Budget Backpacking Gear List

Are you just starting out backpacking and don’t want to spend thousands of dollars on high-end gear right out of the gate? This budget backpacking gear list will get you on the trail for under $1,000. It can be used for everything from overnighters to a thru-hiking in typical three-season conditions (late Spring through early Fall.) And, with a 14 lb base-weight, it’s pretty lightweight too.

Weight: 9.4 lbs, Cost: $538

These “big three” items make up the foundation of your lightweight backpacking system. They get used more than anything else, make up the bulk of your pack weight and will take the biggest chunk out of your budget.

The Big Three:

• Backpack: REI Flash 55 (45 oz) $200
• Shelter: ALPS Mountaineering Lynx 1P (53 oz) $120
• Sleeping Bag: Kelty Cosmic Down 20 (39 oz) $160
• Sleeping Pad: Therm-a-Rest Z Lite Sol Reg (14 oz) $58

Alternatives:

• Backpacks: Kelty Asher 55 (44 oz) $140 | REI Trailmade 60 (54 oz) $179 | Gregory Stout 60 (57 oz) $220 | Osprey Exos 58 (45 oz) $240
  
• Shelters: Kelty Discovery Trail 1 (54 oz) $110 | Eureka Midori 1 (59 oz) $150 | REI Trailmade 1 (56 oz) $179
• Sleeping Bags: Marmot Trestles Elite Eco 20 (38 oz) $169 | Big Agnes Anthracite 20 (44 oz) $140 | REI Trailmade 20 (53 oz) $100
• Sleeping Pads: Exped FlexMat (12 oz) $40 | KLYMIT Static V2 (20 oz) $70 | Therm-a-Rest Trail Scout (24 oz) $75

Weight: 2.9 lbs, Cost: $173

This is the clothing you will wear every day on the trail. Since these items spend more time on your body than in your pack, they are excluded from the “base weight” calculation. But they are included in your “skin-out weight.”

Clothing Worn:

• Shoes: Asics Gel-Venture (21 oz) $80
• Socks: Merrell Wool Everyday Hiking (2 oz) $8
• Shirt: Russell Athletic T-Shirt (5 oz) $14
• Pants: CQR Convertible Pants (12 oz) $50
• Underwear: Hanes X-Temp Boxer Brief (3 oz) $6
• Hat: Dukars Wide Brim Sun Hat (3 oz) $12
• Sunglasses: 3M Tekk Safety Glasses (1 oz) $3

Weight: 2.3 lbs, Cost: $118

This is clothing that is usually packed and gets worn during cold and wet weather, at camp in the evenings and on laundry day. Because these items spend as much time in your pack as on your body, they are included in the “base weight” calculation.

Clothing Packed:

• Insulated Jacket: Columbia Steens Mountain Vest (10 oz) $30
• Rain Jacket: FROGG TOGGS Ultra-Lite2 Rain Jacket (6 oz) $20
• Base Layer: Thermajohn Base Layer Top & Bottom (14 oz) $30
• Warm Cap: M-Tac Microfleece Beanie (0.8 oz) $12
• Gloves: Aegend Microfleece Gloves (1.5 oz) $12
• Spare Socks: Merrell Wool Everyday Hiking (2 oz) $8
• Spare Underwear: Hanes X-Temp Boxer Brief (3 oz) $6

Weight: 1.1 lbs, Cost: $46

These items are used for cooking and eating, cleaning dishes and storing and treating drinking water. This example will allow you to pack up to 3 liters of water. You may need to carry more or less water, depending on the conditions where you plan to hike.

Cooking & Hydration:

• Camp Stove: AOTU Canister Stove (3 oz) $10
• Cook Pot: Stanco Grease Pot (4 oz) $11
• Pot Cozy: Home-made Pot Cozy (1.4 oz)
• Spoon: HumanGear GoBites Uno Spork (0.5 oz) $5
• Pot Scrubber: 1/2 Scotch-Brite Pad (0.4 oz)
• Water Bottles: Smart Water 1.5 Liter Bottles (x2) (4 oz)
• Water Purification: Aquamira (3 oz) $20

Weight: 1.4 lbs, Cost: $83

These items are used for navigation, fire starting, first aid, gear repairs, personal hygiene, organization and other various tasks. Some of these things may not get used very often, but it’s still wise to carry them, because they are important to have in an emergency.

Survival & Miscellaneous:

• Map: Trail Map (3 oz)
• Compass: Coghlan’s Caribiner Compass (0.6 oz) $7
• Light: Foxelli Headlamp (3.2 oz) $12
• Multi Tool: MINI Multi-tool (3.2 oz) $8
• Fire Starter: Mini Bic Lighter (x2) (0.8 oz) $3
• Whistle: SOL Slim Howler (0.2 oz) $5
• Tape: 50″ Duct Tape (0.6 oz) $3
• Cord: 25′ Guyline (0.5 oz) $8
• First Aid Kit: Adventure Medical .3 Kit (3.2 oz) $11
• Wash Rag: Microfiber Pack Towel (0.7 oz) $9
• Toothbrush: Folding Toothbrush (0.7 oz) $2
• Phone Charger: Smartphone Charger (2 oz)
• Stuff Sacks: Outdoor Products Dry Sacks 8L, 4L, 2L (3.2 oz) $15

Weight: 2 lbs, Cost: $42

These are non-clothing items which are typically carried in your hands or on your body. They are excluded from the “base pack weight” calculation, but are included in your “skin-out weight.”

Worn or Carried:

• Trekking Poles: Cascade Mtn Tech Aluminum Trekking Poles (21 oz) $30
• Fixed Blade Knife: Morakniv Craftline Basic 3.6 inch (4 oz) $12
• Smartphone: Phone & Accessories (7 oz)

Weight: 17.8 lbs

These items get used up as you hike and have to be replenished occasionally. Since the weight of consumables fluctuates, they are excluded from the “base pack weight” calculation. But they are included in your “full pack weight” and “skin-out weight.”

Consumables:

• Food: 5 Days Trail Food (160 oz)
• Water: 3 Liters Water (105 oz)
• Fuel: 4 oz Isobutane Fuel Canister (7 oz)
• Toilet Paper: Toilet Paper (1 oz)
• Hand Sanitizer: Purell 1 fl oz (1.2 oz)
• Wet Wipes: Wet Ones Singles (x5) (1 oz)
• Spare Batteries: Lithium AA (x4) and AAA (x3) (3 oz)
• Body Powder: Gold Bond Powder (1.8 oz)
• Toothpaste: Travel Toothpaste (1 oz)
• Sunscreen: Travel Sunscreen (1.2 oz)
• Lip Balm: Carmex Lip Balm (0.5 oz)
• Bug Repellent: Deet 1 fl oz (1.5 oz)
• Medication: Tylenol, Ibuprofin, Bennadryl, Immodium (0.5 oz)

Base Pack Weight: 14 lbs

There are a few different methods for calculating pack weight. “Base weight” includes all of your packed gear, but does not include clothing worn, consumables and other items worn or carried. “Full pack weight” includes all of your packed gear and consumables like food, water and fuel. “Skin-out weight” includes everything packed, worn and carried.

Here is how our example budget backpacking gear list stacks up:

Budget Backpacking Gear List

The Big Three: 9.4 lbs ($538)
Clothing Packed: 2.3 lbs ($118)
Cooking & Hydration: 1.1 lbs ($46)
Survival & Miscellaneous: 1.4 lbs ($83)
Base Pack Weight: 14.2 lbs
+ Consumables: 17.8 lbs
Full Pack Weight: 32 lbs
+ Clothing Worn: 2.9 lbs ($173)
+ Items Worn or Carried: 2 lbs ($42)
Skin-Out Weight: 36.9 lbs
Total Cost: $1,000