This particular packing list looks very different from the ones I’ve created for my backcountry hiking trips. This shift is because I didn’t intend to camp a single night on the West Highland Way (WHW). Instead, I hiked this 96-mile trail in Scotland as an inn-to-inn trek.

When deciding what to pack and what gear to bring for this European trek, I initially tried to use last year’s Camino del Norte packing list as my template for the WHW. This seemed like a logical place to start, but the plan had a few issues:

• First, my WHW hike was bracketed by two other trips to Ireland and the UK. So I needed to pack for a 3-week-long trip to Europe. And even though I planned to do some laundry along the way, I also needed to bring suitable clothing for multiple activities, locations, and climates – not just an 8-day hike in Scotland.

• Second, I wouldn’t need to carry 100% of my gear on the WHW as I did on my two Camino treks. Instead, I planned to use a daily baggage transfer service, which meant I could pack more clothing and ‘luxury’ items! (To be fair, I kept my total weight under 12 kilos (~26 pounds), so I was nimble enough to carry everything on trains, the Tube, etc.)

• Finally, I was hiking through the Scottish Highlands in early October. This is well into the WHW’s shoulder season – when the midges are long gone, but cooler days and rain are ever-present. So I packed for lots of inclement weather.

Scroll to the end to see what gear really worked for me on this hike (and what didn’t). I also have some advice on what I’d do differently if I were hiking the WHW all over again.

(Note: I publish my packing list after each hike because I think there’s value in seeing what gear other hikers actually used, liked, or disliked on a particular thru-hike. NONE of the hyperlinks in this post are affiliate links. They are merely provided as a quick reference for the reader. )

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Hiking items

• Daypack – Cotopaxi Batac 16 pack
• Pack’s Rain Protection – Sea to Summit dry bag (inside) + plastic rain poncho (worn over)
• Hydration– MiiR 850 ml metal water bottle
• First Aid Kit – Lamb’s wool, KT tape, compeed, bandaids, pain meds, allergy meds
• Headlamp – Nitecore NU25 headlamp (360 lumens)
• Water filter – Katadyn BeFree 1L filter/pouch
• Trail Hygiene – Kula cloth, TP, doggie poop bags
• Navigation – West Highland Way paper map (Footprint Maps) & FarOut App (digital guide)

HIKING CLOTHING

• Short Sleeve Tops – Patagonia capeline t-shirts (x2)
• Long Sleeve Layers – REI quarter-zip tech shirts (x2)
• Fleece – North Face microgrid fleece full-zip jacket
• Shorts – Patagonia baggies 5″ shorts
• Hiking Bottoms – Nike leggings (x 3)
• Underwear – REI Active Hipsters & Jockey bikini (x8) 
• Bras – Patagonia Barely sports bras (x3)

Town Clothing

• Short Sleeve Tops – Icebreaker merino t-shirts (x3)
• Long Sleeve Top – REI half-zip 185 merino wool base layer
• Pants – OR Zendo hiking pants (x2)
• Lightweight Sweater – Eddie Bauer black cardigan sweater
• Scarf – Lightweight scarf purchased on Camino del Norte
• Sleep Clothes – Cotton t-shirt & plaid pajama pants

FOOTWEAR

• Hiking Socks – Injinji hiking socks (x1) + Smartwool hiking socks (x2)
• Shoes – Altra Lone Peak 5
• Gaiters – Dirty Girl gaiters 
• Town Socks – Wool dress socks (x2) + Smartwool run socks (x2)
• Town shoes – Flip-flops and Rockport casual shoes

OUTERWEAR

• Puffy – Patagonia Nano Puff Jacket (without hood)  
• Vest – Patagonia Nano Puff vest
• Wind jacket – Lightweight REI windjacket
• Rain Jacket – Patagonia Torrentshell 3L rain jacket
• Rain Pants – REI Junction cycling rain pants
• Hats – Headsweats Race hat (brimmed) & Kari Tara wool beanie
• Earband – Buff CoolNet UV+ multifunctional headband
• Gloves – Smartwool liner gloves 
• Sunglasses – Tifosi sunglass

ELECTRONICS

• Phone/camera – iPhone XR (256GB) 
• Earbuds – Apple Airpods  
• Watch – Timex Ironman watch
• E-reader/Entertainment – iPad Mini
• Laptop – MacBook Air laptop with mouse
• External battery – Slim 5000 mAh external battery with UBS-C cable
• Power adapter – Saunorch Universal Travel Power Adapter with USB charging cables (x2)
• Electronics Storage – Sea to summit Ultra-Sil Dry Sack (size: XXS) 

HYGIENE ITEMS

• Toiletry Storage – Eagle Creek Pack-It toiletry kit
• Towel – Microfiber PackTowel (size 10″x14″)
• Shower items – Travel shampoo, soap, razor
• Dental Care – Travel toothbrush/toothpaste + floss
• Vision – Disposable contacts (x14 day supply), monthly contacts (x1), saline & glasses
• Haircare – Comb & hair paste
• Make-up– Eyeliner, mascara, chapstick
• Other toiletries – Nail clippers, tweezers, deodorant

MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS

• Wallet – WEBO wallet (with ziplock for change)
• Personal items – Passport & ID, ATM/Credit card, Cash (£) 
• Journal – Leuchterm1917 A5 softcover notebook + pen
• Books – paperback books (x3)
• Shopping Bag/Purse – Eco-Chic nylon shopping bag
• Luggage – Patagonia Black Hole duffel (55L)

Post-Hike Thoughts

Much of my WHW gear served me well. Yet as I reviewed my packing list in the weeks after I returned home, I found it easiest to summarize the noteworthy items of my gear in four categories:

• GOOD = gear that really made a huge difference in my overall comfort 
• BAD = items on my packing list that were a flop on the WHW
• EXPENDABLE = items I carried only because I had a baggage transfer available
• GEAR TO CONSIDER = additional thoughts I had what to bring on a future WHW hike

The Good

What gear would I recommend to anyone hiking the WHW? Below are the top 6 categories that scored highest on my trip.

• Lots of layers. If there was one benefit to having a baggage transfer service on the WHW, it was being able to pack more layers than I normally would bring on a typical backcountry hike. Weight wasn’t the key deciding factor; my comfort was. For my hiking clothes, I packed short-sleeve technical shirts, long-sleeve technical shirts, a puffy vest, a fleece full-zip jacket, a lightweight windbreaker, a puffy coat, a heavy rain coat, hiking leggings, and rain pants. And let me tell you, I wore a combination of each item on my hike through Scotland to stay dry and comfortable.

• More socks than normal. In addition to lots of layers, I also splurged on the number of socks I brought for this trip. Normally, I just rotate between 2 pairs of hiking socks and have 1 pair of dedicated town/sleep socks. But using a baggage transfer service on the WHW let me pack heavier. I didn’t go overboard and pack a fresh pair of socks for each day, but I rotated between 3 pairs of hiking socks and had 4 pairs of town/sleep socks (2 long, 2 short). With a total of 7 pairs of socks, I always had a dry pair.

• Lamb’s Wool. On the recommendation of my podiatrist, I recently started carrying lambs wool in my first aid kit to help with blister prevention. This item was a total game-changer for me! I tend to get friction blisters between my toes (which is why I love Injinji socks) and on the insides of my heels. But adding lamb’s wool to those areas as soon as I started feeling discomfort has nearly eliminated blisters on my hikes this year. Lambs wool (sometimes referred to as ‘hikers wool’ in New Zealand) is essentially a lanolin-rich, soft wool fleece from the wool fibers of very young lambs (<7 months old). It provides extra cushioning on tender spots and wicks away moisture, while the lanolin soothes the affected area. And it’s a very budget-friendly solution. If you want to know more about using lamb’s wool on your feet, here’s a helpful podiatry link.

• Trail runners. I went back and forth for several days on whether to bring boots or my trail runners on this notoriously wet hike through Scotland. I knew my boots would keep my feet warmer and drier, but once they got fully saturated, they would take eons to dry. And so, I decided to roll the dice and stick with my Altra Lone Peak trail runners. This turned out to be the right call. Daytime temperatures on the WHW were fairly mild (50-60°F), so my feet never got freezing cold. And I never had an issue with my trail runners drying out overnight, even at inns without a dedicated drying room. Plus, less weight on my feet during my hike meant easier movement and a lower likelihood of injury.

• Robust rain gear. I live in the Pacific Northwest, so I own a lot of rain gear. Still, I usually pack the lightest rain gear I can get away with on long-distance hikes and supplement it with an umbrella. The WHW wasn’t the place to skimp on rain gear, though. Scotland typically averages 5 and 6 inches of rain in October, and I knew my ultralight hiking rain jacket just wasn’t going to keep me dry and warm for hours (or days) in those conditions. Instead, I relied upon the more durable Patagonia Torrentshell 3L and REI Junction Cycling Rain Pants to protect me from the elements (and I lined my daypack with a Sea to Summit dry bag too). My decision to “dress for dryness” paid off, and I’d strongly recommend carrying the best rain gear your budget allows on the WHW.

• Town shoes. I packed real town shoes for this trip, mostly for the non-hiking parts of my trip in Europe. Yet given the amount of rain I experienced on the WHW, I’m so happy I had a solid pair of real town shoes instead my typical slip-on sandals. Each afternoon, when I got to my lodging, I’d place my hiking shoes near the radiator to dry out before the next day’s hike. Then I was free to head out to dinner in the evening wearing a pair of closed-toed, sturdy shoes that kept my feet dry and warm even when it was raining. And thanks to my baggage transfer service, I didn’t need to worry about the weight of my town shoes either.

• Shopping bag. One of the lessons from my prior European hikes is to bring a small packable nylon bag for your time in town. It works well as a carryall (purse) for dinner or breakfast. It also doubled as my grocery bag when I stocked up on snacks for the hike, since all the shops and markets in Europe charge for single-use shopping bags. This little nylon bag weighs a meager 1.5 ounces, but it was one of the most useful items ever.

THE BAD

Now it’s time to move on to the gear that I’d 100% reconsider packing on the WHW. All of these items caused unnecessary frustration, though for different reasons.

• My Daypack. I love my lightweight Cotopaxi 16L pack. It’s been my carry-on on more flights than I can count, and I’ve used it on several short day hikes back home, too. So it seemed like the perfect daypack for the WHW. There was just one problem…the rain. Once I got out in the really heavy rain and the pack got drenched, the bright red fabric on the shoulder straps stained my white rain jacket. I tried to fix it with an inexpensive plastic rain poncho, but that was a mistake too! The poncho kept some of the persistent Scottish rain from saturating my pack/shoulder straps, but this external layer was made from yellow plastic and transferred (a second) unwanted color to my formerly white jacket. I felt like I just couldn’t win. Lesson learned: use a daypack that can withstand lots of rain.

• Mini Swiss Army Knife. Right before heading to Europe, I flew to Houston to meet up with my sister. I didn’t intend to check my luggage for this short, domestic flight, yet as I packed my duffel, I completely forgot about my beloved tiny Swiss Army knife sitting in my first aid kit. TSA wasn’t amused by this oversight. They flagged the item and removed it, and I had very few options to fix the problem in the 45 minutes before my flight was due to depart. My ride to the airport was already gone. And the expense of either (a) mailing the knife home from the airport gift shop or (b) checking my bag was higher than buying a replacement. So I had to forfeit my awesome limited-edition honeybee Swiss Army knife. This oversight (and subsequent loss) was a serious packing regret.

• Pajamas. Normally, when I’m out hiking a long-distance trail, every item needs to pull its weight in order to justify being carried it for miles on end. But I didn’t follow that same packing strategy on the WHW because I was paying for a transfer service to drive my duffel bag from inn to inn. And so, I packed several extra “luxury items,” including a pair of plaid pajama bottoms to sleep in. Looking back now, I mostly regret bringing these PJ bottoms. Yes, they were comfortable in bed at night, but they were also the only long layer (other than my rain pants) I had left to wear while doing laundry. In hindsight, I wish I’d just brought my soft-shell windpants instead. They would have been just as warm as PJ bottoms but also suitable for public.

• Liner Gloves. Gloves are tricky for me to dial in for hiking. Most of the time, I want to wear a lightweight fabric glove, like my Sporthill running gloves or my thicker Smartwool liner gloves. But fabric gloves just don’t cut it in hours of consistent rain. After a while, they just ended up a soggy mess. Moreover, the heavy wool fabric of my Smartwool liner gloves never seemed to fully dry out, even when I left them on the radiator overnight. If I were hiking the WHW again, I’d choose something more waterproof.

• Laptop. Ok, there’s no reason to bring a laptop on a hiking trip. The only reason I did so for the WHW is that (1) I was in the middle of a personal project and hoped to make some progress on it, and (2) the WHW was part of a longer 3-week trip. Did I much get work done? Not really. I preferred to spend my evenings reading or just relaxing. This is one item on my packing list that I wouldn’t actually recommend anyone pack for the WHW. It caused me far more stress than necessary as I debated whether to let the baggage service transport it (and risk theft or damage) or lug it in my daypack wrapped in layer upon waterproof layer to keep it safe and 100% dry in the rain.

EXPENDABLE

Now we’re on to the gear I thought I would need, but that brought very little value to my WHW hike. None of these items resulted in major headaches or problems. They just weren’t all that useful. So if I did this hike again, I’d probably think twice about packing them.

• Books. I’m a voracious reader, and I expected to get lots of reading done on this trip. After all, I had soooo much travel time between the flights to/from London and on all my train rides. But my ambitions didn’t exactly match reality. I did finish several books during my European trip (1 paperback, 1 ebook, and 1 audiobook), but the two additional paperbacks I packed just turned into dead weight that got shuffled from inn to inn. If I did this hike again, I’d limit myself to one physical book and rely on audiobooks and/or ebooks for any extra reading material.

• Towel. My two prior European hiking trips were on the Camino Frances (2018) and Camino del Norte (2022). During those treks across Spain, I stayed in albergues (hostels for Camino pilgrims) with shared shower facilities, so I needed my own toiletries and a towel. Yet on the WHW, I was mostly in inns or B&Bs with towels provided. Kingshouse was the only location where I stayed in a shared bunkroom, and I was able to add a hotel towel to my reservation for an extra £2. Consequently, I never actually used my microfiber PackTowel and I probably could have safely left it at home.

• Headlamp. Given the relatively modest mileage I hiked each day (~12-15 miles) and Scotland’s extreme northern latitude, I never needed to start or end my hike in darkness. I had nearly 12 hours of daylight each day on this early autumn thru-hike. Once I got into the small towns, everything was pretty much a stone’s throw away. So a headlamp was superfluous. If I’m being honest, though, I’d probably still pack a headlamp anyway (just like I packed a water filter that I never needed). But it wasn’t strictly necessary gear for this inn-to-inn hike.

• Shorts. My Patagonia Baggies shorts were another wholly unnecessary item for my early autumn European trip. None of the days I spent in Scotland, Ireland, or the UK were warm enough to warrant breaking them out. The only time I used them was during my two-day layover in Houston (at the start of my trip), when it was still 90°F. Mostly, though, these shorts were just dead weight in my bag.

• Lightweight Cardigan & Scarf. The Scottish countryside is very casual. There’s no need to pack anything dressy for your time in town. Almost everyone I met wore outdoor gear, and I ate my meals in pubs or local restaurants catering to hikers on the WHW. I packed these two clothing items only for my time in London, so I had a couple of nicer-looking pieces (read: non-hiking attire) for museums, restaurants, and so on. Did I need these items for the WHW, though? Absolutely NOT!

• Sunglasses. After accidentally forgetting to pack my sunglasses for my thru-hike on Arizona’s Highline Trail last April, I refused to make the same mistake twice. I knew the WHW trail traversed the very exposed Scottish Highlands, and I was certain I’d need something to block the sunshine. Sadly, though, my sunglasses never left my daypack. October in Scotland seemed to be mostly gray skies and a lot of rain. Would I still bring them? Almost certainly. Were they useful? No.

• Sandals. I hate going barefoot in communal showers. I worry other people’s foot fungus will give me the cooties, so I always pack a pair of casual sandals to avoid this issue. Honestly though, I didn’t wear my sandals once on this trip. I wasn’t staying in hostels or albergues with shared accommodations, like on the Camino de Santiago. I always stayed in inns or B&Bs on the WHW. So, despite their slim profile and low weight, these shoes weren’t necessary and could have stayed back home.

Other GEAR TO CONSIDER

One final category I feel compelled to add to this gear list includes items I didn’t take on my WHW but would absolutely consider bringing if I were to hike it in the future.

• Midge protection. I hiked the WHW in early October, so I avoided the dreaded biting midges. If I were hiking this trail between May and early September, though, I’d definitely carry something to deal with these annoying insects, including a bug headnet and some spray-on protection. Avon Skin So Soft with Picaridin seemed to be the one that most locals recommended.

• Boots. Okay, I know I said I was happy with my decision to hike the WHW with trail runners. And I am. But I might change my mind if I were hiking a bit further into the off-season or during a particularly wet spring. There is no way around getting your feet wet on many sections of trail where water runs right across it. So, if daytime temperatures are forecast to be below 50°F or you are hiking after an extra-wet rainy season, boots might be worth it. Also, ask your evening accommodations about the availability of a drying room (a dedicated warm room with a commercial dehumidifier) to maximize your chances of drying your boots overnight.

Final Thoughts

There you have it! Everything you could want to know about my packing list for my 2023 autumn hike on the West Highland Way. Have you hiked the WHW too? If so, what gear did you love (or regret) on your trek? Leave me a comment and share your insights.

And if you’re interested in reading what my journey through the Scottish Highlands was really like (warts and all), check out my West Highland Way page or read my day-by-day trail journal.