I have been planning my Tour du Mont Blanc (TMB) trek for a number of months, by reading up on the trek from other hikers, consuming literature about it at the speed of light, and watching multiple YouTube videos on the trek. I have been dreaming about this particular hike for many years, and finally, it is becoming a reality as I am leaving on this trek in July 2024. At the risk of overcomplicating one of the last bastions of low-tech, totally offline recreation, there are a few things you can take into the outdoors that will add to the experience rather than detract from it. A lot of gimmicky outdoor gear isn’t worth bothering with, but the right tools in your belt (or pack) can enhance a big hike, backpack or camping trip by making the adventure smoother, safer and easier to enjoy. These are the items that made it into my pack, bear in mind that I am slack packing most of this trek, so if you choose to backpack, you will have to consider many more items, and a larger pack:
I have a body bag for my easy-to-reach items, here I store: The actual pack is a Patagonia 3l, I love this brand and with all the zips and pockets, this is one of my favourite items of hiking gear. It holds my gimbal and phone for videoing my adventures. In my main front zip compartment, I store my Swiss army knife and keys. In the main compartment are tissues, disinfectant wipes, a mini nail file (girls, right!), lip ice, eye drops, water disinfectant drops, a small pen (5cm), gear repair patches, and some cash or cards (depending on where I am hiking).In the left zip pocket, I store all my electronics i.e. cables I need on the hike, and a fast-charging battery pack. In its right pocket, I store deo wipes, disinfectant wipes, an anti-blister stick, vaseline, a small piece of hiker’s wool and an insect calming stick, for small bites. This pack has stuff sacks for snacks etc. too, I just love it! My body bag goes everywhere with me, whether I am slack-packing or backpacking.
My Slack-pack for TMB is a 30l Deuter, with it’s own rain cover. My Deuter pack has all the Alpine emergency signals and numbers on it. I’ve added an easy-to-reach pouch, with an SA velcro flag, on one of the backpack’s straps, this contains my glasses and wipes to clean my glasses with. I normally wear my hiking cap, and I take a peak cap with me to use with a raincoat. It’s a keepsake from a friend in Australia, so I like to have it with me.
My Backpack contains a pill Identification tag, with all of my information, blood type, a photo etc. on it. This is extremely important to talk for you when you cannot. There is a link for the insert under the free resources section of the website. Download it, and be safe, just in case. Emergency whistle.
Side pockets of my pack:
- Gloves for when it gets cold, or my trekking poles start hurting my hands.
- Mits, for the chilly passes.
- Sunscreen.
- Moisturising cream (small tube).
- Waste bag to pack out waste.
- Easy to reach pill holder.
- Small cloth to wipe your face or hands on.
Essentials for the international trip:
Passport in a watertight bag (TMB goes through France, Italy & Switzerland)
Map and my day notes, with a compass (in case)
PLB (Personal Location Beacon)
Polarised glasses
Headlamp, and small emergency light that can flicker (in case you need to attract attention)
Small book to write things down in, that has travelled the world with me.
Beanie for those very cold mornings and / or days.
Buff to use around your neck, on your arm, to get your hair out of your face, or to use to tie things up. They really are very versatile, invest in a merino buff!
Money bag, if necessary.
Small bag for incidentals: mine has trekking pole tips in, in case I need to replace one.
Carabiner pairing magnets: these have been a game-changer for me as I never knew what to do with my trekking poles when I needed my hands quickly, and these nifty gadgets allow me to click my trekking poles in place without any fuss, leaving my hands free to do other things like film the TMB for all of my friends. They really are very versatile!
Two velcro straps, this can tie my trekking poles safely into place, or I can tie other things to my pack etc. when they are not in use.
Hydration. I use a Smart water bottle with a Convertible Hydration tube on to convert the bottle into a hydration system. This allows me to pack a plastic bottle and not a water bladder for a few reasons. It is easier to put into the pack and pull out of the pack. It is easy to clean or replace as the convertible Hydration tube has two adapters that fit most standard mineral water bottles. It’s easier to filter water into a plastic bottle, but it’s almost impossible to do it into a bladder. The bladder makes me nervous, as I am always scared that it will leak in my pack, or that I will pierce it somehow. This tube solved that problem for me. Besides my water bottle, I carry a water filter with me, to filter the alpine water on the mountain (you never know what is happening upstream!). I also have water purification drops in my body bag. An old hiker that crossed my path one day, taught me to keep an extra small water bottle aside from the main water bottle/bladder in my pack, that way when you suck the previous ones dry, you have an emergency one in your pack, that will give you an idea when you will run out of water, so that you can quickly find a source, without being completely out of water. Consider a light-weight metal bottle, when you are on a thru-hike, at night you can boil water, and store it in your metal bottle, that you can use in your sleeping bag to stay warm, and in the morning, you have water ready to drink!
Bedding for the nights that I am staying at the refuges I will take the following items with me. Sleeping bag liner. Pillow. Sleeping Mask with ear plugs. Hiking towel. I love this lightweight quick-drying towel that I found! Footwear for the refuges, as they do not allow hiking boots into the bedrooms.
Clothing: Due to the Alpine nature of my hike, I have to be ready for many weather changes, so I carry the following with me:
I prefer hiking with long pants, so I normally wear either my trusted Salamon Wayfarers; or my Patagonia tights, both have side pockets that I absolutely love. A change of socks (I love Injinji toe socks as it helps with blisters, a lot!).
Patagonia Torrentshell rain jacket. Salamon Rain Pants – I love these as the bottom cuffs zip open quite a bit, so you can put it on without taking your shoes/boots off). Merino Wool baseliner . Patagonia R1 Fleece. Patagonia Nano puff – puffy.
Trekking poles for the steep ascents and descents, mine for this trip are the Camino Vance poles, it took me a long time to get used to walking with two trekking poles.
Lunch zip bag – I re-use this one to store sandwiches etc, and then just wash it out.
My TMB Hiker medal – I plan on taking my medal with me for many photo opportunities during my trek. We are very privileged to be given the distribution rights for these amazing medals, and we are currently working with Hiker Medals to design special keepsakes for the South African trails.
Poop Bag. When you’ve got to go, you’ve got to go right, so I think it is better to be prepared. My poop bag is packed in a two-litre dry bag, and I have Pairing magnets with Carabiners on it, so that I can clip it on my pack and remove it easily, once I have taken it out. See “Disposing of waste properly” under the “Leave-no-trace principles”.My bag contains the following;
Shewee – urination device (practice before you try it), enough said… 🙂 . Plastic zip lock bags to pack out waste. Toilet paper. Cat-hole shovel. Sanitiser wipes.
That about covers my pack for the TMB, let us know what you also like taking with you on a slack-packing expedition.