Backpacking Packing List
Making a List Checking It Twice
Having a backpacking packing list written down before you start packing is a great way to avoid forgetting anything important. Packing for a backpacking trip is a series of personal decisions that everyone must make for themselves, the less you bring the lighter your pack will be but the more things that you might miss when you get to camp. Let this be a general starter list for your backpacking adventure. Consider doing a simple overnight before you take on an extended trip to decide what you want to bring and what you can leave behind.
The big backpacking basics that take up the most space and are the most important:
- Backpack
- Sleeping Bag
- Sleeping Pad
- Tent/Shelter – poles and stakes
- Pillow
It is hard to load up your gear without a backpack and is difficult to forget, but everything else is subject to being left behind. Some people like to forgo a sleeping bag and wrap themselves in a quilt at night, and some people will leave their sleeping pad behind and search out some soft pine needles to sleep on which might work in a warmer climate but the real reason to bring a sleeping pad is for warmth. Having some insulation between you and the ground can make the difference between a good nights sleep and an unpleasant night of freezing.
Always make sure that you have everything to set up your shelter, don’t just grab the bag and assume that it was put away complete. Check for poles, stakes, guide lines and anything else that you need to create a comfortable shelter for yourself.
A pillow isn’t a necessary item to bring along, but an inflatable pillow doesn’t take up much room, doesn’t weigh much and makes for a great seat when you are sitting around camp. You can always just stuff some extra clothes into a spare stuff sack for a pillow and hope that you don’t wake up with a stiff neck.
Packing the Right Clothes:
- Rain Jacket
- Rain pants
- Hat
- Insulated layers
- Warm socks
This just includes clothes that will go in your pack not what you wear. What clothes that you want to bring is a personal decision but to keep your pack as light as possible it is a good idea not to bring anything extra. On the coldest night that you expect to incur you should be wearing everything that you brought with you to stay warm. Whether you want to bring gloves for a cold morning or sandals to wear after a day on the trail is up to you but the rain gear is mandatory and you should always pack it last so it’s on top in case you need it.
Packing Your Food and water:
- Stove, fuel, pot and lighter
- Water filter and bottles/bladder
- Spork or spoon
- Food
You can go backpacking without a stove. Bringing along prepared food, lots of snacks and energy bars and you can remain fed. The weight that you save not bring a stove is offset by the heavier food items that you pack. Carrying instant or freeze dried food that you need to re-hydrate is lighter than prepared food and having something warm to eat when it’s cold out makes a stove a welcome addition to your backpack. Drinking coffee or tea is another good reason to bring a stove. You may choose to bring a spare cup or drink out of your cooking pot but no matter what system you use or drink you choose a hot drink on a cold morning makes for a good camping experience.
While camping stores seem to be full of alternative fire starting devices buying a couple of basic lighters is the way to go. Bring more than one just to be safe. The spark can ignite your stove even after they run out of fuel and if you are trying to light a fire use your stove to light up some sticks and then put them into the firewood you have collected.
Water filters have been much improved over the years and are good for long day hikes, other adventures and a great emergency water source in general. Using iodine tablets to treat water can save weight and space in your pack but makes your water taste awful, they are best used as a backup.
Food is another personal decision. What you want to eat and how much you bring along is up to you. The more you pack, the less hungry you will be and the less you pack the more hungry you will be, that would be the general rule of thumb for how much to pack. Freeze dried food is the lightest option even if they are expensive. I like to save the bags that freeze dried meals come in and make my own meals with instant soup and couscous for dinner and oatmeal with nuts and raisins for breakfast. With the recycled bags you just add hot water let it sit and don’t have to do dishes afterward.
A Packing List of Essentials – the Ditty Kit:
- Sunblock
- Bug spray
- Soap
- Lip balm
- Toothbrush/Toothpaste
- Toilet paper/Potty trowel
- Knife
It is nice to keep all of the little things in a separate bag for organizational sake, but don’t put you toothbrush next to your bug spray. Keep things that go in your mouth away from stuff that you rub on your skin.
How to poo in the woods is a whole subject on its own. Sometimes you can skip bringing a trowel and use a stick to dig an underground resting place for your poo. The toilet paper isn’t just great for business but handy if you want to blow your nose or start a fire, its a good idea to pack extra.
Backpacking First Aid Kit:
- Band-Aids
- Anti-inflammatory drugs
- Moleskin
- Alcohol pads
- Antiseptic
- Needle and thread
- Super glue
This is a minimal list for you kit. Bringing and extra wrap for an ankle sprain or some latex gloves in case you need to bandage up someones else is up to you. The needle and thread can be used to fix gear too. Super glue can also be used to fix gear and can be used to glue up a clean cut after cleaning it with an alcohol pad.
A Packing List of Extras:
- Map and compass
- Repair kit
- Whistle
- Headlamp
- Monocular/Binoculars
- Hiking poles
The map and compass probably doesn’t deserve to be listed as an extra, you should always bring a map. The repair kit might include a patch kit for your air mattress if you have one, some duct tape, zip ties and a few safety pins, as well as a Swiss army knife if you don’t have one in your ditty kit. A whistle is a good emergency item and a headlamp is a must if you think you will be hiking in the dark. The monocular/binoculars is not a necessary item but is fun to bring along for spotting wildlife or taking in the view. A pair of hiking poles isn’t something that you pack but is a nice addition to bring along for the trail. They allow you to put the weight of your pack on the poles and take the extra strain off of you hips, knees and feet. Whether you want to bring them is up to you, but whatever you decide to bring is up to you.
Whatever you decide to pack make sure that you know how to use it. Set up a new tent at home before you take it with you, brush up on some first aid tips and be sure that you have the right map and know how to read it. Being prepared for backpacking is often as much about knowledge, skills and hard earned experience as it is about what you put in your pack. Be ready and most importantly have fun!
