Packing List for a Remote 2 Week Hiking Trip
I visited Auyuittuq National Park on Baffin Island’s Cumberland Peninsula at the end of June one year. Auyuittuq is an Inuktitut word meaning land that never melts. I don’t normally do adventure tours anymore figuring I have enough experience to do it on my own. But when a trip is remote and logistics are tough, I am happy to leave the planning – especially meal planning to an outfit. But still packing was an issue. Below is a packing list for a remote two week backpacking trip – with a few suggestions I learned from experience after the two week trip.
If you’re going on a shorter hiking trip, modify the packing list primarily by reducing the amount of clothing (and of course food) you take. The gear doesn’t change much.
Pack weight is really everything. If ones’ pack is too heavy it totally takes away from the enjoyment of the trip. And we are carrying everything from food to fuel to all our personal gear. It weighed a lot!
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Here’s what a packing list looks like for a remote two week trip – where it’s more likely to be cold and windy than hot.
Equipment for a remote backpacking trip
- One good quality pack with rain cover – 70+ liters for men, 60+ liters for women
- Asleeping bagrated to -5°C or colder, down or synthetic
- Asleeping pad
- Hiking poles– they will come in handy for balance fording streams and they do help take the weight off your knees. Go for the collapsible versions.
- One – 1 litre water bottle,a water filterandwater purification tablets.
- Insect repellent andbug jacket
- Toiletries includingsunscreenas it will be nearly 24 hour sunlight, lip salve, biodegradable soap, matches, blister care kit ( I swear byCompeed)
- Pack towel
- Camera. I have a Nikon Z6. I’ve decided to bring two lenses – an 18-200 mm and a wide angle, plus two spare batteries and several extra cards.
- Binoculars and a bird book. My husband will carry these.
- Smallfoam bum padfor sitting – literally used this every day.
- Pen, paper, journal
- Kindle, book(s)
- Swiss Army knife
- Two dry bags for clothes and sleeping bag
Packing list for clothing on a remote 2 week trip
Layering is key to hiking in the Arctic or anywhere where it can be cold and windy (Patagonia, the Rockies…)- especially when the winds are blowing – which from what I’ve read is pretty constant at 10-20 km/hour. At least it will keep the bugs away. Snow can happen at any time and generally we can expect cool temperatures.
- One pair of mid-weight hiking boots
- One pair ofneoprene socks
- One pair of lightweight (think Crocs)camp shoes
- Two pairs of thicker socks
- One pair of warm gloves
- Oneball capAND a warm hat
- A hood on a raincoat or a rain hat
- Sunglasses with a strap
- One light weight synthetic undershirt
- One mid-weigh quick dry long-sleeved shirt
- Oneexpedition weight zip neck top
- Onelightweight down vest
- OnePatagonia down sweater hoodyin stuff sack (with hood)
- OneGore-Tex jacketor waterproof jacket
- A few pairs ofunderwear
- One pairmid-weight long underwear
- One pairexpedition weight long underwear (W)
- One pair stretch ski tights
- One pair of Gore-tex pants
- One pair of gaiters
- One fleece neck tube
- One pair of orthotics
- One pair ofsynthetic shorts
UPDATE: I took aninflatable seat cushionthat took up almost no room. I highly recommend that as it keeps your butt warm and dry – and it’s far more comfortable than sitting on a rock.
I think only a high quality Gore-Tex jacket is all you need. I brought wind pants but my Gore-Tex pants were just fine – so I would save weight and volume and nix the wind pants too.
Food
On a two week trip without a resupply, plan on drying your own food or bring dehydrated food. It takes up a lot of volume. You don’t want leftovers either as you need to pack them out. That will be the subject of another blog.
Anything you’d add to the list for a two week backpacking trip?
Further reading on backpacking trips
- Baffin Island Backpacking in Auyuittuq National Park
- Hiking the Coastal Trail in Pukaskwa National Park, Ontario
- Hiking the Skyline Trail in Jasper National Park
- Backpacking the Long Range Traverse – Day 1
- 10 of the Most Scenic Backpacking Trips in Canada
Click on the photo to bookmark to your Pinterest boards.
food?
@Joe – Lots of it – all lightweight. Extra soup.hot chocolate/tea/coffee in case you don’t get out when youre supposed to.
Great to read about your trip and see your photos. I have wanted to do this hike since visiting Pang in 2012 and this is the year!
@Nathaniel Have a most excellent trip. Hope the rivers aren’t running too high when you cross.
Wow…I wouldn’t have lasted that long on a hike. And I have a hard time bearing the cold (I know, I know). Hope you had a great trip and look forward to reading about it, especially to see the photos 🙂
@Salika I should have some posts up within the week. I have a new appreciation for people that live in the Far North.
I really want to go to Baffin Island – this trip sounds awesome! The packing list is a lot like what I’m bringing for my next session of fieldwork in a part of Alaska where the average summer day is cold, rainy, and windy.
@Jess With a blog title like yours I can understand the appeal of the north. I am so glad I went but also thankful I don’t live there year round.
@Muza-chan Just back. Had a hard trip – an interesting trip and a great trip on many levels but bloody cold some of the time!
Amazing trip I guess, really jealous! Good luck!
@Deena Thanks. I survived and am all that much fitter because of it.
You are brave! I love camping, but I’m not a backpacker. Two weeks! Wow.. I’m sure it will be amazing. Any recs for Vancouver Island? I may be heading there in September.
@Christy When I picked up – well actually I couldn’t put the backpack on by myself – I truly wondered how far I would be able to backpack in a day. The max day was 11 kms – peanuts without a pack, an ordeal with a heavy one.
A bottle or two of whiskey would be tops on my list. Have a great trip and look forward to the posts.
@Ted I would have liked some wine but way too much weight. I could hardly hike for the first 4 days.
Oh my word. . .soft is the last word I would think of when thinking about you and your travels. Will you really have the energy to read books at the end of the day on your Kindle? (If so, it would be fun to know what you read).
Oh my gosh I am so jealous of this trip! I would LOVE to trek around the Arctic for a couple of weeks, but I’m in no shape to do so just yet. I’m going to try and start doing some more serious backpacking soon. Thanks for sharing your packing list! It’s always nice to see what other people are bringing with them on trips like these…
I find packing lists from others incredibly helpful too. Smart packing makes a trip that much easier and smoother!