Joanna On The Trail

Out of office. On the trail.

Packing List

Note: Post-hike feedback on my gear is in italics below.

This Colorado Trail trip is my first multi-day hike (in recent history). While I’m trying not to go overboard, I know I’m bringing way more stuff than any real thru-hiker would approve of. But, part of the goal is to figure out what I truly need for the UK Coast to Coast, so I’m bringing various options to learn what I’m most comfortable hiking in and what I’ll actually use on the trail (as well as clothes to travel home in). Plus, given my blister drama I’m bringing a variety of shoes, socks, and foot care supplies. 

I’ll share a separate packing list for the C2C. There will be a lot of overlap, but I’ll incorporate learnings from this trip and account for some key differences: it’s not guided, it’s 15 days rather than 5, I’ll be sleeping in B&Bs rather than tents, and I’m expecting much wetter conditions — rain, bogs, and river crossings. 

Day Pack

My day pack is a Gregory Jade 28 (which is actually 26L because I got the XS/S). I’ve been wearing it so much on my hikes that it feels like it’s a part of me. You might notice the lack of first aid supplies – the guide crew carries a full first aid kit, so I’m just carrying blister supplies. 

  • Footwear & Foot Care
    • The whole arsenal of blister prevention/care supplies – Leukotape, Compeed, Moleskin, various kinds of Bandaids, Vaseline, Body Glide, HikeGoo [after day 1, carried only Leukotape, Compeed, and a couple of bandaids in my daypack]
    • 2 pairs of socks – Pacas, which are the softest I own, and icebreakers [after day 1, carried only 1 pair of icebreakers]
    • Chaco ZX/2 Classic Sandals as a last resort, in case I just can’t stand to wear closed shoes anymore [left at camp; carried Adidas slides for post-hike instead]
  • Rain & Weather Protection [reduced to buff, windbreaker, beanie, gloves in daypack; everything else stayed at camp]
  • Navigation & Safety
    • LEKI Cressida FX Carbon Women’s trekking poles, which I believe they’ve discontinued (packed in my camping duffel when traveling) [carried on my daypack but never used]
    • Colorado Trail data book
    • Compass (it’s a guided trip, so if I need this something has gone terribly wrong)
    • Headlamp, emergency blanket, whistle
  • Hydration & Nutrition
    • Gregory 3D Hydro 3L bladder – I’m a little annoyed with this one because it’s constantly leaking at the opening, even when I’m careful to screw the lid on well, but my other bladder doesn’t fit well in this pack so I’ll just have to be careful to keep my pack upright when the bladder is full [ended up working out ok]
    • Nuun electrolyte tablets and a 16 oz Nalgene (I don’t put electrolyte powders/tabs in my regular bladder/bottles because the taste lingers after washing)
    • Bag lunch provided as part of the package, plus some extra protein bars [I didn’t need to bring any protein bars or trail mix; CME had a huge selection of snacks]
  • Electronics & Power
    • iPhone, Apple Watch 
    • AirPods Pro and Powerbeats Pro, both for listening to audio when I need it and for heart rate monitoring [left in camp]
    • Two magnetic power banks – a slim one from Anker and a larger one from Belkin [only carried Anker in daypack]
  • Miscellaneous
Contents of daypack (excluding bladder)
Main Bag / Duffels

For the Colorado Trail, I’m allowed two duffels up to 35lbs each, which they will transport for me from campsite to campsite. My REI Big Haul 90 will be mostly camping gear and footwear and my North Face Base Camp Voyager 42 will contain clothing/personal items. I don’t need nearly the capacity of these two duffels — I can fit almost everything in the Big Haul, but it would be a few pounds overweight. 

  • Clothing – includes clothes for staying overnight in a hotel after the hike and flying home the next day
    • 6 hiking tank tops from Beyond Yoga, Patagonia, and icebreaker – these are all super lightweight, soft, and dry quickly
    • 2 pairs of hiking shorts – Prana Stretch Zion Halle shorts and a very old pair of North Face shorts [preferred the Prana shorts]
    • 2 hiking pants – one current and one 10+ year old model of Outdoor Research Ferrosi pants
    • 2 pairs of Patagonia Pack Out hiking tights [didn’t wear these]
    • 3 sun hoodies – 2 of my usual Patagonia Capilene Cool Daily and an NRS Silkweight that I found on the sale rack last time I was at REI [Patagonia hoodies were great; NRS was too thick/hot]
    • 2 Branwyn Merino Essential Bralettes – they are great for hiking and regular use 
    • 6 pairs of icebreaker 150 Merino thongs (underwear) plus a couple pairs of exOfficio thongs as backup
    • 4 pairs of Injinji liner socks, 6 pairs of icebreaker socks of various weights, 2 pairs of Smartwool socks
    • 1 pair of Dirty Girl gaiters to keep rocks/debris out when I’m wearing my trail runners and hiking shoes
    • My favorite “Happier Camper” hoodie sweatshirt from Wondery
    • Vuori performance joggers for camp pants – finally tried these and now I see what the hype is about – they are so comfy!
    • 2 long sleeve camp t-shirts
    • 1 pair of Kari Traa long underwear (top + bottom) that I’ve had forever and rarely used [perfect for sleeping in]
    • 1 sleep shirt [didn’t need; long underwear was better]
    • My much loved, very faded, slightly stained Jeep hat
  • Footwear – I know I’m bringing too many pairs of shoes, but it’s in the name of research 🙂
    • La Sportiva Nucleo High II GTX – I bought these when it felt like the Meindls were never going to stop causing blisters. These are now my most likely UK C2C boots, although I am concerned about durability and how well the waterproof-ness will hold up. [never wore them]
    • Meindl Lady Siena Comfort Fit Walker shoes – I’d planned on these being my alternate shoes for the C2C, for the flatter, longer days. [left these in my rental car]
    • Topo Vista trail runners – these will be my fall-back, if blisters become an issue. I’m pretty sure I could complete this hike blister-free in them but I don’t think they are suitable for the UK C2C which is much wetter (rain, water crossings, bogs).  [wore these for the entire hike — will size up another half size for C2C]
    • I’m leaving my Meindl Lady Meran Comfort Fit boots at home, since they have been the greatest source of blisters. I still think I might need them for the C2C, but I’ll figure that out after this hike.  
  • Toiletries
  • Electronics
    • iPad Pro with keyboard case
    • Mophie Powerstation Pro for iPad & Watch (phone battery packs are in day pack)
    • Extra AAA batteries for alarm clock and headlamp
  • Sleep [loved all of these]
  • Personal (journal, books, etc.)
    • 32 oz Nalgene for drinking water in camp/at night
    • Alarm clock, reading light, small journal and pen [didn’t need the alarm clock]
    • Extra drybags, just in case it is really rainy (which seems unlikely, but they weigh next to nothing)
Contents of duffel #1: camping gear, footwear, poles
Contents of duffel #2: clothes, personal items
Bags fully-packed and ready to go