Hiking the Alps Gear

When considering long hiking trips, what kind of gear do you need?  Well, you need food, water, clothes, shelter, etc.  Right?  Partially.  It depends where you going, how far, and for how much time.  

Food and Shelter

My dad and I will be hiking for 34 days in the European alps for many kilometers.  These trails will include "Huttes" (translated Huts) along the way.  A hutte is similar to a hostel; a cheap place to sleep and eat.  For one price (20-30 Euro), we can get a dinner, a warm place to sleep, and a breakfast in the morning.  The huttes are so frequent, you can plan  to stay in one every night for the duration of your journey.  So, all that is required is money and some type of sleeping bag liner, for sanitary purposes while sleeping in beds, bunks, or cots, with the hutte's provided blankets.  We won't need to pack tents, sleeping bags, or meals for breakfast or dinner.  This will change they type of gear we will bring.  

Weight and Clothes

The more we pack, the more weight we will carry for miles and days on this hike.  If you have 50 lbs of weight on your back for that amount of time, you will tire quickly and lose the enjoyment of the experience.  My goal is to pack as lightly as possible.  Since it's the high mountains, we will need warm clothing. I've gotten a lot of ideas from http://www.hikelight.com and have tried to purchase the lightest gear possible, with the exception of my jacket, boots, and other items.  Light, durable, and breathable materials, such as silk, nylon, etc., will help keep our pack weight down.  Every item must be critically chosen and weighed, to calculate the exact weight we'll be hiking with.  The weight of clothes and physical supplies is called, "the base weight", but for the full weight, you would add water (3 Liters = 6.3 lbs) plus food.  You might think, "why are you sweating the small stuff?!", to which I would reply, "Because we WILL be sweating the small stuff... literally".  Every ounce or gram will result a weight lifting session every step, minute, and mile of the trip-- multiplied by 34 days.  So the question we're often asking is, "Do you really need that?" 

Hiking in cold climates requires 3 layers:  1) A base layer, 2) an insulating layer, and 3) a shell.  A base layer is a light, thin clothing, that serves as undergarments and keeps you warm in wind, rain, and snow.  I chose silk underwear for my base layer because of the light weight, durability and breathability.  The next layer is the insulating layer, for which, I have a down jacket, hoodie, shirt, and pants.  The final layer is the shell, which can protect you from rain or snow.  I have a waterproof jacket and rain chaps.  Hiking in wool socks and good hiking boots will keep your feet fresh and ready for the next day's hike.

The Rest...

I could explain the rest, but instead, I'll show you:

Hans' Gear List: 

Backpack - Deuter ACT lite 65 + 10: 1884g

Stuff Sacks - Equinox ultralite: 142g

Hiking Boots - Asolo Fugitive GTX: 1535g

Pants (2) - Columbia zipaway: 688g

Short Sleeve Shirt - REI Saharia: 170g

Hoodie - North Face Full Zip Fleece: 464g

Rain Jacket - Hi-Tec Sandstone Peak Down Parka - Waterproof, 3-in-1: 1134g

Socks (4) - REI Merino Wool: 405g

Underwear -  ExOfficio Box Briefs: 252g

Headlamp - Black Diamond Storm/Batteries: 249g

Base Layers - Terramar Men's Thermasilk top/bottom: 167g

Rain Chaps - Equinox Full Moon Chaps: 104g

Hydration Reservoir - Geigerrig - 3 Liter Engine: 239g

Crampons - Stubai Ultralight Crampons: 626g

soap - Campsuds biodegradable: 161g

hair product:  36g

toothbrush 16g

toothpaste 78g

deodorant 101g

sunscreen 120g

reading glasses: 23g

Medicine: 211g

Face Towel - Pack Towel-Nano 18x23: 36g

MultiTowel - REI XL 54x25in: 196g

iPhone 4S 64G: 162g

Charger: 45g

Solar Charger - Solio Xcellerator and HUB Battery Pack: 292g

Coverter Plug: ?

Extension cord: 132g

Tripod - Griptight GorillaPod Stand (for iphone): 64g

Headphones x2: 44g

pile hat - Ultralite Pileus Hat: 35g

gloves - Polypro Glove liners: 23g

Buff Headwear: 39g

Sunglasses/bag: 27g

Trekking Sticks - Black Diamond Alpine Carbon Cork: 527g

Sleepbag Liner - Cocoon Silk Travelsheet: 148g

27 Piece utility bag

2 compass' 3g/8g

whistle 6g

mirror 19g

comb 2g

book matches 7g

safety matches 11g

pen 5g

paper 10g

5 rubber bands 8g

floss 0g

SPF Lip balm 9g

Vaseline 11g

Benadryl 32g

40 Ibuprofen 14g

24 Aspirin 17g

8 Imodium 12g

Vitamin C 32g

Allergy Med 4g

6 brass safety pins 2g

50 Potable Aqua tabs 32g

light Nylon cord 98g

Gerber Micro knife 17g

2 Princeton Pulsar IIs 14g

5 extra batteries

Favorite scriptures 9g

pictures 15g

needles/thread 2g

Ultralite/small day bag: 86g

Biodegradable Toilet paper: 82g

Passport case - Sea to Summit waterproof case: 60g

First Aid: 94g

Crocs - Yukon Sport: 523g

Journal - Moleskin: 337g

Gaiters - Outdoor Research: 95g