Worn while hiking
Hiking boots - good ankle support/protection
Socks and liner socks - for blister protection
Shorts or long pants - depending on conditions
T-shirt or long sleeve shirt – depending on weather/bugs
Hat – wide brim for sun or weather protection
Bandana
Sunglasses
WatchEssentials
Backpack
Sleeping bag liner or bed sheet
Poncho, Raincoat or rain suit
2 Bottles of water (1 liter size)
Hut reservationsFood
Lunch/snacks food – one meal for each day, nothing that melts or spoils
Emergency meal – one per personClothes
Hiking shorts or long pants – opposite of what you are hiking in
Extra t-shirts
Long sleeve for bug protection
Extra outfit for social time in hut – also use as dry set of cloths
Stocking hat (lightweight) and gloves (socks can substitute as mittens)
Extra of socks and liners – do not need a change for every day
Clean underwear
Fleece jacket or other warm jacket – (temps can go from 90 to 30 in summer)
Windbreaker, preferably with hood (Gortex can also work as rainwear)Miscellaneous
Small flashlight – LED light and lithium batteries are lightest and longest lasting
Whistle - 333 is international emergency signal
Pocketknife
Toilet kit – toothbrush/paste, floss, soap, razor, comb, feminine stuff
Toilet paper
Sunscreen
Earplugs – others snoring
Napkins or paper towels - the huts don't provide these
Credit card and/or cash
Insect repellant
Medications – prescriptions, Advil or Tylenol, moleskin
Waterproof matches or lighter
Plastic bags – pack in and pack out and keep things dryGroup Items
First aid kit
Map
CompassOptional – luxury
Hiking staff or poles
Sleeping clothes
Camera
Personal communication radios
Pillowcase
Cell phone & solar charger – unreliable in White Mtns.
Small towel and washcloth with plastic bag to stow when wet
Bathing suit – might double as shorts
Camp shoes
Pencil and paper
Book to read
Extra batteries
Repair items
Preparation
Trim your toenails before the trip
Work out to improve endurrance and stair climbing strength
Wear and familiarize yourself with any new gear especially new boots and packs
Pack things that must stay dry in plastic bags
Plan to have drinking water and a complete change of clothes waiting in the car for after the hike.
Double-check your packing
Keep your pack light, it will make your trip more enjoyableWhy keep the pack light?
Each minute you are carrying your pack expends your energy
More minutes hiking means more water must be carried
Carrying more water means more weight to carry
You will get to your desination in less time and use less energy with a lighter packTips for packing light
Bring only what you need, and bring the lightest version of it!
Be obsessive with getting light, think about which is lighter:
- 15 yards of dental floss, or 15 feet?
- A plastic bottle of 30 pills, or a baggie of 10 pills?
- A full mini-tube of toothpaste, or just enough for 10 days?
- A penlight, or a keychain light?
- A cotton bedsheet, or a silk sleeping bag liner?
- Summer sausage, or dried beef jerky?
- Fresh peanuts, or dry roasted peanuts?
- Alkaline batteries, or lithium ion batteries?
- Wet clothes, or dry clothes?
- Blue jeans (always a bad choice anyways), or poly pants?
- Five t-shirts, or four t-shirts?
And Remember! Leave No Trace
Send additions/deletions to box2105@mindspring.com
This list was prepared by a group of experienced hikers who also know how to
improvise using the items around them that nature provides. This list does not
contain all the items that a hiker would want to take for most hikes, it has been
reduced to fit the needs of a hiker using the AMC hut system as their primary
source for meals and lodging. Always plan your trip out responsibly, your list may
vary significantly.