Your pack will be considered your home and life source while on the trail. If you're like me I wish I could bring 30 pairs of clothes and 10 extra meals since I'm stuck in the "just in case" mentality. It's so important to cut back to the bare minimum essentials. As Blake says, "Ounces equals pounds. Pounds equal pain."
The more weight you bear the more sore and miserable you will be. The goal is to find out what you can't live without while on the trail. When it comes to packing there are a million ways you could go about it. Each person has different items of importance to them and rank them differently than the next.
The best and true tested way to find out what you can't live without is doing a dry run hike. Find a terrain similar to what you will be hiking and match the average miles you will be putting in a day. At the end of your hike set up camp somewhere out of the way and see what you actually use. If you didn't use it the entire day - chances are you won't need it on the trail.
As mentioned before all items may have higher importance to others so make sure to pack to what you truly feel you need. We would never want someone to leave something behind just because it wasn't listed on a packing must-haves.
Also, it's vital to clearly list, label, and pack in a way that's easy to find what you need inside your backpack. The more compact and size conscious items you have, the easier it will be to organize.
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| Everything spread out on our dining room table |
What to Bring?
Another huge factor into what you pack will be where you're hiking. We're not about to bring long underwear or an ice ax into the north woods in summer nor would we need our waterproof coverings for traveling in the dessert. The list you will be reading is in line with average summer hiking through deciduous forest in the Midwest and northern regions. If you're looking to hike/camp in the dessert or high mountains you can modify the list to fit your needs.
*Note* This list was our original draft. We'll be talking about what we decided to leave behind after.
The List:
Navigation
- Map and Guidebook
- Compass
- Phones or GPS
- Sunscreen
- Lip Balm
- Sunglasses
- Hat
- Aloe
- Headlamps
- Lantern
- Small Flashlight
- Extra Batteries
- First Aid Kit: Band-aids, Blister Care, Bandages, Antiseptic, Mosquito After bite, Advil, Moleskin for Blisters
- Bear Whistle
- Glow Stick
- Cigarette Lighter
- Flint Starter
- Cotton Balls w/ Vaseline in a Waterproof Case (These burn like a candle)
- Trowel
- Knife
- Small Saw or Hatchet
- Duct Tape
- Solar Phone Charger
- Bear Hanging Bag + Nylon Cord
- Extra Rope
- Meals + One Extra Full Days Worth of Food
- Snacks - 2 Per Day
- Stove
- Fuel
- Cook Pot
- Bowls
- Cup
- Silverware (Spork)
- Paper towels
- Shatterproof Water Bottle
- Hydration Bag
- Filtration System
- Iodine for Back Up
- Tent
- Tarp
- Sleeping Bag
- Stuff Sack or Pillow
- Stakes and Guylines for Tent
- Sleeping Pad
- Waterproof Pack Cover
- Wicking T-shirt (one per day)
- Underwear (one per day + one extra)
- Shorts ( One per every 2 -3 days)
- One Long Sleeve Shirt
- One Fleece or Warm Up Shirt
- Jacket
- Rain Gear (pants and poncho)
- Swimsuit
- Hat
- Towel to Wipe Sweat
- Bandanna
- Boots
- Sandals for in Camp
- Camera + Memory Card + Extra Batteries
- Binoculars
- Star Identifier Book
- Notebook and Pencil
- Credit Card, Cash, ID, Car Keys
- Toilet Paper
- Body Wipes
- Hand Sanitizer
- Bug Spray + a back up 100% Deet Mini Spray
- Toothbrush/Toiletry Kit with Deodorant
- Biodegradable Soap
- Baby Powder
- Quick Dry Towel
- Watch
- Day Pack
- Book for Down Time
- Bag with Water, Towel, Extra Clothes, Food, and Phone Chargers inside car. Make sure to lock this in the trunk so car thieves won't be tempted.
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| Close up of our food - Dried food, Cliff Bars, Bear Naked Bars, Trail Mix, Tuna Packs, Tortillas, Oatmeal, Simply Sides (for extra salt), ending with a few Dove Chocolates |
What Can You Cut?
That seems like a hefty load to split between two people right? We agree. This list was one we found on a backpacker site and understand the need for everything listed however, we found some things less important than others. Here's what got voted off the island.
Sunscreen/Aloe
Some of you would scoff at our choice but let us explain! We're hiking through dense forest with a few passing miles of sun exposure. The effort to put sunscreen on our sweaty faces doesn't seem appealing to us. We decided to nix the aloe as well due to our hat wearing shade. If we burn, it won't be our faces.
First Aid Kit
For most this is a necessary must. We kept the bare minimum but dumped the rest. Unless you're planning on losing a leg via cliff diving or getting caught in a rock slide most of what you're packing will be useless. A few band aids and some extra moleskin is all you will need. Save the space.
Flint Starter
We purchased, practiced, and laughed at our embarrassing thoughts behind our investment. A mini cigarette lighter is not only much faster and more useful but it's lighter in weight and gets the job done better. Pack two if you're worried - but you'll be just fine.
Saw
We had a lightweight saw and cover with the intentions of cutting firewood but after a dry run hike we noticed how it got in the way and wasn't the tool of choice. The hatchet took the lead in splitting wood and using the back side as a hammer to get our tent steaks in the ground. Leave the saw and opt for a multi-use hatchet.
Clothes
This is where your space planning will matter to you. Once you pack all of your items in your backpack you will quickly realize how heavy and stuffed it is. Clothing is the fastest way to drop space and weight. Sure you may not wear the same pair of shorts two days in a row in the real world but while on the trail no one is judging. Pick as many things that can cross use and are light in space. Switch the fleece for a double layered warm up jacket and think light while picking shirt materials. The bears don't care what you wear.
Binoculars
To us, these seemed like extra unnecessary weight. We have a nice enough camera that allows for some pretty serious zooming. If needed, we can just look through our camera lens.
Day Pack
In the terrain we will be traversing we won't be leaving our large packs anywhere. A day pack would go unused and waste space. If you will be leaving camp to go somewhere a simple mesh bag would be light and compact option.
Combine Quick Dry Towel and Sweat Towel
Ewww - right? Not if you have the proper quick dry material! You can soak these towels to the bottom of a stream to wash them out and let air dry. Give it the time it takes to set up your tent and it will be completely dry. No need to bring heavy towels for drying off.
Silverware
Instead of bringing one of each we decided for a lightweight but heavy duty plastic spork to eat our meals. If we need to cut something we have our hunting knives. There's no need for multiple utensils on the trail!
Food
As mentioned I over pack. Food being my downfall. Plan out your meals and only bring enough for one extra day. If you're hiking some serious off the beaten path trails then plan for two days. If you plan your meals that's all you'll eat. Again try your dry run hike and see how much you actually have. You will be surprised that it's not as much as your head thinks you'll need.
Water
We hiked multiple times with a full extra days worth of water in our camel back which equaled 5 pounds. We decided to bring the bag with but to leave it empty. We'll be crossing enough water sources that we can fill up when we're getting close to camp. That way we'll have enough for cooking, refilling our bottles, and even enough to put out a fire. If you are near water don't carry more than you'll need. It's extra weight you'll regret.
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| Cook Ware - Stove, Fuel, Cup, Measuring Cup, Cook Pot, Water Bottles, Hydration Pack, and Filtration System |
Pick and Choose
If you're willing to carry some extra "luxuries" many miles than that's up to you. We're happy to have as light of packs as possible. We feel we can move faster and feel less aches in the morning because of it. Our list is based completely on our own experiences and the terrain we're hiking.
Let us know your must haves! I bring a small Dove chocolate for each of us for after dinner. That sweet little something helps me get through the hard cliffs and steep terrain. What can you not hike without?
Thanks for reading! Leave your comments below.
Go breathe the wild air!
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