Backpacking adventures can be found right in your backyard at local, state, or national parks. Backpacking adventures can even be found in cities. From an overnight backpacking trip to a six month thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail, backpacking provides opportunities for both the casual adventurer and the serious adventurer.
Compared with other adventures that involve significant equipment purchases, backpacking gear and supplies cost relatively little. However, there may be some investment in durable gear (like a $400 backpack) if your new to the activity.
In our article on creating an adventure travel budget, we detail how we went about budgeting for adventure. Below are some links to gear lists and budgeting tools that may help with your backpacking adventure. The lists include typical backpacking gear, though your hiking and weather conditions may require this list to be modified or amended.
Download Backpacking Gear Checklist or Checklist plus Budgeting Calculator
Backpacking Gear Starter Checklist (Word document)
Combined Backpacking Gear Checklist & Budgeting Calculator (Excel spreadsheet)
If you have problems with these checklists and tools, please let us know in the comments so we can improve them.
Backpacking Gear Checklist
HIKER HACK: When buying backpacking gear, I highly recommend becoming a member of the REI.com Co-Op. You will get a 10% rebate on gear purchases and occasional bonus gift cards that will lower the costs of gearing up for weekend and long-distance hikes.
Backpacking Gear
- Backpack
- Backpack cover
- Backpack liner
- Trekking poles
- Tent / hammock
- Tent ground tarp
- Sleeping bag
- Sleeping pad / pillow
- Cooking stove (with fuel)
- Cooking pot
- Cooking and eating utensils
- Flashlight / headlamp
- Water bottles / hydration system
- Water purification / treatment
- Dry bags / heavy trash bags
- First Aid Kit
- Sunscreen
- Bug spray
- Bear spray / other protection
Clothing
- Hiking boots
- Hiking socks
- Hiking shorts
- Hiking shirt
- Camp shorts
- Camp shirt
- Camp shoes
- Underwear
- Rain coat / poncho
- Warm jacket / fleece
- Sunglasses
- Hat / beanie
- Gloves
- Maps / Guidebooks / Other Nav Equipment
Any other items you think should be added to this typical backpacking gear checklist?
Let us know in the comments.
You should add a column for weight of the items
Love it. Will do. Thanks for the feedback, Kristin.
Im still new at this. I use a few little gadgets that make things easier. Like fire starters, line ( multi purpose), multi tool. Love ur list, it’s one of those things that help get u started..organized
Hi Honey, glad you love it. Let me know if you have ideas on how we can improve it.
That was my first thought as well… Knife; Good Fixed blade or folding, Leather-man or other good multi-purpose tool, 50-100 feet of at least 100# working load para-cord. Fire-Starter/ lighter. I am an intermediate hiker/camper/survivalist. And two years ago, motorcycle camped my way from South Florida to Tobermory Ontario Canada and back Including most of the Blue Ridge, Cumberland Gap and New River Gorge And this Items where essential to me.Next Bucket List Trip Thru Hike the AT!!!
Where are the food and snacks, bug net, small pocket knife, sun screen, toilet paper. An apple or mints for the horses (lol). Emergency Phone numbers and list of medical problems and medicine you maybe taking. Roan Mountain.Clinic was a great help to me after a fall in the rain on my 2015 AT thru hike. They are good people there that really care, one of the nurses drove me to a hospital to get an MRI.Be aware of brown recluse spiders also in that area of the AT. they have a nasty bite. I was told by the Dr. there that they had treated another hiker for one of these bites.
Thanks for sharing, John. Will add these to the next revision of the checklist.
Your welcome Mark, I see you had sun screen on there. My bad (lol)
Super helpful to help give me an idea of what I need and already had. I am beginning to train to thru hike the CDT, PCT, and AT.
Thank you!!
Really great to hear. Good luck on the triple crown.
Needle & cotton. Lighter. Tweezers (for ticks). Whistle.
Whistle needs to be added, in the chance of getting hurt or lost it will help you to be found and also good for making noise to let animals (like bears) know you’re there. Thanks for the list!
I’m hastily putting together a plan to southbound hike some of the trail. I’m not expecting to do the whole thing, but probably to New York or so. One thing I’m not seeing anywhere is how many sets of clothes should I bring. Socks I’m thinking two liners and three outers, but what about shorts and shirts. Is 2 hiking sets and 1 night set reasonable or should I do 3? Or just 1?
Hi Sean, I’d start with three pairs of clothes and then jettison what you don’t need. Also, though you will be in Maine in June / Summer, I suggest light pants and sleeves to keep the mosquitoes and black flies off your skin. Don’t forget a cap with a headnet. Safe and happy hiking.
Depending on where you’re going, it would make a lot of sense to pack a cell phone. Doesn’t have to be on – but if an emergency occurs and you have signal it might save your life.
Age an issue on the AT? 40 settling into my thirties I think..
Love what you’re doing at Adventurepossible.com, especially the work you did with this Backpacking Gear Checklist & Budgeting Calculator.