What to pack for a week of hut-to-hut trekking

The joy of a hut-to-hut week is walking light. Someone else cooks dinner, someone else makes the bed, and your pack can stay under eight kilograms. Most people we meet on the first morning carry twice that. This is the list I give our groups before they leave home.

The rule of one spare

Pack one set of clothes to walk in and one dry set for the hut. Wash your walking socks and base layer in the evening and hang them by the boot room stove. They will be dry by breakfast.

On your back

• A 30 to 40 litre pack with a rain cover
• Waterproof jacket and trousers, even if the forecast is perfect
• A warm layer: a fleece or a light down jacket
• Sun hat, warm hat and thin gloves
• Sunglasses, sun cream and lip balm
• 1.5 litres of water and a small lunch
• A map, a phone with the route saved, and a power bank

For the hut

• A silk or cotton sleeping bag liner, which most huts now require
• Light shoes or sandals for indoors, as boots stay in the boot room
• A small towel, a toothbrush and travel-size soap
• Earplugs, because dormitories are friendly but rarely quiet
• Cash, as many huts still cannot take cards

What to leave at home

A full sleeping bag, a stove, a laptop, a second pair of boots and anything in glass. If you are unsure about an item, ask yourself whether you would carry it up 1,200 metres for it. Usually the answer is no.

Weigh it before you go

Pack everything the week before and weigh it. If it is over eight kilograms without water, take something out. Your knees will thank you on the long descent into the valley on the last day.