Solo Thru-Hike Packing List for 2020 Hike of the GDT

Great Divide TrailThru Hiking
Written By Krysta Norwick

This is a list of every item I carried for 950 km on the Great Divide Trail in 2020.

I am not an ultra-light thru-hiker. This list represents a regular to lightweight packing list.

With this weight I was able to hike 25-30 km per day on average. Due to my job changing dramatically at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, I was unable to purchase new ultralight gear. I decided I would use what I already owned and I was honestly really happy with the results.

I’ve highlighted a few of the items I would change on future hikes.

List of every item in my pack at the end of my thru-hike

Please note: if you purchase items following some of the links I might receive a small commission. If you do, thank you so much for supporting me to keep the blog running!

Detailed information on each item of gear

Backpack

Arc’teryx Bora 61 L

Pros: hip swivel for decreasing fatigue, various compartments, waterproof
Cons: 61 L is large for a thru-hike; however, I wasn’t going ultra-light so it’s what I needed

Pack Cover 65-80 L from MEC

Used this when raining quite consistently on the second half. I preferred being able to keep my entire pack covered, although some thru-hikers choose to put a garbage bag inside their backpack to keep their items dry.

Rain wasn’t the only thing that could make your pack damp.

 

Shelter

MSR Hubba Hubba Tent: 2-person tent

Pros: I really liked having space to spend inside on my own. This was a nice sanctuary away from the bugs and elements.  
Cons: Heavy and bulky compared to ultralight tents.

MSR Hubba Hubba two-person tent.

 

Bedding

Thermarest Neoair Sleeping Pad: R value of 5

Pros: a sleeping pad with a good R value really helps you regulate temperature in the mountains, quite lightweight, and comfortable.
Cons: none!

Sea to Summit Premium Large pillow

Pros: incredibly comfortable, lightweight, and luxurious
Cons: none

Mountain Hardware Eco AF -9C Sleeping Bag

I started with -18C bag and it was too warm and bulky. At one-third of the way along, I switched to the -9C bag. This bag wasn’t warm enough on it’s own. I would recommend a -12C or adding a silk liner to the -9C bag.

Krysta inside the Eco AF sleeping bag.

 

Cookware

MSR Stove with fuel canisters from MEC

Pros: ease of use, lightweight, reliable, comes with windshield
Cons: must use fuel canisters, so doesn’t burn as well at altitude as a canister that can be pressurized

Titanium Ultralight Pot by Evernew

Pros: ultralightweight
Cons: slightly too small for my increased hiker hunger

Snow Peak Titanium 450 mL double-wall mug

Pros: loved having coffee and tea in mug, which helped me enjoy the slower moments on trail!
Cons: added luxury item if you are trying to go ultralight


Light My Fire Titanium Spork

Pros: lightweight and durable
Cons: none

Opinel Carbone Knife

Pros: lightweight and durable
Cons: none

MSR Miniworks Water Filter

Pros: worked well, water tastes great, and reliable
Cons: really heavy for thru-hiking standards and required cleaning with a sponge every couple of days.

The beautiful glacial water held a lot of sediment that quickly clogged up our filter. It was important to de-clog our filter every few days using the included cleaning sponge.

 

Water and Food Storage:

2L water bladder and 1L Nalgene bottle

Food sacks: waterproof 8L and 10L sacs from MEC and Sea to Summit



Bear Safety

Bear rope: 20 m rope worked at all campsites

Pros: rope was quite light, has multiple uses (clothes line) and worked at every camp spot
Cons: some nights it was challenging to find a good spot for a rope hang. I was jealous of other thru-hikers using the Ursack as this seemed easier to use and didn’t require throwing a rope over a branch.

Bear Spray: small bear spray in a fabric holster

Pros: helps protect you during a bear encounter
Cons: if you’re lucky, you will carry it the whole time and never use it

Bear Bangers

Pros: extra safety against wildlife which can help eliminate the need to use bear spray
Cons: none – they are small and I was happy to have them the two times I used them to scare away Grizzly Bears.

 

Toiletries

  • Mask

  • Sunscreen: Neutrogena

  • Chapstick

  • Band-aids: game-changer for blisters

  • Toothpaste tablets by crush and brush – from MEC – lightweight

  • Toothbrush

  • Athletic tape: taped over bandaid on blister – this lasted all day. All bandaids didn’t hold all day. 3 strips of the tape over the band-aid did the trick

  • Floss

  • Lighter

  • Gravol

  • Sea to Summit Laundry Soaps (I used these when at a resupply)

 

Toilet Supplies and Feminine Hygiene

  • Trowel: Tentlab – The Deuce 2
    Really important item on a thru-hike. 80% of the time there was no outhouse to use – used it so often!

  • Kula Cloth: pee cloth to wipe if you squat in the woods. As a pelvic floor physio, I understand how important feminine hygiene is. Rinse this in the stream whenever possible. Easy to keep clean

  • Diva cup for menstrual cycle – preferred this to packing tampons

  • Toilet paper: rationed for each section.

  • Hand sanitizer

 

First-Aid Kit:

I carried a heavy and well-stocked kit including:

  • Bandaids

  • Gauze

  • Polysporin

  • Aquafina water purification tablets – in case filter broke

  • Canesten – just in case of yeast infection

  • Steristrips

  • Tape

  • Sling

  • Large bandaids

  • Nail-clippers – key!

  • Medications: Benadryl, Advil, Tylenol, Imodium, Claritin, Peptobismol

 

Safety

Petzl Actik Headlamp

Pros: rechargeable, lightweight, bright light
Cons: none

Garmin inReach – Satellite phone

Pros: connects through Bluetooth to cell phone, can send messages and emails to loved ones, can trigger SOS and receive messages from emergency services, GPS with maps
Cons: none! In my opinion, this is a necessary item for any solo-hiker!

Sunglasses: Ray Ban aviators.

Pros: protect your eyes
Cons: stopped wearing these as the hike went on, so barely used them

Bug Net: Coughlan’s from Marks Work Warehouse

Pros: saved me against the incessant bugs constantly flying straight for my eyes
Cons: none

Fanny Pack: Cotopaxi

I used this when solo at camp for safety. I would put my inReach, bear spray, headlamp, etc. in it when leaving my tent pad. I would have to walk up to 400 m from my tent to get water or to the cooking area.

Pros: looks cool and helps with camp safety
Cons: bonus item you don’t really need

 

Electronics

Battery bank: Kopplen 15600 mAH

This size battery bank allowed me to charge my phone 3-4 times per leg and my inReach once.

Pros: I used my phone for GPS, so it was reassuring knowing I could always recharge my phone.
Cons: quite heavy

Charging cables: inReach/headlamp cord and iPhone cord

Very important to recharge all devices. Ensure you bring a wall adapter for when in town on a resupply/rest day.

Headphones: Bose earbuds

Pros: this provides a nice reprieve from your thoughts on the more challenging mentally days. Many trhu-hikers listen to audiobooks, podcasts and music.
Cons: you might be tempting to use up too much of your batteries listening to music

iPhone for GPS

Pros: my iPhone acted as a camera, GPS, communication device, etc.
Cons: none

 

Clothing

Smartwool 150: Merino wool long sleeve and t-shirt

I hiked in these two shirts exclusively and found them super comfortable and temperature regulating.

Pros: lightweight, temperature regulating and moisture wicking
Cons: none

Icebreaker Merino Cool Lite T-shirt

I didn’t hike in this shirt; this was a bonus item I don’t think I would carry in the future. However, it was really nice to have an extra shirt while doing laundry in town!

Shorts: Arc’teryx Creston 4.5 Hiking shorts

Pros: absolutely loved them! They are lightweight and dried quickly.
Cons: none!

Hiking pants: Arc’teryx Cita Pants

Pros: incredibly lightweight, really quick drying, mesh at the back and zippers at the legs
Cons: none – loved these!

Montane Phoenix Puffy Jacket

This is my heaviest warm jacket and I’m very glad I had it by the end.

Pros: super important to have a very warm layer when at camp, sleeping or if you get hurt.
Cons: this is a down jacket and I’m allergic to down. In future I would bring a synthetic down jacket.

Smartwool 250 long underwear top and bottom

I used these as pajamas at camp. I ensured to only wear them at camp and to bed. This meant I always had a warm and dry layer to wear no matter what the weather.

Pros: warm and cozy
Cons: none – I love Smartwool

Underwear: Patagonia and Smartwool underwear.

Pros: both were incredibly comfortable, quick drying, temperature regulating and odour controlling
Cons: none!

Smartwool Socks

I always had 3 pairs with me. One pair for camp and 2 pairs for hiking. By halfway our feet were wet almost all day long every day, so having a dry pair for camp was essential.

Smartwool and Icebreaker Merino Bras

These are amazing!

Pros: quick dry, no odour, and super comfortable
Cons: I might not have needed the second one – it was more of a luxury item

 

Rain Gear

Montane Goretex Pro Jacket

Pros: waterproof, bugproof, and wore it almost every day for the last two weeks
Cons: I should have washed and waterproofed it right before starting the hike

Arc’teryx Bib Pants Gortex Pro

I would purchase a cheaper and lightweight version for my next thru-hike.

Pros: very waterproof and an extra bugproof layer
Cons: too bulky and heavy for a thru-hike, wide legs were easy to trip on

 

Hats

Arc’teryx Elaho Ball Cap

Pros: sun protection, keeps rain off your face, and you look cool
Cons: none

MEC Wool Toque

Pros: wool helps keep you very warm and it doubles as an eye mask
Cons: none

 

Gloves

Rab Vapour Rise Gloves

I wore these quite a few days while hiking by the end.

Pros: really comfortable, leather palm, water-resistant
Cons: not super warm, so if your hands tend to get cold I would go for a higher warmth factor (I usually have pretty warm hands)

 

Shoes

Birkenstock Arizona Rubber Sandals

Pros: lightweight, allows you to dry your feet completely at camp, can wear socks with these sandals to keep your feet warm
Cons: an extra item that might not be absolutely necessary, but I do think it’s important to fully dry your feet at night

Salomon Outbound Hiking Shoes

Pros: dried well, lighter shoes, and can feel the ground underfoot
Cons: I went through 2 pairs of these in 6 weeks and 950 kms, so they’re not that durable.

 

Insoles

Arch support is very important. One of the biggest things I heard from other thru-hikers was how sore their feet were. My feet were almost never sore. You can get custom ones made or buy something over the counter. I highly recommend not using the insoles that come with the shoes as they usually provide little to no support.

 

Miscellaneous

Enso Silicone Wedding Band

Pros: if you injure your hand this can been pulled off or cut off (unlike metal rings)
Cons: none  

Outdoor Research Compression Stuff sacks:

Pros: water-proof sacks keep all your warm layers and sleeping bag dry
Cons: extra weight, but necessary in my opinion to stay warm at night

 

Thank you for reading through. Hope you enjoy!

Krysta Norwick
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