Rainbow and I have our first backpack of the season coming up. So it’s time to prepare and start packing.

Preparation includes:

• Making sure my stove works, has fuel, and I remember how to use it
• Making sure my water filter works and I have all the parts and pieces
• Checking that everything is refilled, like advil, bandaids, electrolytes, etc
• Checking that my shelter and sleep stuff are in good shape after sitting all winter
• Planning my food for two days and making sure none of it is (too) expired
• Printing my list and checking it twice
• Fanatically checking weather reports and water levels and trail reports
• The night before I’ll charge all the things and actually pack it all in my bag

Everything seen in the image above will be on my body or in my pack. The two big bags upper left are my under quilt and my top quilt, which are both light and pack down much more compact than they look. So what do I bring?

• underquilt
• topquilt
• pack
• food for 2 days, roughly 4000 calories
• shoes
• sunglasses
• trail description
• map
• compass
• bear spray
• whistle
• bug spray
• sunblock
• bandanas
• hat
• bugnet
• tarp
• hammock
• toilet kit (hand sanitizer, poo shovel, trash bag, rubber gloves, tampon, pee rag)
• emergency kit (emergency blanket, headlamp, charger, cables, multitool, matches)
• first aid kit (bandaids, moleskin, ace bandage, advil, hand sanitizer, migraine meds)
• Garmin inReach
• water filtration kit
• sit pad
• water/camp shoes
• raquetball (to massage tired muscles)
• microfiber cloth
• trekking poles
• water bag
• chapstick
• toothbrush
• painting kit
• change of clothes
• clean socks
• night/warm cloths
• and far to the right, the “flat hiker” aka what I’m wearing – jacket, shirt, bra, shorts, skirt, socks and gaiters

Not shown (either because I just haven’t packed them yet or because I need to get more:

• toothpaste
• water bladder
• KT tape
• ear plugs
• beef jerky
• puffy jacket for night (dependent on weather forecast)