Path & Pedal

It has taken years of trial and error to perfect my thru-hiking gear list. Whilst some items have stuck with me since day one, others have been swapped out, upgraded or completely left behind.

With my base weight (total gear weight excluding consumables) sitting at around 5.8kg, this is my current lightweight, three-season backpacking gear list. Whether I’m heading out for an overnight hike, a week-long trip or a long-distance thru-hike, this is the gear I use and love.

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Skip to:

• Clothes (Day-time)
• Clothes (Night-time)
• Extra Layers
• Footwear
• Hardgoods
• Sleep System
• Camp Kitchen
• Water Carrying & Filtration
• Toiletries
• First Aid & Repair Kit
• Electronics
• Extras
• Did I Miss Anything?

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Clothes (Day-time)

• Skirt/Skort: Macpac Womens Caples Skort (180g) [discontinued]. I like the airflow and freedom of a skort over shorts, especially on hot, exposed tracks. I would substitute for the new Womens 123 Cool-Lite Merino Blend Active Skort (135g) as natural fibres mean less stink, more comfort, and quicker drying for sweaty days on trail.
• Long Sleeve Sun Shirt: Cotopaxi Womens Sombra Sun Hoodie (200g). This has been great for sun protection, but I’ve started leaning back toward merino fibres. It breathes better and doesn’t get as pongy. If I was buying again, I’d go for the The Icebreaker Womens 150 MerinoFine™ Ace Long Sleeve Hoodie (190g).
• Underwear: Mons Royale Womens Stratos Merino Shifts Sports Bra (70g) & Mons Royale Womens Folo Merino Briefs (30g)x2. Merino undies are the real MVPs when you’re sweating through 25 km days and rinsing your underwear in a creek each night.
• Sun Hat: Arcteryx Unisex Small Bird Hiking Cap (59g). Having a water-repellent hiking hat is underrated. Keeps the sun off and dries quickly after a rinse or downpour.
• Sunglasses: Smith Bobcat with Photochromatic Lense (26g)

Clothes (Night-time)

• Thermal Top: Mons Royale Womens Cascade Merino Flex 200 LS (weight unknown: I’d guess 180g)
• Thermal Pants: Mons Royale Womens Cascade Merino Flex 200 Leggings (weight unknown, I’d guess 200g)
• Bed Socks: Smartwool Womens Hike Light Cushion Ankle Sock (52g). These double as a back-up pair of socks for when my feet need a break from toe socks.

Extra Layers

• Rain Jacket: Arc’teryx Womens Beta SL Jacket (300g), previously called the Beta LT jacket.
• Rain Pant: Patagonia Womens Calcite Pant (286g) [discontinued]. I loved the full-length side zips for quick changes over my skirt. The closest current model is the Patagonia Womens Granite Crest Pant (244g).
• Puffer Jacket: Arc’teryx Womens Cerium Insulated Hooded Jacket (290g)

Optional Additions for Colder Hikes

• Lightweight Fleece: The North Face Womens FutureFleece Full Zip Hooded Jacket (176g)
• Glove Liners: Arc’teryx Rho Glove Liner (25g)
• Beanie
• Neck Buff

Footwear

• Shoes: Altra Olympus 6 Womens trail runner (289g). Big cushion for long days on hard ground, plus a wide toe box to help with blister prevention. Read the full review here.
• Socks: Injinji Trail Midweight Quarter Crew Toe Socks (75g). Separating your toes means fewer hotspots, especially on sandy trails.
• Trail Gaiters: Altra Trail Running Gaiters (63g). Essential for keeping out sand, sticks, and trail debris. They also help keep your laces tight.

Hardgoods

• Backpack(Option 1): Osprey Womens Tempest/Mens Talon Velocity 30L (960g). Minimalist but comfy. It’s my go-to for ultralight overnighters or warm-weather thru-hikes where I don’t need to carry bulky layers or loads of food. Read the full review here.
• Backpack (Option 2): Osprey Womens Eja/Mens Exos Pro 55L (930g). Extra capacity for longer food carries, or cold-weather trips with warmer, bulkier gear. I ditch the removable lid (saves 74g). Read the full review here.
• Hiking Poles: Black Diamond Alpine Carbon Cork Trekking Poles (486g). There are lighter options, but these have been bombproof. When trekking poles also hold up your shelter, you want something a little more robust.

Sleep System

• Tent: Hyperlite Mid 1-Person Ultralight Pyramid Tent (470g). Read the full review here.
• Quilt (Option 1): Neve Gear Waratah Pro -2C 950FP Goose Down Hiking Quilt (605g)
• Sleeping Bag (Option 2): Sea to Summit Womens Flame FmIV Sleeping Bag (995g) [discontinued]. I’m a cold sleeper, so I break this out when temps are heading below zero. It’s now been replaced by the Sea to Summit Womens Spark -9C/15F Down Sleeping Bag (930gram).
• Sleeping Mat: Thermarest Neoair XTherm NXT Sleeping Mat – Neptune – Wide (440g). As a side sleeper, the wide version is a must. The 7.3 R-value means I can pair it with a quilt.
• Pillow: Sea to Summit Aeros Premium Pillow (79g). I used to think pillows were luxury, now I won’t sleep without one. Small weight cost for big comfort gains.

Camp Kitchen

• Stove: Jetboil Stash Cooking Pot Camp Stove System (200g)
• Fork: Collapsible Fork from the Jetboil Jetset Utensil Set (10g)
• Lighter
• Cleaning Sponge

Water Carrying & Filtration

• Water Filter: Katadyn BeFree 1L Water Filtration Bottle (56g)
• Water Bottle: Nalgene 1L Wide Mouth Ultralite Bottle (106g)
• Water Bladder (Optional): Osprey Hydraulics 2L Hydration Bladder (300g). I only bring this for hot, dry hikes. Between bottles and this, I aim for a total capacity of 2–4L.

Toiletries

• Storage bag: Osprey Ultralight 3L DrySack (28g). I know I could use a ziplock to save grams, but I like the durability of these.
• Trowel: Sea To Summit Pocket Trowel (87g)
• Hand Sanitiser
• Toilet Paper
• Sunscreen: Sunscreen lotion(88g) to apply all over in the morning, and a sunscreen stick(13g) for easy re-application during the day
• Lip Balm
• Moisturiser
• Menstrual Cup
• Toothbrush: Trail Stuff Trailbrush (2g). Attaches to your fork or spoon
• Toothpaste
• Castille Soap: Dr Bronner’s Pure-Castille Liquid Soap (59g). This can used for literally everything; dishwashing, hair washing, laundry, body washing.
• Deodorant: I know this is controversial cause they say you stink anyway, but this is a non-negotiable for me

First Aid & Repair Kit

• Storage bag: Osprey Ultralight 3L DrySack (28g). In a different colour to my Toiletries DrySack
• Small Sewing Kit: typically just a needle and some thread
• Patch Kit: Patches for my sleeping mat, and tenacious tape
• Duct Tape: Wrapped around lighter
• Blister Patches
• Bandaid/Wound Dressings
• Strapping Tape
• Snake Bandage
• Triangle Bandage
• Gauze
• Betadine
• Pain Killers (Panadol/Nurofen) and Anti-Histamine
• Saline
• Splinter Needle
• Tiny Scissors

Electronics

• Charging Cables: It helps to lighten your pack, if all electronics have the same charging port so only one charging cable is needed
• Power Bank: Nitecore NB10000 GEN3 Lightweight Ultraslim Power Bank (150g)
• Satellite Phone/Emergency Communication: Garmin InReach Mini 2 Satellite Communicator (100g)
• Headtorch: Petzl Swift RL 1100 Lumens Headlamp (100g)
• Headphones: Shokz Openrun Mini Headphones (26g)
• Sports Watch: Polar Vantage M3 Watch (53g)

Extras

• Towel: Sea to Summit Airlite Towel – L (67g)
• Pack Liner: Osprey Ultralight 76L Pack Liner (150g)
• Notebook: Rite In The Rain Waterproof Notebook (90g)

Did I Miss Anything?

Got a favourite bit of gear I didn’t mention? Drop it in the comments! I’m always refining my kit and keen to hear what everyone else is packing.

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Disclosure: I am a WildEarth ambassador, which means some of this gear has been gifted or bought at a discounted rate from wildearth.com.au. I wasn’t paid to write this article, but where WildEarth products are linked, an affiliate code has been used. Everything written here is based on my own experience using this gear in the outdoors. Outdoor adventures carry risk, and Path & Pedal accepts no liability for injury, loss, or damage.

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