Words and Photos from Carl “Professor” Stanfield @prof_carl
I think it’s pretty obvious that for a thru hike, you need to acquire all your gear. What’s less obvious is what that should entail. The big, sexy items (pack, tent, sleeping gear) always have excellent representation, but I find that other categories can often be lacking. The four categories below are often listed as general terms to cover broad categories due to their high degree of variance from hiker to hiker. It can be tricky to find a source that properly flushes out an appropriate range of what all these can entail. And so, here’s an in depth list of each such category for your referencing pleasure.
TOILETRIES/FIRST AID
Does this cover two categories? Is it just one? The lines get a bit grey, so here it all is laid out together. Pack and divvy to your heart’s desire.
● Toothbrush | Full handled, shaved down, or foldable travel size, every hiker is gonna need some form of a toothbrush. In fact, I find there is actually quite a bit of pride and self-expression when it comes to toothbrushes on trail. And for the lightest weight and most efficient on the market, check out Trail Brush for a little brush to stick on your spoon.
● Toothpaste | Get yourself a tiny tube and only use a tiny bit at a time. I personally recommend using a children’s variety so that you can swallow your gunk and reduce your environmental impact (***not endorsed by Hyperlite Mountain Gear).
● Baby Powder | This has become one of my most trusted allies on trail. I’ve been shocked at how quickly this can heal up chaffing rashes as well other skin irritations. It’s especially effective when paired with a shower, but shockingly efficient even applied on a grungy body in a tent. The tiny bottle of Johnson & Johnson (which miraculously includes aloe into their powder) is the best.
● Eye Drops | The most expensive backpacking investment I’ve ever made was getting LASIK eye surgery so I no longer had to carry contacts or glasses on trail (which I do highly recommend, it was way more affordable than I expected). Even so, I’ve found carrying a single ounce bottle of eye drops is actually really handy on trail. Dirty sweaty hands suck at wiping something out of your eye, and on dusty trails out west, eyes can get shockingly dry.
● Pain Relief Medication | Whether you have a natural supplement or the gut destroying drugs, just make sure you have something lined up, even if just for emergency use.
● Medical Tape | Specifically, Leuko Tape, ideally. That stuff is the best skin adhesive I’ve ever come across by far. This is excellent for blister prevention, and when paired with toilet paper, can suffice as a band aid.
● Ear Plugs | Sleeping on trail fully converted me to being an earplug person. They are borderline necessary if you’re sleeping in or around a shelter, and I find I also like them in general sleeping outside, especially on particularly quiet nights when every tiny sound is amplified. Ignorantly quiet sleep is blissful sleep. The silicon swimmers earplugs are superior.
● Other FIrst Aid Equipment | Personally, I think this is an okay place to splurge on weight at the beginning. Everything listed above (plus the hand sanitizer listed below) will suffice for the vast majority of issues that arise on trail. Remember, you’re only really prepping to stabilize conditions until you get to town, which is often reasonably accessible (especially for you AT hikers). Bring what makes you feel comfortable, and pair down as comfortability on trail increases.
● Cathole Kit
○ Trowel | Gotta have something to get that hole dug. You may eventually find that your trekking pole + the back of your shoe gets the job done, but I recommend starting with a device.
○ Hand Sanitizer | This miraculous cleansing liquid is pertinent to the hygiene of every hiker on trail. I’ve seen bottles as small as .5 oz, and they’re generally easy to refill in towns.
○ Toilet Paper | Do not forget this. Some folks are comfortable with natural debris to clean up, but I find most still prefer the comfort of paper.
○ Wet Wipes | While not for everyone, any time I’ve brought wet wipes I’ve felt monumentally cleaner on trail. Also handy for other general hygiene.
○ Toilet Paper/Wet Wipe Disposal Bag | It’s okay in some places to bury toilet paper (check your local Leave No Trace guidelines!). It’s never okay to bury wet wipes. Bring a specially designated bag to dispose of your dirtiest trash. My recommendation is a disposable grocery bag PLUS a large Ziploc. Replace the grocery bag every time you have the opportunity, reuse the Ziploc.
○ Backcountry Bidet | I’m not gonna lie, this one still intimidates me a bit. If you’re going this route, be sure to practice at home first.
PERSONAL ITEMS
Many of these items could be included under toiletries, but this category differs for me in that all these items are always easily accessible and live in my fanny pack and/or hip belt.
● Anti-Chaffe Lubricant | Sometimes I chaffe on hikes. Sometimes I don’t at all. I always carry Body Glide just in case. And! I’ve found it (or whatever your lubricant of choice is) can also be applied to the feet for blister prevention.
● ChapStick | I rarely to never use ChapStick in my regular life. Even so, I’ve found situations often arise on trail when my hydration is tough to keep in check when ChapStick makes my day wayyy better. I don’t love the feeling of it, but it can help my dry lips heal overnight much better than they would otherwise.
● Sunglasses | You are obviously going to need sunglasses hiking through a desert. You might be surprised that you need them hiking through the Green Tunnel. For much of the season you really probably won’t, but in the winter and late spring, even the AT can be fully blasted in sunlight.
● Sunscreen | Same deal as above. I don’t always bring lotion, but I actually do always bring a small face stick.
● Knife | Thru hiking isn’t nearly the bushcraft experience it feels like it could be. I recommend the tiniest pocketknife possible, it’s easy to keep this at a single ounce with a Victorinox Swiss Army Classic Knife (which also includes tweezers!). For the party animals, I recommend the Gerber Dime, which includes a bottle opener, pliers, and screwdriver heads.
● Hat | I love both the sun protection and the sweat rag nature of something on my head. It’s also an excellent place for a little ~personal expression~.
EXTRA CLOTHES
I find that this category is where folks most have a tendency to over pack. You only ever need enough clothes to get to the next town, which is always only a few days away. Get used to dirty socks. Embrace that you are going to stink. Enjoy the comfort that your shoulders don’t hurt as much as they would have if you’d brought all the clothes you wanted to.
● Socks | Maximum of 3 pairs. I like to have 2 pairs I alternate over my stretch between towns. Sometimes I bring a third pair to sleep in and wear around town while I do laundry.
● Warm Clothes | Definitely some variance here based on time of year, but not as much as you might think. As long as your sleeping bag/quilt is an appropriate temperature, you can get by with pretty minimal extra layers. In warmer months, I count my rain jacket and rain pants as my only warm clothes. In the colder months, I’ll bring a warm jacket, a mid-layer, long underwear, gloves, and a warm hat.
● Sleep Clothes | I like to bring a super light t-shirt and one extra pair of underwear here. I don’t ever want to have to crawl into bed in a sweaty/rainy shirt, and while I could go shirtless, I like both to protect my sleeping bag/quilt from my sweaty body and also the comfort of a clean(ish) shirt to wear around town.
● Rain Gear | There is one extremely important fact that you need to accept with your entire being: when it rains, you will be wet. There is no rain gear that will keep you dry. It does not now and will never exist. There is no quality of Goretex, there is no large enough umbrella, there is no perfectly breathable poncho. When you are hiking in a downpour, you need to accept that your body is going to be wet, and most likely, drenched. With that understood, rain gear exists to keep you comfortable while the world around you becomes soaked. I like a simple lightweight rain jacket with pit zips and a pair of wind pants to keep my warmth in while the water wicks it away from me. Ponchos also seem pretty sweet, and I’ve had some good experiences with an Umbrella. Feel free to experiment around here, but don’t expect anything to actually keep you dry.
FOOD
Food itself deserves its own entire article or two. But here’s a few things to remember to stash in your food bag along with the all-important goodies you decide to stuff down your insatiable thru hiker gullet.
● Fuel | For those of you who cook on trail, make sure you pack your fuel before you end up with a disastrously disappointing first night on trail. This one is especially easy to forget as the most popular varieties of fuel cannot be flown with. Make sure to plan on picking some up on your way to your terminus!
● Fuel Siphoning Device | This is a newer trick on trail for hikers with canister fuels. I picked up a Flip Fuel device a couple years ago and have saved money and headache on trail with my superpower of being able to polish off the last few cooks from nearly (but not fully) empty fuel cans which litter hiker boxes all over the country. I cannot recommend this device enough.
● Mini Sauce Bottle | Meals on trail can get bland real fast. I love to pack out a 2 ounce plastic bottle and top it off with hot sauce in town.
ELECTRONICS
While some hikers enjoy the beautiful novelty of full disconnection while on trail, for most, technology manages to seep in. It’s hard to deny how helpful and potentially even life saving modern tech can be in the backcountry. My full respect and sincerest kudos to those who get to skip this section. But for the majority of you, here’s what to plan/prep/pack for in your electronics kit.
● Headlamp | I figure this is the one piece of “tech” that will be in virtually every hiker’s kit. I highly recommend a rechargeable variety, and ideally, one that has a charging port compatible with your other devices.
● Cell Phone | Most people on long trails today are carrying cell phones, and most of them are using it as their primary navigational tool. Verizon and AT&T consistently have the best coverage, at least on the Triple Crown Trails. Any old case will do the trick as far as protection goes, and I recommend a simple Ziploc bag for waterproofing on rainy days.
● External Rechargeable Battery | You can really flavor to taste with this, but I recommend carrying one with at least 10,000 mAH charging capacity. Cheap brands typically lose their maximum storage quicker. It’s also a good idea to have one these days compatible with both standard USB and USB-C ports. Even if your own gear only needs one type, you may be able to lend a hand to a less prepared hiker in need. I’ve seen mixed reviews on solar chargeable batteries on trail, but I find folks typically feeling more disappointed than brilliant there.
● Appropriate Cordage | Just because you can get by with a single charging cord with multiple adapters, doesn’t necessarily mean that you should. I’ve tried to shave weight carrying minimal cord(s) and found that I really missed the convenience of being able to charge multiple devices at once. You may also want to consider cord length, as you may want to use your phone while it’s charging at a restaurant from time to time. Those 6-inchers can be a real pain. And of course, make sure you have an appropriate variety to fit all your electronic needs, as phones, headlamps, and satellite messengers can use a variety.
● Charging Bricks | You can really go down a whole detailed rabbit hole here, as far as sizes, number of ports per brick, and efficiency of charge. If you don’t ever plan on spending much time in towns, dial in here to maximize your town time. If you plan on frequent motel and hostel stops, don’t sweat it so much.
● Satellite Communicator | These handy devices can be quite divisive. It’s a very personal choice whether or not to carry one, and I find folks often carry them for the comfort of loved ones even more than for themselves. There are lots of great options out there if you do want to go this route. And if you do, make sure you buy an appropriate plan to go alongside it.
I know that thru hikers have a wide array of feelings towards their gear. Some folks love getting the weeds of it all, and some just want to just have it and be done thinking already. A notion I didn’t realize until I actually got out on trail was that your gear list isn’t static: it can and naturally will ebb and flow over the course of your hiker, especially a longer one. Trail towns almost always have outfitters, and even the most rural gas station will have a surprisingly helpful assortment of knick-knacks. Do at least a little homework on your gear prep and head out with the comfort that whatever it is you forgot to pack is probably only a few days away. Your endurance and mental fortitude will be the most important thing you carry with you. So don’t sweat it too much and enjoy your last few days/weeks/months of indoor plumbing while you can.
Happy Trails!
