| A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Item | Priority | Description or Purpose | Example | More Info | Priority | Selection | Weight | Pre-Hike Comments | Certain? | Alternate | Weighed? | In-hand? | Packed | Other Notes | Post-Hike Comments |
2 | GO SUIT CLOTHING + ITEMS WORN | GO SUIT CLOTHING + ITEMS WORN | ||||||||||||||
3 | Hiking shirt | Critical | Polyester, merino, or nylon. Ideally knit, not woven. | Outdoor Research Echo Hoodie | Core 13 Clothing: S/S & L/S Shirt | Critical | Sierra Designs L/S Pack Polo | 6.0 | For intense Colorado sun, prefer L/S & collar vs sunscreen | Y | - | Y | Y | Dries fast, looks sharp, tough. Too airy for cooler trips. | ||
4 | Pants or shorts | Critical | Athletic shorts or nylon trekking pants | Patagonia Strider Pro 5-in | Core 13 Clothing: Running Shorts | Critical | Hind Running Shorts w/built-in liner | 5.0 | Tested on day-hikes only. Comfortable, no chafing. | NO | Older Brooks shorts | Y | Y | Legs badly sunburned. Wear pants + undees next time. | ||
5 | Underwear A | Contingent | If wearing pants or unlined shorts. One pair. | Saxx Kinetic Boxer Briefs | Core 13 Clothing: Pants & Underwear | Unnecessary | - | 0.0 | Shorts have liner | Y | - | Y | Y | Joe recommended his Ex Officio Give N Go underwear | ||
6 | Bra A | Contingent | Polyester or nylon, plus spandex for stretch | Brooks Fiona Sports Bra | - | Unnecessary | - | 0.0 | - | Y | - | Y | Y | - | ||
7 | Headwear | Suggested | Keep precip, sweat, hoods, & sun out of eyes, off face | Headsweats ProTech | - | Critical | Headsweats ProTech | 3.0 | Unlike visor or ballcap, protects scalp, tops of ears, and neck | Y | - | Y | Y | Looks dorky, but works great | ||
8 | Sun gloves | Suggested | Protection from intense sun, sharp rocks, scratchy brush | Glacier Glove Sunglove | Suggested | Glacier Glove Sunglove | 2.5 | Will appreciate when scrambling on mineral-infused granite | Y | Y | Y | |||||
9 | Sunglasses | Contingent | Generally unnecessary for East, necessary for West | Julbo Shield | Buying considerations | Critical | Julbo Dirt | 1.5 | Polarized to reduce glare of lingering snow | Y | - | Y | NO | On order from Backcountry. Arriving July 15. | Great purchase. Lenses too dark when in heavy tree cover. | |
10 | Rx glasses or contacts | Contingent | Pros & cons to both | Preciption glasses or contact lenses | - | Unnnecessary | - | 0.0 | 20/20 vision | Y | - | Y | Y | - | ||
11 | Trekking Poles | Critical | Extra stability, traction, & power. Use to pitch shelter. | Black Diamond Alpine Carbon Cork | Tag: Trekking poles | Critical | Cascade Mountain Tech Quick Lock | 15.0 | For $30 a definite "best value" | Y | - | Y | Y | - | ||
12 | TOTAL | 33.0 | ||||||||||||||
13 | ||||||||||||||||
14 | FOOTWEAR | FOOTWEAR | ||||||||||||||
15 | Shoes | Critical | Trail running or hiking shoes. W/o good reason, no boots. | La Sportiva Bushido II | Rec'd footwear for high routes | |||||||||||
16 | Gaiters | Suggested | Keep debris out. Ideal: breathable stretch nylon. | Simblissity Levagaiter | - | |||||||||||
17 | Hiking socks A | Critical | Polyester or merino w/nylon & limited spandex | DeFeet Wooleator | My 3-season Sock System | |||||||||||
18 | Hiking socks B | Contingent | Dry locales: Rotate with pair A, wash & dry between use | DeFeet Wooleator | How to: Minimize effects of wet feet | |||||||||||
19 | Camp footwear | Contingent | Nice to have if hiking shoes are wet. Not for day use. | UL slide sandals, airline slippers, bread bags | - | |||||||||||
20 | Sleeping socks | Contingent | Polyester, wool, or fleece. Not for daytime use. | Acorn Versafit Fleece Sock | ||||||||||||
21 | TOTAL | 0.0 | ||||||||||||||
22 | ||||||||||||||||
23 | CLOTHING: ELEMENT PROTECTION | CLOTHING: ELEMENT PROTECTION | ||||||||||||||
24 | Shell top | Suggested | Rain jacket, umbrella, or poncho. If dry, windshirt OK. | The Packa | Core 13 Clothing: Rain jacket & pants | |||||||||||
25 | Shell bottoms | Contingent | Rain pants or skirt. If warm or dry, wind pants OK. | Outdoor Research Helium Rain Pants | Backpacking in the Rain - SD LIVE | |||||||||||
26 | Umbrella | Contingent | Truly WP & breathable. And protects from sun. | Six Moon Design Silver Shadow | Pros & cons of umbrellas | |||||||||||
27 | Mid-layer top | Contingent | Fleece or wool. Buffers moisture & adds warmth. | REI Quarter-zip Fleece Pullover | Core 13 Clothing: Fleece Top | |||||||||||
28 | Trekking pants or thermals | Contingent | Pants: bugs, brush, cold & sun. Thermals: just cold. | Montane Terra Pack Pants | Core 13 Clothing: Pants & underwear | |||||||||||
29 | Liner gloves | Contingent | Add warmth, keep dexterity. Fleece, poly, or wool. | DeFeet Duraglove | - | |||||||||||
30 | Shell mitts | Contingent | WP, maybe WP/B. For cold precip or chilling winds. | Showa 281 or 282 | Handwear for cold-and-wet | |||||||||||
31 | Insulated headwear | Contingent | Warmth, esp for ears, independent of jacket hood | Buff Original | - | |||||||||||
32 | TOTAL | 0.0 | ||||||||||||||
33 | ||||||||||||||||
34 | CLOTHING: STOP & SLEEP | CLOTHING: STOP & SLEEP | ||||||||||||||
35 | Insulated jacket | Contingent | Down or synthetic fill. For camp + cool rest stops. | Montbell Superior Down Parka | Insulation Geekiness - SD Live | |||||||||||
36 | Insulated pants | Contingent | For cold or long camps. Down, synthetic, fleece. | WM Flash Pants | Core 13: Puffy Jacket & Pants | |||||||||||
37 | Underwear B | Contingent | Rec'd for women. Wash, dry & rotate with Pair A. | Patagonia Women's Active Briefs | - | |||||||||||
38 | Bra B | Contingent | Rotate with Bra A. Wash & dry between uses. | Brooks Fiona Sports Bra | - | |||||||||||
39 | Sleeping top | Contingent | For wet trips, to avoid sleeping in wet clothes | REI Co-op Active Pursuits L/S Shirt | Core 13 Clothing: Sleeping Top | |||||||||||
40 | Sleeping bottoms | Contingent | Polyester, wool, or fleece. Not for daytime use. | Champion Powerflex Tight | Core 13 Clothing: Sleeping Bottoms | |||||||||||
41 | TOTAL | 0.0 | ||||||||||||||
42 | ||||||||||||||||
43 | PACKING | PACKING | ||||||||||||||
44 | Pack | Critical | Sweet spot is 2-3 lbs: durable, features, frame | ULA Circuit | Tutorial: How to pack a backpack | |||||||||||
45 | Waterproofing | Contingent | Dry bags, pack cover, or pack liner | Brute Super Tuff Bags 20-gallon | - | |||||||||||
46 | Food storage: today | Suggested | Keep in easily accessible spot. Holds day's rations. | Ziploc Slider Bag - Freezer Quart-sized | Backpacking food basics | |||||||||||
47 | Food storage: future | Contingent | Stuff sack, Loksak, freezer bag. Buried deep in pack. | LOKSAK OPSAK - 21x12 | Tutorial: Food storage & protection | |||||||||||
48 | Food protection | Contingent | Hard- or soft-sided, to deter bears & "mini-bears" | Bear Vault BV450 | Buyers Guide: Bear Canisters | |||||||||||
49 | Stuff sacks | Suggested | Avoid over-organizing. I use 3: bag/quilt, pot, accessories | Nylon sacks + zippered travel pouch | - | |||||||||||
50 | Eyewear case | Contingent | Minimal weight to protect crucial & $$ item | Hard case included with sunglasses | - | |||||||||||
51 | TOTAL | 0.0 | ||||||||||||||
52 | ||||||||||||||||
53 | SHELTER | SHELTER | ||||||||||||||
54 | Rainfly or tarp | Suggested | Shed precip & wind. May be attached to inner nest. | Sierra Designs High Route Tent | Guide: Tents, Tarps, Hammocks | |||||||||||
55 | Nest, bivy, or hammock | Contingent | Insect and ground protection. May be attached to fly. | High Route 1FL Tent (inner) | Tutorial: Find 5-star campsites | |||||||||||
56 | Ground cloth or footprint | Contingent | Add WP-ness to inner. Or keep gear out of dirt. | SOL Emergency Blanket | - | |||||||||||
57 | Poles | Contingent | If tent is compatible w/trekking poles = lighter | Tent-specific | - | |||||||||||
58 | Guylines | Critical | Inconveniently located roots & rocks? No problem. | Mountain Laurel Designs 1.5 mm Pro | My Guyline System for tents & tarps | |||||||||||
59 | Stakes | Critical | Avoid stupid-light stakes: they fail at the worst times. | MSR Groundhog 7.5-in | My picks: Stakes & Guylines | |||||||||||
60 | TOTAL | 0.0 | ||||||||||||||
61 | ||||||||||||||||
62 | SLEEP | SLEEP | ||||||||||||||
63 | Bag or quilt | Critical | Quilts: drafty freedom. Bags: warm constriction. | Sierra Designs Cloud 35 | Tutorial: Protect down from moisture | |||||||||||
64 | Pad or under quilt | Critical | Pad: closed cell or air. UQ: down or synthetic | Therm-a-Rest UberLite | Tips for Quality Sleep - SD LIVE | |||||||||||
65 | Pillow | Optional | Commercial, or improvise: extra clothing in stuff sack | Sierra Designs Animas Pillow | - | |||||||||||
66 | Ear plugs | Contingent | Block out snoring, midnight pee runs, nature noises | Mack's Foam Plugs | - | |||||||||||
67 | TOTAL | 0.0 | ||||||||||||||
68 | ||||||||||||||||
69 | KITCHEN | KITCHEN | ||||||||||||||
70 | Stove | Suggested | At end of long & hard day, a hot meal is a treat. | Trail Designs Kojin | Gear lists: My 5 go-to stove systems | |||||||||||
71 | Wind screen | Contingent | A must-have for alcohol & solid fuel stoves | Sidewinder Ti-Tri | - | |||||||||||
72 | Pot stand | Contingent | Unncessary if pot designed to sit on stove | Zen Stove: DIY pot stands | - | |||||||||||
73 | Cookpot | Suggested | 750ml-1L per person. Aluminum is best value. | Evernew Titanium Ultraight 900ml | Dinner & Breakfast Recipes | |||||||||||
74 | Eating bowl or pot | Contingent | For cook groups of 2+. If solo, eat out of pot. | Snow Peak Tittanium Bowl | - | |||||||||||
75 | Hot drink container | Optional | Small luxury: have hot drink while eating | Starbucks Reusable Mug ($2 at stores) | - | |||||||||||
76 | Pot lifter | Optional | Useful for tippy stoves, if pot lacks handles | MSR PanHandler Potlifter | - | |||||||||||
77 | Fuel container | Suggested | Depends on fuel | For alcohol: disposable drink bottle | - | |||||||||||
78 | Fuel measurement | Suggested | For noobs, helps develop eyeball sense for fuel amt | Plastic measurement cups - 1 oz | - | |||||||||||
79 | Utensil | Critical | Best for most meals: a spoon. Metal or plastic. | GSI Outdoors Table Spoon | - | |||||||||||
80 | Ignition | Suggested | Lighter or matches | Bic Mini Lighter | - | |||||||||||
81 | TOTAL | 0.0 | ||||||||||||||
82 | ||||||||||||||||
83 | HYDRATION | HYDRATION | ||||||||||||||
84 | Bottle(s): primary | Critical | Soft- or hard-sided. User-friendly size. | Smartwater 1L | - | |||||||||||
85 | Bottle(s): storage | Suggested | For arid areas & long camps. Collapsible, larger volume. | Platypus Platy Bottle 2L | - | |||||||||||
86 | Treatment: primary | Critical | Must be fast, or else every water stop is an ordeal | Aquamira Drops with pre-mix bottle | Tutorial: Purification methods | |||||||||||
87 | Treatment: secondary | Optional | As backup, or for large volumes in camp | Platypus GravityWorks 4.0L | Tutorial: Assessing water quality | |||||||||||
88 | TOTAL | 0.0 | ||||||||||||||
89 | ||||||||||||||||
90 | NAVIGATION | NAVIGATION | ||||||||||||||
91 | Guidebook | Contingent | If available for trail or route | Yosemite High Route Guide | - | |||||||||||
92 | Topographic maps | Suggested | Small- & large-scale | USGS 7.5-min maps, made in CalTopo | Backpacking maps 101: Types, sources | |||||||||||
93 | Databook | Contingent | Barebones spreadsheet of key landmarks | Pfiffner Traverse Guide | Tutorial: Dead- reckoning nav | |||||||||||
94 | Watch | Suggested | Basic watch, altimeter watch, or GPS sport watch | Suunto Ambit3 Peak GPS Watch | Navigation equipment system | |||||||||||
95 | Compass | Contingent | For regular use, baseplate w/adj declination is best | Suunto M-3G Global Pro Compass | How-to video: Map & Compass | |||||||||||
96 | Handheld GPS or GPS app | Suggested | Smartphone w/GPS app: more user-friendly, less $$ | Pixel w/Gaia GPS | Navigation equipment system | |||||||||||
97 | Paper protection | Suggested | For maps, guidebook, permit, emergency contacts | Ziploc 1-gallon Freezer Bag | - | |||||||||||
98 | Writing instrument | Suggested | Generally useful. I like to take route notes, too. | Retractable ball point pen, blue or black ink | - | |||||||||||
99 | TOTAL | 0.0 | ||||||||||||||
100 |