Eric Krueger

Basic Packing List for Backpacking

This is all the stuff that I consider necessary regardless of where your going or the weather.

Individual Gear - Bring

Individual Gear - Wear (Clothes)6

Individual - Optional Stuff

Group Gear

Group Food

Deserves a whole separate page on it's own, but should be enough food for a breakfast, lunch, snacks, and dinner. Make sure your food is salty (especially if it's hot), and that you're bringing enough calories for the distance you're going each day. Andrew Skurka is a great resource for food ideas. Also, coffee in the morning while camping is a lovely thing if you can swing it - if you bring grounds, you can just make Turkish coffee in your camping pot.


  1. It's really important that you have a pack that fits you. It should have a waist strap that takes most the weight from your shoulders, and be relatively light. If you're buying for the first time, a place like REI will help fit you to a good pack.

  2. Make sure you get one with the correct R-Value for the climate you're in. If you're using an inflatable pad, remember that (1) they are more comfortable; but, (2) if it's punctured then you have very little insulation from the ground, and (3) they're a pain to fold up every day. Also, if you get a foam pad it's easy to pull out as instant padding to relax wherever/whenever you're taking a break.

  3. Enough containers for the water you need to carry. Typically that's a water bladder + 1-3 Nalgenes, but this will be highly dependent on how far you have to hike between water refills, temperature, and elevation.

  4. If you're only going for a day or two, have a phone that's less than a year old (i.e - new battery), and don't plan to take too many pictures - you can skip this for weight saving. Keep your phone on airplane mode/lower power mode, and if it's cold - keep your phone in your sleeping bag with you so the cold doesn't kill your battery.

  5. If you're considering bringing a flashlight instead, you have no idea how nice it is in the dark to have something that keeps your hands free and is strapped to your head, seriously.

  6. Generally this is just the "minimum" amount of clothing you probably need, but you may want more. Just remember if you're going on a multi-day (or multi-week) trip, all your stuff is gonna smell anyway. Depending on where you are, having two sets of clothes allows you to rinse and dry one set when you come across water.

  7. Trail shoes will be much lighter, and you probably don't need ankle support. Gore-Tex and other waterproofing works both ways (moisture stays out, or in) - so if you get them wet on the inside they're very difficult to dry. Depending on the expected temperature, you might be better off with something that just dries quickly.