In this post I will share 7 things I wish I had packed for my first multi-day hike. Find my full packing list for multi day hikes below.
When I traveled around New Zealand for three months, I had my first solo multi-day hiking experience. I didn’t know much about the best gear or the must-have essentials. I did my best, and with each hike, I got inspired by other hikers and discovered the most important things to bring on my treks.
It was so nice hiking from hut to hut in New Zealand. The huts were often basic but, in my opinion, very nice—usually set in beautiful natural surroundings, far from civilization. This meant I had to bring almost everything myself. I often needed to book in advance, which guaranteed me a mattress in the hut. Some huts had stoves and gas available for free use, and if I was lucky, I would find flush toilets.
From my own experience, I quickly realized what was really worth bringing on my hikes:
- Tea towel for washing dishes and drying hands after handwashing. The water was always freezing cold, and drying my hands in the air was even colder!
- Lightweight cup for something warm to drink
- Sandfly repellant
- Filtered water bottle – I needed to boil the water, but it took forever to cool down again
- Bag for trash – you need to take everything you bring with you back down from the hike again (so don’t bring too much extra food)
- Book – so many were reading and relaxing after the hike. I missed having my own book to read, but luckily there were leftover nature magazines in some of the huts
- Optional: dish soap – I would consider bringing a little bit of dish soap next time… Cold water made it difficult to clean up my cooking gear
Below is my full packing list for multi-day hikes. Often, there will be no option for showering, but if you don’t mind cold, fresh water, there are usually streams where you can take a quick dip. I brought very few toiletries for my short multi-day hikes because of the lack of space and extra weight.
Remember to add food on your final list!
