What to pack for a hike depending on the route
What changes between a two-hour hike and an eight-hour one, what’s never up for debate, and why the weight on your back shows up on the clock too.
The rule that sorts out everything else
There’s no single list that works for every route. There’s a question: how long would it take help to reach me if I turned an ankle right here? On a two-hour loop near a village, the answer is minutes. On an eight-hour traverse above 2,000 m, it can be hours – and in the dark.
Everything that follows is that answer translated into weight.
The key number
Aim for your loaded rucksack to weigh no more than 10% of your body weight on day routes, and 20% on multi-day treks with bivvies. Above 20% your pace drops noticeably, and the time you lose outweighs the peace of mind you buy.
What always goes in, however long the route
- Water. At least a litre and a half for half a day, and more in summer or if there are no reliable springs. A spring marked on a map isn’t necessarily a spring that’s flowing.
- A waterproof, windproof layer. Even if the forecast says sunshine. In the mountains, wind and a single cloud are enough to change how cold it feels by fifteen degrees.
- A head torch, with the batteries checked. The classic mistake isn’t setting off in the dark: it’s getting back later than planned. It weighs eighty grams.
- A basic first-aid kit: an elastic bandage, blister plasters, painkillers, wound-closure strips and a foil survival blanket.
- A charged phone and a power bank. It’s your map and your emergency phone at the same time, and recording the track uses battery.
- Extra food. Something you don’t particularly fancy – so it’s still there when you need it – and with some fast-acting sugar.
- Sun protection: sun cream, sunglasses and a cap. In high mountains, UV radiation goes up by around 10% for every 1,000 m.
What to add depending on the route
2 to 4 hours, near a village or town
15-20 LThe list above has you covered. A 15–20 litre rucksack. The temptation here is to leave out the waterproof and the head torch ‘because it’s a short one’: they’re exactly the two things that make sure a short route that goes wrong stays just an anecdote.
4 to 8 hours, or with a lot of climbing
25-30 LAdd a warm layer (a light down jacket or a fleece), poles if there’s a long descent – they take a noticeable share of the impact off your knees – and water or a filter to top up. A 25–30 litre rucksack. At this point it’s worth having the map downloaded for offline use: signal disappears sooner than you think.
High mountains, snow or multi-day treks
A DIFFERENT LEAGUEWhat changes is the kind of problem, not the list. Crampons and an ice axe if there are snowfields – and knowing how to use them, which isn’t the same as carrying them – a helmet where there’s rockfall, and bivvy gear. And above all: someone who knows where you’re going and what time you should be back. That weighs nothing and it’s what changes the outcome most.
Weight shows up on the clock
Carrying too much isn’t just uncomfortable: it changes how long the route takes. Above 20% of your body weight your pace drops noticeably, and that slowdown builds up over the whole day. A route worked out at five hours can stretch to six just from three extra kilos.
That’s why it’s worth checking the actual time of someone who’s already done it, not just the estimate, which knows nothing about what you’re carrying. We go into it in how long it really takes to climb 800 metres.
Before you set off
Check the mountain weather forecast – not the one for the village in the valley – leave word of where you’re going, and be clear about your turnaround point: a time after which you turn back even if you’re nearly there. Gear gets you out of trouble; that turnaround point stops you getting into it.
No information from Suviard replaces checking the forecast, carrying the right kit and knowing when to turn back.
More on how we work with data: about Suviard.