The ultimate overnight backpacking packing list

Backpacking pack (50-75L)

For multi-day trips where you’re carrying your full camp set-up, you’ll need a backpacking pack in the 50–75L range, depending on trip length, gear bulk, and season. Comfort is everything here: a supportive hipbelt, adjustable torso, and smart storage features will make all the difference when hauling 15–25kg over multiple days. Personally, I use 50L for every single trip to minimise my load, even on 10-dayers.

Best overall: Osprey Aura AG 50 (Women’s) / Atmos AG 50 (Men’s)

Best for upgraded storage space: Osprey Aura AG 65 (Women’s) / Atmos AG 65 (Men’s)

Raincover

Protects your gear from sudden downpours— some packs come with one built-in, but if not, make sure to pack a lightweight rain cover that fits over your bag (REI’s size medium or large should work best, depending on your pack capacity).

Best overall: REI Co-op Duck’s Back Pack Rain Cover

Summit pack

If your backpacking route includes side-trips or optional summits, a lightweight summit pack is a great addition to avoid carrying your full pack everywhere. This should roll up and stow easily inside your larger pack! Around camp, it also doubles as a super-convenient way to transport water and dinner fix-ins from the tent to wherever you’ll be eating.

Best overall: REI Co-op Flash 18

Hiking boots

If you’re scrambling or otherwise heading off-trail, I’d recommend a lightweight mountaineering boot with a stiff sole & shaft; if you’re mostly on a maintained trail, lightweight hiking boots will definitely be more comfortable.

Best boots for trail: adidas Terrex Free Hiker 2.0 GTX Hiking Boots (women’s) / (men’s)

Best boots for terrain: La Sportiva Trango Tech GTX Mountaineering Boots (women’s) / (men’s)

If you’re running parts of the trail or looking to go ultra-light, we’d recommend swapping your boots for a robust trail runner (James loves his!)

Best trail shoe: La Sportiva Prodigio (women’s) / (men’s)

Boot socks

Cushioned, moisture-wicking merino socks are essential for multi-day comfort. We pack a new pair for every ~3 days on the trail, plus a clean pair for sleep (for 2-4 day trips, I bring 2 pairs of hiking socks; for 5-11 day trips, I bring 3 pairs).

How I rotate my socks on a backpacking trip (ex. 10 days):
* days 1-4: hike in 1st pair, sleep in 2nd pair
* days 5-8: hike in 2nd pair, sleep in 3rd pair
* days 9-11: hike and sleep in 3rd pair

Best overall: Darn Tough Hiker Micro Crew Cushion Socks (women’s) / (men’s)

Liner socks

Thin liner socks help prevent friction under hiking socks for multi-day hikes. I discovered these toe-sock liners about 8 years ago and I’ve been evangelising ever since— if you struggle with blisters, this should be your first line of defence!

Best overall: Injinji Liner Crew

Trekking poles

Trekking poles help reduce impact on your knees, especially when carrying a heavy pack over long distances. We’ve used ours on every single backpacking trip for the past decade and I would never go on a multi-day hike without them (my knees would probably revolt!)!

Best overall: Black Diamond Trail Trekking Poles

PLB/SOS

A Personal Locator Beacon (PLB) is your lifeline in the outdoors and we NEVER go hiking without our Garmin InReach Mini 2, which allows us 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!

Best overall: Garmin InReach Mini 2

GPS

Gone are the days where you have to purchase an expensive, clunky GPS device to access maps in the backcountry— 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

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

As a supplement, we also use James’ Garmin Fenix 7X Pro, which is great for on-trail wrist navigation and turn-by-turn cues. But I still wouldn’t rely on it as our only GPS source.

Best GPS app: CalTopo (mobile app)

Best GPS watch: Garmin Fenix 7X Pro

First Aid Kit

For multiple days on the trail, it’s recommended to carry a larger med kit than you might on a dayhike. Pre-assembled kits from Adventure Medical are a great place to start, but as you get more trail time under your belt, you’ll want to customise it based on your needs and preferences.

We always include:
• a mix of NSAIDs (ibuprofen, naproxen)
• antihistamines (Claritin for allergies, Benadryl for bites/stings)
• a small selection of stomach meds (like Imodium or Pepto tabs)
• a roll of KT tape (insanely versatile for everything from blisters to rolled ankles)
• alcohol wipes, antiseptic, a few large gauze pads, and blister plasters like Compeed

Best pre-packaged First Aid Kit: Adventure Medical Kits Backpacker

Headlamp

Essential for early starts, late arrivals, cooking in camp, or wandering around the tent at night. Choose a rechargeable headlamp that’s bright enough for trail-finding and compact enough to live in your top pocket.

Best overall: Black Diamond Spot 400-R

Powerbank

For recharging our phones, GPS, camera, and headlamp over the course of the trip, we carry a 10,000mAh charger with built-in cables; if the trip is longer than 4 days, we’ll carry 2 of these (20,000Ah) EACH or bring a solar charger (below).

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

Solar charger

On hikes longer than 4 days (where battery loss of your GPS, phone, In-Reach, or headlamp could pose a serious safety risk), we also bring a compact solar charger to top off our powerbanks. This is lighter than bringing an entire stack of powerbanks and gives us excellent peace of mind in the backcountry!

Best overall: BigBlue 28W Solar Charger

Backpacking tent

For 98% of backpacking trips, a 3-season, two-layer tent is the way to go—offering the best balance of weight, protection, and breathability. We personally prefer side-entry tents with two vestibules, especially when sharing with a partner, since it means no crawling over each other for midnight bathroom runs and more space to store your gear outside the main body.

Aim to carry 1–1.5kg per person when it comes to tent weight— if you’re hiking as a pair, split the load between packs (one person carries the body, the other takes the poles and fly).

Best for 2-person backpacking: Nemo Dragonfly OSMO 3P

Best for solo hikers: Big Agnes Tiger Wall UL2

Sleeping bag

There are a lot of sleeping bag options out there, but for backpacking, we always recommend a down-fill bag— it’s significantly warmer for the weight and compresses much smaller in your pack. When comparing bags, make sure you’re looking at the comfort rating (not the limit), and choose something rated just below the coldest temps you expect on your trip.

If you sleep cold, it is absolutely worth carrying an extra few hundred grams to sleep soundly every night instead of shivering and getting poor rest!

Best for cold-sleepers: Feathered Friends Murre ES 0 (women’s) / Snowbunting EX 0 (men’s)

Best lighter/cheaper alternative: Sea to Summit Spark 0

Sleeping pad

This is the other half of your warmth and comfort equation. For backpacking, we use inflatable insulated pads with a high R-value (above 4). Again, it pays to be honest with yourself— if you need a beefy pad to get good sleep, it will be worth the weight for you!

Best ultralight pad: Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XLite NXT Sleeping Pad

Best upgraded pad for poor sleepers: Big Agnes Rapide SL Insulated Sleeping Pad

Camp pillow

A camp pillow is a small, lightweight addition to your sleep system that is guaranteed to improve your sleep compared to stuffing clothes in a pillow.

Best overall: Sea to Summit Aeros Premium

Camp chair (luxury item!)

Not essential, but very nice to have—especially if you’ll be spending long evenings in camp. Ours weighs under 450g and packs small enough to justify the comfort on relaxed trips!

Best overall: REI Co-op Flexlite Air

Camp shoes

Letting your feet breathe at camp is key to recovery. Choose something light, packable (lightweight), and easy to slip on— sandals or down booties depending on the season. If you anticipate any fording or water crossings, make sure your camp shoes can double as a water shoe!

Best for moderate weather: Teva Original

Best for extreme cold: Mountain Hardwear Down Bootie

Camp stove (+ fuel)

Debate abounds as to the best backpacking stove, but for almost every trip, 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 that’s actually ideal for most backpackers: it’s lighter, cleaner, and easier than cooking heavy supermarket food on the trail.

Best overall: Jetboil Zip

Mess kit + cutlery

At the very minimum, your mess kit should contain a spoon and cup; at most, it might extend to a bowl and fork.

We have a 4-piece set, but on gram-sensitive trips, I’ll often leave the bowl and eat straight from the pouch. I always bring the cup, though— for hot choc, tea, or soup at camp. It’s a sneaky, low-effort way to boost hydration, sodium, and calories all at once.

Best overall: Sea to Summit Frontier Ultralight Collapsible 4-Piece Dinnerware Set

Water filter

Especially on multi-day trips when you won’t physically be able to carry ALL the water you’ll drink, you need a compact squeeze filter for making clean drinking water out of streams and lakes. This is our tried and tested favourite filter!

Best overall: Katadyn BeFree 1.oL Water Filter

Water reservoir

On top of your filter and your water bottle, backpacking trips call for a water reservoir— a lightweight, collapsible container used to haul dirty water from a stream or lake back to camp. Use it to fill pots for dinner or filter into bottles without crouching over a creek for 10 minutes! Lightweight, packable, and seriously practical when you’re dry camping or need to filter for multiple people.

Best overall: HydraPak Seeker 2L

Water bottle or bladder

I personally don’t like bladders on overnight trips since they can be especially challenging to fill when you’re filtering water (and the consequences of leakage can be catastrophic if it soaks your sleeping bag), so instead I pack 1-2 standard Nalgene bottles. As you like it!

Best water bottle: Nalgene Wide Mouth

Best water bladder: Osprey Hydraulics Reservoir 2L

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 at least half of the water you’re drinking during a multi-day backpacking trip to help with performance and hydration!

Best overall: Liquid IV

Freeze-dried meals + snacks

Hold the cries of horror, dehydrated mountain food has gotten WAY better in recent years! For almost every trip, we bring boil-in-bag meals— super convenient, no dishes, and surprisingly tasty after a big day.

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

Dialling in your snack packing takes a lot of trial and error, but we’re going to try and demystify it a bit by sharing what works for us: How to pack food for multi-day backcountry adventures: our tips for maximising calories & minimising weight

Long-sleeve layer

This is your first layer of real warmth and protection if conditions start to shift— in summer, it might be as simple as a lightweight fleece; in cooler weather, opt for a baselayer AND a heavier fleece.

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

Best for fleece layer: Arc’teryx Kyanite Zip Neck Base Layer Top (women’s) / Rho Heavyweight Zip Neck (men’s)

Synthetic insulation layer

For backpacking, insulation is essential. I use a synthetic jacket like the Arc’teryx Atom as my primary daytime warm layer— it’s breathable enough to hike in and still keeps you warm if it gets damp. At camp, this forms part of my cozy nighttime layering system under my down jacket.

Best overall: Arc’teryx Atom Insulated Hoody (women’s) / (men’s)

Down layer

While I almost never hike in my down jacket, I always pack one for camp— especially on alpine or shoulder-season trips. Once the sun sets, temps drop fast, and having a warm puffy to throw on while you eat dinner, filter water, or crawl into your sleeping bag makes all the difference. Down is lighter and warmer than synthetic for this use, so it’s well worth the space in your pack.

Best overall: Arc’teryx Cerium Hoody (women’s) / (men’s)

GoreTex rain shell layer

A quality rain jacket is your protection against wind, storms, and sideways alpine rain. Even on clear forecasts, I always pack it— it doubles as a wind shell on exposed ridgelines or breezy summit mornings.

Best overall: Arc’teryx Beta SL (women’s) / (men’s)

Lightweight hiking gloves

Gloves can make a huge difference in your overall comfort if the weather turns. A light fleece or wool pair will keep your fingers warm on exposed ridgelines or breezy mornings, and they weigh basically nothing.

Best overall: Outdoor Research Trail Mix Gloves (women’s) / (men’s)

Waterproof exterior mittens

If there’s any chance of rain or snow on the route, bring a lightweight pair of waterproof shell mittens to layer over your gloves for extra warmth and full weather protection. I’ve used the Outdoor Research Revel Shell Mitts for years, but they appear to’ve been discontinued, so here’s a good alternative.

Best overall: Black Diamond Waterproof Overmitts

Buff

This super compact, multi-functional neck tube is an outdoor staple on every trip— use it as a scarf, headband, balaclava, to block sun and wind, to wipe sweat off your face, to blow your nose… the list is endless and we never go hiking without one!

Best overall: Buff Original

Best for extreme cold: Buff Polar

Beanie

For early starts, breezy passes, or chilly nights around camp, a warm beanie is an easy add!

Best overall: Arc’teryx Mallow Toque

Toiletries

Toothbrush, toothpaste, hairbrush, deodorant, medications, contact solution… whatever you need to stay clean and comfortable for multiple days on the trail!

Bathroom bits

Grab a small pouch or ZipLock and pack toilet paper, hand sanitiser, and a spare bag to pack out used items if needed. Don’t underestimate how much TP you’ll need, this is one of the most painful backcountry mistakes you can make!

Kula Cloth (for women)

This reusable antimicrobial pee cloth is designed specifically for backcountry female hygiene— it’s absorbent on one side, waterproof on the other, and treated with silver ions to resist bacteria growth and odour.

It’s easy to wash, dries fast, snaps shut for discretion, and clips onto the outside of your pack so it’s always accessible. Not only is it way more hygienic than carrying used toilet paper in a ziplock, but it also seriously reduces your trail waste, making it a no-brainer for sustainable hiking and women’s health on the go.

Best overall: Kula Cloth

Sun safety

Sun exposure builds quickly when you’re spending hours outside every day. Always pack SPF 50+ sunscreen, SPF lip balm, polarised sunglasses, and a wide-brimmed hat or technical cap. On snow, we both wear glacier glasses to protect against UV reflection, and James loves a lightweight SPF sunshirt for extra coverage.

Best glacier glasses: Julbo Vermont

Best sun hat: Arc’teryx Gamma 5-Panel Cap

Camera (optional!)

Optional? Sure. But if you’re anything like me, you’re out here for the views and the vibes. I always bring a proper camera on overnight trips, even if it’s just a compact model, so I can capture golden hour at camp, that misty morning glow, or the summit scramble in full detail.

Best overall: Canon R6 Mark II + 24-105mm lens

Best compact: Fujifilm x100vi