Ultimate Packing List for a 5-Day Backpacking Adventure in Tombstone Territorial Park
This is everything I packed for a five-day, four-night backpacking trip with three friends to Tombstone Territorial Park in the Yukon.
I'll note that everyone has different preferences when packing for a backpacking trip. However, here's what I brought and some of my go-to backpacking routines.
* Denotes something I brought and never used.
My Gear List
You can download a copy of my backpacking gear list here: Emma R Hoskins Backpacking Packing List. This is not a requirement list, merely a recommendation list to get you started. The ten essentials are indicated with 10E, and optional items and group gear are color-coded so you can begin discussing with your friends who is bringing what.
Tombstone Details
Trip Dates: July 27th to July 31st
Temperature: Ranged from roughly 40F to 70F or 4.5C to 21C with rain most days. Most nights were quite chilly when the wind was blowing, and every day, but once, I thought about wanting to wear shorts or short sleeves.
Gear
Tent: I brought my MSR Hubba Hubba Two, which I upgraded to a few years ago as it's so lightweight and packs down super small.
Backpack: I used my trusty 55L Osprey Ariel. I could have gone bigger as Bear Vaults take up a lot of space and are tricky to pack, but if I have more room, I will overpack.
Sleeping Bag: temperature rating 15F/-9C
*Emergency Lite Bivy: This adds extra warmth if needed or if we get into a real pickle.
Bear Spray: We picked some up at the Dawson City Trading Post.
Hiking poles: A must to get over the pass!
Garmin inReach Mini: I've said it before, and I'll say it again: invest in one of these. They're excellent for tracking, route planning, and peace of mind for safety. And always pack it. Our group split into two groups for a bit, and we could share updates between Garmin's.
Clothing
Clothing is where I went pretty light. For some people, this may be too much, but I know I'm going to be dirty and not shower anyway, so I'd rather have several options of layers and one each than five pairs of shorts when it's pants weather.
My system is primarily to wear the same pair of hiking pants daily; if it's cold, I use rain pants as another layer for the bottoms. For the upper body, this is much more dependent. I'll typically hike in a long-sleeved sun shirt and raincoat, layering and delayering as needed.
For camp, I'll change into my leggings, clean T-shirt, and clean socks (aka tomorrow's socks) and layer up with my fleece and puffy, along with my rain pants, if I need another lower body layer. Then, I'll sleep in my leggings, clean T-shirt, and whatever layers are required for warmth that night. I could probably have done with some warmer camp shoes or socks as I typically rock socks and sandals, but I was fine. My non-negotiables are a clean pair of socks for each day and a fresh pair of underwear.
Head:
Baseball hat: mine is super ratty and old, but I'd recommend getting a lightweight or moisture-wicking one.
Hat/Beanie/Toque: Whatever you call it, always bring one. I slept in mine most nights.
Upper Body:
Patagonia Fleece: I have a thinner version of this, but I couldn't find the link.
2x T-shirt - one for sleeping
Lower Body
Feet
Scarpa Hiking Boots: I've tried three different boot brands, and these are my favorites. I don't think I'll ever go the trail runner route, as I don't like wet feet and need ankle support. And despite all the rain, my feet stayed dry.
Chacos: I rock the socks and sandals look for camp shoes, and don't feel bad about it.
Other Apparel
*Bug Jacket: Luckily, I never used it, but the bugs can get quite nasty out here, so it was still a wise choice.
*Swimsuit: I had high hopes to go for lake dips, but it was too chilly. I love this brand. They make swimsuits for sporty girls and for you to move your body so it's my favorite suit for this kind of trip.
Buff: I love hiking with a Buff, whether sleeping with it for extra warmth, rocking it as a headband, or using it to cover my face from rain or the sun.
Arcade Belt: I sometimes wear it, and sometimes I don't, but it's nice to have.
Gloves
Eyemask: The sun didn't set until 1 am-2 am when we were there and rose again around 4 am to 5 am, so eye masks were necessary
Ear Plugs: It's much easier to sleep if the tent flaps around all night, or you have noisy camp neighbors
Camp Kitchen
Bear Vault 450: They are required on this trail, although they have bear lockers. We could grab a locker each night; however, if the campsite is crowded, there are not enough lockers for everyone. One campsite only had two lockers in total. So, all food and smelly things (toiletries) must be self-contained in a bear vault, which is a struggle for four nights. *Bear vaults and bins are available for rent through the interpretive center.
Jetboil MiniMo: All the food I brought only needed hot water or was ready to eat, so we just used this to boil water.
Matches & Waterproof matches
Fuel: We were able to pick some up for $11 CAD at the Dawson City Trading Post.
Mug: Before the trip, I found out my mug was missing, so I bought a camp mug/pot, as it was the only thing I could find. On day four, I smashed it onto a rock, taking off my pack, so now it's a funky shape.
Foldable water bottle: for camp and making electrolytes.
Food & Drinks
This trip was a mishmash of food and my first time dehydrating my own meals. I'll create a separate blog about this journey, but dehydrating your meals is really fun. It's a test of patience, for sure, but you can get really creative and make some delicious stuff. Backpacking meals also tend to upset my stomach because they have so much fiber, so I may switch to DIY meals altogether in the future.
Breakfast:
Protein Oatmeal (2 packs)
Folgers Instant Coffee
Lunch:
Good to Go: Cucumber Chaat: It's a cold soak, and I was pleasantly surprised
DIY Dehydrated Cowboy Caviar: Cold soak and very yummy
Good to Go: Cuban Rice Bowl: I did a single serving of this for lunch cooked hot, and I think this is what gave me the shits. Not to be too much information, I'm just trying to help you.
Snacks (see below)
Snacks:
Motts Fruit Snacks
Clif Builder Bars
Beef Jerky Sticks
Pedialyte
Dinner:
DIY Dehydrated Mushroom Stroganoff (SO GOOD!)
DIY Dehydrated Curry
DIY Pesto Ramen (It's enough calories, trust me)
Good to Go Pad Thai (backup meal)
Toiletries
Compact toothbrush
Tiny toothpaste
Sunscreen lip chap
Mini deodorant
Compact hairbrush: I learned on another trip this length that I need one.
*Poop shovel - never used; there were backcountry toilets (WITH DOORS)
Kula Cloth: reusable wipe for going #1
Toilet Paper - I definitely should have brought more; this became a struggle.
First Aid Kit: I did not pack mine as we had one comprehensive group gear first aid kit, but this is my version.
Sunscreen
Bug Spray: I love Kinfield's Golden Hour bug spray; it smells so good!
Fun Items and extras
Peak Design Clip: This allows me to comfortably backpack with my camera without the extra fuss of carrying the weight on my neck.
Mini Tripod: I wrap this around a hiking pole to make it taller and a full tripod. I usually only use it once on a trip.
Canon EOS Rebel T7: Would I love to upgrade? Yes. But do I feel better about backpacking with this if something happens? Yes.
Lens cloth
Disposable camera
Dry Bags: One for electronics and one for the camera if/when it rains. I also use compression dry bags for my sleeping bag and tent.
Portable charger and chords (Garmin charger & Watch charger)
Sunglasses: They're so shitty, but I also throw them around a ton so it works.
In pulling together my gear links, I have realized how outdated my gear is. Many items have upgrades, or I can't find the item at all. If that was the case, I linked the updated version, so that's why things may look different. Additionally, please note that some of the links above are affiliate links, and I may earn a small commission on any purchase made at no additional cost to you. I genuinely love and use all these products, and I would never recommend anything I haven't tried out.
