I hiked the Tour du Mont Blanc (or TMB) in early September 2025, which meant I was right at the tail end of the hiking season, when temperatures were cooling off and many days were at least partially rainy. Picking my gear for this 9-day Alpine adventure was similar to packing for my Spring hikes on the Via Francigena and the Camino Primitivo. But instead of the days getting warmer, the opposite was true.
I had a mix of accommodations (hotels, B&Bs, and mountain huts) to sleep in each night, and I had access to grocery stores or town food every day. As a result, I was able to leave my tent, quilt, air mattress, stove, and other typical backpacking gear back in the U.S. I didn’t need to pack any special gear for this trek other than my sleeping bag liner for the bunks in the huts.
As always, I tried to pack lighter because I knew I’d have the chance to do laundry twice on the route – once in Courmayeur (day 4) and again in Martigny (day 7). But I was still mindful about packing some warm layers. I needed to be prepared for warm and cold days, rain, wind, sunshine, and even a bit of hail.
(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. Any item with an asterisk * is a new gear item for this trek)
HIKING ITEMS
- Backpack – Gossamer Gear G4-20 pack (42L/frameless pack)
- Rain protection – Sea to Summit Pack Cover (size: small)
- Trekking poles* – Black Diamond Distance FLZ Trekking/Running poles
- Hydration– 1L plastic bottle w/ sport cap
- First Aid Kit – Lamb’s world, Compeed patches/bandaids, Tylenol, allergy medicine, mini Swiss Army knife
- Hygiene – Kula Cloth, plus doggie poop bags and a small bit of TP
CLOTHING
- Hiking Shirt – Jolly Gear Triple Crown button down
- Hiking Shorts – Patagonia baggies 5″ shorts
- Hiking Pants* – Nike dry-fit mid-rise leggings
- Underwear – Jockey seamless bikini underwear (x4)
- Bras – Branwyn merino wool bralette (x2)
- Town/Travel Clothes – Icebreaker Tech-lite merino t-shirt & Outdoor Research Ferrosi Pants
- Sleep Clothes – Icebreaker 150 short-sleeve base layer top & Quechua NH100 joggers
FOOTWEAR
- Hiking Socks – Smartwool running socks (x3)
- Shoes – Altra Lone Peak 8 trail running shoes
- Gaiters – Dirty Girl running gaiters
- Town shoes – Crocs Swiftwater sandals
OUTERWEAR
- Puffy jacket – Mountain Hardwear Ghost Whisperer
- Beanie hat – Smartwool merino wool reversible beanie
- Hat – Headsweats Race hat
- Earband/Buff– Buff CoolNet UV+ multifunctional headband
- Sunglasses – Tifosi Swank running sunglass
- Gloves – Some generic knit gloves
- Rain jacket – Patagonia Torrentshell 3L rain jacket
- Rain pants – REI Junction cycling rain pants
- Rain gloves – Outdoor Research Helium rain mitts
ELECTRONICS
- Phone/camera – iPhone
- Earbuds – Apple Airpods
- Watch* – Garmin Forerunner 165 (with charging cable)
- E-reader/Entertainment – iPad Mini 4
- External battery – Slim 5000 mAh external battery
- Power adapter – 220V plug with 2 USB ports, plus 4-in-1 braided charging cables
- Headlamp – Nitecore NU25 headlamp (360 lumens)
- Electronics Storage – Roll-top bag
HYGIENE
- Toiletry Storage – Kavu toiletry bag
- Towel – Nomadix ultralight quick-dry towel (size: 54″ x30″)
- Shower items – Travel shampoo, soap, disposable razor
- Dental Care – Travel toothbrush/toothpaste + floss
- Vision – Disposable contact lenses & glasses
- Haircare – Comb, mini hair clip, leave-in conditioner
- Skin care/makeup– chapstick, sunscreen, mascara, deodorant
Town / Hut Items
- Sleep sack – Sea to Summit reactor sleeping bag liner
- Laundry* – Laundry soap sheets
- Massage ball – Rawology cork ball
- Eating* – wooden utensils
- Shopping Bags – reusable nylon bag + UL grocery bag
PERSONAL ITEMS
- Fanny pack – Cotopaxi 1.5 L Del Dia hipack
- Wallet – WEBO wallet
- Personal items – Passport/ID, ATM/Credit card, Euros/Swiss Francs
- Journal – Field Notes pocket-size (5.5″x 3.5″) notebook + pen
- Navigation* – Tour du Mont Blanc paper map (IGN) & FarOut guide (app on iPhone)
MVP ITEMS
Some pieces of gear are so useful that you wonder how you ever made do without them. This was the case for two items on my list for the Tour du Mont Blanc
- Lambs Wool. I still remember how badly my feet got blistered when I hiked the Camino Frances in 2018. Thanks to my big mileage days, my feet paid a high price. One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned over the last decade of long-distance backpacking is to prevent blisters before they happen. It’s best to treat your feet as soon as you feel the hot spot begin to burn. The best method I’ve found to avoid friction is to put a bit of lamb’s wool between the hot spot and my sock. As a result, I didn’t get a single blister on the TMB. Verdict: 👍 👍
- Roller Ball. Hiking for 5+ hours a day always seems to trigger my plantar fasciitis. So, to avoid the pain, I have to be diligent about stretching out my calves, Achilles tendon, and feet at the end of EVERY day. I’m usually able to stretch my calves and Achilles on some stairs or an elevated step in my surroundings. But that does little for the fascia on the soles my feet. For that, I really need a massage ball that can trigger the connective tissues directly. I use a lightweight cork ball from Rawology to roll out my arches, and it makes such a huge difference in my recovery. I wouldn’t consider hiking a trail with this kind of elevation gains/losses without this tool. Verdict: 👍👍
New Gear I tried on the TMB
- Trekking poles. For years, I’ve relied on the Leki Cressida trekking poles for all my long-distance hikes. However, earlier this year, I purchased a pair of Black Diamond Distance FLZ trekking/running poles because I planned to trail run the TMB. That running dream was discarded when I broke my elbow. But I already had the poles, so I brought them on this trek anyway. The benefits of these poles are: (1) they are super light; and (2) they fold down smaller than my Leki poles, making them ideal for travel. These poles are also adjustable, unlike most foldable poles. However, they had some drawbacks too. There were several times when the tip of one of the poles got trapped between some rocks, and when I moved my pole, its three segments pulled apart (as if I were collapsing it for travel). I also prefer a cork handle to the foam grips on these poles. Bottom line, these poles aren’t going to replace my beloved Leki Cressida poles any time soon. Verdict: 👎
- Garmin GPS watch. I generally believe simpler is better. That’s why the Timex Ironman transit watch is my default watch for long-distance hikes. It’s dependable and durable, and runs on a battery that never needs recharging. However, I planned to spend every night on the TMB indoors, where I would have access to power outlets. So, I threw caution to the wind and swapped out my simple hiking watch for my Garmin Forerunner 165 GPS watch. The most significant benefit of wearing this watch was my ability to monitor and record my distances daily. I know it’s a nerdy reason, but I am 100% a nerd. Verdict: 👍
- Hiking pants. This isn’t the first time I’ve worn leggings on a thru-hike. I wore my ultralight Nike Luxe leggings on my Spring 2022 Arizona Trail thru-hike and 2023 Highline Trail thru-hike. This time around, though, I used a pair of slightly thicker mid-rise Nike Dry-Fit leggings (aka my normal running leggings at home), and I alternated between leggings and hiking shorts each day, depending on the weather. These leggings were comfortable and did their job. But I always feel awkward walking into towns in leggings, because most Europeans don’t wear athletic wear outside a gym. In hindsight, I wish I’d hiked in the Outdoor Research pants that I used as town pants, and then let my Quechua joggers do double duty as town pants and pajamas. That would have been more efficient. Verdict: 👎
- Sleep pants. In the past, I’ve used an old pair of Patagonia wind layering pants as my sleep pants. They were a super lightweight layer that could be worn in town without looking like pajama pants. Once they got a hole in them, though, I needed a replacement. This spring, I bought a pair of Quechua joggers from Decathlon while I was hiking the Camino Primitivo. These casual black pants are equally lightweight and soft, but at a fraction of the cost ($30 vs. $180). As an added bonus, they have pockets. Verdict: 👍
Items Purchased in EUrope
- European eSIM. Internet connectivity is essential for searching for foreign bus schedules or using Google Maps. I’m a big fan of Airalo because you can purchase a data-only eSIM for one country or an entire region. The TMB took me into Switzerland, France, and Italy, so the regional European eSIM was my best bet for this trek. A word of caution, though. To load and activate the eSIM, you’ll need to be on a local Wi-Fi network. I’ve never had problems doing this task at whichever European airport I’ve landed in. However, the Geneva airport is different. To connect to the airport’s public Wi-Fi, you’ll first need to find a traveler authentication machine and scan your boarding pass or passport to receive a Wi-Fi connection code. Verdict: 👍
- Paper Map. Although I arrived in Europe with downloaded TMB routes on my phone (I used GaiaGPS and the FarOut guide), I still appreciate having a paper map to consult. There are multiple maps available, and the most popular one produced in the US seems to be the National Geographic TMB map guide. However, that is more like a booklet of maps than a singular large fold-out map, and I prefer the latter. So I waited to buy a paper map until I visited the High Mountain Office in the center of Chamonix, France, at the start of my trek. The office sells multiple different paper maps, depending on whether you want to hike the TMB or climb some mountains. I ultimately purchased the Tour du Mont Blanc map published by IGN (the Institut National de l’Information Géographique et Forestière). It was a two-sided color map, with the northern half of the TMB on one side and the southern half on the other, with the legend in English and French. Verdict: 👍
Eating Utensils. On my last few European treks, I packed a set of Sea to Summit camp utensils so I could save money by purchasing some of my food in grocery stores. I forgot to pack them on this trip, so I had to figure out an alternative once I got on the ground. On my first day in Switzerland, I bought a salad at a Coop grocery store, and the cashier offered me a compostable fork and knife set at the register. Later, I got a wooden spoon in one of the villages when puchasing something to eat. This free, disposable utensil combination held me over for this short 9-day trek, but I wouldn’t want to rely on it for a longer adventure. Verdict: 👎
- Deodorant. I packed a tiny travel-size stick of Native deodorant for the TMB. Unfortunately, three days into the TMB, I realized there was less deodorant in the tube than I’d thought. I was going to run out about halfway into my hike. So, when I got to Courmayeur, Italy, I set out to find a replacement. What I found was a product I’d never seen before. It was a squirt bottle of Dove deodorant. It’s essentially the same formula they sell in aerosol bottles, but in a non-aerosol form. Despite only being 75 ml (2.5 oz), it came in a very bottle. So, I’ll probably just decant it into a travel-size bottle on future trips. Verdict: 👍
- Local currency. Travelers staying in the European Union (EU) only need to carry a single currency: Euros. Unfortunately, Switzerland isn’t part of the EU, so it’s retained its own currency, the Swiss Franc (CHF). The exchange rate between the Euro and the Swiss Franc is pretty close (€1 = 0.93 CHF), which means visitors don’t have to do much extra mental math. But you will need some cash in both currencies for the TMB if you want to pay for coffee or other amenities in Switzerland. There are still plenty of places on the TMB that don’t take credit or debit cards. You’ll find ATMs at the Geneva Airport that dispense each currency, so I decided to grab what I’d need for the entire trip while I was there. Verdict: 👍
Items I didn’t need TO Pack
- Headlamp. I always pack a headlamp when I go on a trek. It’s not just for backcountry trips or early morning hiking. Whenever you’re staying in a communal setting (like the huts on the TMB), you might need a headlamp to find the bathroom in the middle of the night or to help you pack up for an early start. I never actually needed my headlamp once on this trip. But I probably wouldn’t have felt comfortable leaving it at home either. I don’t want to be one of those people who uses their blindly-bright phone flashlight in a shared space because they didn’t pack a headlamp.
- Laundry soap. Many European laundromats have machines that automatically dispense soap as part of the laundry cost. I had no idea whether I’d encounter those machines on the TMB or whether I’d need to add soap to the load. So I packed some laundry soap sheets just to be safe. These sheets turned out to be 100% unnecessary for this trip. But, packing a few of them in a baggie hardly weighs a thing, and they could have been helpful if I’d needed to handwash laundry in a hotel sink.
FINAL THOUGHTS
I was pretty happy with my TMB packing list overall. I was hiking hut-to-hut, so I avoided carrying the heaviest gear I would typically bring on a mountain adventure (like on my trip into the Wallowas a month earlier). Those omissions made hiking up and down the high passes a bit easier on my aging body.
If I’d wanted to go even lighter on the TMB, the only real option would have been to use a baggage transfer service. I just didn’t have many duplicate or luxury items that I could have cut out to lighten my load radically.
The one item I really regretted packing on this hike was my leggings. I definitely needed pants on some of the colder days, but I wish I’d just worn the pair of Outdoor Research pants that I’d packed for my evenings in town. I would have avoided the awkward feeling of walking into a European village in athletic leggings, and I could have saved 8 ounces of weight. But, there’s always some lesson to learn on every hike, right?
If you’d like to see how this packing list measures up to some of my other European hikes, check out the following links:
- My Camino Portugués Packing List
- My West Highland Way Packing List
- My Camino del Norte Packing List
- My Via Francigena Packing List
