Complete Iztaccíhuatl packing list: what to pack for climbing Mexico’s 3rd highest volcano

sports bra/shirt + underwear

I’m not going to tell you what undergarments to pack, but just consider you’ll need something to layer under your climbing ensemble.

wool base layer: Smartwool Classic Thermal Base Layer Top (women’s) / (men’s)

A long sleeve wool shirt is great as a base layer to wear on the entire climb, which is COLD!

lightweight fleece mid-layer: Arc’teryx Rho LT Hoody (women’s) / (men’s)

You’ll want a lightweight wool or brushed fleece layer that provides some warmth without considerable bulk for the chilly conditions you’re likely to encounter on Iztaccíhuatl, particularly during the dark & early start. I especially like having a hood that can be worn (even under my helmet) for added warmth and/or sun protection.

mid-weight down jacket: Arc’teryx Cerium Hoody (women’s) / (men’s)

A down jacket is a great layer for additional warmth in the early morning and at higher elevations when things start to get really chilly. Make sure it’s large enough to wear as an outer layer over several other hoodies and jackets in the case of very cold weather.

heavyweight down jacket: Arc’teryx Thorium Hoody (women’s) / (men’s)

This down jacket is SO warm and an absolute life-saver on the blistering cold summit of Iztaccíhuatl! It’s too hot to climb in, but I was glad to have it at the top and certainly in the evening at La Joya, which dropped rapidly below freezing as soon as the sun went down.

shell jacket: Arc’teryx Beta SL Jacket (women’s) / (men’s)

Although it’s not recommended to climb if there’s any rain in the forecast, a shell jacket can still be an excellent barrier against the wind and add a lot of warmth without much weight.

lightweight fleece tights: Arc’teryx Rho Base Layer Bottoms (women’s) / (men’s)

A base layer of hiking tights are recommended underneath shell pants. Even when sunny, the wind can be pretty cold at that elevation, so it’s nice to have 2 layers— I eventually took the shell pants off below the summit once things heated up and just wore these tights!

soft shell pants: Arc’teryx Gamma Pants (women’s) / (men’s)

A pair of lightweight soft shell hiking pants are great for a top layer over tights, particularly when you set off from camp in the dark hours of the morning.

glacier glasses: Julbo Vermont

From glacier travel to rocky scrambles, these are my favourite outdoor sunglasses.

neck gaiter: Buff Original

Lightweight and versatile, I used this for early morning warmth and wind protection.

beanie: Arc’teryx Mallow Toque

I took this off pretty quickly into the climb, but especially for camping at La Joya or Refugio del Grupo de los Cien, you’ll want a warm hat.

lightweight hiking gloves: Outdoor Research Trail Mix Gloves (women’s) / (men’s)

A good pair of gloves are essential for the cold conditions and high winds on Iztaccíhuatl. I wore these for the entire climb— you may end up scrambling in them, so ideally not brand new gloves.

liner socks: Injinji Liner Crew

I swear by these toe socks as the ultimate blister prevention, worn under my wool socks as a sweat-wicking liner!

boot socks: Darn Tough Hiker Micro Crew Cushion Socks (women’s) / (men’s)

These are my personal favourite hiking socks— comfortable and super durable without being overly bulky.

mountaineering boots: La Sportiva Trango Tech Leather GTX Boots (women’s) / (men’s)

I absolutely love the support of lightweight mountaineering boots for scrambling and traversing icy slopes. They are a little less comfortable than trail shoes when you’re walking on flat ground, but there is almost no true trail hiking on Iztaccíhuatl, so these are perfect for the terrain you’ll encounter.

daypack (25–35L): Osprey Tempest 30 (women’s) / Osprey Talon 33 (men’s)

A 25–35L daypack is perfect for carrying layers, climbing water, snacks, and emergency gear. Look for a supportive hip belt, a ventilated back panel, and quick-access to sunnies, snacks & safety gear.

If you’re planning to camp at Refugio del Grupo de los Cien and therefore need space for camping gear, 50-60L will be better: I love my Osprey Aura AG 50.

helmet: Black Diamond Half Dome Helmet (women’s) / (men’s)

For a majority of the climb up Izta, a light climbing helmet is essential to protect against rockfall, either from climbers above or just loose terrain on the mountain.

crampons: Black Diamond Contact Strap Crampons with ABS Plates

There is a permanent snowfield/glacier on Iztaccíhuatl that can be extremely icy— in the very best of conditions, you can navigate it with microspikes (which my friends did without issue), but you’ll be prepared for any amount of snow on the route with lightweight crampons.

trekking poles: Black Diamond Trail Trekking Poles

For all the rough terrain you’ll encounter on Iztaccíhuatl, including snow and ice, trekking poles are incredibly helpful and a lightweight addition to your kit.

PLB/SOS: Garmin InReach Mini 2

A Personal Locator Beacon (PLB) is your lifeline in the outdoors and it is essential for EVERY SINGLE SUMMIT. I carry a Garmin InReach Mini 2, which allows me to send messages, get weather updates, track location, and place an SOS call in an emergency, even without phone service. It does require a subscription (starting at $12/month), but it’s worth every cent and has literally saved both of my parents’ lives in the backcountry!

GPS: CalTopo app on mobile

The absolute best GPS resource is the smartphone you already own, paired with a reliable, low-cost GPS mapping app that allows you to access detailed offline Topo maps and navigate via GPS satellites, even without mobile service.

My go-to is CalTopo, which costs just $20/year and is by far the most feature-rich, affordable, and accurate mapping tool out there.

First Aid Kit: Adventure Medical Ultralight .5

Iztaccíhuatl is remote, high, and totally self-managed if you’re not climbing with a group. My first aid kit included all the usual suspects— blister care, pain relief, altitude meds.

headlamp: Black Diamond Spot 400-R

Essential for the long pre-dawn climb across loose volcanic terrain and wind-blasted ridgelines— we left La Joya camp at 3am and spent around 4hrs navigating in complete darkness before first light. I highly recommend a rechargeable headlamp with minimum 300 lumens for comfort and confidence on the ridge.

powerbank: VRURC Portable Charger with Built-in Cables, 10000mAh

Even though Izta isn’t a long climb, the remote setting and high elevation mean power is still safety, especially if you’re camping at La Joya (with absolutely no power) like we did. I used my phone for navigation and my inReach for backup communication, plus I needed a full headlamp battery for summit day, so one 10,000mAh powerbank was just right.

👉🏼 Want to see how we capture photos and videos on our adventures? Peak inside our camera bag!

backpacking tent: Nemo Dragonfly OSMO 3P (for 2 people)

A lightweight 3-season backpacking tent should be adequate at La Joya for camping on any night where the weather is good enough to climb.

sleeping bag: Sea to Summit Spark 0

With temperatures below freezing, a 0°C sleeping is absolutely essential! Even then, I ended up sleeping in all of my clothes to stay warm.

sleeping pad: Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XLite NXT Sleeping Pad

This is the other half of your warmth and comfort equation— choose an inflatable insulated pad with a high R-value (above 4) for the cold conditions at 4,000m.

camp pillow: Sea to Summit Aeros Premium

This pillow packs down smaller than a fist and makes sleeping on the ground feel positively luxurious.

camp shoes: Teva Original

Perfect for changing out of your boots and for relaxing around camp.

camp stove (+ fuel): Jetboil Zip

I recommend a compact integrated canister stove system— ultralight, fuel-efficient, and boils water ridiculously fast. This setup only works with boil-in-bag meals or hot drinks (i.e., you can’t cook pasta inside the pot), but it helps keep things extra light.

Remember that you also need to bring all of your own cooking water to La Joya, as there is no water access!

mess kit + cutlery: Sea to Summit Frontier Ultralight Collapsible 4-Piece Dinnerware Set

Plan to bring your own bowl and cup to enjoy dinner and hot drinks at camp.

water bottle or bladder: Nalgene Wide Mouth or Osprey Hydraulics Reservoir 2L

For ease of filtering and filling up water, I find wide-mouth water bottles much easier to use than hydration bladders, though this is very much a matter of personal preference. Make sure to pack lots of water on the climb, as there is no opportunity to fill up anywhere on the trail.

And again, there is also no water access at the campground, so you MUST bring your own water to La Joya.

electrolytes

If you’re sweating a lot and/or gaining serious elevation, drinking plain water simply isn’t enough to replenish the salts your body is losing. I recommend adding electrolyte tablets to all the water you’re drinking on the climb to ensure you stay hydrated at this altitude!

Best overall: Liquid IV

freeze-dried meals + snacks

I brought one freeze-dried meal for dinner and packed snacks for summit day— jerky, trail mix, and sour candy kept me going on the long ridgeline push. You’ll want high-calorie, low-bulk options that you can eat even if your appetite dips at altitude.

Favourite brands: Peak Refuel; Packit Gourmet; Backpacker’s Pantry; Real Turmat (European brand)

👉🏼 Check out this post for a breakdown on how we pack backcountry food for multi-day backpacking trips