Backcountry Skiing Overnight Packing List

The always up to date guide to what’s in my pack! Geared for a multi day trip into the backcountry.

Last Updated: 9/09/2015

This is a full gear list including both packed and worn items.

• Skis – Line Sir Francis Bacon with Marker Barron bindings
• Boots – Scarpa Mobe
• Ski Poles – K2 Carbon/Carbon Lockjaw Probe
• Climbing Skins – Black Diamond Ascension Nylon STS
• Backpack – Bergans of Norway Helium 55L
• Water Bladder – 70 oz. Insulated Camelbak
• Avalanche Probe – BCA Profile 240
• Avalanche Shovel – G3 SpadeTECH
• Tent – Mountain Hardware Direk 2 with REI Snow and Sand Anchors
• Sleeping Bag – Sea-to-Summit Spark SPIII
  • An awesome sleeping bag that will lighten your load for sure. Keep in mind its only a 25 degree bag so you might need to wear your down to bed.  By bringing a full set of down, including gloves and socks, you can get away with a lighter weight sleeping bag.
• Sleeping Pad – Big Agnes Q-Core SL Mummy with Big Agnes Pumphouse Pad Pump Dry Sack
• Stove – Primus Express Lander with fuel, fuel bottle and wind screen
  • When using this stove I portion out roughly 25g of fuel per meal and an additional 30g per day for melting drinking water
• Cook Pot – Evernew TI Ultralight Pot 3 (1300 ml)
  • During the winter months when melting snow is my primary source of water I like to bring a larger pot.  Filling your water bladder can take a while when you are melting snow.  A larger pot expedites this process.
• Utensils – MSR Folding Utensils
  • Fork and spoon.
• Salt/Pepper Shaker – MSR Alpine Salt & Pepper Shaker
  • 1/2 with salt and 1/2 with cinnamon.  I don’t normally use pepper and cinnamon makes coffee and oatmeal taste better.
• Spice Container – MSR Alpine Spice Shaker
  • Filled with sugar – I don’t like black coffee
• Mug – GSI Outdoors Blue Mountain Infinity Mug
  • While I really prefer to use a titanium mug over plastic this mug has a lid that easily seals.  This allows me to drink hot coffee in my sleeping bag and set the mug down in the tent while I shuffle around and not stress out about it spilling.
• Water Purification – SteriPEN Adventurer Opti
  • See my article on winter water purification options. You can use the Mug to sterilize in and then pour it into your hydration bladder.
• Bic Lighter
• Headlamp – Black Diamond Icon
  • In the winter I use a bit beefier headlamp.  Due to the decreased amount of daylight the odds of me hiking in the dark pretty significant so I like a brighter light with a longer battery life.
• Lantern – Mont-Bell Crushable Lantern Shade
  • This thing is brilliant.
• Sit Pad – 1′ by 2′ piece of foam I cut from a sleeping pad
  • One of my favorite items to take with me.  Great for sitting on at lunch, around the fire, using as a small table to keep from losing small items, placed under a pack in your vestibule to keep the bottom of your pack dry, and many more uses.
• Emergency Beacon – Delorme InReach
• GPS – Garmon 62s
• Avalanche Beacon – BCA Tracker2
• 2 Way Radio – Motorola Talkabout MS350R
• Ice Axe – CAMP Corsa Nanotech ice axe
• Watch – Suunto Core
• Helmet – Giro Nine.10
• Goggles – Smith I/O with Blue Sensor Mirror lens
  • Regardless of lighting conditions I always use a lens geared toward flat light.  Rarely am I skiing down an open field in bright sunshine.  If that is the case I’ll wear my sun glasses.
• Sun Glasses – Julbo Tensing
• Puffy Jacket – The North Face Supernatural
• Puffy Pants – Arc’teryx Atom LT
• Storm Shell Jacket – Outdoor Research Mentor jacket
• Soft Shell Jacket – Outdoor Research Salvo Jacket
  • This is what I hike in.
• Storm Shell Pants – Outdoor Research Axcess pants
• Camp Shoes – Feathered Friends Down Booties
  • Camp shoes are a must when you are on a ski trip.  Walking around in the evening wearing your ski boots or just the liners is a pain.
• Light Gloves – Outdoor Research StormTracker
• Medium Gloves – Marmot Spring Glove
• Boxers – ExOfficio Give-N-Go Sport Boxer Brief
• Socks – Two pairs of Darn Tough Ultralight Ski socks
  • One pair to ski in and another to wear around camp.
• Shirt – Outdoor Research Echo 1/4 zip
• Baseball Cap – Any cheap trucker hat.
• Food – Breakfast, lunch, dinner (I pack one extra serving of dinner just in case), trail snacks, night time snacks, coffee, tea & sports drink powder.
• Food Bag – Sea to Summit Ultra-Sil dry sack with 50′ of cord
  • A durable dry bag with a length of cord attached holds food and can be hung to act as a bear bag.
• Nighttime Pee Bottle – Nalgene Wide-Mouth Canteen (96 oz)
  • I hate going outside in the middle of a blizzard.
• Carabineers – Two of them. Camp Nano 23’s are my favorite.
  • Great for all kinds of random things.
• Emergency Survival Gear – Emergency + medical gear packing list

Alternate Items – These are items I swap in or out when the weather changes.

• Storm Weight Gloves – Black Diamond Guide glove
  • Remove the Outdoor Research StormTracker glove when conditions are really nasty. Use this as your mid weight glove and the Marmot Spring Glove as your lightweight glove.
• Soft Shell Pants & Rain Pants – Outdoor Research Valhalla and CAMP B-Dry Evo
  • I always prepare for the worst but sometimes the weather abides and you can swap these for the storm shell pants.
• Crevasse Rescue Kit – Crevasse rescue packing list
  • Added into my pack whenever I’m venturing into glacier covered terrain.
• Hammock – Hummingbird Single Person Hammock
  • Nothing makes people jealous like busing out a 5.3oz. hammock at the edge of a lake and kicking up your feet. If there is terrain that supports a hammock I throw this in.