The ultimate hut-to-hut packing list (for multi-day hikes without camping gear)

Daypack (25–35L)

A 25–35L daypack is perfect for carrying hut essentials, layers, water, snacks, and emergency gear for just about every multi-day hut hike. Look for a supportive hipbelt, a ventilated back panel, and quick-access storage for sunnies, snacks & safety gear.

Best overall: Osprey Tempest 30 (women’s) / Osprey Talon 33 (men’s)

Best for upgraded support: Osprey Sirrus 36 (Women’s) / Stratos 36 (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 small works for 25-35L dayhiking packs).

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

Summit pack

If your hike includes side-trips or optional summits, a lightweight summit pack is a great addition to avoid carrying your full pack everywhere.

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

Proper hiking socks are nearly as important as your boots. Choose moisture-wicking merino wool to prevent blisters, manage sweat, and keep your feet warm even if they get damp.

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

Liner socks

Thin liner socks help prevent friction and can be layered under hiking socks for longer 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 become even more important on long hut trips— they help manage fatigue on big days, improve balance when your legs are tired, and reduce wear-and-tear on your joints, especially on descents with a loaded pack.

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 alpine starts, late arrivals, or simply walking around the hut at night. Choose something lightweight, rechargeable, and reliable!

Best overall: Black Diamond Spot 400-R

Powerbank

Between GPS, your phone, camera, and headlamp, something is going to need a charge. We carry a compact powerbank with built-in cables to keep everything topped up for the entire trek. This is especially nice on a hut-to-hut trek where you have some power access— leave your power bank charging in the common area instead of your phone!

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

Sleep sack

Most European and NZ huts require you to bring a sleep sack or sleeping bag liner for hygiene. Even when it’s not mandatory, it adds a layer of warmth and keeps you from sleeping directly on shared bedding, plus it packs to the size of an avocado!

Best overall: Sea to Summit Silk + Cotton Liner

Camp pillow

After a big hiking day, it’s worth having a small pillow for a better night’s sleep. Inflatable models pack down tiny and weigh next to nothing, but make a huge difference.

Best overall: Sea to Summit Aeros Premium

Comfortable hut clothes

There’s nothing better than pulling on a clean, dry outfit after hiking all day. We each pack a soft pair of leggings or joggers and a Merino base layer— comfy enough to wear to dinner in the hut (usually under another jacket), warm enough to sleep in.

Best overall: Arc’teryx Rho Baselayer (women’s) / (men’s)

Hut shoes

Most huts ask you to remove your hiking boots indoors, so bring a pair of lightweight shoes or sandals to wear around the hut— think Crocs, slides, or down booties, depending on the temps you’re expecting.

Best for moderate weather: Teva Original

Best for extreme cold: Mountain Hardwear Down Bootie

Water filter

Huts typically don’t have potable water, so even though you’re sleeping indoors, a compact water filter is absolutely essential. This also allows you to refill from lakes and streams during the daytime.

Best overall: Katadyn BeFree 1.oL Water Filter

Water bottle or bladder

I don’t use bladders on overnight trips since they can be so annoying to fill, so I always pack a standard Nalgene bottles for hut-to-hut hikes.

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 every litre of water during hard hikes to help with performance and hydration!

Best overall: Liquid IV

Snacks (as needed)

You don’t need to go too overboard on snacks for most hut-to-hut routes, as there may be occasional access to food. For true backcountry routes, high-protein, high-calorie, and high-glucose foods keep energy up and moods high.

👉🏼 Confused about what food to pack?! 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 Merino wool top that keeps the sun off and regulates body temp; in cooler weather, opt for something heavier like a fleece quarter-zip.

Best for warmer weather: Arc’teryx Rho LT Zip Neck (women’s) / (men’s)

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

Synthetic insulation layer

For summer hut-to-huts, synthetic insulation is usually a smarter choice than down— it’ll still keep you warm if it gets wet and it’s totally fine to sweat in it (unlike down, which you really shouldn’t hike in).

If you’re doing a high-altitude hike or expect very cold nighttime conditions in the hut, you might consider also packing a down jacket, but for most trips, one synthetic insulation layer is plenty.

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

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

GoreTex rain shell layer

A rain jacket is your lightweight shield against wind, storms, and unexpected mountain weather. Even if you don’t wear it every day, this should always be in your pack.

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 this is a great 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, 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 in the hut, 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!

Some huts offer showers (especially in the Alps), but we like to carry a few wipes to freshen up at the end of the day, just in case.

Bathroom bits

Even though you’ll have access to hut bathrooms in the mornings and evenings, you’ll be on your own throughout the day. Grab a small pouch or ZipLock and pack toilet paper, hand sanitiser, and a spare bag to pack out used items if needed.

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 on alpine ridgelines or snowy traverses, so make sure to 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!)

One woman’s extra is another woman’s essential, and we wouldn’t leave home without a camera! This is what we personally shoot all our mountain photos with:

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

Best compact: Fujifilm x100vi