What to Pack on the Tour du Mont Blanc
I've learned some things the hard way. One of those things is that weight counts. The first time I did the Tour du Mont Blanc, I packed the kitchen sink. And the reason I packed the kitchen sink is because I had a big pack, a Gregory 96-litre excursion pack. I kept thinking "well, I have the room, and I might need this". As a result, I brought, among other things, a laptop computer, a kindle e-reader, two paperback books, and a camping light. Between that, some extra clothes I didn't need, and some of this and that, and I wound up carrying 45lbs around the mountain. Picking up my pack was a chore!
When I got to Courmayeur, I actually debated packing my laptop and some other things in a box and FedExing it to myself in Chamonix so I wouldn't have to carry it the rest of the way. I'm a good prairie boy though, and I figured if I was dumb enough to pack it, I could darn well carry it all the way. But I learn. On later trips I bought myself a 42-litre pack that was much lighter. Depending on whether you are camping (take more - tent, sleeping bag, etc.) or staying in refuges (take less), you will want to adjust the amount you pack and the size of your pack. My rule of thumb is to take as small a pack as I think I can get away with, since having a smaller pack keeps you from overpacking accidentally.
So here is what you need to pack if you're going to camp on the way around the TMB:
Total pack weight was less than 14 kg (30 lbs), and I could have brought it down with a lighter tent (mine was over 2.5 kg or 5.5 lbs!) Pretty good considering we actually camped our way around Mont Blanc. If you're staying in refuges, you won't need the tent, sleeping bag, and sleeping pad, so you should wind up carrying less than 10 kg (22 lbs).
When I got to Courmayeur, I actually debated packing my laptop and some other things in a box and FedExing it to myself in Chamonix so I wouldn't have to carry it the rest of the way. I'm a good prairie boy though, and I figured if I was dumb enough to pack it, I could darn well carry it all the way. But I learn. On later trips I bought myself a 42-litre pack that was much lighter. Depending on whether you are camping (take more - tent, sleeping bag, etc.) or staying in refuges (take less), you will want to adjust the amount you pack and the size of your pack. My rule of thumb is to take as small a pack as I think I can get away with, since having a smaller pack keeps you from overpacking accidentally.
So here is what you need to pack if you're going to camp on the way around the TMB:
- 42-litre pack (If you don't give yourself a ton of space, you won't take unnecessary stuff)
- Sleeping bag
- Ultralight sleeping pad
- Tent - ultralight 2 person
- 2.5-litre Camelback
- 1-litre Nalgene bottle
- Trekking poles
- Down vest, ultralight and packable
- Medical kit with bandaids, Moleskin (must have this! Blisters!), and ibuprofen
- Hat
- Knife
- Sunglasses
- Petzl headlamp
- Lightweight gloves
- Buff
- Toilet paper (when you'll be wild camping you should have some, just in case)
- Lightweight packing towel
- Sandals for refuges (or any place you want to give your feet a break)
- USB plug-in adapter and charging cables
- Small backup power supply
- Earbud headphones (an indulgence, yes, but it was nice to have a little music now and then)
- Two pair of underwear
- Two technical t-shirts
- One long sleeve lightweight technical shirt (Smartwool or something like it)
- Two pairs hiking shorts
- Two pairs of smartwool socks
- Lightweight hiking boots
- Swimming trunks or board shorts
- Sackpack
- Lightweight rain jacket
- Cicerone Tour du Mont Blanc book by Kev Reynolds
- TMB topographical Map (Rando makes a very good one)
Total pack weight was less than 14 kg (30 lbs), and I could have brought it down with a lighter tent (mine was over 2.5 kg or 5.5 lbs!) Pretty good considering we actually camped our way around Mont Blanc. If you're staying in refuges, you won't need the tent, sleeping bag, and sleeping pad, so you should wind up carrying less than 10 kg (22 lbs).
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