outdoor living » hiking & camping » gear list

I have tried out lots of gear over the years and the following gear list is an attempt to summarise what I've learnt. The list has a column for each of a variety of trip durations and the number of red blobs gives an indication of what quantity of the item concerned I would take for each duration. Some items are optional extras (e.g. binoculars) or items that only apply to certain types of hike (e.g. gaiters) - tailor your gear list to your specific trip and avoid taking loads of gear that you're not realistically going to use. At the end of each trip make a note of the items that you didn't use and consider leaving them behind next time (this obviously does not apply to most of the safety items, but even here it pays to be realistic).

Weight: a wise proverb states "what weighs an ounce in the morning, weighs a pound at night". Try to keep your pack weight down to 12kg (26lbs) or less, even (and especially) for the multi-day trips. This weight limit does not include day gear nor water, but does include all other gear, including food. It also includes the weight of your empty pack (my Macpac Glissade is an incredibly rugged and feature-laden bit of kit, but it weighs 3kg empty - not ideal in my book). You can reduce your pack weight in several ways - sharing the gear between more people is the easiest. Critically evaluating what you will need for your specific trip at that specific time of year also helps a great deal. This includes validating the quantities of the things you take - do you need a whole bottle/can/box of ..? If all else fails, you can throw cash at the problem (not my favourite solution).

Weight vs Bulk: lots of people are concerned with minimising both (which equals lots of cash). I stress light weight over low bulk - as long as everything is tied down and not getting in the way, I think it is worth trading weight for bulk. An example is your sleeping mat - a self-inflating mat might save you a small amount of space, but a foam mat is much lighter - I'd go the foam mat.

Cost: you can spend an awful lot of money on outdoor gear. Some gear is worth every cent. Some is not. Build up your collection slowly and consider each purchase carefully - do you really need it? Really, really? Also consider what you can fabricate yourself - a light weight fly sheet is a pretty easy thing to make yourself, for example. Making it yourself also means you know how to fix it yourself.

And finally, the list below does not include food - don't forget to leave plenty of space in your back pack for this very important item! On a day or overnight hike blow your weight allowance on nice things to eat - leave the freeze-dried stuff for the multi-day hikes.

'Printer-friendly' gear list/check list.

Item	Day	Overnight	2 - 4 Nights	5+ Nights	I Look For ...	I Use ...
.Day Gear
Belt + Pouch(es)					Enough capacity to hold all the items you want ready access to and/or would want to have with you if you lost your pack (e.g. snacks, basic first aid items, camera, sunscreen, pocket knife, foil survival blanket, compass, matches/lighter, etc., etc.) - I like to ensure I only have to open my pack twice a day, once in the morning and once in the evening. Also good when you want to ditch your pack for a short scenic sidetrack.
Boots					Waterproof + good grip. The 2 schools of boot thought are: solid/rigid to protect your ankles; and light/flexible to protect your ankles. I'm currently backing the light/flexible camp.	Berghaus
Fleece					Windproof + high collar + pockets + as low bulk as is sensible.	Ground Effect Draft Dodger
Gaiters					Lightweight + hard-wearing.
Gloves - Fingerless					Provides partial protection of hands without inhibiting use of gear in high country or alpine locations.	Ground Effect Quickdraws
Isotonic Drink Powder					Real electrolyte replacement (not just sugary water).	Horleys Replace
Shorts					A rugged outer layer + a fitting inner layer (as 2 seperate items or combined into a single item).	Ground Effect Double Happys
Socks - Thick					Padded + quick drying + hard-wearing.
Socks - Thin					Silk. To wear under thick sock layer.
Sun Glasses					Real 100% UV protection + as wrap around as you can stand + lens colour matched to the conditions you expect to encounter.
Sun Hat					All-round brim + breathable.	Ground Effect Hubcap
Sun Shirt					Long sleeves + high collar + 'wick away'-syle fabric.	Ground Effect Rock Lobster
T-shirt					Made out of 'wick away'-style fabric.	Ground Effect TT2
Underwear					Gusseted + quick drying.
Walking Pole					Lightweight + telescopic (for storage + in-hike adjustment).	Leki
Watch					Waterproof + able to be used in the dark (+ has an alarm if you need to be up earlier than you're used to).
Water Container					2-litre bladder for water only; 1- or 2-litre bottle for water + isotonic drink powder mix.
.Night Gear
Bivy Sack					Low bulk + pole to keep sack off your face + insect protection.	OR Gear Advanced Bivy
Cleaning Gear					Tea towel + pot scrub squares + rubbish bags. Take a plastic bag to put your damp tea towel into. Store your pot scrub squares in a film canister half filled with washing-up liquid. Take 1 large rubbish bag to keep your pack dry at night (and can double as an emergency shelter) plus 1 or 2 small rubbish bags that can be secured to the outside of your pack.
Cooking Gear					Lightweight steel (aluminium is a pain to clean, dents/deforms easily and comes with some health question marks).
Eating Gear					Cutlery + plastic plate + plastic cup. Light weight but durable.
Fly Sheet					For use as an extra layer of rain or wind protection. Lightweight + durable + lots of guy lines.	Homemade
Sleeping Bag					Light weight + low bulk + matched to the conditions you expect to encounter.	Macpac Sleeping Bags
Sleeping Bag Liner					Silk.	Macpac Sleeping Bags
Sleeping Mat					Lightweight. Needs to provide good insulation as well as enough padding to let you sleep comfortably. In my opinion self-inflating mats are overrated. Include a means of stowing/carrying your mat that keeps it dry.
Slippers					Something to protect your socks after taking your boots off. Go for minimal weight/bulk as this is a bit of a luxury.
Socks					To sleep in. Low bulk + warm.	Ground Effect Zig Zags
Stove					A gas stove is the most useful all-round stove, but make sure you can get your gas at your destination if you're flying to get there. A liquid fuel stove costs a lot and is much more of a hassle to use, so it is really only worth it for extreme epics. My favourite 'stove' is my copper Thermette - no need to carry any fuel as it burns any small bits of wood you have to hand - it weighs about as much as a liquid fuel stove plus a bottle of fuel (it is a lot more bulky, though).
T-shirt					To sleep in. Made out of 'wick away'-style fabric.	Ground Effect TT2
Torch					Ideally a head torch. Plus spare batteries.
Track Pants					To sleep in. Warm + quick drying.
.Safety + First Aid Gear
Ankle/Knee Support					Recommended only if you're likely to need this kind of item - I only need them 'cause I'm an old fecker who's good at busting bits of his limbs.
Compass					Lightweight, manual back-up for GPS.
First Aid Kit					Stocked appropriately for the level of isolation you can expect. Minimum contents for 'day' kit: pain killers, sticking plasters, re-hydration sachets, high-factor sunscreen stick/tube. For 'overnight' add: bandage(s), suture pack(s), antiseptic cream and/or wipes, dressing pad(s), foil survival blanket. For 'multi-day' add: indigestion treatment, ear drops, intestinal upset treatments (for diarrhea and constipation), clove oil (topical antiseptic/anaesthetic for dental problems), anti-inflammatory treatment. For group kit add: latex gloves, mouth-to-mouth isolator, plus more of everything. Don't forget to include personal medication to cover everyone in your group. Check the contents of you kit before each outing - replace any item that has been used or has expired. I usually have a 'day' kit on my hip plus a full kit in my pack.
Gloves - Polypropylene					Lightweight + low bulk + quick drying.
Gloves - Waterproof					Lightweight overmitts.
GPS					Lightweight + water resistant + PC interface + NMEA output.	Garmin Etrex Summit
Hat - Wool/Fleece					Lightweight + low bulk + quick drying.
Insect Repellant					This item falls into both the 'safety' and 'comfort' categories. Get something that effectively deals with the bugs you're going to face. Keep the extra strength stuff away from any fabric you like a lot.
Maps/Guide Books					Lightweight, manual back-up for GPS.
Rain Coat					Heavy duty + fully featured + as low bulk as is sensible.	Macpac Resolution
Signalling Mirror					A safety item that takes up no room at all.
Thermal Top					Quick drying, 'wick away'-style fabric.	Ground Effect Baked Alaska
Vitamin Supplements					If you think your diet might leave something to be desired whilst out on the trail.
Water Purification					Tablets or filtering kit. Critically evaluate if this item is really required - if you are carrying all the water you need, or are over-nighting in/near huts with a potable water supply, then you won't need to carry this item.
.Personal + Miscellanous Gear
'Odds & Ends' Bag					Includes random things like: zip lock ties, paper + pencil, spare boot laces, and much, much more!
Backpack - Day					No bigger than required + integrated water bladder system + breathable harness + water resistant.	Ground Effect Big Wednesday
Backpack - Medium					No bigger than required + integrated water bladder system + breathable harness + water proof.	Homemade
Backpack - Large					Durable, but as light weight as is practical + waterproof + no bigger than you require (you'll fill it with junk).	Macpac Glissade
Binoculars					Small + lightweight + nothing fancy.
Camera					Plus enough accessories and consumables to ensure you don't come home without every great shot you wanted to capture.	Fujifilm FinePix F610
Ear Plugs					Hiking huts can be noisy places at night.
Matches/Lighter					Waterproof or in a waterproof container.
Multi-tool					A Swiss Army Knife or Leatherman, as a preference.
Plastic Bags					Enough for each item of damp or smelly gear.
Razor					Stubble gets irritating in my experience. A blade razor and a tiny bottle of shaving oil takes up very little space/weight.
Something To Do In The Evening					A candle and a lightweight book (or an eBook on your PDA, perhaps). Or a star map. Or a bladder of red wine (my personal pick).
Sun Cream					Plus chapstick. Both at least SPF15.
Talc Powder					Anything that stops chaffing before it starts is worth its weight. Medicated.
Toilet Paper					Critically evaluate what your requirements will be given the facilities you are likely to have available.
Toothbrush					Plus a small tube of toothpaste or small bottle of mouthwash (not both). Dental problems suck when you're out in the wild.
Towel					Small + quick drying.
Travel Items					This covers everything from your train fare through to your passport, tickets, a phrase book and Euros in small denominations (obviously tailored to your specific journey to/from your hike).
Wet Wipes					Great for keeping you fresh. Go for low volume packaging.