top of page

Packing for Summer Mountains

 

Getting prepared to head into the mountains doesn’t need to be complicated. To participate in our expeditions, you will need to bring the items listed below (once you are booked on an expedition, we will send you an expedition specific packing list as well). The list below is an approximation for what you need for a typical 5-8 day trekking expedition in the European Alps, staying in mountain huts.

 

Besides the safety gear, what you bring is up to you, just remember that added weight will be heavy after a few days of hiking. As an example, we would only bring 2 or 3 t-shirts for 5-8 days, one or two to hike in and one to wear in the evenings, that way I can be clean and comfortable when I am resting and save weigh when I am trekking.

 

Items marked * are mandatory safety equipment.

  

Clothes

  • Hiking boots – these should be over the ankle, comfortable, sturdy, well worn-in, water resistant and have good grip (soft trekking shoes are NOT recommended)

  • Hiking trousers – wind resistant, quick drying, synthetic material (e.g. we don’t recommend cotton)

  • Hiking shorts

  • T-shirt and underwear for active use (synthetic or wool)

  • Fleece or wool sweater (lightweight)

  • Rain jacket and trousers *

  • Warm jacket – down or synthetic insulation *

  • Hiking socks (wool or synthetic)

  • Neck warmer / Buff *

  • Hat (warm) * and a cap to protect from the sun

  • Gloves *

  • Hut clothes – it is a luxury to carry a clean set of indoor clothes to use in the huts, but so worth it, bring e.g. super lightweight yoga trousers and a t-shirt

 

Equipment

  • Backpack of 50-60 liters, should fit all the clothes and gear, make sure you have tested it before and that you can carry it comfortably all day. We do not recommend camera specific backpacks as these are not as comfortable as proper backpacks - use a camera cube inside the trekking pack to protect your camera.

  • Hiking poles (recommended)

  • Head torch (with spare batteries) *

  • Toiletries (the bare minimum and in small containers)

  • Travel sheets (this is mandatory in the huts) *

  • Small pocket knife

  • Sunscreen (SPF 50 or above) *

  • Sunglasses *

  • Cash – for snacks and beverages in the huts (not all huts accept cards!)

  • Snacks for the days of hiking - try mixing chocolate, dried fruit, nuts and bars, calculate 300 – 600 calories per day

  • Water for the day – bottles with a capacity of 2l, you’ll be able to fill these up at the huts or from streams (we will bring a water filter for you to use) *

  • Toilet paper – you never know…

  • Lightweight travel towel

  • Personal First aid kit *

 

Camera Gear

  • Camera – with manual settings, such as a DSLR, mirrorless or analogue.

  • Lenses – ranging from wide angle to long tele, but remember that you’ll have to carry what you bring so be strategic. We recommend that you try to limit yourself to two fairly lightweight lenses (meaning: leave your beautiful 500mm f/2.8 at home!)

  • Tripod – for those beautiful long exposures in the morning and evening, but also at night to try to capture the stars and the milky way!

  • Remote shutter release or timer

  • Filters – circular polarizer and ND being the obvious ones

  • Lots of memory cards and batteries for the entire trip – it is possible to charge at the huts but the queue and the wait can be long…

  • Rain cover for the camera equipment

 

Insurance

  • You can’t really pack the insurance, but having an insurance is very important if you’re unlucky! All participants are required to have their own insurance appropriate for hiking in the alps, such as mountain rescue (including helicopter), medical, repatriation, cancellation, etc. *

 

 

If you have any questions, please get in touch.

​

​

​

bottom of page