Backpacking gear list

For walking with a tent and everything on your back. Start from our list of what a few days out needs, add the weights as you weigh things, and the base weight builds up as you go.

Where the weight goes

For most people the shelter, the sleeping bag and the pack itself are the heaviest things, often half the base weight between them. The chart shows your biggest categories first, so you know where a lighter choice would make the most difference.

Weigh things on kitchen scales rather than trusting the label. Stuff sacks, pegs and straps add up.

What counts

Mark the clothes you walk in and anything else you wear as Worn, and food, water and fuel as Used up. Neither counts in the base weight, which is why it's the fair number to compare between trips.

Questions people ask

What's a good base weight for backpacking?

It depends on the trip and the weather. Many people carry somewhere around 7 to 10 kg for a few days with a tent. Under about 4.5 kg (10 lb) is usually called ultralight. Compare your own lists rather than chasing a number.

What are the heaviest things in a backpacking kit?

Usually the tent, the sleeping bag and the rucksack, then the sleeping mat. The chart puts your heaviest categories first.

Does water count in the base weight?

No. Water, food and fuel are marked Used up and left out, because the amount changes during the trip.

Do worn clothes count?

Not in the base weight. Mark them Worn and they show separately, and in the total.

Can I start from a list rather than typing everything?

Yes. The list starts with the usual things for a few days on foot with a tent, each with a typical weight. Type in your own weights as you weigh things, and take off what you don't carry.

Can I bring my list from LighterPack?

Yes. Export it to CSV in LighterPack, then choose Open a file here.

Gear lists for other trips

The other tools

We make Pebbls, an app that keeps a map and diary of a trip as it happens. You don't need it to use any of this.