All-season backpackers unite! There is something incredibly special about hiking outside of the peak summer season, whether it's the increased privacy on the trails as crowds die down for the summer, the ability to catch the sunrise without having to wake up at an ungodly time in the morning, or the gorgeous mistiness of the mountains that you just don't get in summertime.
I've created this 2-person packing guide just for those of you backpacking in fall or spring, specially tailored for chilly weekends that have a chance of rain sprinkled in the forecast.
This guide will walk you through everything Everett and I pack (couples goals!) for our rainy season weekend backpacking trips from clothes to food to gear as well as how we pack everything. Remember that everyone and every trip will be different, and this guide is only meant to be a starting point for your unique preferences.
Contents
Cold-Weather Backpacking Clothing
Trail Clothes
Outerwear
Camp Clothes
Lightweight Food
Gear
Ultimate Packing Checklist
Cold-Weather Backpacking Clothing
The biggest change between what you should pack during summer and what you should pack during off-season is clothing.
There are 3 categories of clothing that I'll discuss in this section:
Trail Clothes - this is what I wear when I hit the trailhead and typically have on throughout the trip
Outerwear - clothes that I keep accessible in easy-to-reach sections of my backpack
Camp clothes - clothes that I don't put on until after I've reached camp
Trail Clothes
What she wears:
Hair ties (2x): These are so lightweight and versatile. I always carry a second on my wrist just in case one snaps mid-hike.
Sports Bra: Try and find a sports bra that strikes a balance between all-day support and comfort. When the weather gets too chilly for a wardrobe change, I will often wear my sports bra all night long. Avoid sports bras with uncomfortable underwires or clasps if there's any chance you might be sleeping in them.
Long-Sleeved Shirt: In chilly weather, I opt for long-sleeved shirts rather than short-sleeved shirts for added warmth and bug protection.
Hiking Panties: Leave the sexy, lacy ones at home. I wear a special set hiking panties that reduce chafing and are made of anti-microbial merino wool.
Yoga Pants: Every lady's favorite, these are my go-to base layer pants.
Soft-Shell Pants: If there's a chance of rain (or snow) in the forecast, I will wear a pair of soft-shell pants over my yoga pants. These are generally water-resistant, especially if cared for properly, while still lightweight and breathable.
Socks: I wear a pair of merino wool socks. Merino wool is well known for remaining warm while wet.
Hiking Boots: These are generally less water-permeable than trail-runners are, making it the better option in case of precipitation.
Gaiters: I wear a lightweight set of gaiters that keep small rocks, stickers, and other debris out of my shoes, which are a godsend in preventing blisters on long hikes. I cinch my gaiters over my socks and yoga pants but underneath my softshell to keep it breathable.
What he wears:
Baseball Cap: This is a must-have to keep forehead sweat from getting into his eyes while hiking. Baseball caps also provide an added bonus of sun-protection on the scalp.
Long-Sleeved Shirt: See above. Everett prefers a long-sleeved base layer with a quarter-zip to help moderate airflow.
Shorts: Yes, even in cold weather, Everett prefers shorts! The ventilation that shorts provide reduce the possibility of sweat-induced chafing. Wearing something made of quick-drying material can be just as effective as a water-resistant soft-shell.
Socks: Everett wears midcalf socks to provide warmth and coverage on his legs.
Hiking Boots
Gaiters
Outerwear
Man or woman, there are only two articles of outerwear that I recommend you keep highly accessible in your pack. I keep these in the top-flap of my backpack:
Rain Jacket: When it rains, it pours. You don't want to be unzipping your pack while it's raining and exposing your camp clothes to the elements.
Light-weight Gloves: These are great for keeping your hands warm on chilly days, but my gloves have also come in handy in a myriad of other situations, including preventing rope-burn on unexpectedly steep overland passageways on the Olympic Coast.
Camp Clothes
Packing the right clothes for camp will make or break your camping experience. As soon as you arrive at camp, your body temperature will begin to drop. I recommend changing into your camp clothes to lock in your heat as soon as you reach your campsite, before you settle down for dinner or even begin setting up your tent.
We keep our camp clothing stored in dry-bags as an extra layer of security to ensure that our camp clothes remain dry in case of exposure to rain. Even if it's not a rainy day, the dry bags help keep our backpacks tidy.
Neat trick, but absolutely not required: I roll all my clothing up into neat little cylinders to keep them tidy when grabbing clothing out at camp.
What she packs:
Beanie: Ladies, I know it's tempting, but I would recommend not bringing your beanies with the cute little pom-pom on an overnight backpacking. The pom-pom add extra weight and volume to your pack and can be uncomfortable if sleeping with the beanie on.
Down Jacket: This is the best light-weight way to stay warm, but be sure to always throw a rain jacket over your down if it's rainy. Down loses its insulation when it gets wet.
Fleece Sweater
Fleece Pants
An Extra Pair of Socks: An extra pair of socks can be very worth it in cold or rainy weather. To stay extra cozy at night, I sometimes wear 2 pairs of socks, one under my soft-shell and one over.
Contact Lenses: I wear daily contact lenses. Instead of bringing glasses or a contact lens case, I put on a fresh set of contact lenses every morning.
What he packs:
Balaclava: Everett doesn't put this on immediately once he gets to camp, but having a balaclava handing keeps his face warm while sleeping in the middle of the night.
Down Jacket: See above
Sweatpants: The risk of chafing is no longer an issue once we get to camp. Everett will throw these on over his shorts.
Lightweight Food
I won't dive too deep into this section since the food is so subject to preferences, but I'll provide some tips and tricks on how to pack nutritionally well-balanced backpacking food without over packing.
Here's what food I pack for an overnight backpacking trip:
2x Breakfasts
Coffee: Having hot coffee with breakfast after climbing out of a tent the morning after backpacking is a feeling like no other. Since I'm a regular coffee drinker, bringing coffee with me on the trail ensures that I have regular, timely bowel movements while at camp. I always bring Starbucks Via Instant, which I've found to be less offensive than other instant coffee options.
Option 1 - Dehydrated Breakfast Meals: These can be well worth the cost, because they tend to be surprisingly calorie-dense. The one pictured has a whopping 1100cal, more than most dehydrated dinner options.
Option 2 - Homemade Oats: I prefer these over pre-packaged Quaker Oats, which never feel filling enough. Throw together some thick cut oats, freeze-dried fruit, dehydrated milk powder (I use a lactose-free option), and you have a world-class fiber-packed breakfast.
2x Dinners
Tea: I always pack tea when I know the weather is going to be chilly. It's a featherlight little luxury on cold off-season nights at camp.
Dehydrated Meals: There are so many options available that you can't go wrong. Be cognizant that most dehydrated meals only contain up to 600cals-800cals. Try and find options on the higher calorie range, especially if you're going on a long hike, otherwise you may need to supplement your dinner with additional dehydrated meal packs or snacks (i.e. more weight).
Trail snacks
This category is honestly super flexible. I usually bring a selection of nuts, dehydrated fruit, and jerky. The selection I have in the picture includes honey roasted cashews, dehydrated mandarins, and turkey jerky.
A note on protein bars and candy. I know that a lot of athletes and backpackers swear by these to pack on extra calories. Because I go backpacking so often, I choose to avoid packing my body with empty calories when there are so many other tasty options available.
Gear
Onto the fun stuff! In this section, I'll talk about all the other gear Everett and I typically bring on a backpacking trip as well as where we pack things and who carries what.
Reminder that the type of gear we bring may vary from-trip-to-trip depending on the weather forecast as well as specific gear requirements and restrictions provided by permitting agencies, which will be discussed in the detail section below.
There are minor differences in what gear we pack during the off-season vs. what gear we pack in summer. If we know it's going to be an overcast or rainy day or that we'll be very covered up, we'll leave the sunscreen at home. We also make sure to bring a PackTowl to help dry off gear.
What she packs:
Bottom compartment:
Sleeping bag: Most backpacks have a special compression compartment at the bottom of the backpack that let you squeeze all the air out of your sleeping bag.
Main compartment:
Sleeping pad: I use a self-inflating sleeping pad as well as an inflatable pillow tucked into my sleeping pad stuff-sack. During summer, many backpackers choose to use open-cell foam sleeping pads strapped to the outside of their pack. If there is any chance of precipitation, I guarantee you'll want to use a sleeping pad, like my self-inflating one, that packs inside your backpack instead.
Pillow: Hiking pillows are lightweight little luxuries (mine weighs just under 3oz). I've heard that some people use their clothes sack as a pillow, but if you've packed your clothing ultralight, it's unlikely that you'll have any extras to spare as a pillow in the middle of the night.
Clothes: See the clothes section.
Water Filter: I use a lightweight gravity filter. I usually don't filter water until I get to camp, but if you know you'll be filtering water before then, I recommend that you move it to a more accessible compartment.
Outer compartment
Toiletries: My toiletries bag include a toothbrush, toothpaste, chapstick (optional), and facial wipes (optional). The chapstick is absolutely a luxury, but I find it handy for keeping my lips from getting too chapped and for treating hangnails on dry days. The facial wipes are another little luxury that I carry, that you absolutely do not need to if you can do without them. The facial wipes can be refreshing after a long sweaty hike but are also incredibly useful as part of maintaining feminine hygiene on a trail, especially for ladies (like me) who want to reduce the risk of UTIs mid-backpacking trip. Ladies, if otherwise unavoidable, you may also need to pack a menstrual cup, tampons, or pads.
Toilet Paper: Need I say more?
Trowel (Optional): Do some research before you head out. Trowels are a common option for in the Pacific Northwest. However, some national parks or other permitting agencies may require that you use blue bags to pack-in and pack-out your waste. In other cases, you may find through research or from talking to park rangers that your route has pit toilets at every designated campground, meaning you can leave your trowel behind.
Bug Spray (Optional): Depending on the exact time of year, how active bugs are in your location, and if you'll be camping in damp areas, it may be wise to bring bug spray.
Top Flap (Underside):
Gloves: See outerwear section. I like to keep this on the underside of the top flap so that it's sheltered from rain but still accessible
Headlamp: I always bring a few extra batteries, just in case!
Top Flap:
Rain Jacket: See outerwear section. I like to keep this in the top flap so that it is super accessible so that I can be ready as soon as it begins raining.
PackTowl: I bring a lightweight personal-size PackTowl with me. This is handy for drying off feet after a creek crossing, managing condensation in a tent, or drying off gear after a light rain.
Trail Snacks: I like to keep these as accessible as possible.
Water Bottle Pockets:
Water Bottle: I like carrying a Nalgene water bottle with clear water measurement markings. This helps me measure out water when cooking my dehydrated meals.
Bear Spray (optional): When traveling in bear country or deeper than 10 miles into the wilderness, I like to carry bear spray on me. In Washington State, the black bears are scaredy-cats and tend to run off at the sound of loud noises, but it's better to be safe than sorry.
On-Person:
Phone: This may easily be the most important piece of modern-day equipment to bring. You may notice that Everett and I don't bring a compass or a map. Instead, we use our phones for offline navigation. It's also great for snapping photos as well as listening to audiobooks while at camp. In our phone's extreme battery saver mode, we've found that our phones can stay on for over 4 days, maybe more, with constant usage. In case of water damage or battery loss, the other person's phone adds an extra layer of redundancy.
Trekking Poles: Trekking poles are essential for long-distance backpacking. They help improve speed, mobility, and balance. I've found that they also help reduce impact on my knees on steep downhill sections of trails. We also use our trekking poles in place of tent poles in our non-freestanding tent.
What he packs:
Bottom Compartment:
Sleeping Bag
Main compartment:
Sleeping Pad
Pillow
Clothes
Bear Bag: We pack all our food into a bear bag. These are much more compressible and versatile than bear cannisters are. Even if there aren't bears in the area, bear bags remain effective at keeping squirrels and other small critters out of your food. Always respect guidelines from your local permitting authority. If they require bear cannisters, please swap out your bear bag with a bear cannister.
Kitchen Set: Our kitchen set, pictured in the red dry bag, include a 4oz fuel canister (this is more than enough fuel for a weekend trip), an aluminum pot, a pocket rocket, matches, 2 bowls, 2 cups, and 2 foldable sporks. Depending on the food we pack, we can reduce our pack weight slightly by leaving the bowls or cups at home
Outer Compartment:
Tent: The tent fits very nicely into the outer compartment because of how long it is. We use a non-freestanding trekking-pole tent that weighs under 2lbs. This is great for hiking in the Pacific Northwest when we're confident that we can find campsites with dirt to stake it down.
Top Flap:
Headlamp
First aid kit: I recommend that you build your own first aid kit to reduce weight since many standard first-aid kits include too many items (if you need 30 bandaids on a single-night backpacking trip, that's not a problem you can solve with bandaids). Our first aid kit include moleskins, a handful of bandaids, duct tape, and pain killers.
Hip Pocket:
Pocket Knife: This is great to have in case of emergency situations. Off the top of my head, this can be used for creating kindling, fashioning extra stakes out of fallen tree branches, or as a secondary line of defense against wild animals in case your bear spray runs out of spraying power.
Water Bottle Pocket:
Water Bottle
On-Person:
Phone
Trekking Poles
When you finish packing, check to see how full your backpack is. If it's still pretty empty, you may be able to shave off additional weight by downsizing your pack. During summer, Everett will downsize from a 45L pack to a 25L pack!
A note on rain covers. This will probably come as an unpopular opinion, but I don't pack rain covers. I have found that backpacks tend to already be made of fairly water-resistant fabric and have never had a need for it.
Ultimate Packing Checklist
What she wears:
Hair ties (2x)
Sports Bra
Long-Sleeved Shirt
Hiking Panties
Yoga Pants
Soft-Shell Pants
Socks
Hiking Boots
Gaiters
What she packs:
Sleeping Bag
Sleeping Pad
Inflatable Pillow
Camp Clothes
Beanie
Down Jacket
Fleece Sweater
Fleece Pants
Extra socks
(if relevant) contact lenses or other eye care equipment
Water Filter
Toiletries
Toothbrush
Toothpaste
Chapstick (optional)
Facial wipes (optional)
Menstrual products (optional)
Toilet Paper
Trowel / Blue Bag (optional)
Bug-spray (optional)
Outerwear
Rain Jacket
Lightweight Gloves
Headlamp
PackTowl
Trail Snacks
Water Bottle
Bear Spray (optional)
Phone
Trekking Poles
What he wears:
Baseball Cap
Long-Sleeved Shirt
Shorts
Socks
Hiking Boots
Gaiters
What he packs:
Sleeping Bag
Sleeping Pad
Pillow
Clothes
Bear Bag & Food
2x Coffee
2x Breakfasts (Dehydrated meals / homemade oats)
2x Tea
2x Dinners (Dehydrated meals)
Additional trail snacks
Kitchen Set
Fuel canister
Aluminum pot
Pocket rocket stove
Matches
2x bowls
2x cups
2x sporks
Tent
Headlamp
First aid kit
Pocket Knife
Water Bottle
Phone
Trekking Poles
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