The packing list is the moment an expedition becomes concrete. Until then it is a date in your calendar. From then on you go through your own wardrobe with a list and realise you have never looked at your clothes and asked whether they hold up at minus twenty.
This guide sets out the whole gear question: what we provide, what you bring, in what order you buy, and where the choice is made for each item.
First this: you buy less than you think
The biggest misconception is that an expedition starts with a long shopping list. In practice most participants arrive with a mix: part of it was already in the cupboard, part was bought deliberately, and part only after the kick off, on advice.
The technical gear, where the real costs sit, is provided by us.
The expedition gear
A sleeping bag matched to the destination, mat, bivvy bag, expedition pack, navigation gear, stove, packraft where relevant, snowshoes and snow shovels, satellite phone, trauma kit and repair set. We assemble it, check it and divide it across the group.
Clothing and personal kit
Your layers, your boots, socks, head torch, sunglasses, water bottle, thermal base layers and washkit. That is where your freedom sits, and the entire difference in budget.
What you already own
At the kick off we lay everything out side by side: what works, what is missing and what genuinely will not do. Only then do you buy, and you buy deliberately.
The basis: layering
Almost every clothing question answers itself once you understand layering. Three layers, each with its own job: a base layer that moves moisture away, a mid layer that insulates and an outer layer that stops wind and rain. You add or remove depending on your effort and the weather.
That principle holds in the Ardennes just as much as in Lapland. Only the weight of each layer differs. So start here: Layering basics.
Item by item: where the choice is made
For every item that really matters we have written a separate guide. Work through them in this order, so you buy from most important to least.
1. Hiking boots
The one item where quality always pays off, and the one to buy earliest because you have to break it in. Tips for buying hiking shoes
2. Rain jacket
In bad weather this is not about comfort but safety. Waterproof and breathable are two different things. How do I buy a rain jacket?
3. Backpack
Volume, back length and carry system matter more than the brand. How do I buy a hiking backpack?
4. Sleeping bag
Down or synthetic, and which comfort rating actually matches the destination. How do I buy a sleeping bag?
5. Sleeping pad
The R value decides whether you lie warm, not the thickness. Do not underestimate this. How to buy the perfect sleeping pad
6. Communication
When a satellite device makes sense and what the differences are. Satellite communication in the wilderness
And then: fitting it all in your pack
Buying is half of it. The other half is weight, order and keeping things dry.
- How to pack your backpack for weight distribution and the order of your layers.
- Sleeping bag wet? How to prevent it for the thing that goes wrong fastest on multi day trips.
- What does expedition gear really cost? for realistic figures per type of expedition.
The list differs per destination
There is no universal packing list. What you need follows from where you are going.
Mild and short
Three days in the French Ardennes: almost everything is already in your cupboard. Boots and a light rain jacket are the only things to look at deliberately. See the Untamed Adventure Weekend.
Wilderness without infrastructure
Bivouac, navigation and several days of self reliance. Here the quality of your layers counts. See the Carpathians.
Mountains with changeable weather
Twenty degrees in the valley and zero at altitude, on the same day. A genuinely waterproof jacket is no luxury here. See Kyrgyzstan and Patagonia.
Desert and heat
Protection from sun and sand instead of from cold. Long sleeves are mandatory while walking. See Oman.
Extreme cold
Here gear failure is a safety question. Mitts rated to minus thirty and no cotton: that is not negotiable. See Escape The Arctic.
The order that works
- Gather first. Put everything you already own in one pile and compare it with the packing list. Buy nothing yet.
- Buy your boots. The one exception, because you need weeks to break them in.
- Wait for the kick off. That is where we look together at what is missing and what will do.
- Top up deliberately. Follow the quantities on the list. Every extra layer bought just in case makes your pack heavier and your budget bigger.
- Test everything. Sleep a night outdoors with your full set before you leave.
The three mistakes we see most
Bringing cotton, because it holds moisture and will not dry. Buying too much out of uncertainty, which makes your pack heavier than it needs to be. And wearing new boots you have not broken in.
You do not have to work this out alone
The packing list is part of the preparation programme, and that programme exists for exactly this. You get the list months in advance, you go through it at the kick off with the expedition leader, and you leave with gear that someone experienced has confirmed is right.