What To Bring Backpacking

(Be as light weight as possible.....try to stay between 25 to 27 pounds in weight including your backpack....Every little ounce counts!)
SLEEPING / SHELTER
- Backpack
- Sleeping Bag (small and light weight) 
- Sleeping Mat (small and light weight) 
- Extra blanket (thin)
- Tent
- Flash light (small .....check the batteries)
- Extra batteries 
​* No pillow needed! Just fold up some clothes and stuff them in the bag that your sleeping bag was in and use that instead. *
​- Light Weight Tarp (optional) 
ELECTRONICS
- Camera
- Phone
- Charger (portable charging bank - be sure to charge it before you go)
- Charging cords (to connect device to portable charger)
CLOTHING
- T-shirt (x2) 
- Shorts (x1)
- Hiking Pants (x1)
- Belt (x1)
- Leggings (x2)
- Light weight long sleeve shirt (x1)
- Hoodie (x1)
- Hat (one with a visor, like a baseball hat)
- Bug Jacket (optional)
- Bug Hat (optional)
- Underwear
- Socks
- Sleep Shirt (or use one of your T-shirts)
- Sleep Pants (or use your shorts or leggings)
- Bathing Suit (optional)
- Rain Poncho
- Hiking Boots
- Water Shoes or Crocs (it's good to take off your hiking boots and
​            wear  these  after hiking all day, to let your hiking boots air out)
FOOD / WATER
- Platypus or other Water Purification System
​- Extra water purification tablets (back up to main purification system)
- Fold-up Camp Stove 
- Fuel cans for stove
- Matches/Lighter
- Fire Starters (birthday candles work well) 
- Plate (x1)
- Spork
- Mug (x1)
- Bowl (x1)
- Water Bottle (clip-on kind, to carry while walking) 
- Re-hydrating Bottle (to re-hydrate food while walking, also clip-on) 
- Kettle
- Pot and/or pan
- Swiss Army Knife (optional)
- Food (dry goods / dehydrated)
- Snacks (granola bars, crackers, etc)
- Waterproof Plastic Food Carrying Bags (the kind that roll up and clip)
- Flask with some alcohol to drink or good for emergencies (optional)
​- Juice crystals 

ENTERTAINMENT
- Dice (Yahtzee)
- Cards
- Instructions for Dice and Card games
- A travel sized Board Game (ie. Quirkle)
​- Cribbage Board (mini size) 
- Paper/ Journal
- Pens/Pencils
- Puzzle Book
- Binoculars
TOILETRIES
- Sunscreen
- Bug Spray
- Tooth Brush
- Tooth Paste
- Comb
- Liquid Soap (travel size)
- Shampoo (travel size)
- Make Up (optional)
- Towel (x1) -  for swimming and hands and face
- Face cloth
- Deodorant (optional)
- Toilet Paper (2-3 rolls of 1 ply - squish and pack into zip-lock baggies)
- small plastic shovel to dig a hole and bury feces if you have to go in the woods and can't make it to a thunder box​
MISCELLANEOUS
- Bear Spray
- Emergency Whistle
- Duct Tape (not a whole roll... just some wrapped around a pencil)
- Rope (light weight)
- First Aid Kit
- Tweezers
- Mini scissors (might already be in your first aid kit) 
- Fish hook and some line (carry in your first aid kit)
- Advil / Robax
- Medication
- Mosquito Pics
- Pic holder
- Wind-up Alarm Clock (optional)
- Black Sharpie
- Maps / Directions
- Money/ Credit cards
​- Confirmation Numbers (if any) 
- Walking sticks (optional) 
- Emergency Blanket (silver kind)
- Compass
- Pocket watch (optional)
- Fanny pack (to carry snacks, map, compass, etc. while walking)
- Extra carribeaners
- Walkie talkies (optional)
​- Water proof container to hold phone / wallet, etc.

CLEAN UP
- Extra Baggies (in case the ones you have for food break)
- Plastic grocery bags (for garbage, to carry wet things in etc) 
​- Mini bottle of hand sanitizer
- Wet Wipes
​- Scrub sponge (optional)