Your Backpacking Checklist
Everything you need to pack for your backpacking adventure
Today’s backpacking gear keeps getting better and better, with loads of top-quality, high-tech, lightweight choices. For the best options, we asked the outdoor experts at Dirty Gourmet to share their essential gear, clothing, and food for staying comfortable and well fed in the backcountry.
Feel free to customize and cherry-pick the list for your own adventures. Ideally, you should keep your base weight under 20 lbs. (That’s the weight of your pack without variables like food, water, and fuel.)
Basic gear
- Multi-day backpack
- Tent
- Footprint for tent
- Sleeping bag
- Sleeping pad
- Pillow
- Bear canister
- Water reservoir
- Water bottles
- Water filter
- Headlamp, plus extra batteries
- Folding knife
- Map and compass
Optional gear
- String lights
- Solar lantern
- LED tea lights
- Multi-purpose fabric (for ground cloth or tablecloth)
- Folding chair
