The Complete Backpacking Checklist

How to use this checklist

This is the exhaustive version. If you already know what you're buying and just want the recommended pick for each category, the ultralight backpacking gear list is faster: one product per line, ranked by grams saved per dollar. This page is for building the list from nothing, or for checking you haven't forgotten something the gear list doesn't cover — food, documents, the clothes you'll actually wear.

Work top to bottom. The essentials table below is the trip-breaking stuff: skip an item here and a trip can turn dangerous or miserable fast. Everything after that is real, but the consequence of forgetting it is smaller.

The essentials

These ten categories are the backbone of most "ten essentials" lists you'll see from hiking clubs and land agencies: navigation, illumination, first aid, fire, shelter, extra food and water, and the layers to stay warm and dry. Treat the table above as that idea applied to a backpacking trip specifically, not a day hike.

The big three: shelter, sleep, pack

Shelter, sleep system and pack are the heaviest and priciest items most backpackers own, because they're built around poles, insulation or a frame rather than a single piece of fabric. They're also where the biggest weight cuts are available for the least sacrifice. See big three backpacking gear for how to think about all three together, and shop them individually in tents, sleeping pads and framed backpacks if you're not going frameless.

Cook and water

• Stove and fuel canister, or an alcohol/cold-soak setup — see canister vs alcohol stoves and the cold-soaking guide
• Pot or mug — best titanium backpacking pots
• Spoon or long-handled spork
• Water filter or purifier — water filter vs purifier explains the difference
• Water storage (bottles or a reservoir)
• Food for every day on trail, packed to be eaten in order — best backpacking meals

The stove and pot on this checklist are small items, but they still carry a real gram-per-dollar figure. The 25 g (0.9 oz) BRS-3000T stove and the 72 g (2.5 oz) TOAKS 550ml pot below are two of the cheapest lines on any gear list to check off.

Clothing and rain gear

Clothing is worn weight, not base weight (see what is base weight for why that distinction matters), but it still needs to be on the checklist:

• Rain jacket or poncho — poncho vs rain jacket compares the two formats
• An insulating layer for camp (fleece or synthetic/down jacket)
• Moisture-wicking base layers, sized for the season
• Trail shoes or boots, already broken in
• Extra socks — wet feet are the most common source of blisters
• Sun protection: hat, sunglasses, sunscreen

Trail safety and navigation

• Map and compass, or a downloaded offline map (don't rely on cell signal)
• Headlamp with fresh or spare batteries
• First-aid kit sized to your group and trip length
• Fire starter (even where fires aren't planned) and a knife or multitool
• Emergency shelter (a bivy sack or large trash bag) separate from your tent
• Repair kit: tenacious tape, a spare tent stake, cordage

Trekking poles double as a safety item on stream crossings and steep descents, and if you're carrying a trekking-pole tent they're not optional gear at all — see best budget trekking poles.

Camp comfort (optional)

None of these affect safety, and none are on the ultralight gear list, but most backpackers eventually add one or two:

• Camp pillow — best backpacking pillows
• Camp chair — best backpacking chairs, if you're willing to carry the extra grams
• A book, cards or a journal
• Camp shoes for wet river crossings or airing out your feet

Consumables and worn items

These never appear on a "gear list" because they don't count toward base weight, but a checklist that skips them is incomplete.

• Food for every planned day, plus a one-day margin
• Water capacity matched to the driest stretch of your route
• Fuel: enough canister or alcohol for every planned boil, with a small margin
• Toiletries: toothbrush, biodegradable soap, hand sanitizer, toilet paper, a trowel
• Insect repellent, in season

Documents and extras

• Trip permit, if your route requires one
• A paper copy of your itinerary, left with someone at home
• Identification and a small amount of cash
• Phone, fully charged, with maps downloaded in case signal drops
• A dry bag or liner to keep the above dry regardless of what the sky does

New to backpacking entirely? Beginner backpacking gear picks products for exactly this stage — forgiving, widely available, and priced to try the sport before you commit to an ultralight kit.