Packing List for a Long Distance Walk

June 28, 2010

I’m off to Great Britain tomorrow with a girlfriend to hike the 70 mile Cumbria Way which bisects the Lake District in England and the 95 mile West Highland Way in western Scotland. I’m a bit smarter than last year when I hiked the Dingle Way and the Kerry Way in Ireland with a fully loaded backpack. This time I’ve organized a baggage service to move my big backpack every night at a cost of £ 7 per bag. I’ll carry a daypack and that’s it.

Here’s a full list of what I’m bringing.

 

Packing for long distance walks 020 Packing List for a Long Distance Walk

Backpack (Osprey) + a Daypack (Mountain Equipment Co-op)

  • One large backpack
  • A daypack (will bring as carryon)
  • An oversized bag that holds a wallet, book and electronics (carryon)

Footwear

  • Broken in leather hiking boots (consider orthotics too)
  • Lightweight trail shoe (with extra laces)
  • Chaco scandals

I am not taking any good shoes.

Clothing

  • 5-6 pairs of underwear
  • Sleeping attire
  • 2 liner socks and 2 hiking socks ***I hike as much as I can in my Chacos despite the looks I get! You may want more socks.
  • 1 pair of jeans
  • 1 pair quick dry long pants that zip into shorts
  • 1 pair capris
  • 1 pair stretchy type capris – Lululemon in Canada (they may get tossed at the last minute)
  • 1 down vest that stuffs into nothing
Packing for long distance walks 015 Packing List for a Long Distance Walk

Cold weather clothing

  • 1 windproof fleece
  • 4 hiking t-shirts (I bring old ones I can pitch after a number of days)
  • Arm warmers – buy at a biking store – HIGHLY RECOMMEND – no need for long sleeve tshirts then. You could also bring leg warmers.
Packing for long distance walks 026 Packing List for a Long Distance Walk

Arm warmers.. buy at a bike shop

  • 1 dressier shirt
  • 1 scarf
  • 1 dressier sweater
  • 2-3 tshirts for the evening
  • Rain pants, rain jacket
  • Ball cap
  • Warm hat, gloves
  • Bandana
  • Bathing suit – am I dreaming? Perhaps it won’t come.

Electronics

Packing for long distance walks 028 Packing List for a Long Distance Walk

Electronics minus Iphone, Ipod, cords and battery charger!

  • Dell Notebook computer that weighs under 2 pounds + plugs
  • Memory stick
  • Panasonic Optio W20 – waterproof camera as a backup
  • Panasonic SDR-Sw21 Video Recorder + battery charger
  • Lumix G1 with 2 lenses + battery charger
  • Garmin Forerunner 305 + battery charger (for measuring distance)
  • Plug adaptor for Great Britain
  • Downloading cables
  • Ipod
  • Iphone – I don’t have one but my friend is bringing hers.

Miscellaneous

  • The 10 essentials
  • Rain cover for daypack
  • Reading material – 5 books in my case. I tried to bring fewer but two will be read just on planes.

Packing for long distance walks 010 Packing List for a Long Distance Walk

  • Journal, maps, pens, markers
  • 2 water bottles (you could bring flavoured crystals of some sort ) ; I’m not bringing a water purifier for Britain.
  • 15 energy bars – one per day and one extra. These are hard to find overseas plus they’re much cheaper to buy at home. Buy a variety and taste them before you leave.
Packing for long distance walks 013 Packing List for a Long Distance Walk

Assorted Energy Bars

  • Expandable clothes line + a small container of soap
  • Whistle
  • Binoculars and bird book
  • Eye shade – for the plane
  • 2 pairs of reading glasses ($Cdn60 in London’s Heathrow last year for 1 pair!)
  • Sunglasses
  • Half gaiters
  • Sunscreen + lip balm (may not even pull it out judging by the weather forecast)
  • Toilet paper + kleenex
  • Extra ziploc bags in different sizes
  • Dirty laundry bag
  • Tripod (maybe – because it’s small)
  • Cloth for cleaning camera lenses
  • Collapsible hiking poles (optional)
  • Carabiner for the outside of a pack; it has all sorts of useful purposes including holding scandals
  • Passport, credit cards, ATM card, driver’s license, insurance papers, cash (some in smaller notes if possible). Leave unnecessary cards at home.

First Aid Kit

It’s not very big but it’s got enough if we get into trouble.

Packing for long distance walks 008 Packing List for a Long Distance Walk

Small First Aid Kit

  • Assorted blister aids – bandaids, moleskin, tape
  • Gauze and dressings
  • Antibiotic cream like Neosporin
  • Triangular bandage
  • Sam splint
  • Ace bandage and safety pins
  • Advil, Benadryl
  • Hand cleaner
  • Emergency blanket ( the ones that weigh 1 ounce that reflect your body heat)

Toiletries

What I’m bringing and what my friend is bringing is quite different. She has 4 types of cream alone - eye, face, body, sunscreen. I might just mooch. Don’t forget the following:

Packing for long distance walks 001 Packing List for a Long Distance Walk

Toiletry Bag with Epsom Salts!

  • Toothbrush and toothpaste
  • Small mirror
  • Contacts, glasses and eye solution
  • Earplugs – I’ve been warned by her husband
  • Makeup – depending on who you are
  • Small shampoo and conditioner bottles
  • Deodorant
  • Razor
  • Hairbrush (so obvious I usually forget it)
  • Tweezers, scissors, nail clippers, Q-tips
  • Prescriptions and/or vitamins

This list looks incredibly long but in fact I have chosen clothes that stuff into nothing and lightweight fabrics whenever possible. This trip is no beauty contest. If we do any fine dining it will be in jeans and scandals. Certainly no one needs all the electronics I’m bringing but I plan to write blogs every few days. Once I start loading my bags I may fine tune just a touch.

I don’t like Scotch but for those of you who would enjoy a wee dram add a flask to your list.

Leigh McAdam

www.hikebiketravel.com

Posted by Hike Bike Travel | Filed Under Hiking, backpacking and walking tips and tours, Miscellaneous travel tips, Safety Tips 

Comments

2 Responses to “Packing List for a Long Distance Walk”

  1. Frank - Our Hiking Blog on June 28th, 2010 1:56 pm

    Woah, THAT is a list! Reckon I would be paying someone to cart it each day too!
    Have a great trip, can’t wait to read the next travel guide (or two) that come out of this adventure.
  2. John Matthew on July 29th, 2010 10:42 pm

    I agree with Frank, that is quite a list! I think it’s got everything that a backpacker might need. Like the author, I also cannot travel without my laptop and other gizmos. I’ve just bought a daypack that has space to store a laptop. The backpack is from Briggs & Riley’s BRX collection. It’s pretty roomy for carrying essentials like a water bottle, snack bars, camera, sunscreen, first aid kit, etc.

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