What Should Be in Your Backpack, Including the 1 Surprise Item That Was My Favourite

1. Tour du Mont Blanc Packing List: What You Need to Bring
monkeysandmountains.com /tour-du-mont-blanc-packing-list
The Tour du Mont Blanc is one of the most famous long-distance hikes, not only in
Europe, but in the world! But it can also be intimating knowning what to pack for a
long distance trek – especially when you’re carrying everything yourself! That’s
why I’ve created the Tour du Mont Blanc Packing List!
It inspires awe everyday as you circumnavigate Mont Blanc, the second highest mountain in Europe. If you’re
planning a trip, you’ll definitely want to check outTour du Mont Blanc: How to Plan for this Epic Adventure!
This was my first real long distance hike and I had only a vague idea of what to pack, since most of my other hiking
trips were day hikes, or just an overnight backcountry camping trip. When I first laid everything out on my bed and
tried to stuff it in my backback a third of it didn’t fit. The next attempt, I managed to get it closed, but just barely. After
strapping it up and staggering a few steps, and realized that if I was having a hard time making it across my
bedroom, I had no chance of making it 160km across mountain passes every day. So I reduced again. Reflecting on
my TMB (short for Tour du Mont Blanc) afterwards I probably overpacked a tiny bit, but was overall happy with my
packing list. I’ve modified a bit to reflect that.
Using this Tour du Mont Blanc Packing List:
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2. This list assumes that you will be staying in refuges, and taking between 7 – 12 days to do the hike. If you plan to
sleep in a tent, of course you would need camping gear, and decide whether you would be cooking your own food or
eating at a nearby refuge. It also assumes that you will be carrying your own pack – hence why reducing the weight
as much as possible is a key consideration with this list. If you don’t want to carry your own pack, then I highly
recommend doing aself-guided tour booked through an amazing tour operator that I’ve partnered with. They can
take care of that for you and book all your accommodations as well!
If you have any questions about this packing list, leave a comment below and I’ll try to answer it. Happy Packing!
Hiking Gear
Thermal shirt
2 Quick-dry moisture-wicking shirts – 2 is enough if
they are long sleeved with the option to roll the sleeves
up, otherwise you should bring 2 short-sleeve and 2
long-sleeve shirts. I used all of mine.
Lightweight fleece with hood or another warm layer. I
love my Salomon one (similar to the one in the link) for
its light weight and warmth.
Waterproof shell with hood.
Waterproof pants
2 pairs of Convertible hiking pants – Look for the kind
that zip off into shorts. This saves you from having to
bring both pants and shorts. On most days, I started off
in pants in the early morning and then zipped off the
legs by mid-morning.
Thermal leggings – I ended up not using mine, but it
doesn’t take up much room and if the weather takes a
sudden dip, you’ll be glad that you have it.
3 pairs of moisture wicking hiking socks
Neck warmer – This is one of my favourite pieces of
gear and takes up almost no space. It stays in my pack
and I bring it on day hikes as well.
Warm hat – Or a toque as us Canadians call it :)
Light gloves – If you’re going in July and August, light gloves should be enough, but if you’re going in June or
September, then definitely bring warmer ones as well.
Anti-shock & retractable hiking poles – I use hiking poles on almost every hike that I do, but I highly recommend
them even if you don’t use them. They take a lot of pressure off your lower body – especially the anti-shock ones.
Trust me, your body will thank you when you’re hiking for multiple days in a row! Also be sure that you buy the
retractable kind so that you can carry them on your backpack when you’re not using them.
Hiking boots – Choose an ankle-height pair that is waterproof. My two personal favourite brands of hiking boots are
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3. La Sportiva and Salomon. Trekking tip: You may also want to consider waterproofing them before you go if they’re
only water resistant. VERY IMPORTANT: Be sure to break
them in before you start the Tour du Mont Blanc. You don’t want
to be in constant agony or have to quit the TMB because of
blisters. Another tip? If you’re in the market for new hiking
boots, go shopping in the afternoon, when you’re feet are a bit
swollen, that way you can ensure that you get a big enough
size.
35-45L Backpack. 3 Trekking Trips for Choosing a Backpack
for the Tour du Mont Blanc: 1)Choose one that has a wide waist
band – and ensure that you use it. This will take some of the
pressure off your back. 2)Choose one that has a wicking layer
between the pack and your back. This helps reduce back
sweat, and trust me, you will sweat….a lot! 3)Choose a
backpack that has a built-in rain cover. It’s much more likely to
fit better than one you buy in a store that’s not made specially
for your backpack. My husband experienced this and had to
keep readjusting the cover on rainy days.
Gaiters – Very useful in case of rain or walking through deep
snow banks.
Baseball or sun cap – Something to keep the sun off.
Admittedly, I didn’t use mine, but I don’t burn easily. My
husband wore his everyday.
3 pairs of quick dry underwear
Sports bra
Clothing for Hanging out After Hiking in the TMB Refuges
Hut shoes – Many huts do not allow regular shoes in certain areas, so bring a pair of hut shoes, spa shoes, or
slippers. It’a also OK if you just wear socks. Tlast option is not very European, but as a Canadian I often find that
socks suffice.
ALPS Mountaineering MicroFiber Rectangle Sleeping Bag Liner – The great thing about staying in the refuges is
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4. that they’ll provide you with blankets and a pillow. All you need is a sleeping bag liner, which serves as a barrier
between you and the blankets, since they’re not washed after every guest.
Nightshirt or something to sleep in – Remember, it’s very possible that you will be sharing a room with others. Even
if you have your own private room, you will be sharing a bathroom, so bring something that you don’t mind other
people seeing. I.e. leave the negligee at home.
Comfortable pair of casual pants that you’ll wear after hiking and having dinner in the refuges.
Food
Nutritious Snacks that don’t squish easily. Nuts and dried fruit are good choices. Crackers and wafers get crushed
easy and chocolate melts. If you crave something sweet, then gummy bears are a better choice than chocolate
since they don’t melt. If you have any food allergies, like me, I’m Celiac so can’t eat any gluten, then bring a few
extra snacks in case the refuges aren’t able to accommodate your allergy or forget, as happened to me on a couple
of occasions. Note: Breakfast and dinner are both served in the refuge. You have the option to purchase a to-go
lunch from them which is what we did. The other option is to bring more food, or plan to stop at one of the refuges en
route for lunch. If you choose the last option, prepare to do more route planning so that you don’t end up eating
lunch at 10:00 am or 4:00 pm.
Hydration
4 liters of water – Some days you may only need 3 litres, and on most days there will be a refuge en route that you
can fill up your water bottle, but it’s always better to be safe than sorry.
Electrolyte tablets – I probably used this every second day. It was really helpful near the end of the day, when I was
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5. ready to power out, but still had more elevation or distance to cover.
Miscellaneous
Mini first aid kit
Compeed blister cushions – THE best blister treatment I’ve ever found. Recommended to me by several hikers on
Twitter.
Toilet paper
Plastic bags (yes, you have to carry out your toilet paper)
Headlamp – with extra batteries
Toiletries
Tour of Mont Blanc: Complete two-way trekking guide (You won’t need this or the map below if you choose to do a
self-guided tour booked through the tour agent I’ve partnered with)
Quick-dry towel – Most refuges don’t provide towels, so you need one you can dry off with after a shower, and use to
dry your face in the mornings)
Washing detergent
Travel Insurance – You should purchase it before you go, then either carry the details with you, or go light and take a
photo of the details, so you don’t need to bring extra paper with you. I also like to save a copy to email or Dropbox,
just in case I lose my phone.
Money
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6. Most refuges do not accept credit cards and there are only cash machines in the towns – of which you will not be in
everyday if you stay in refuges, so be sure to bring enough cash with you.
Documents
In Europe it’s required by law that you carry identification with you. If you’re not European, you must carry your
passport with you.
Optional
Camera. Optional, but trust me, you’ll want to capture your incredible
accomplishment. While I normally use a DSLR, for this trip, I used my
iPhone 4. Now I would recommend the Apple iPhone 6, which has a
great camera.
Book to read (recommend bringing both a Kindle Fire HD – pre-
loaded with books you want to read, and a small paper one. Plugins
are in short supply in refuges and if you have more than one device to
charge, i.e. a phone, camera, etc., you may not be able to charge
them all every night.
Garmin eTrex 30x to track your route and progress.
Eye mask and ear plugs (if you stay in the dormitory style rooms, it
can be noisy)
Foot Roller Massager – This was my one indulgent item and my
FAVOURITE item of the entire trip! I used it everyday after hiking. It
felt soooooooo good, and didn’t take up much room! I highly
recommend bringing a small one!
Muscle-soreness relief cream
That my friends is your complete Tour du Mont Blanc
packing list! If you have any other essential items for
this trip, let me know in the comments below. Happy
packing!
Disclosure: This post includes affiliate links meaning that if you buy
something I receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. I’ve included recommendations for specific
products after receiving multiple emails asking for product recommendations.
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