Oh my GOD.

I stumbled on to this old packing list from a hiking trip to South America in 2005. How embarrassing. Today I’d take less than half that stuff. And it would weigh about 1/3 as much. ____

For South America I am taking two packs (one 7 pounds, one 3.5 pounds) so I have options. To hike with the light pack I try to get down to 21 pounds plus food. When not hiking the light one is my day pack. Lightweight pack & accessories for hiking (optional items in red)

MSR Hubba 1-man tent

passport case, passport, birth certificate, yellow international certificate of vaccination

first-aid kit (Coghlan’s Trek II from MEC $15)

pack = Granite Gear Nimbus Latitude 3800 T-PEX (smoke blue) 3.5 pounds, US$200
pack rain cover = MEC large (no extra large available)
3-4 stuff sacs (10-15 litre Seal Line kayak Kodiac Window with purge valves) for food and clothes
2 small stuff sacs made of silicone injected nylon
small mesh stuff sacs
ziplocs bags of various sizes
clear large trash bags (strong bag with closure)

flashlight = Petzl Tikka
spare flashlight = Petzl Tikka & batteries

Camera = Kodak easyshare cx7300 with 256 meg card, extra batteries
fanny pack with Elura 60 camcorder, extra battery & tape
Rio Cali 1.256 Mb flash MP3 player, extra batteries
Swiss Army knife, Swiss Champ
Emergency money = US$50

2 pair Dunham waffle stomper approach shoes & extra laces
down vest MEC Tremblant 575 large (compress to make a pillow)
4 pairs of identical black socks (Wright Double Layer Running)
1 pair underwear
1 Speedo bathing suit
1 pair MEC running shorts (double as underwear), … and/or new 2005 North Face Flight Trail Short
1 Patagonia capelene t-shirt
1 Nike dryfit t-shirt
1 pair MEC quickdry pants, unlined nylon
1 pair thin fleece pants
1 MEC thin polartec check fleece long sleeve top
1 light fleece vest
Marmot Precip Gore-Tex rain jacket C$100
Sugoi MicroFine Corsa bike jacket C$60
gloves, thin (C$18 Polartec power stretch MEC)
bandanas
ball cap for protection from the sun
Sunglasses
Fleece cap (or touque)

metal spoon
GSI 32 fl. oz. “boiler” pot and 20 fl. oz. mug pot (anodized aluminium)
2 stoves, ultra lightweight
Dish wash bandana
Pot scrubbing “tuffy” pad
lighters

toilet paper, alcohol gel, lighter in ziplock bag

Sleeping Bag Mountain Hardware Phantom down +32F “blackberry” (regular size) US$200
Ultralight therm-a-rest = 1 pound, the lightest they make, three quarter length
Sea to Summit (Aussie) “Silk Traveller” sleeping bag liner with pillow insert (teal colour) US$60
Quixote pillow 550 fill goose down (fleece vest pillow instead)

Silva Tool 625 (compass, whistle, thermometer) US$10 and extra
wooden hand fishing reel, line & trout lures
Biodegradable laundry soap
tiny hotel shampoo bottles
Light weight nylon laundry line
Plastic clothes pegs
Katadyn water filter $180 & …
GSI H2O wide mouth 1 litre water bottle
plastic coke bottle (as second bottle)
water bag (10 litre)
Katadyn Micropur tablets for emergency water purificatioin
mini Toothbrush & small tubes of paste
small mirror (emergency reflector)
Dental floss
Lip balm with SPF 15+
Sun screen SPF 15+
Insect repellent with DEET (BEN’S 30%)
comb
Nail clippers
sunglasses
Note pad & pens
Paperback novel(s)

Navigation

Map
Wrist watch
Guide book (or photocopied pages)
(Compass)

Food

Earl Grey tea
Werthers hard candies
smarties or M & Ms
salt & pepper shaker
small containers for spices, etc.
new 2005 bear vault food cannister (2.5 pounds)

Main pack (North Face) left back at the hostel for storage with items not taken on the hike, including:

huge duffle bag with small combo lock
second combo lock for hostels
flashlight extra bulb, extra batteries
(KEEN sandals)
mini-gifts for kids
clothing to donate
electric razor
Repair kit
- Tent repair kit
- (Therm-A-Rest repair kit)
- Parachute cord (replacement shoe laces)
- Duct tape
- (Sewing kit)
- (Heavy-duty needles or awl & thread)
- (Large locking safety pins)
- (Rip-stop nylon patches)
- (Rip-stop tape)
- (Wire)
- (Dental floss)
- (Nylon twine)
- (hose clamp, for splinting)
- (spare buckles for pack)
- etc