bottles
Total Weight		4432g including Platypus and 1 bottle 230g-515g shared weight for pen or pump

Food
Item	Example	Weight	Notes
Food storage	Ursack Bearikade Expedition	240g 1020g	See Bear and Critter Protection Lined with OP Sak
Food	NOLS "average" NOLS "strenuous"	800g 1000g	Per person, per day
Small OP Sak	9x10"		Store food for day use, outside Ursack
Storage for trash	Ziploc	10g	Holds all all food-related trash Stored inside bear bag with food
Total Weight		250g-1070g shared plus food Food for 3-4 day trip: 3000-4000g per person Food for weekend trip: 1200g per person

Cooking/Eating
Item	Example	Weight	Qty	Notes
Kitchen bag		55g	1	Silnylon stuff sack lined with OP Sak Hung at night along with bear bag Holds stove, utensils, dishes
Kitchen bag rope	TreeLine Spectra	28g		40' of rope with load limit of 725 lb Doesn't snag on bark or branches
Stove	Primus EtaExpress	465g		See Stoves Unless driving, mail the burner
Fuel		200g	1	See Fuel 200g total weight, 100g of fuel Unless driving, buy this on-site
Pot				EtaExpress includes pot
Cup	GSI Cascadian	48g		Stackable, unbreakable
Bowl	GSI Cascadian	45g		Stackable, unbreakable
Spoon/fork	Light My Fire Spork	6g
Freezer bag cozy		35g		See Cooking
Paper towels/napkins		1.7g		Store trash with food 1 per person per meal
Cleaning				Not much cleaning needed Use paper towels
Total Weight		748g shared + 134g per person + napkins

Shelter
Item	Example	Weight	Notes
Tent	Warmlite 2R	1420g	See Tents Requires 3-7 stakes
Stakes	3 x MSR Groundhog 3 x Vargo Titanium Nail 4 x Lazr Titanium	130g	See Stakes Warmlite 2R requires 3-7 stakes Multiple styles for different soils We have at least 3 spares
Inside groundcloth		105g	1 mil plastic sheet Including boot-rest Stored in quart ziplok
Outside groundcloth		95g	1 mil plastic sheet Stored in quart ziplok
Total Weight		1750g

Sleeping
Item	Example	Weight	Notes
Sleeping bag	Warmlite Triple	1166g (J) 1334g (K)	See Sleeping Gear Light top only for summer/fall
Sleeping pad and straps	Warmlite DAM Big Agnes AirCore Mummy	738g (J)/795g (K) 650g	See Sleeping Gear AirCore only when warm (easier to inflate)
Pillow	Mont Bell UL	90g	Neck pillows didn't work well 20g of weight is patch kit
Compression sack	Granite Gear Drylite	145g	Water-proof!
Bike pump and valve		220g	See DAM Inflation
Total Weight		2359g (J), including bike pump 2364g (K), including DAM valve

Personal Items
Item	Example	Weight	Notes
Toilet paper		130g	Weight is for one mostly-full roll
Packet of kleenex		25g	Weight is estimated
Deoderant		50g	Store with food Travel size
Toothpaste		25g	Store with food Travel size
Toothbrush		15g	Store with food Travel size
Toilet trowel	REI Sanitation Trowel	58g	For digging a hole when needed
Floss		10g	Store with food Sample size
Soap	Campsuds	40g	Store with food Biodegradable, if possible Pack in 1 fl. oz Nalgene bottle
Washcloth	Cotton rag	15g
Hand towel	Cotton rag	15g
Comb/brush		20g	Only if you have hair!
Prescription medication			Anything you take regularly
Female supplies			If needed
Moleskin			For blisters on feet
Total Weight		403g Assuming we can share most items

Miscellaneous (Individual)
Item	Example	Weight	Notes
Emergency blanket	Adventure Medical SOL	85g	Doubles as a gear cover in rain
Flashlight	Black Diamond Spot	90g
Sit pads		90g	Foam pad approx 18"x15"
Head net	Peter's Headnets	20g	For mosquitoes
Wallet		50g	Identification Credit cards Cash Insurance Car key
Earplugs		5g	Even in the woods, there are idiots who won't be quiet
Bear spray	Counter Assault	425g	An absolute requirement at places like Glacier, optional elsewhere. If traveling by air or rail, purchase on-site.
Boot bag			Plastic bag to store boots in, if wet or muddy
Total Weight		340 per person total 765g per person including bear spray

Miscellaneous (Shared)
Item	Example	Weight	Qty	Notes
Paper/pencil		35g
Towel	ShamWow!	70g		For cleaning and condensation Weight is one large ShamWow!
Whisk broom		75g		For tent cleaning Technically optional, but...
Sunblock		140g		SPF 35 or higher Pack in 4 fl. oz Nalgene bottle
Sunblock lip balm		10g		Chapstick Sunburned lips hurt!
Hand sanitizer		50g		Pack in 1 fl. oz Nalgene bottle
Pocket knife		40g
Clothesline	Kelty Triptease	15g		Bring 20' Kelty recommends against this use because the rough rope edge might damage trees
Clothespins		7g	6
Extra grip clips		15g	3	From Shelter Systems
Bug juice		50g		With DEET Lotion or pump-spray
Emergency kit		210g		See Emergency and Repair Kit
First aid kit		145g		See First Aid Kit
Snake-bite kit		100g		See Venomous Snakes Optional in some locations.
Total Weight		982g

Clothing and Items on Person
Item	Example	Weight	Notes
Prescription glasses		20g (K)
Strap for glasses		5g (K)
Watch		40g	Weight is for Polar HR watch
Whistle		20g	On a light lanyard For attracting attention
Wide-brimmed hat	Tilley LTM6	115g	Should a have chin strap? Consider treating with permethrin
Long-sleeved shirt	OR Sentinel	265g (J) 325g (K)	For SPF and bugs Consider treating with permethrin
Wicking liner shirt		150g	Worn under other shirt
Convertible pants	Columbia from REI	345g (J) 410g (K)	Non-cotton Consider treating with permethrin
Belt		95g (K)	Note: must fit loops on rain chaps
Underwear		25g (J) 80g (K)	Non-cotton?
Hiking socks		105g (J) 80g (K)	These are critical Non-cotton
Hiking boots		1400g (J) 1730g (K)	GoreTex?
Orthotics for boots			Ken's prescription footbeds Julie's inserts
Gaiters	Integral Designs	70g	See Rain Gear Keep out trail debris Keep boots dry in rain Consider treating with permethrin
Trekking poles	Black Diamond Trail	520g	Weight for one pair One pair per person
Total Weight		3035g (J) 3640g (K)

Packed Clothing
Item	Example	Weight	Qty	Notes
Sunglasses		30g
Case for glasses		60g
Bandana		30g		Keep sun off neck, wet it, etc.
Sweatband	DoWrap SweatVac	21g (K)		Avoid sweat in your eyes
Rain jacket	The Packa	330g		See Rain Gear The Packa has a pack cover built-in The Packa doubles as windbreaker
Rain chaps	Moonbow Chaps	70g		See Rain Gear These are open at the top, but The Packa covers them. In warm summer weather, these might be optional
Short pants	Columbia from REI	250g	1	Maybe skip these? Non-cotton Consider treating with permethrin
Short-sleeved shirt		150g	1	Consider treating with permethrin
Light long underwear top		270g (J) 420g (K)	1	For extra layer in cooler weather
Underwear		25g (J) 80g (K)	1-3	Non-cotton? Take fewer to save weight
Hiking socks		105g (J) 80g (K)	1-3	These are critical Take fewer to save weight
Sleeping clothes	Traveler's Tree	100g (J) 140g (K)		Light shirt and shorts Silk to save weight
Total Weight		1420g-1680g (J) 1661g-1981g (K)

Packed Clothing (Lower Temps)
Item	Example	Weight	Qty	Notes
Windbreaker				The Packa doubles as a windbreaker
Light sweatshirt		240g (J) 310g (K)	1	Or lightweight fleece
Light long underwear bottom		130g (J) 200g (K)	1
Scullcap or hat		25g
Light gloves	Manzella Silkweight	45g		These are water/wind-proof
Glove liners				To supplement light gloves if needed
Sleeping socks		35g		Silk to save weight
Total Weight		475g (J) 615g (K)

Optional Items
Item	Example	Weight	Notes
Book		200g	Weight is a good guess
Nook		315g	Weight includes cover Don't forget to charge
Weather radio	Sangean DT-400W	160g	Nice to know what to expect. Probably doesn't work in mountains
Playing cards		95g
Camera		140g (camera) 60g (case)	Canon ELPH containing batteries
Lens cloth		20g	Ken's brush/cloth stick
Binoculars		225g
Thermometer		15g	Coleman keychain-style
Spare batteries		27g (AA) 12g (AAA)	AA and/or AAA For radio and UV purifier Start with fresh, might not need
Ziplock bags		7g (quart) 10g (gallon) 75g ("XL")	Bring a variety of these
Swim suit		140g (J) 175g (K)
River-crossing shoes			If crossings are anticipated
Comfy shoes			For around camp

First Aid Kit

Opinions vary regarding what is important to carry in a first aid kit. On the one hand, you want to take the things you might need in order to deal with common, minor injuries and ailments. On the other hand, you're probably not going to splint a broken leg and walk out six miles on the splint. So, it seems best to be realistic about the things you can fix and the things you can't. A good basic set of supplies along with some Boy Scout-level first aid knowledge should (hopefully) be enough.

You can buy some pre-packaged first aid kits, but I am inclined to think that these are either over-priced or a bit heavy for what I need. I decided to build my own.

My local REI has a whole display full of first aid kit components, which I found pretty useful. I was able to buy single-use packets for various kinds of creams (antibotic, burn cream, etc.), plus antiseptic wipes and other items. Oddly, I wasn't able to find any of these things in the online catalog. Anyway, it's worth looking in your local store if you decide to assemble your own first aid kit.

I split this list up into optional and required items. Optional items are the things I might like to have, but won't always take due to weight or space considerations.

Note: remember to check the expiration date on any medication that you bring along.

First Aid Kit - Required
Item	Notes
Emergency information card	Card including medical information, contact information, etc.
Pill identification card	Card identifying all included pills, including dosages and expiration dates
Good-quality metal tweezers	Try removing a deer tick without one! We bought Uncle Bill's Sliver Gripper at REI
Nail clippers including file	Really not optional, given Ken's toenails.
Pain reliever	For instance, Tylenol or Advil Assume worst-case usage, i.e. 4 doses per person per day (?)
Anti-diarrheal	For instance, Pepto-Bismal Assume worst-case usage, i.e. 1-2 doses per person per day (?)
Medical tape	Take a small roll
Bandages	Large, medium and small Suggest 5 of each size
Antiseptic wipes	Disposable packets like from REI Suggest 3-5 packets
Burn cream	Disposable packets like from REI Suggest 2-3 packets
Topical analgesic	Disposable packets like from REI Suggest 3-5 packets
Antibiotic cream	Disposable packets like from REI Suggest 3-5 packets
Paper towels	Non-sterile, but useful
Total	140g, packed in its own ziploc bag

First Aid Kit - Optional
Item	Notes
Anti-itch	Sometimes this is nice to have
Ace bandage	For wrapping an ankle/knee
Antihistamine	If it's allergy season...
Laxative	For extended trips (?)

Emergency Kit

As with the first aid kit, note that your emergency and repair kit will likely vary depending on your destination, the gear you are bringing with, and the potential problems you are likely to encounter.

For instance, I broke a pole on a Eureka tent in the Boundary Waters in 2001. There was no repairing that pole, since I snapped it at a bend. I had to rig a new "fly" out of a tarp and some rope. Afterwards, I ordered a spare pole and always took it along with, just in case.

If I snapped a pole that way on the Warmlite, my only option would probably be to disassemble the pole, reassemble it without the broken section, and hope for the best. On the other hand, if I cracked a Warmlite pole (which seems to be the most likely failure mode if you aren't careful with the poles), I could follow Stephenson's suggestion to try and fix the crack using reinforced strapping tape. So, that option drives something to put in the repair kit.

Several of my other tents have flexible metal poles. These tents typically come with a "splint" — basically, a metal sleeve — that fits over a break in a pole section. If your tent requires a splint, it had better be in your kit or stored with your tent.

Like with the first aid kit, I have split the emergency and repair kit list up into required and optional sections, where the optional items might come along if I have space or weight, or unusual conditions.

Emergency Kit - Required
Item	Weight	Notes
Twist ties	3g	Never know when you might need these
Bandana	30g	For sling, bandage, filtering mucky water, etc.
Water purification tablets	30g	i.e. Potable Aqua
Mirror	35g	For attracting attention
Matches or firestarter	10g (matches) 28g (firestarter)	When we can, we bring both Light My Fire Firesteel 2.0
Strapping tape	8g	3 ft (wrapped around a pencil) for pole repair
Tenacious Tape	18g	For general repairs; better than duct tape
Sewing kit	27g	See Sewing Kit
Glasses repair kit	10g	Screws, itty-bitty screwdriver
String	13g	30 ft polyester twisted mason line
Lightweight rope	16g	20 ft of Kelty Triptease
Spare nylon fabric	3g	For patching big holes
Patch kit		For our air mattress or pillow
Spare valve cover		For Warmlite DAM
Total	250g, packed in its own ziploc bag

Emergency Kit - Optional
Item	Weight	Notes
Butane lighter		Easier than matches, but can't be taken onto aircraft
Candle		Can be helpful in lighting a fire
Spare compass		A very cheap one Important if you must navigate!
Adhesive nylon cloth		i.e. Coghlan's; for patching tent, sleeping bag, etc.

Sewing Kit

It was hard to decide what to put into the sewing kit. Julie's quite legitimate question was, "What exactly are we going to fix with this sewing kit, anyway?". That actually makes a big difference in what you bring, since a lot of the pre-packaged sewing kits include things like buttons. Seriously, am I really going to re-attach the button in the middle of a hike? Do any of my backpacking clothes even have buttons?

In the end, I constructed a sewing kit intended to (theoretically) fix the following kinds of problems:

Pack strap problems (i.e. ripped away from mounting point)
Zipper pulled away or permanently split on tent, pack, poncho, etc.
Major tear in pack, tent, poncho, pants, sleeping bag, food bag, etc.

What I was aiming for was Roger Caffin's suggestion to bring "large and small needles and a wide range of different weight threads". Of course, he doesn't list any details, and I don't know a lot about sewing.

I looked around at what some of the commercial kits include, and then started searching at JoAnn Fabrics. I bought two needle sets, and put parts of each set into the sewing kit. First, I bought a set of assorted needles made by Singer. Then, I bought a set of repair needles made by Dritz.

After finding the needles, I talked to a sales person about threads. She suggested that I buy a heavy-weight Gutermann polyester thread, intended for button holing and button sewing, called Top Stitch Heavy Duty. In the end, thinking of the very lightweight fabric in the tent and the sleeping bags, I also bought a medium-weight Gutermann thread.

Sewing Kit
Item	Quantity	Notes
1" safety pins	5	General use and pinning things to be sewn
2" safety pins	5	General use and pinning things to be sewn
Canvas needle	1	From the Dritz kit
Carpet needle	1	From the Dritz kit
Leather needle	1	From the Dritz kit
Darning needle	2	For fine cotton or wool
Tapestry needle (long)	2	For heavy woven fabrics and knits
Tapestry needle (regular)	2	For loosely woven fabrics and knits
Plastic thimble	1	Because I will certainly stick myself
Heavy-duty thread	1 spool	Gutermann Top Stitch polyester
Medium-weight thread	1 spool	Gutermann All Sew polyester
Weight	27g, packed in its own ziploc bag