The Hiking Gear Checklist
My printable day hike and multi-day checklists, built from more than 35 years of hiking and guiding. I use them to check what is in my pack before I leave.
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What is in the checklist
I put these lists together so I can pack what matters, from my main pack down to spare socks.
- Day hike and multi-day lists. Printable checklists to take to the gear cupboard.
- The Ten Essentials. My reference for the safety items I carry, regardless of trip length.
- Built from hiking and guiding. The gear I use to prepare for the walk, rather than packing things I will not need.
- You want a list you can print or save to your phone.
The safety items I carry
I start with the same safety items on a short afternoon walk and a week-long trip.
Navigation
Map, compass and a charged GPS or phone app with offline maps.
Sun protection
Sunscreen, lip balm, sunglasses and a brimmed hat.
Insulation
A warm layer and rain shell sized for the worst weather likely that day.
Head torch
Plus spare batteries. Walking out in the dark happens more often than people expect.
First aid
A kit you know how to use, including blister care and any personal medication.
Fire or heat
Lighter or matches in a dry bag, and a stove on longer trips.
Repair kit
Knife, cord, tape and a spare buckle or pole splint.
Food
Your planned meals plus one extra day of easy snacks.
Water
Enough capacity for the driest section, and a filter or tablets to treat more.
Emergency shelter
Bivvy bag, tarp or tent, along with a personal locator beacon.
Day hike packing list
My daypack, water and a way to treat it, lunch and snacks, rain jacket and warm layer, hat and sunscreen, map and compass, head torch, first aid kit, phone and a small repair kit.
Multi-day packing list
I add a larger pack and liner, tent, sleeping bag and mat, stove, fuel and pot, meals for each day, spare socks and thermals, camp shoes, toilet kit and a personal locator beacon.
"I could also save about 1 Kg in packing weight, by optimising my gear in tracking how much unused stuff I brought back from the last trip."
Sabrina, Germany, newsletter reader
I'm Mowser. I have a Certificate III in Tourism Guiding and I am a former senior guide at Cradle Mountain Huts.
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