Our Ultimate Backpacking Gear (+ Packing List!)

Last updated on March 11th, 2026

Heading on a backpacking trip? We’re sharing our favorite backpacking gear, plus our backpacking packing list with everything you’ll need for a comfortable night out in the wilderness!

Backpacking is one of our favorite outdoor activities! Carrying all of our gear on our back makes us feel pretty dang strong, we love getting unplugged for a couple days, and backpacking has given us the chance to explore areas that are a bit too long for a day hike, like The Enchantments in Washington, Alice Lake in Idaho, the Wind River Range in Wyoming, Garibaldi Provincial Park in British Columbia, and the epic Havasu Falls!

We have been backpacking over a dozen times and have learned a lot along the way about what to bring! And in this guide we’re sharing all the backpacking gear we personally use, plus a printable backpacking packing list. The majority of these are must-have items,, with a couple nice-to-have items thrown in there, and many of the items on this list work for car camping too.

We hope this backpacking packing list helps make your next backpacking adventure a success!

Backpacking Gear

Backpack

We each carry REI Co-op Trail 40 Packs, which are 40L and on the smaller end for backpacking. Due to upgrading to sleeping quilts and getting a smaller tent, we have been able to use these packs for multiple 4 day trips, even with a bear canister inside. It is tight though!

Our old packs, which were the Osprey Men’s Atmos 65 AG pack and Osprey Women’s Aura 65 AG pack, are also great options and can store larger tents and sleeping bags, plus your essentials. 

Make sure to bring along a pack cover as well in case it rains! 

Tent

We recently upgraded to a Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL3 bikepacking tent. It is an expensive tent, but thankfully we got lucky and snagged it on a pretty good sale. What we love about this tent is that since it’s a bikepacking tent, it has smaller poles (so it can fit on handlebars), which makes it fit much easier in our packs. It’s also spacious inside, perfect for two people, a dog, and some gear.

Before we got this tent we used a REI Half Dome 2+ tent for many years and it was great! It survived through crazy wind, tons of rain, and many epic backpacking adventures.

Sleeping bag

For years we used the TETON Sports LEEF Lightweight Mummy Sleeping Bag, which kept us super warm at night! They are very affordable, but also super bulky, so we upgraded to Enlightened Equipment Revelation Sleeping Quilts. These quilts are MUCH lighter and smaller and keep us super warm. However, they are pricey, but so worth it if you have plans on backpacking a lot. 

Sleeping pad

For a bit Kathryn had a Thermarest and while it was comfortable, it unfortunately didn’t pack down small enough. We are currently both using the Sleepingo Sleeping Pad, which is affordable, relatively comfortable, and packs down small. 

Pillow

Having a pillow is a MUST for us when backpacking. We use the TREKOLOGY inflatable pillow. It’s very comfortable and packs down small. We also like that it can be strapped to your sleeping pad and has rubber dimples on the bottom, which help keep it from sliding away from you while you sleep. 

Day hiking bag

If you carry a larger backpacking pack, we recommend packing a small daypack (that folds up) for any day hikes. We’ve had this Venture Pal 40L backpack for years and it works great!

Hiking poles 

We don’t always carry hiking poles, but when we do we use the Black Diamond Distance Z poles and highly recommend them! 

Chair (Optional)

One “luxury” that you may want to bring is a backpacking chair. Back when we had larger packs, we would sometimes bring chairs and never regretted it. But now that we pack lighter, they won’t fit and we make due without them.

Hammock (Optional)

Lounging in a hammock after a long day of hiking is a wonderful experience. We rarely bring this along, due to space and weight constraints, but when we do it’s always worth it!

Cooking & Food

Backpacking camp stove + propane

The Ultralight Portable Outdoor Backpacking Camping Stove is about the size of a deck of cards and makes it easy to boil water and cook food while backpacking. 

Another option is to get a Jetboil, which combines a kettle and camp stove in one. We haven’t personally tried it, but know people love them!

Don’t forget to pick up some propane for your camping stove. You cannot fly with these, but you can buy them at REI once you land or any local outdoor store. 

Kettle

We use the Sea to Summit X-Pot Kettle, which collapses and packs down really small! In the past, we used a kettle like this for backpacking, which worked well too. We would store items inside of it, to help maximize space.

Cookware (Optional)

We don’t normally bring cookware with us anymore, but when we did, we used a kit similar to this CampingRocks Camping Cookware Mess Kit. If you’re just eating packaged food and backpacking meals, you likely won’t need this either.

Utensils

Don’t forget a spoon or spork! For something lightweight, we suggest one of these. And for those who don’t want to get their hands dirty digging into backpacking meals, we LOVE this long spoon!

Gallon ziplocs

Ziploc bags are a versatile piece of gear to bring. We use these to store all of our trash (put into your preferred food storage system). They can also protect your phone from water if it rains or you’re hiking near waterfalls or rivers.

Food

There are so many options when it comes to the food. Below is a rundown of what we usually like to eat on our trips!

We have tried a handful of backpacking meals over the years and have quite a few favorites. Right now, our absolute favorite is Bowl & Kettle. This company was founded by a friend from college and her husband, who hiked the PCT (so they clearly know backpacking meals!). And even though we may be biased, they are genuinely the BEST backpacking meals we have ever had. They only have three flavors currently and every single one is insanely delicious. We would eat these even when we aren’t backpacking! (PS: you can use code TAKE10 for 10% off your order!)

Other meals we love are Wild Zora, Backpacker’s Pantry Chicken Pad Thai, Peak Refuel Chicken Coconut Curry, and Mountain House Beef Stroganoff.

NOTE: These meals will usually say it is 2 servings, but we always eat the whole thing by ourselves. So don’t plan to share!

Snacks

Staying fueled while hiking is key! We love to bring a mix of salty snacks, protein-packed options, fresh veggies, and sweet treats. You can see all of our favorite hiking snacks here!

Coffee mugs

Coffee is essential for all of our backpacking trips. These collapsible mugs are the perfect drinking vessel!

Coffee

There are so many ways to make coffee while backpacking! We love taking our Aeropress when we have space, which makes great coffee (don’t forget the filters and some grounds!). Sometimes we take Kuju coffees, to save space. Bringing instant coffee tea bags is another easy option!

Electrolyte Drink

On our particularly strenuous adventures, especially in the heat, we like to carry an electrolyte drink. We LOVE LMNT! We carry a separate water bottle just to put LMNT in, as it’s not something we want to put in our CamelBak or Katadyn filter bottle. Visit this link to get a free sample pack with any order! 

Food storage container

Depending on where you’re hiking you may need a food storage solution to protect yourself and food from bears, rodents, or other animals. You can either use a bear can or hang a bear sack. It is important to keep your food and any items with scent (including toothpaste, toiletries, etc.) in this food storage mechanism. Make sure whatever you choose is large enough!

If you go the sack route, bring some paracord to hang it! And make sure you know how to properly hang it.

Survival gear

We always carry the 10 essentials on any hike and we highly suggest you do the same. Many of the items included in the 10 essentials have already been discussed above, but it’s always a good idea to refresh your kit.  

Multi-tool

We carry this multitool, which includes a knife, screwdriver, and pliers. It can be used for food prep, making kindling, repairing things, and a host of other scenarios. 

Headlamps (with batteries)

If you plan on hiking early in the morning or later in the day you’ll need a headlamp. Ideally you bring one with a red light, so you don’t blind others or shine into people’s tents. Don’t forget to pack some extra batteries!

Water storage and filtration

We always carry some combination of a 3L CamelBak, a Katadyn Water Filter Bottle, and a Sawyer water filter (as backup).

Matches/Lighter

As one of the 10 essentials, you need to carry some sort of fire source. 

Hand warmers (Optional)

Hand warmers are a nice item to have if where you’re going will be cold at some point in the trip.

Bear spray

If you’re hiking in bear country, bring bear spray if it’s allowed. 

Clothing

Clothes tend to take up a lot of space, so we keep our clothes to a minimum when backpacking and for any trips over one night we usually only bring 1 extra, for tops and bottoms. That may sound gross, but part of backpacking is smelling a bit. 😜 We store all of our clothes in TRIPPED packing cubes to help compress them down.

Tops 

Adam wears Vuori shirts and Kathryn wears Vuori tank tops. We usually bring an extra shirt and end up wearing whatever we had on to bed as well. Sometimes mornings can be a bit chilly, we also bring pullovers.

Bottoms

Kathryn wears Patagonia Trailfarer 4.5” inseam shorts and Nike leggings. Adam wears cheap swim trunks from Target (so he is always ready for a swim!), athletic shorts, or Patagonia Terrebonne pants.

Insulated Jacket

Depending on where you’re backpacking and when you’re going, you will likely need an insulated jacket. We both have used an L.L. Bean Jacket for many years now. 

Rain Jacket

Even if the forecast does not call for rain, we highly suggest bringing a rain jacket. If you’re backpacking in the mountains, surprise storms can occur quickly. Adam wears this rain jacket and Kathryn has this rain jacket. 

Underwear 

While we skimp on tops and bottoms when we hike, we tend to not skimp on underwear. We suggest bringing a fresh pair per day!

Socks

We highly recommend wearing wool socks! They perform the best with sweat, water (if you have to cross any rivers), and are comfortable. We are big fans of Smart Wool and wear both low rise and high rise socks, depending on the shoes we wear.

Pajamas (Optional)

We usually don’t bring PJs, in effort to pack light. But it may be worth it for you to bring! It is nice to have cleaner clothes to sleep in.

Shoes

Kathryn rocks either Lowa Women’s Renegade GTX boots or ALTRA Lone Peak 8 trail runners on the trails, depending on the situation and how she feels. Adam exclusively wears the ALTRA Lone Peak 8 trail runners, as they are less bulky than boots, but have good traction. They are also great for hiking in water, as they dry fast!

Sometimes we wear hiking sandals like our Chacos. We usually only do this for day hikes and typically in the desert or any areas with a lot of water.

Flip flops (Optional)

This is an optional item, but we like to have cheap, light flip flops to wear around camp. It is way easier to slide on some flip flops than lace up your shoes if you need to go to the bathroom.

Hat and sunglasses

You want to protect yourself from the sun as much as possible, so be sure to pack a hat and sunglasses! 

Swimsuit (Optional)

If you’re backpacking somewhere with a lake, river, or waterfall to swim in, you may want to pack a swimsuit. 

Gloves (Optional)

If backpacking in the winter or cooler months, gloves are a great item to add to your backpacking packing list.

Toiletries

When it comes to toiletries, everyone has slightly different needs, but here are some common items you may want to consider.

Daily items 

Don’t forget your toothbrush and toothpaste, deodorant, chapstick, contacts and solution, and any other items you use daily.

Chapstick and lotion

If visiting a drier climate, these are both great things to have!

Sunscreen

Again, protection from the sun is very important so make sure to bring some travel sized sunscreen! 

Medicine

We recommend bringing Advil, a small first aid kit, and allergy medicine, just in case. Plus any daily medicines you need!

Bug spray

If you’re worried about bugs, pack some insect repellent. 

Also, if you’re hiking in an area with ticks bring a pair of tweezers and a small ziploc bag to keep the ticks in. 

Bug net

If the bugs are really bad a bug net for your head is a lifesaver! 

Toilet paper

We typically take a bunch off of a roll and put it in a ziploc. This saves a lot more space than bringing an entire roll! Make sure you pack out ALL of your toilet paper trash.

Cathole Trowel

Be sure to follow the Leave No Trace principle #3 and dispose of human waste properly. We use this trowel when we have to do our business in the wild. Not all places allow this though and may require you to use a WAG bag, so make sure to check the rules in advance. 

Body wipes (Optional)

We occasionally bring body wipes, but typically we just embrace the stink.

Feminine hygiene products (Optional)

For the ladies, bring enough feminine hygiene products with you. Please remember to pack out any trash!

Kula Cloth (Optional)

One new addition to Kathryn’s backpacking gear is a Kula cloth. This is an antimicrobial pee cloth. It can strap onto your pack and is very handy if nature calls while on the trail.

Body Glide (Optional)

Body Glide is an anti-chafing stick that you can put on your thighs, armpits, feet, etc. to prevent chafing and blisters.

Hand sanitizer (Optional)

A small hand sanitizer is a nice to have item to use before and after eating. 

Technology & entertainment

Camera gear

Since we are typically documenting our backpacking trips for YouTube and this website, we bring our Sony FX3 (for filming), Sony a7 III  (for photos), a tripod, our GoPro HERO 13 Black (plus chest mount and floating handle), and many spare batteries.

We keep our cameras clipped to our chest using the Peak Design Capture Camera Clip. It gives us easy access to the camera and keeps our hands free when we aren’t filming/taking photos.

Check out our photography gear post to see everything we use!

External battery + charger cords

For both phones and cameras, you’ll need an external battery to keep them charged. Don’t forget any cords!

Garmin InReach

We always bring our Garmin InReach Mini when hiking. This gives us the ability to message family, to let them know we are okay, plus has SOS capabilities, which we thankfully have never used. It’s an expensive piece of gear, but truly one of the best investments you can make for your safety when backpacking.

Book or entertainment

If you plan on lounging at your campsite or having some downtime, make sure to either bring a book or if you don’t want to carry it, download some audiobooks or eBooks. 

You could also download podcasts to listen to, bring a deck of cards, a small watercolor set, sketchpad, or whatever other hobby sounds fun to you!

Important Items 

Permit

Depending on where you’re backpacking you may need to obtain and carry a permit. Be sure to either have an electronic copy on your phone or a printed version (which may be required).

Parking pass

If the backpacking trip you’re completing requires a pass, such as the America the Beautiful National Parks Annual Pass or a local pass to the area, make sure to bring it!

AllTrails Map

You’ll likely be backpacking where there is no cell service, so it’s a good idea to have the AllTrails map downloaded for the hike. Be sure to download the trail before you lose cell service!

Want to get 30% off an AllTrails Plus membership? Use our code aplusk30 (you must redeem this code on the website, not the app)!

We use AllTrails Plus on every single hike and it is the most helpful hiking tool out there! Some of the features we love are offline maps (so we can navigate even without cell service), wrong-turn alerts, and its 3D maps feature, so we can get a feel for trails before we hike.

Download our printable backpacking packing list

Pin this backpacking packing list for later!