Everything I’m Stuffing in My 75-Liter Backpack to Tour Mont Blanc
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This month, I’ll be hiking around the highest mountain in Western Europe, a.k.a. undertaking the Tour du Mont Blanc. Beginning in the Chamonix valley, it’s an 11-day, 105-mile route through picturesque alpine villages in France, Italy, and Switzerland. I’ll becampingeach night in order to save money and avoid dealing with the tour’s frustratingly competitive mountain-refuge booking system (I tend to prefer sleeping in a tent to a dorm full of snoring and smelly fellow hikers anyway), which requires carrying a backpack full of hopefully not-too-heavy gear. Here’s what I’m planning on taking with me.
My backpack
I’m spending a few days in Spain with friends before beginning the tour, which presents a bit of a packing challenge. I only ever like to travel with one piece of luggage, so I’m opting to take a largerbackpackthan technically necessary for the tour: Fjallraven’s 75-liter Kajka. It’s an old-school-looking pack with a wooden frame, adjustable fit, and compartmentalized design for easy gear organization. I will remove the backpack’s lid (or “brain,” as this top section is sometimes called) and store my extra clothing and other items in Chamonix while I’m trekking.
A backpack this big and heavy is out of vogue in hiking circles these days, but I’m pleased with how well the Kajka distributes weight. I dislike rummaging through deep top-opening backpacks in order to locate my stuff, so the front zipper will make life on the trail much easier. I also like that this bag is constructed from durable and repairable materials — ultralightweight backpacks are by nature kind of flimsy and not necessarily made to last.
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Clothing and footwear
I have no desire to carry multiple outfits up and down a bunch of mountain passes, so I’m keeping my clothing minimal: a long-sleeve UV shirt and shorts for daytime, merino base layers for nighttime. Definitely a raincoat for sudden summer rainstorms. (The Kajka also comes with its own rain cover, which is great.) I’m tempted to bring a fleece mid-layer but will probably save weight and just rely on my puffer jacket instead. Many people successfully hike the Tour du Mont Blanc in trail runners, but I’m wearing boots because I prefer the ankle support and extra protection against falling rocks and such — it’s also possible to encounter occasional drifts of snow on the trail. Also, as with my backpack above, I appreciate that boots can be resoled and worn for decades rather than wearing out after a single season like sneakers do. I’m packing camp sandals as well.
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Tent
The mostultralightweight shelter option would be something single-walled like theDurston X-MidorGossamer Gear The One, which are essentially tarps that you prop up with a single trekking pole. I find this style of tent a little stressful to pitch, especially on unknown terrain, so I’m opting for Mountain Hardwear’s more traditional double-walled Nimbus, which comes with its own (very lightweight and collapsible) poles. Something I like about this tent is that it has a front rather than side entrance, which means I can wake up to a pretty view from my sleeping bag. It also packs downsmall.
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Sleep system
When it comes to sleep gear, I’m trying to stay as warm as possible (temperatures may drop below freezing at night) without making my pack too heavy. So that means an ultralight sleeping pad with an R-value (the standard measure of sleeping-pad insulation) above 3, as well as a highly compressible down sleeping bag with a comfort rating (notsurvival rating) of around 29 degrees. I’m also bringing a thermal liner just in case. On warmer nights, I like sleeping in the liner and just throwing an unzipped sleeping bag over the top like a blanket.
Cooking gear
I’ll be stopping to eat at restaurants and mountain refuges each day rather than carrying my own food. But I am still taking my trusty and tiny MSR Pocket Rocket in order to make coffee. A titanium French press is my preferred brewing method, although a packable pour-over dripper would technically take up less space. I’ll also bring along a knife, fork, and plate so I can make sandwiches from all the baguettes and fresh cheeses that I hopefully encounter.
Everything else
I’m not really into wearables, but thought I’d try out a solar-charging fitness watch in order to track my progress — I also like that this Garmin one has a compass and torch. It is clearly designed to be worn by men and looks ridiculous on my tiny wrist, but that’s hiking gear for you. Other essentials include my Kindle, basic first-aid supplies, trekking poles for knee relief during the daily ascents and descents, and a guide book with decent maps.
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Correction:A previous version of this story said Mont Blanc was the highest mountain in Europe. Mont Blanc is the highest mountain in Western Europe.
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