Backpacking Packing List
By the NanoPack team · Updated on · Checked against official sources
What to pack for backpacking: it is a game of grams, so every item earns its place on your back. Start from the Ten Essentials the National Park Service recommends, navigation, sun protection, insulation, a headlamp, first aid, fire, a repair kit, extra food, extra water with a way to treat it, and emergency shelter, then add your pack, a shelter and sleep system, a layered clothing kit, a stove, and blister care. Treat all your water, break in your boots, and follow Leave No Trace: pack out everything you bring in.
Backpacking essentials at a glance
- A backpack with a rain cover
- Tent or shelter, sleeping bag and mat
- A water filter or purification tablets
- Layers: wicking, insulating, waterproof
- Broken-in boots and camp sandals
- Headlamp, first aid and blister care
- Stove, fuel and lightweight food
- Map, compass and a power bank
Backpacking is a game of grams: every item earns its place because you carry it all day, up every hill. Two things break a trek more than any other, bad water and blisters, so a reliable way to treat water and boots you have already broken in matter more than any clever gadget. Build from the Ten Essentials for safety, then cut everything that is not warmth, water, food, shelter or first aid down to the lightest version you trust.
The Ten Essentials
- Navigation: a map, a compass and offline phone maps
- Sun protection: sunscreen, SPF lip balm, sunglasses and a hat
- Insulation: an extra warm layer beyond what you are wearing
- Illumination: a headlamp and spare batteries
- First-aid supplies and blister care
- Fire: a waterproof lighter or matches and a firestarter
- Repair kit and tools: a knife or multi-tool and duct tape
- Extra food: a spare day of no-cook calories
- Extra water and a way to treat it
- Emergency shelter: a bivy or space blanket
Pack and sleep
- A backpack that fits, with a rain cover
- A pack liner or dry bags · keep your sleep kit and clothes dry
- Tent, tarp or shelter with poles and stakes
- Sleeping bag · rated for the overnight low
- A sleeping mat · insulation from the cold ground
- A camp pillow or a stuff sack
Clothing (layers)
- Moisture-wicking shirts ×2 · merino or synthetic, never cotton
- An insulating fleece or down layer
- A waterproof rain jacket and trousers
- Hiking socks ×3 · wool, plus a dry pair for sleep
- Broken-in boots or trail shoes
- Lightweight camp sandals
- A warm hat, a sun hat and gloves
Water and cooking
- A water filter or purification tablets · treat every source, even clear streams
- Water bottles or a bladder ×2 to 3 litres capacity
- A stove, fuel and a lighter
- A pot, a spork and a mug
- Lightweight, calorie-dense food and snacks
- A bear canister or bag · where required, hung or stored away from camp
Navigation and safety
- A power bank and cable for your phone GPS
- A whistle
- A personal locator beacon · for remote or solo trips
- Sunscreen and reapplied SPF lip balm
- Insect repellent
- A small trowel for cat holes
Repair and tools
- A knife or multi-tool
- Duct tape · wrap a length around a trekking pole
- A few metres of cord or paracord
- Tent-pole and sleeping-mat repair patches
- A spare buckle or a needle and thread
Toiletries and hygiene
- Toothbrush and a little toothpaste
- Biodegradable soap and a quick-dry towel
- Hand sanitiser
- Toilet paper in a dry bag, and a bag to pack it out
- Menstrual supplies
- Any medication
What not to pack
Items that are prohibited or pointless to bring. Some are confiscated at security.
- Cotton clothing · it chafes, stays wet and chills you; wool or synthetics only
- More than two or three changes of clothes · layer and re-wear, do not pack an outfit a day
- Glass, cans and heavy packaging · repack food into bags to save weight and rubbish
- Scented toiletries in bear country · store all food and scents away from your tent
- Brand-new boots · break them in on day hikes first or expect blisters
Packing tips and mistakes to avoid
Start from the Ten Essentials
The National Park Service recommends ten systems for anyone heading into the backcountry: navigation, sun protection, insulation, illumination, first aid, fire, a repair kit, extra food, extra water and emergency shelter. Pack those first, then add only what you are willing to carry all day.
Treat all your water
Even a clear, cold mountain stream can carry giardia and other bugs that will end your trip. Carry a filter or purification tablets and treat every source. It weighs almost nothing and is not worth the risk.
Follow Leave No Trace
The seven Leave No Trace principles are: plan ahead, travel and camp on durable surfaces, dispose of waste properly, leave what you find, minimise campfire impact, respect wildlife, and be considerate of others. In short, pack out everything you bring in, including food scraps and toilet paper where required.
Break in your boots and pre-tape hot spots
Blisters end more treks than bad weather. Wear your boots on day hikes before the trip, and at the very first hot spot, stop and tape it, do not wait for the blister to form.
The things people forget
- A water filter or purification tablets, never drink untreated
- Blister care taped on before the blister forms
- A pack rain cover and a dry liner
- A power bank for your phone GPS
What travelers wish they had brought
- Camp sandals to free your feet at camp
- Electrolyte tablets for long, hot days
- An extra warm layer for the cold summit
- Earplugs for a noisy shelter or campsite
Frequently asked questions
What do you pack for backpacking?
A well-fitted backpack, a shelter, a sleeping bag and mat, a layered clothing system, a stove and lightweight food, water plus a filter or tablets, and the Ten Essentials for safety. Keep everything to the lightest version you trust, because you carry it all.
What are the Ten Essentials?
Navigation, sun protection, insulation (extra clothes), illumination (a headlamp), first aid, fire, a repair kit and knife, extra food, extra water with a way to treat it, and emergency shelter. It is the National Park Service framework for the backcountry.
What are the seven Leave No Trace principles?
Plan ahead and prepare, travel and camp on durable surfaces, dispose of waste properly, leave what you find, minimise campfire impact, respect wildlife, and be considerate of other visitors.
What is the most important thing to bring backpacking?
A reliable way to treat water and a way to stay warm and dry. Bad water and being cold and wet are the two things most likely to end or endanger a trek, so a filter or tablets, layers and a rain shell come before any comfort item.