I am going on the Trek America Grand Trek from May 29th – July 10th 2019 (read more). I have done so much research on what to take and thought I would compile my list together. The Grand Trek is 6 weeks long, shortly after I booked it I started thinking how am I going to pack for that amount of time. I hope this helps answer your questions if you are going on a similar trip.
This post contains amazon affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I will receive a small amount of commission. This costs nothing extra to you 🙂 I hope these links make your trek prep much easier – it took me months to get all these items together.
What I’m Packing For Trek America 2019
First things first – you DO NOT need to pack for 6 weeks. Pack what you need for two weeks and use the washing facilities. Check your airline to find out what your luggage allowance is. Bear this in mind, if your luggage is over this you will be charged. Also consider that you will most likely purchase things on your way and will need to bring these back.
Suitcase, Soft holdall or Rucksack?
Being away for 6 weeks I decided to go with the luggage option that seemed like it was going to optimise the space. I ended up going for the North Face Rolling Thunder 30″. It has an 80L capacity and I feel I can pack this out more efficiently than I could a suitcase. It will also be easy to look through and pull different things out as and when I need them. Unless you can pack extremely light I would opt for a suitcase or soft holdall. The van will be carrying the luggage and the times we need to move it around we won’t have to go
Sleeping Bag
I spent so long deciding which sleeping bag to get. I am someone who is cold at night so I chose a bag that felt comfortable and will keep me warm even if it gets cold. If I get too hot I will just lay on top of it. I purchased the Vango Latitude 200. It is a 3 season sleeping bag, comfort temperature 3, limit temperature -2. This compacts quite small whilst still being a comfortable sleeping bag. The really small ones I looked at would be very thin
Self Inflating Sleeping Mat
Trek America provide foam mats but I would rather have that extra comfort option. I purchased the Vango Traverse Sleeping Mat. It is a full length mat, which supposedly self inflates. I have seen reviews online which state they need to blow it up. I purchased this on sale for £15 so I’m not expecting it to be amazing. Similar sleeping mat:
Microfibre Towel
I had no clue about these until I started doing my research and watched packing videos on Youtube. Microfibre towels fold up very small and will dry very quickly. Making them the perfect option for travel. Standard towels are so bulky and will take forever to dry!
Walking Boots
It is suggested that you would be fine in normal trainers but I would rather have extra shoe options than too little. I decided to opt for proper walking boots to ensure my ankles and feet are well supported after a long day of hiking. I didn’t want to have sore feet and then have to do it all again the next day. Adidas Terrex
Powerbank
Wifi is going to be limited and I certainly don’t intend on spending my trip glued to a screen but I will need power to make sure I can take pictures. I purchased the Anker Powercore 13000mAh. This one was a happy medium between the size and weight. I am bringing a powerbank purely as a backup, I will review it once I return. Maybe it will be extremely handy.
Multi USB Car Charger
We will have days where we are in the van for 9 hours so it is recommended we bring car chargers and we can keep all of our electronics powered as we go. Just in case there is no power at the campsite, my powerbank and car charger will be perfect.
Headtorch
This will be really handy for night time at the campsite when it’s dark and you are cooking or need to go to the toilet. Maybe we will even be doing some hiking at night – who knows?!
Waterbottle
To save on purchasing water all the time (and the planet), I am bringing a water bottle that I can refill. From the sounds of it there are lots of places to refill – especially in national parks. I have had this bottle for a while now, I initially purchased it for the gym and have found that I use it a lot more that i thought. It claims to be leak proof, which I have found to be true so far!
Washing Line & Travel Detergent
This was recommend on someone else’s blog and I thought why not. We will be doing a fair amount of washing over the 6 weeks. This could make it much easier for myself and our group. Most sites have facilities for washing – but i thought it would be best to bring a washing line just in case.
Large Locks
Purely through doing my own research I saw that others were recommending to bring large loop locks for hostels. I hope the ones I have will be suitable – if not at least I have extra locks!
Luggage Scale
To save any shocks at the airport I decided to get a luggage scale. Pretty sure we have one at my house but I want to take it out there with me. I tested this the other day and it lifts the weight just fine. My suitcase is currently around 18.2kg – A few kilos left to bring back goodies!
Rain Jacket & Warm Jacket
I personally opted for North Face, I love the brand and have never been disappointed with the quality. However, I haven’t bought these specifically for this trip, I have already been wearing them. If you are buying things just for trek I would choose a more cost effective alternative. I am bringing my North Face thermoball jacket, which will be a life saver if it’s cold. I’m also bringing the outer jacket to my North Face triclimate jacket, this is so I have a hooded option.
Backpack
Most people probably already have a backpack but I didn’t. Again, I have invested in a north face one but you can get any! I have already used this and know I will get my use out of it in future. For the trip, this is going to be perfect for the flight and general days out & hiking. I will also pack one or two smaller bags for nights out.
Are you going on a Trek America trip or have you already been? What are your ‘must haves’ when travelling?
Looking for more Trek America posts? Read here.
Read more:
- Visiting The Roman Baths, No. 1 Royal Crescent & Firehouse Rotisserie
- A Day At Brooklands Museum
- First Flying Lesson With TG Aviation
- Durdle Door & Lulworth Cove | Dorset
- Venice 2018 Travel Diary
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