Backpacking Packing List: Essential Gear and Tips for a Safe and Comfortable Adventure

Backpacking allows you to immerse yourself in nature’s beauty, and with the right preparation, you’ll finish each adventure feeling rejuvenated and fulfilled. To ensure your trip goes smoothly, packing the right gear is crucial.

Biting insects can put a damper on your adventures. You need effective protection against mosquitoes, ticks, and other pests. Successful preparation means packing light enough without sacrificing safety and comfort.

Each backpacking trip varies in length and difficulty. Use this backpacking packing list to ensure a successful trip no matter where you travel.

Clothing and Footwear Essentials

The clothes you pick can make or break your backpacking trip. You need lots of protection from the weather and any insects buzzing around. Your feet also need adequate support. Consider packing these essentials.

Base Layers

Base clothing goes on first. These pieces include thermal underwear, moisture-wicking undershirts, sports bras, and the like. Prioritize either cooling or warm fabrics, depending on the climate you’re backpacking in.

Mid Layers

Mid layers provide extra warmth and comfort, sitting between your base layers and outerwear. For a versatile and lightweight option, consider the Insect Shield Elements Performance Hiking Collection, which includes all-weather shirts and quick-drying convertible pants. These pieces offer wick-away moisture to keep you comfortable in a variety of weather conditions.

Outer Layers

Your outerwear is most important for weather protection. Pieces like waterproof jackets and insulated coats shield your skin from harsh winds, rain, snow, and hail. Never forget your outerwear as you work through your backpacking packing list.

Footwear

Your feet carry you through your backpacking adventures. Choose shoes and boots that can navigate rough outdoor terrain and protect your feet from standing water. For example, you can pack a sturdy pair of hiking boots with moisture-wicking socks.

Depending on where you go, your feet can face pests like ticks and chiggers. Use Insect Shield’s permethrin treated socks and apply permethrin spray to your shoes to help prevent bites.

Insect Protection Gear

Permethrin is a safe, effective way to repel bugs like mosquitoes, ticks, ants, flies, chiggers, and midges. It’s safe to wear permethrin-treated clothing, as it won’t harm your skin.

DEET-based sprays are highly effective, but you should avoid spraying them directly on clothing since they can damage some fabrics. Our permethrin-treated shirts, pants, and socks offer protection from biting insects. You simply put them on and get to backpacking. Once your clothing is packed, it's time to think about your shelter and sleep system.

Camping Gear and Sleeping Arrangements

A comfortable and safe night's rest is essential when you're out in the wilderness. With the right camping gear, you can ensure a relaxing sleep. Looking for a camping packing guide? Check it out here for all the essentials!

Shelter

Add a lightweight tent to your backpacking packing list. After all, you need somewhere to sleep with protection from the elements. And you don’t want to carry around a heavy, bulky tent that adds to your workload.

Include a tent footprint, which keeps water out of the bottom of your tent, along with a rain fly.

Sleep System

Find a comfortable sleeping bag, sleeping pad, and pillow set to use on your trip. Make sure you can get quality rest using this sleep system. When you’re overtired, you’re more likely to move slower and make mistakes on the trail.

Insect Protection for Gear

You can use our permethrin spray to treat your tent, backpack, and other gear for additional protection against insects. Even if you’re wearing our insect-repellent clothing, it’s nice to have that extra peace of mind as you sleep at night.

Pro tip: Use Insect Shield permethrin spray on things like hammocks, tents, camping chairs, and any other fabric surfaces you’ll be in contact with.

Food, Water, and Cooking Supplies

Food is fuel, and when you’re backpacking, you need plenty of it. Many backpackers enjoy freeze-dried foods that don’t require much (if any) prep. Hydration is just as important as proper nourishment.

Foods and Snacks

Pack quick nourishment for camping and backpacking. These items may include energy bars, nuts, seeds, meat sticks, freeze-dried meals, and easy-to-cook grains. For example, you can bring pre-packaged rice and pasta bowls and use hot water to cook them. Avoid bringing anything that can rot, like fresh fruits and veggies or raw meat.

Cooking Equipment

Bring a lightweight stove with a fuel canister so you can safely and effectively heat your food.

You should also invest in a sturdy cooking pot and plenty of utensils. If you’re able to stop and refuel at a store along the way, you can buy ingredients for hearty, cooked meals. It all depends on the location and intensity of your backpacking trip.

Water

Always bring a water filtration system with you. It is the most essential item on your backpacking trip packing list. Running out of drinking water is extremely dangerous and can turn fatal quickly.

Bring collapsible water bottles for convenience. Whenever you need hydration, you can pull one out and run water through your filtration system.

Health and Safety Essentials

Should an injury or health incident arise on your backpacking trip, you need to be prepared.

First Aid Kit

Carry a first aid kit with you at all times, complete with bandages, antiseptic solution or wipes, and comfort items like blister treatments.

Navigation Devices

Keep a paper map and a compass or electronic GPS device on you at all times. It’s good to have the paper map as a backup if the GPS or compass fails.

Insect Repellents

Insects like ticks and mosquitoes can carry dangerous diseases. To protect yourself on the trail, use both permethrin-treated clothing from Insect Shield and an EPA registered topical (skin) repellent repellent. Combining these insect-repellent tools will offer you maximum protection .

Miscellaneous Gear

Keep three categories in mind when finishing your backpacking trip packing list: lighting, tools, and comfort items. You’ll need all three with you for a successful and comfortable trip.

To ensure you can see when the sun goes down, bring a headlamp with plenty of extra batteries. You should also pack a backup flashlight. Don’t forget to include tools to repair things. A multi-tool kit should have everything you need to stay secure while backpacking.

The point of backpacking is to have fun! Bring any items that will make you more comfortable, like trekking poles, towels to stay dry, quality camping chairs, and a sturdy backpack that can easily hold everything.

Final Tips for a Successful Backpacking Trip

Pack smarter, not heavier. Prioritize lightweight, multifunctional items that will give you the most convenience on your trip. Consider the elements you’ll be navigating when making your backpacking packing list, like snow, ice, wind, and humidity.

Along with your comfort, your safety is a large priority. Using Insect Shield to keep bad bugs out of your way will protect you from bites that transmit harmful diseases.

Use Insect Shield to Protect Yourself on Backpacking Trips

When packing for a backpacking trip, you have to balance safety, comfort, and efficiency. Whether you’re a seasoned pro or a brand-new beginner backpacker, you can benefit from our packing tips and tricks.

At Insect Shield, we offer convenient solutions to pesky insects like ticks, mosquitoes, biting ants, and more. Use our permethrin spray to double your protection when you’re on the trail.

Ready to pack for your next backpacking adventure? Shop insect repellent clothing and add Insect Shield Permethrin spray to your gear to help avoid bug bites on the trail.