WHAT TO PACK: TOUR DU MONT BLANC

Who spends more time planning for a hike than it takes to actually do the hike?

Me. I suspect I’m not alone on that. Am I right?

One of the biggest topics of conversation on the TMB – or any long distance hike for that matter – is about the weight of your pack. I’ve never met a hiker that says – the heavier the bag the better! No one wants to be burdened with so much stuff that your hike isn’t as enjoyable as it should be.

I spent a lot of time editing what to bring on this one. I even weighed everything! And I mean everything. I even tore out pages from the guide book that I wouldn’t need! In the end my pack weighed around 16 lbs depending on how much food and water I carried.

I hiked in July at the tail end of the wicked heat wave that hit Europe. Having gauged the weather before I left, all indicators said hot, I opted not to bring rain pants, thermal long johns, or puffer jacket.

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My Motto: LESS IS MORE

Here’s my 16 lbs+/- packing list:

Clothing:

• Hiking boots (an absolute must – don’t even think about doing this is shoes!)
• Birkenstock Madrid Eva sandals (for shower and lounging)
• 2 hiking pants (1 quick dry/1 legging type)
• 1 lightweight post-hike lounge pant
• 2 long sleeve Icebreaker merino wool tops
• 2 Icebreaker merino wool t-shirts (1 for sleeping/1 for dinner, etc)
• 1 Icebreaker fleece
• 1 Marmot rain coat
• 4 pairs of merino wool socks
• 1 pair of pj shorts
• 3 pairs of quick dry underwear
• 2 merino wool bras (1 sports bar/1 lounge bra)
• 1 large rimmed Tilley sun hat
• 1 toque
• 1 cap
• 2 buffs
• Eye glasses and sun glasses

Equipment

• Osprey Exos 46 pack & rain cover
• Osprey 1.5 liter water pack
• 500 ML water bottle (for refuges)
• Osprey ultra light tote bag (used this as my shower bag, shopping, etc)
• Black Diamond collapsable poles
• Thermarest pad
• Two knee support wraps

​More Stuff

• Quick dry towel & face cloth
• Toiletries & First Aid kit
• McKinley sleep sheet
• Eye mask & ear plugs
• iPhone & earphones
• Adaptor and battery pack (you can’t always get access to plug in your phone)
• Travel documents, etc., like passport, small wallet, itinerary, pen and paper.
• Things I packed but didn’t need:
• Gloves
• Gators
• Small point & shoot camera

Tricks​

Aim for efficiency with your toiletries (ie: 2 in 1 shampoo & conditioner/2 in 1 face & body wash kind of thing). You will not need to carry full size of anything because you can pick up things along the way.

You’re in the Alps – water is easily available. There are fresh cold water fountains everywhere – also excellent for cooling off on the hot sunny days!

Don’t overpack food. I promise you won’t starve. You’ll find places to pick up snacks and you’ll come across cafes or refuges to have lunch along the way. Refuges also sell packed lunches for the few spots where food is limited.

One thing I found that really help to organized everything was super lightweight compressible nylon garment bags. I also recommend having a few Ziploc bags of difference sizes because they are perfect for when something in your toiletries bag leaks (speaking from experience!).

I’ve said it already but LESS IS MORE – I basically wore the same two outfits for the entire hike. You can do laundry in the larger towns or at the very least hand wash clothes, which I did when things needed it.

Everyone’s packing list will be different but I was really happy with the weight of my pack and used almost everything I brought. I’d pack exactly the same for the next alpine trek. Whenever that may be!

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