A pack list I actually use
We've spent a good chunk of this course on water, storms, socks, and the paper map. Today I want to put it all in one place: the actual list I run through before I leave the house.
I'm not going to give you a gear-store list. I'm going to give you my list, the one that lives in my spreadsheet, and you can adjust it for your own hikes. Your mileage may vary, literally.
The list
Water. More than you think you need. I've said this before and I'll keep saying it. For a summer day hike in our dry air, I carry at least a liter for every two hours I expect to be out, and I round up, not down. If I'm not sure whether I'm bringing enough, I bring more.
Paper map. Goes in the pack before anything else. Not a screenshot, not an app. An actual folded paper map of the trail. Phones lose signal up the canyon and batteries don't love the cold. This one's non-negotiable for me.
Wool socks, plus a spare pair. I'd rather spend money here than on a fancy jacket. Good socks matter more than almost anything else in the pack.
Snacks that aren't fussy. Something with salt, something with sugar. I don't overthink this one. Trail mix, a granola bar, whatever keeps for a few months in a pack pocket.
A basic first aid kit. Ibuprofen, an ace wrap, some blister pads, a couple of bandaids. Nothing elaborate. I keep mine in a gallon bag so I can see what's in it at a glance.
Sun protection. Hat, sunscreen, sunglasses. At elevation the sun is stronger than it feels, and you will not notice you're burnt until you're home in the shower wondering why your neck hurts.
A layer you don't think you'll need. Even in July, up high, it can turn cold fast if the weather shifts. A light rain shell or an extra long-sleeve packs down small and you'll be glad you have it maybe one hike in ten. That's still worth it.
Headlamp. Even for a day hike. If something goes sideways and you're coming down later than planned, you want this, not your phone flashlight burning your battery.
A whistle. Cheap, small, and if you or someone in your group gets separated or hurt, it carries a lot farther than yelling does.
That's it. That's the list. It's not fancy and it's not expensive, and that's on purpose.
Where people actually go wrong
It's almost never the big stuff. People remember the water, mostly, because we've hammered on it in this class. Where I see problems is in the stuff that feels optional. The socks. The extra layer. The spare pair of anything.
Here's a story I don't love telling, but it's the honest one. My 14-year-old refused to wear the wool socks I'd bought for a Timppanooke trail. Cotton socks, because that's what was comfortable to argue about that morning. Two blisters by the end, each one about the size of a dime, and a pretty miserable last mile. I didn't say anything on the trail. I didn't have to. The blisters said it for me, and the socks got worn without a fight after that.
I tell you that one because it's such a small thing to skip and such a big thing to regret three miles in. Nobody plans to have a bad hike over socks. It just happens because the sock drawer is what it is that morning and you grab what's easy.
Building your own list
Start with mine, then adjust. If you're hiking with a kid, you're carrying more water and probably more snacks than you think, because kids don't ration themselves the way adults do. If you've got a bad knee, a trekking pole earns its spot. If you're the one who always gets cold, that extra layer isn't optional, it's just true to who you are on a mountain.
I keep a version of this list taped inside a kitchen cabinet, honestly, right next to my canning supply list. I run through it out loud while I'm packing, and I still catch myself skipping the map about once a year and having to walk back for it. Oh my heck, every time.
One thing I won't compromise on: water and the paper map. Everything else on this list, I'll bend a little depending on the hike. Those two, I don't.
Before next time
Build your own version of this list this week, even if it's just five items on a sticky note by the door. Next time we'll talk about what actually goes wrong on the trail and how to handle it without turning it into an emergency.