Backpack packing list

– commented –

8.9 kg in total (incl. backpack but with an empty bottle)

Backpack packing list – Dirk & Carsten (2020)

(1) Apparel

  • Hiking trousers, long (Lundhags Makke) => no Zip trousers!! So far I don’t know of any zip trousers that are as robust or technically equipped as, for example, the „Lundhags Makke“. Since sweating on the leg doesn’t really exist or is problematic for us, and the „Lundhags“ also has 40 cm long thigh zips on both sides that provide potential ventilation, we have completely dispensed with shorts without remorse, and in retrospect have found them completely redundant“.
  • 1 x Hiking shirt – long (Craghoppers NosiLife Pro III)
  • Rain trousers, 3/4 long, i.e. up to the knees (VAUDE Spray 3/4)
  • Down jacket (MAMMUT „Broad Peak Light„, 245g — can also be used as a pullover and packed in a fist size.)
  • 1 x (Functional)hiking shirt — short
  • 3 Underpants (1 x on the body, 1 x for evenings, 1 x spare pants or in the laundry / during drying)
  • 1 normal sports undershirt / singlet (CRAFT)
  • 1 x functional T-undershirt (ODLO)
  • 2 x Hiking socks (Jack Wolfskin: The „odor“ of those with grey heels in used version is much less than that of the black ones!!)
  • Cross-country skiing gloves
  • „Chaskee“ cap
  • „GORE Alp-X“ rain jacket (small, very light and relatively robust)

(2) Hiking/Mountaineering equipment

  • 35l Backpack (DEUTER Guide35+)
    • 2 large waterproof pack sacks with roll closure: 1 for evening equipment and stuff for the night, incl. sleeping bag and toilet bag) + 1 pack sack for replacement clothing as well as down jacket)
    • 1 (very) small waterproof pack sack for electron. cables and corresponding equipment incl. electricity powerpack => due to the waterproof pack sacks, a rain cover for the rucksack was basically superfluous!!
  • Light hiking boots, medium high (SCARPA – ZG Lite GTX)
  • Hiking poles
  • Climbing set for via ferratae (Climbing harness and gloves)
  • 1 short ripcord (ab. 70-100cm) + 1-Carabiner (for optional fixing in the ferrata)
  • Bivy bag
  • Emergency whistle

(3) Stuff for Hut Stays

  • CORONA-Mask (+ 1 x Ersatz)
  • thin/light pullover for the evenings (Ziener)
  • 2nd (light) trousers espec. for evenings (Salewa Pedroc light)
  • Sleeping T-Shirt (NZ)
  • 3/4 running gear shorts as pyjama bottoms (also as underclothing / warmth layer)
  • 1 x running socks (short; espec. for the evenings at the huts) => at „washing days“ also the 2nd pair of hiking socks could be used as backup temporarily
  • Ultra-light running shoes (as shoes for the huts + for recovering feet during resting days: New Balance Fresh Foam – 216g)
  • Pillow, inflatable (Trekology ALuft Pillow 2.0 => pillows were mandatory at the huts in 2020)
  • Sleeping bag => YETI Fever Ultra, 300g (no thin linen bags allowed due to Corona in 2020)
  • Towel (Intersport, medium size – 50 x 90cm => also for taking showers)
  • Small pharmacy set for backpacks (Selection)
    • IBUProfen
    • Immodium (medic.product against Diarrhoea)
    • „Traumeel“-Gel (or similar => e.g. for bruises, strains and/or sprains): This was two times of high importance for both of us!!
    • Handwashing detergent (125ml REI)
    • Plaster
    • „Compeed“ blister plaster
    • 125ml Sun blocker lotion LSF-50+ or LSF-30 (accord. to type of skin)
    • Magnesium
    • Desinfection + wet tissues
    • Ohropax sticks
  • toilet bag (Selection)
    • 1 Trouser pocket towel (enough for brushing teeth/shaving and for „quick wash“ in the morning; the „large“ towel (see above) may then already be packed in to the backpack before sleeping or will be dry for packing in the morning)
    • Shower gel (100ml , with screw cap – otherwise the gel could open itself by pressure changes due to height differences when hiking up/down by 1000m)
    • Liquid soap (50ml, with screw cap; e.g. „Garnier SkinActive Hautklar 3 in 1„)
    • Wet razor for shaving
    • Toothpaste (75ml)
  • Headlamp (FENIX-HL25)

(4) Technical Stuff etc.

  • 1,5 l Drinking bottle (SIGG)
  • Pocket knife (for cheese + „Speck“)
  • Sun glasses
  • Reading glasses (for old man)
  • TOLINO eBook reader (Tolino-App in a smartphone sufficient)
  • LEICA „C-Lux“ (mit 15 x opt. Zoom) + 1 Ersatzakku + circular Polaris.Filter
  • Mobil phone with USB double plug and 2 x cable (1 Mikro-USB + USB-C)
  • USB charging cable für Garmin ForeRunner-945
  • 1 USB powerpack (20.000mAh)
  • Guidebook for the tour (R.Rother) => important + helpful if, contrary to planning (e.g. due to weather conditions), an alternative route or overnight stay is needed at short notice!
  • (Daytime catering) => as required! (Apart from small, thin salami + a piece of cheese, we had no need during the day, that could not be met at huts along the way.)

Paper maps were not used for reasons of weight, as they would have meant carrying numerous products (and thus weight and volume). Allthemore, minimalist maps (sketches) are already included in the accompanying hiking guide (R.Rother) anyway.

In principle, for cases of doubt, digital (offline) vector maps incl. hiking trails were available via the (Android) smartphone app „LOCUS„, which also offer the advantage of showing the respective location directly on the map and being zoomable as desired.

To simplify orientation and wayfinding, digital tracks (in gpx format) were available and stored in our smartphones (as a backup in both). Basically, however, the orientation was done with the help of a GARMIN Forerunner-945, which also functioned as a sports watch on the wrist, contains all maps offline and provided navigation at all crossing points via the prepared gpx tracks.

Der GARMIN-Forerunner-945, den ich auf dieser Tour erstmals verfügbar hatte und auf den ich mich nach den Erfahrungen bei den Vorbereitungstouren ausschließlich verlassen habe (anders als original beabsichtigt, konnte nach diesen positiven Erfahrungen auf den Parallel-Betrieb der Smartphone-App LOCUS grundsätzlich verzichtet werden), hat sich durchwegs außerordentlich bewährt:

The GARMIN-Forerunner-945, which I had available for the first time on this tour and on which I relied exclusively after the experiences during the preparation tours (contrary to the original intention, after these positive experiences I could basically do without the parallel operation of the smartphone app LOCUS), has proven itself extraordinarily throughout:

  • The battery operation (running time) of the Forerunner was with an average of 18-20h pure GPS operation (i.e. approx. 2-3 tour days for us, in navigation mode incl. track recording for the tour fully sufficient and very acceptable, as the device could actually be fully recharged every evening in approx. 30min(!).
  • Compared to a solution with a smartphone or a separate GPS device, the Forerunner 945 offers the immense advantage that its position determination and display are always switched on and your own position in relation to the planned track can always be read directly from your wrist.
  • The Forerunner 945’s major plus point, however, is that it has a constantly updated, complete and high-resolution topographic map for Europe (or for anywhere in the world) integrated as standard, which, in addition to all (hiking) trails (incl. roads), bodies of water, vegetation and buildings, including the designation of prominent points and street names, makes it very easy to assign your own position and orientation in the terrain. In this way, wayfinding, e.g. at every intersection with the planned track, can be recorded very quickly and immediately without any problems. In addition to the time advantage, this is a real benefit with the submersible watch, especially in bad weather, which has proved very useful and makes me no longer want to do without such a watch.

Nevertheless, in both smartphones we also had all the hut information and in particular the reservation and deposit proofs available digitally and offline as a backup. Just in case, there was another backup of the hut information + reservations as well as the gpx tracks on an independent cloud storage (DropBox), which would require an internet connection to access.