Backpacking Equipment Checklist

Following is an article on your checklist of equipment. This is helpful to make sure you have what you need in your pack. There is equipment listed here that you are not going to need for every trip. Consider this the superset of what you need. So if you come across that item and you know you don’t need it, then don’t pack it. For example, if you are not in bear country you do not need bear safety gear. 

Not only is the list fairly complete, but I’ve put it in pack order. The style of pack that I like is very minimal. I have one pocket only in my main pack with only top access.  And I have a small top pack that attaches to my simple pack. I find a simple pack to be the lightest and the most waterproof. Therefore the “Pack Order” is from bottom to top. Then follows my top pack. This has two areas, one which can be accessed from the outside while it’s on my pack, and a small underneath area which is accessible only when the top pack is not connected to the pack. This is a pretty secure area in my mind as it’s the area least zipped and unzipped.

This is not an article on equipment reviews nor the reasons behind gear selection choices that I have made. But you will see in here my latest equipment. And I feel pretty optimized considering I always have the lightest pack of all my friends and am very comfortable in the wood. I am not an ultralight extremely minimalist style backpacker. But I trend there and am a light weight backpacker. I have my own optimization for weight vs comfort/pleasure. Weight matters.

Backpacking Checklist of equipment:

In order of packing (Bottom to Top):

Backpack

Sleeping bag (15 degree bag (Northface) goes in green 15L stuff sack. 30 degree blanket (Enlightened Equipment) goes in blue 8L stuff sack) – I select one of the two based upon the season.

Sleeping blow-up pad (Brand – Thermarest Insulated)

Blow-Up Pillow – When using my sleeping blanket I sometimes need to wear my fleece to bed if it’s cold. When using my sleeping bag I put my fleece in a stuff sack and use it as a pillow and do not bring the Blow-Up Pillow)

Clothing* (see detailed list below)

Tent (Brand – Mountain Laurel Designs Duomid – Very light weight, very large vestibule). With this, if I expect bugs I bring a Mountain Laurel Designs Solo Inner Net. I have the Duo Inner Net also if sleeping with someone in my tent, like my wife. Duo Inner Net requires a Pole Extender to stop from puncturing the floor of the Inner Net.

Tent poles (for my tent not needed – I use a hiking pole for my tent)

Tent stakes and Guide Lines (in fact I take and use extras as they are needed in bad weather (wind/hail))

Bear Vault with my Food** (see below detailed list) inside, and anything else I can fit in it at the time. I do have lunch and / or snacks in my top pack. The bear vault needs things from the above few categories to stuff around it, like your clothes and a tent. If I don’t need a bear vault, I’m just shoving my food in the pack here.

Hand gun, bullets –  (optional)

Towel/Rag

First aid kit (note when going in a group we only need one good kit among us – we do not all bring a first aid kit. This is a sharable item.

Tequila

Hydration bladder with connected tubing and mouth piece to drink water while on the move. I put enough water in the bladder to get me to a campsite. For me, this is typically 1.5 – 2 liters max. I seldom cook a hot meal while on the move.

Water treatment (and extra batteries if required) – (I currently use a Sawyer inline water filter connected to my 3L hydration bladder. I can put unfiltered water in my hydration bladder and drink it directly out my tube without worry. I can also gravity feed filtered water into my 1 liter water sack.

Water treatment backup tabs – (I do not bring any extra backup method in a large group as there are plenty of backups).

Stove (Jet Boil with integrated cup)

Stove pan if needed for possible convenience of sharing boiling water

Stove base if needed when bringing stove pan

Gas/Propane for stove

 Pack Outside Access Zipper

Headlight

Hand shovel 

Binoculars (optional

Cards

Notebook

Pen

Reading glasses

Knife

Map

Fork/Spork

Head net

Spot emergency communicator

GPS

Compass

Tin Foil (for cooking fish or potatoes)

IPhone/Earbuds (Music)

Book (I used to bring a kindle until it broke…)

Tea Screen or coffee press (I updated to Starbucks instant coffee instead of the French press. Too much cleaning grinds)

Snacks & Lunch

Portable Bluetooth Speaker (only one needed for group – sharable item)

USB battery charger

1L water bottle – I use Platypus

Hydration and Water Bottle Caps

Fozzils Bowl (so easy to clean for oatmeal)

One Accessory Waterproof Pouch which holds:

Guide lines (extra)

Silnet (For tents that use this for seam sealing. I don’t need this with my tent as it has taped seams)

Lighter/matches/fire paste (paste is a necessity)

Duct tape

Multi tool

Extra batteries for headlight, etc

Repair piece for Jetboil

Fishing reel

Fishing flys or lures

Snips

Stringer

Fishing License

Rubber Bands

Pole extender for Duo Inner Net

Top Pack Bottom Zipper

Toilet paper

Tooth brush

Tooth paste

Dental floss

Soap

Chapstick

Sunscreen

Trash bag

Bug repellent – (Should rebuy every couple years as this stuff expires!)

Kleenex

Meds (allergy, advil, sleeping)

Backup fork/spork

Camp suds

Baby wipes or paper towels

Toenail Clipper

Eye drops

Wallet

Outside of Pack:

Fishing pole (held together with rubber bands)

Hiking pole(s)

Saw

Small Grill

Crampons (optional)

Bear whistle (optional)

Worn or carried in pockets:

Sun Glasses (w/croakies)

Bear Spray

Cap

Snack

Knife

Chapstick

Map if needed

*Clothing (Including what I wear):

I’m fairly minimalist on clothing. I have washed a few things when I need to with camp suds.

Rain Jacket (very top of pack) – (Brand – Arcteryx)

         Rain pants (very top of pack) – (Brand – Arcteryx)

         Wool Hat

         Fleece or wool Gloves

         3 pairs of socks usually – (Brand – Smartwool)

         1 or 2 pairs of sock liners – (These are optional but I like them)

3 (or more pairs for long trips) of underwear (Brand – Patagonia Capilene – Or any of the new technical brands that are quick drying. No Cotton)

1 Long underwear pants if needed (Brand – Patagonia Capilene – Or any of the new technical brands that are quick drying. No Cotton )

Tee shirts – long and short sleeve (Brand – Patagonia Capilene – Or any of the new technical brands that are quick drying. No Cotton)

Long Sleeve Shirt – (I’ve been using ex-officio bug repellent shirts just because I had a problem with mosquitos once and they do seem to help)

         Fleece sweatshirt –(Arcteryx)

         Lightweight campsite shoes (crocs / mocassins) 

Convertible pants – (REI pair, Arcteryz, or ExOfficio bug repellent pants)

Running shorts (I often sleep in these if it’s warm or for hanging out in camp

*Food List

Dinners: Food pouches of various things that require boiling water, dessert pouches, spices (salt and pepper packets, fish spices, oil). Potatoes, Frozen Meat*** (see below)

Lunch: Lunch meat or meat stick, cheese, fruit, protein bars, crusty bread, possibly raman or pad thai or mac and cheese single serving if you want to deal with boiling water

Breakfast: Oatmeal packets or food pouches

Snacks: Protein bars, chocolates, trail mix, nuts, apples, crackers, jerky

Drinks: Teas, coffee, sweetener, lightener, booze (Tequila for me please)

***Frozen Meat – What?? And Potatoes? Yes, I bring frozen meat, think ribeye, in my pack for the first night’s dinner for the group. Talk about a group of shocked happy dudes when I pulled out the potatoes and beef that first trip we did it. I put it in my pack from the freezer the morning we are heading out. By the time we get to our campsite, it’s thawed. One night of food luxury and reward for getting to that first campsite only for me with my pack optimized weight considerations.

Thank You For Reading