How to pack for multi-day treks

Fast-and-light or all-but-the-kitchen-sink: which one works for you? Read on for our top tips on how to pack for multi-day treks.

When trekking the Tour du Mont Blanc, you’ll see many trekkers weighed down under backpacks as tall as they are, while others stroll past with tiny day packs. Some of the latter are just out for the day, or have a luggage transfer arranged, but others are doing the full TMB while travelling light. We encourage our summer trekking customers to strike a happy balance between the two. The ideal is to bring enough to be comfortable without having to manage too much weight.

Choose your approach

A lot depends on how you approach the trek, accommodation wise. If you’re camping, you’ll obviously need to bring more. Staying in refuges lets you travel light. In hotels you can go lighter again as you can leave behind the sleeping bag liner, travel towel and soap. How fast you go makes a difference too. At one extreme, UTMB runners carry a tiny pack, but complete the whole tour without stopping to sleep. At the other end of the spectrum, if you’re on the trail for ten or twelve days there are certain things you can’t do without.

In this article we’ll look at packing for hut-to-hut (and hotel-to-hotel) trekking. Packing for a camping trip involves a lot more equipment, so we’ll leave that for a future post.

We have packing lists on the individual pages for trips like the TMB West or Walkers’ Haute Route, and the joining instructions also list the minimum kit you should bring for each product. However, in terms of getting the weight down you can go beyond the bare bones of the list and tweak what you decide to bring. In this post, we won’t make another list of the essential kit. Instead, we’ll look at ways to reduce the weight you carry whilst maintaining a level of comfort.

Weigh your kit

Before you actually pack for multi-day treks, you’ll need to choose what you’re going to take. Getting out the kitchen scales is a good idea at this point. Weigh the items you already have before spending money on replacements. This way, you can check how much weight you’ll save. If you write down each how much each item weighs, or put the figures into a spreadsheet, you can add up how heavy your backpack is likely to be on the trail.

Base layers

We’ll start with the base layers – underwear and t-shirts. Wicking, technical T-shirts weigh a lot less than cotton ones. You’ll want to carry a few of these, so it’s an area where you can save a bit of weight. Long-sleeved base layers are also lightweight and easy to carry, and they’re good for evenings in the refuge as well as on the trail. Warm leggings, whether thermals or running bottoms, are a good addition. Wear them under your trousers on cold days to get a warmth boost without too much extra weight.

Weigh your underwear and socks too – you can often cut down weight here.

Jackets and trousers

For lightweight warmth, down jackets are your friend. Synthetic equivalents are catching up though, and for some the ethical considerations make synthetic prefarable. A thin fleece or soft-shell jacket is good for when it isn’t cold enough for down.

For your legs, a thin pair of hiking trousers won’t weigh much. Hopefully you’ll keep these in your pack and wear shorts and a T-shirt on the trail. If you do have bad weather, wear lightweight trousers combined with the thermal leggings mentioned above and the waterproofs in the next section. These three lighweight layers should keep your legs toasty warm inside.

Waterproofs

It can definitely rain in the mountains, and we’ve even had snow in August on our TMB treks. A waterproof jacket is essential. Lightweight models using Gore-Tex Paclite or equivalent are great, but not so durable as heavier waterproofs. I go for a slightly heavier, tougher waterproof jacket because I use it a lot, along with super lightweight waterproof trousers that only come out in the occasional downpour. Trekkers on a budget often go for a long poncho that covers their body, pack and legs.

Keeping your backpack dry is important too. Backpack covers are popular, but a liner also works. A large plastic bag inside your backpack is a cheap and lightweight alternative.

Backpacks

A 30-litre pack should be plenty for most people if you’re staying in refuges or hotels. If you want to go lighter, you can use a lightweight trail running pack at 15-20 litres. A lot of people take far bigger packs than this, but unless you’re camping or carrying ropes and ice axes, there is no need.

On a budget?

If you’re planning your first trekking holiday, we appreciate that you might not want to spend a lot of money yet. Most of the items we’ve mentioned can be sourced pretty cheaply. Brands like Decathlon and Mountain Warehouse have ranges of reasonably lightweight gear at affordable prices. Just replacing a few cotton garments with lighter but budget friendly equivalents can make a big difference.

How many changes?

One big factor in your pack weight is how many changes of clothes to take. Too few, and your travelling companions won’t thank you. Too many, and you’ll be adding unnecessary weight.

On a four-day trek, we take four each of T-shirts, underwear and pairs of socks. Then we’ll take a couple of long sleeve tops, and one each of shorts, long trousers, a warmer top or light jacket, plus a down jacket and waterproofs on top. For a longer trip, we might go up to five or six T-shirts etc. but no more. We’ll plan to do some laundry along the way, either by hand in a hotel washbasin, or at a laundrette in one of the towns we pass through.

Poles

You don’t have to use trekking poles, and you’ll save some weight if you don’t. However, most people find that they make the hiking easier, so the reduced effort is worth the extra weight. Cheap telescopic poles do the job well, but if you’re willing to spend the money you can go a lot lighter. Beware though, ultralight poles are easier to break, so be careful with them.

Toiletries, towels etc.

If you’re staying in refuges, you’ll need soap, shampoo, toothpaste, toothbrush and a towel. I take a solid shampoo bar for showering, which weighs a lot less than liquids and reduces plastic waste as well. Wicking travel towels pack down small and don’t weigh much.

You’ll also need a sleeping bag liner to use with the provided duvets. If you can afford a silk one, you’ll save a lot on weight and space over the cotton version.

If you only stay in hotels, you can trim this list to toothpaste, toothbrush, and any personal luxuries.

Extras

If you’re navigating yourself, you’ll need a map and compass as a minimum. Guidebooks are useful but heavy, so look for an e-book version or take photos of the most important pages.

In recent years, mobile phones have become indispensable. If you’re going to use one for navigation and communication you’ll need to manage the battery life carefully. Especially since you’ll probably use it for photos and maybe some entertainment as well. Take a charger that works in all the countries you’ll trek through, or a universal adaptor. Buying a two pin European charger will let you charge in France, Switzerland, Italy, and elsewhere in Europe, while most adaptor plugs won’t work in all of these countries. Take a backup power pack and keep enough charge in it that you can call mountain rescue in an emergency.

A lightweight headtorch is also a useful addition. It will be a great help if you have to hike after dark, but is also handy if you need to get to the bathroom in a refuge in the middle of the night.

Test it all out!

The first day of a trekking holiday is not the time to discover that your backpack and T-shirt combination rubs your back raw, or that your new boots give you blisters. Pack your kit as you would for the multi-day trek and take it out for a good day’s hiking. Ideally, do this well before the start of your trek. This way you’ll have time to make any adjustments or swap out any items that don’t work for you.

With a bit of trial and error, you’ll work out the way to pack for multi-day treks that works best for you. Remember, light is good, but a little bit of comfort goes a long way too.

Leader Kit

Having followed this article and lost a few kilograms from your pack, you might raise an eyebrow when you see the size of your hiking guide’s pack. In addition to their own kit, the guide needs to carry group safety equipment – for example rope, group shelter, first aid kit, and a VHF radio or satphone. In snowy conditions they might also bring an ice axe. When I pack for multi-day treks as a leader, I’ll choose kit suited to the length, difficulty and condition of the trek. Sometimes I can manage with my 30 litre pack, other times I need something bigger.