As people keep asking me how much my rucksack weighs and what I have with me, I’m making my current packing list available to you here. I’ve listed all my equipment and also linked to some alternatives that I would probably buy if I didn’t already have my existing equipment.
As I always carry a lot of electronics with me, I rarely get into the ultralight (UL) range, but I still travel without a lot of luggage. Sleeping bag etc. also changes frequently depending on the tour and season. I had most of the items listed below with me on the PCT (drone had to stay at home) and also on my other adventures.
There are various tools to optimize your equipment. LighterPack is probably the best known and I also like to use it. You can easily enter your equipment there and see how much weight you have on your back. I can highly recommend it, at least to beginners (I still use it from time to time).
I have divided the equipment into the following areas:
Big 4
Below I have listed my current Big4 (sleeping bag, tent, backpack, sleeping mat). Even though I am very happy with my tent, I would probably buy one from Z-Packs to save a few more grams. Unfortunately, these tents are not so easy to get in Europe and if you ship from the USA, you have to pay customs etc. So it is not worth it for me to change tents at the moment.
| Type | Name | Weight | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleeping bag | Sea to Summit Spark SPIII | ~690g | -8 degrees comfort, therefore more suitable for colder tours |
| Tent | Nordisk Telemark 2.2 LW | 1010g | I have used it for all my tours so far and I am really happy with it. There is also enough space to put my sleeping bag next to me in the tent |
| Backpack | Osprey Exos Pro 55l | 940g | Generally very happy with the backpack. The only drawback is that one of the buckles makes an annoying noise when it is very heavy. |
| Sleeping pad | Therm-a-Rest Z Lite Sol | 397g | For me, it’s the perfect sleeping mat. You don’t have to inflate it and as a back sleeper with little body weight, I sleep really well on it. Tip: test it for more than one night. The first night was very uncomfortable for me too, but after that it got much better. |
Below I have listed a few alternatives that I can recommend or things that I don’t always have with me.
| Type | Name | Weight | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleeping pad | Therm-a-Rest NeoAir Xlite Isomatte | 460g | If the folding sleeping mat is too thin for you, I can recommend this inflatable sleeping mat. I bought one myself once, but then gave it to my parents because I prefer to sleep on the folding sleeping mat (you don’t have to inflate it and it can’t break) |
| Sleeping bag inlay | Inlay | 140g | Very light sleeping bag liner made of silk, which feels much better than other materials and provides a little more warmth. But I only take it with me on very cold hikes. Side effect: silk keeps bed bugs away. So very practical if you have to stay overnight in a hostel/mountain hut or similar. |
| Sleeping bag | Grüezi bag | 900g | A little heavier than my other sleeping bag. But it has a down-wool mix that keeps you warm even when it’s wet. I had it with me on the Camino de Santiago and I like to use it for summer tours. |
Cooking
Since I enjoy drinking a warm coffee in the morning and also like to cook something to eat in the evening (rice with tuna :D), I always have a small gas cooker with a gas cartridge with me. On the way I also met a lot of people who used cold soaking, i.e. soaking food for a longer period of time. This means you can also prepare instant noodles etc. without needing a cooker. This saves a lot of weight. But it wouldn’t be for me, as a warm meal a day is important for my mood.
I never actually buy trekking food. I either buy the classic Knorr ready meals or just rice and tuna. With a little tomato paste, salt and chili, it tastes really good after a long day on the road. I’ll be making an overview page about cooking in general soon.
| Type | Name | Weight | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gas stove | SOTO WindMaster | 87g | Simple, light stove. Has always been sufficient for me. In an emergency, I can quickly make a windbreak out of stones. |
| Pot | TOAKS Camping Titan pot | 112g | Perfect size for one person. Easier to stir than a mug and heats up better. |
| Cup | TOASK Titanium Cup | 76g | Perfect for your morning cup of coffee. |
| Pocket knife | Victorinox | Nice pocket knife with everything you need. | |
| water filter | SAWYER Squeeze | A classic among water filters. Lasts forever and serves its purpose. Extremely important, especially outside of Europe. Better than the Mini, as the water can be filtered quickly. | |
| lighter | BIC Mini Reibrad | Mini lighter. Usually completely sufficient and lasts longer than you think. I only need it to light the gas cooker (my igniter is broken) | |
| gas cartridge | Orunzs Rekags Gas 100g | 100g | Small gas cartridge. I make coffee in the morning and something to eat in the evening. Usually lasts 1-2 weeks. |
Shoes
Below I have listed a few shoes that I normally wear on my tours. Of course, I change them depending on the terrain and always only have one pair of hiking boots with me. At first I had hiking boots on the PCT and was very happy with them in the mountains. I found them much easier in the snow in particular than the other people with trail runners and my feet didn’t feel any wetter than the other people’s (everyone’s feet were always wet :D).
Later I switched to trail runners, which made running longer distances (>35km) on flatter terrain easier. In retrospect, I would probably start with trail runners straight away. In addition to the HOKAs, I also had a few from LaSportiva. But I bought them in a shop and replaced them at some point. Unfortunately I’m not sure which model it was and so they aren’t included in the list here.
| Type | Name | Weight | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|
| hiking boots | Scarpa Unisex Rush TRK Pro GTX | 1100g | One of my favorite hiking shoes. Light and good for longer distances. Keeps you dry and gives me good footing, especially in the mountains. I wore them on all of my longer tours and was always happy with them. |
| trail runner | HOKA Speedgoat 5 | 300g | Lightweight trail runner. I ended up having one on the PCT and was very happy with it. |
Clothing
Overall, I only take a few clothes with me, even on longer tours. I use merino wool, which smells much less and is easy to wash. I usually have a spare shirt with me, but by the end of the PCT, even that was out.
| Type | Name | Weight | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|
| down jacket | Patagonia down jacket | Very well insulating down jacket. Small pack size. | |
| Fleece | Patagonia Fleece | Classic Patagonia fleece. Keeps you warm, is lightweight and lasts a long time. | |
| Shirt | Merino Shirt | Now I only have shirts made of merino. They weigh little and smell much less than other sportswear. They are easy to wash. I usually have two with me. One for hiking, the other for evenings and for the city. | |
| Shorts | Adidas Shorts | Very light shorts with pockets. I almost always run in shorts and rarely have long pants with me. | |
| sun hat | Cap | Very light cap that is easy to wash. I wear it almost all the time. It protects against the sun and rain on my face. | |
| hiking socks | Lightweight merino hiking socks | Light merino hiking socks. Usually have 3 pairs. | |
| Cap | Merino cap | 50g | Light, warm merino hat |
| Gloves | Under Armour gloves | Light, thin gloves. Have been sufficient everywhere so far. | |
| sunglasses | ZENOTTIC | 100g | Simple sunglasses. I’ve had all kinds of different ones because I keep breaking mine 🙁 |
| hiking poles | Hiking poles Rothwild | 780g | I used to go without hiking poles most of the time. But now I always have them with me and use them during ascents and descents, as well as when I have a lot of luggage loaded. |
| rain jacket | Rain jacket Ortovox | Ultralight rain jacket with very small pack size. Has always been sufficient so far. |
Electronics
When it comes to electronics, I made sure that I can charge all devices (except my watch and headlamp) with USB-C. This means that I only have 3 cables with me in total. A USB-C cable to charge my power banks, cell phone, GoPro, etc. directly. There are also two very short cables that I can use to charge my watch and headlamp via the power bank. I usually get by with a 10,000 mAh power bank, but I also had a second small one with me as a backup. Especially when I have my drone with me, the consumption is significantly higher than usual.
| Type | Name | Weight | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smartphone | Google Pixel 8 Pro | Takes great pictures, which was one of the main reasons for this phone. | |
| Smartwatch | Garmin Fenix 7 Sapphire Solar | 150g | I use it daily to track my tours. Power consumption is significantly lower than with a cell phone. |
| action camera | GoPro HERO12 Black | 153g | A classic among action cameras. Takes great videos (4k), is lightweight and the battery lasts a long time. Also virtually indestructible. Perfect for hiking. |
| replacement battery action camera | GoPro Enduro | 33g | replacement battery for the Gopro |
| Drone | DJI Mini 3 Pro | 249g (Drohne) + Steuerung | Takes great photos and is very light. As it is lighter than 250g, no permit is generally required within the EU (insurance required!). |
| spare battery drone | DJI Mini 3 | Replacement battery for the drone. | |
| E-Book-Reader | Amazon Kindle | 200g | Since I read a lot when I’m out and about, I use a Kindle. It’s light and the battery lasts forever. |
| Powerbank | Anker Nano | Very fast charging and always with you. | |
| Powerbank | Nitecore NB10000 10.000 mAh | Simple, lightweight power bank. In addition to the other one for longer tours. | |
| tripod action camera | GorillaPod | 50g | Lightweight tripod for the GoPro. Perfect for hanging the camera on a tree etc. |
| quick charger | Anker Nano 20W USB C | 36g | Fast charger. Important for charging mobile phones etc. on the go in a short time (while eating in a restaurant …) |
| charging cable | Anker USB C | 90g | Fast charging cable matching the charger |
| headlamp | PETZL Actik Core | 88g | Simple headlamp with battery. Can I recharge it using the power bank. |
| GPS satellite communication device | Garmin inReach Mini 2 | 100g | Since I mostly run alone and am often completely alone in the wilderness, the inReach is essential. Worldwide coverage in an emergency. Had it with me in Patagonia and on the PCT. Luckily, never really needed it. |
Others
Here is a list of some other items that I always have with me and that are important.
| Type | Name | Weight | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|
| camping shovel | Camping shovel | 40g | Important! Please always bury the business. |
| Packsack | Sea to Summit pack sack | Lightweight dry bag in different sizes. One for clothes and one for electronics. | |
| nail scissors | nail scissors | Always keep your nails short!!! Otherwise you will quickly have problems with your feet. | |
| Hand towel | microfiber towel 40×80 | 75g | Small microfiber towel. Easily enough for bathing and drying feet. There are always towels in the hotel and you don’t need anything bigger when you’re out and about. |
| first aid kit | first aid kit | 150g | But now I’ve thrown out almost everything and hardly have anything left. In an emergency, I’ll have to use a shirt as a bandage. |
| painkillers | IBU-Schmerzmittel | 50g | I always have 4-8 tablets with me so that I can at least somehow get back to civilization. |
| cord | clothes rope/nylon cord (5m) | 10g | I cut off a piece of nylon cord. This way I can always hang up my laundry. It weighs next to nothing and can be used for other things too. |
These are essentially all the things I normally take with me on a trip. I hope that I can make the overview a little better soon and maybe add a few graphics/pictures. If the weight information is missing, I’ll have to weigh it again first 😀
Important Tools
In addition to the items on my packing list, I have a few tools that I can only recommend to anyone who likes to go hiking with a tent on a regular basis. I have listed them briefly below and also described why I have these things and what I use them for. Since I don’t always have them with me on every tour, I have listed them separately here.
| Name | Weight | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| gas cartridge adapter | 36 g | Small but effective adapter for converting several half-full gas cartridges into one full one. I use it at home from time to time to process leftovers from previous tours and make a full cartridge for another hike. It can also be worthwhile for people who are going on a longer hike, such as on the PCT. There are often a few leftovers lying around and if you have an adapter like this, you can save money. It hardly weighs anything and converting is child’s play. |
| valve cartridge adapter | 42,7 g | In some countries it is difficult to get screw-on cartridges. With this small adapter you can easily convert a puncture cartridge (Campingaz, …) into a screw-on cartridge. |
Do you have questions about specific articles or would you like to know more? Feel free to write to me in the comments or by email to me@flo-hikes.com
Disclosure
Some of the links above are affiliate links. This means that I get money if you buy a product through one of these links without it costing you any more. However, I only link to things that I actually use and think are useful. For sustainability reasons, please think carefully about whether you really need the item or not before making a purchase.
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