Use our ultimate Tour du Mont Blanc Packing List as a guide for what to bring along while you’re on this epic trek through three countries! We’ve packed this Tour du Mont Blanc Packing List with our trail tested favorites and recommendations, plus lots of useful info on the best gear for adventuring in the conditions of this region.

Our biggest piece of advice is to pack light and smart, and bring durable, multi use items that you can layer as temperatures and weather changes (because they will)! Test and break in all your gear beforehand and use common sense and your own best judgement and discretion when choosing exactly what you pack. After all, no one knows you better than you! If you tend to run cold, pack an extra layer or two. If you have a finicky stomach, bring extras of your go-to snacks.

We’re firm believers that there’s no such thing as bad weather, only inappropriate gear! Stocking up on quality gear from brands who are doing it right will make all the difference for enjoying all your adventures in the great outdoors!

1-2 THERMAL BASE LAYERs

A thin, snug fitting top and bottom set that you can wear underneath everything at higher altitudes to regulate your body temperature and wick sweat away from your skin. We recommend a sport synthetic fabric, like recycled polyester, or merino wool. We love these Smartwool tops and bottoms.

6 PAIRS of HIKING SOCKS

Bring durable wool socks in a few different weights - lighter for the hotter days, and heavy ones for nights and colder days. We love Darn Tough’s Hiker Boot Sock in full cushion. A couple pairs of sock liners are great for sweaty feet and preventing blisters. We recommend Injini toe sock liners if you tend to get blisters between your toes.

SPORTS BRAS + UNDERWEAR

Bring as many pairs as you know you’ll want! Check out REI’s Merino Hipster Underwear which are comfy and great for adventuring!

30+ L PACK

You’ll need a lightweight hiking backpack to wear every day to carry your water, layers, a picnic lunch, and on some days your evening clothes and toiletries (see itinerary for details on which nights you won’t have access to your luggage).

We recommend getting a pack with a hip belt that is compatible with a water bladder/hose. While some packs come with a pack cover in case of rain, not all of them do, so make sure you get a rain cover. Make sure you try it out, and that the padding, fit, suspension, and ventilation suit you and will be comfortable for a multi-day trek. Osprey and Gregory make great ones!

Pro Tip: Bring a fanny pack to keep snacks, your phone, and sunscreen in for easy access.

LARGE DUFFEL

This will store all of your gear and clothing for the trek, and will be transferred to the hotels for you every evening. Only 1 piece of luggage can be transported per person and hard shell suitcases are not allowed. Be sure to pack light because bags must weigh less than 15 kg (33 lb)! We love The North Face Base Camp Duffel for multi-day treks.

Note: All your luggage will move with you from hotel to hotel, and you will be responsible for carrying it up and down multiple flights of stairs every day, so pack light. If you prefer, you can pay to store your luggage at the starting hotel (~30€) if you are packing for additional travels.

WATER BLADDER

Staying hydrated is so important while hiking, especially in Alpine climates! We highly recommend getting a 3 L water bladder. It’s the easiest way to carry and drink water while trekking.

WATER BOTTLE

Bring a 1 L wide mouth BPA free Nalgene.

TREKKING POLES

These are MANDATORY, and a life (and knee) saver on tricky terrain. Make sure they are collapsible, for easy stashing, and simple to adjust for up and downhill. Check out our favs at Leki.

On high mountain passes, especially early in the season, the snow can get deep and snow cages will ensure your poles don’t get stuck. Most poles come with them, but it is possible to buy snow cages separately.

BONUS: You get 15% off Leki poles for being a part of the WHOA family! Just use this special link to see our fav poles and save!

SLEEPING BAG LINER

You’ll want this for nights you’re staying in a refuge. We recommend this one from SeaToSummit.

RAIN PONCHO

Bring a poncho to protect your daypack from getting wet if it rains (this is in addition to the pack cover mentioned earlier). Please bring a durable, reusable poncho rather than single-use plastic which is bad for the environment!

BUFF OR BANDANA

An all around great item to always have with you. You can use it as a neck gaiter, head band, sweat rag…the possibilities are endless! Plus, there are so many different fun designs to choose from!

HEADLAMP + EXTRA BATTERIES

This is important for wandering around after the sun sets. Be sure to start the trek with fresh batteries, and bring a spare set just in case. We love Black Diamond for headlamps.

POLARIZED SUNGLASSES

You have to protect your eyes from the fierce mountain sun. Make sure they are UV-blocking and polarized. Goodr makes some that are great (and cute) for hiking. If you are hiking early in the season (June) you may also want to bring glasses with wraparound/shield protection from snow glare.

CAMERA + EXTRA BATTERIES

There are so many amazing photo ops! We highly recommend bringing a camera that is compact and durable. Most smartphones have great cameras, and we’ve found DSLRs can be cumbersome while trekking, so think twice before bringing anything too heavy or fancy. Remember to always pack your electronics in waterproof bags or cases!

portable battery charger

Whatever electronics you choose to bring, make sure you have a way to recharge your batteries. We always have a portable battery charger on hand so our devices are charged and ready for spontaneous dance parties!

Gaiters

If your adventure is during the early hiking season in June, you’ll want to bring gaiters in case there’s snow. For all other times of year these are optional.

PASSPORT

Make sure it’s valid for 6 months after your adventure dates. Bring a waterproof bag to keep it dry while you’re trekking, and it’s always a good idea to travel with an extra photocopy of it.

Travel Insurance

Travel doesn't always go as planned! That's part of the adventure, and it's also the reason we require all of our adventurers to have a travel insurance plan that includes medical coverage and emergency medical evacuation. We HIGHLY recommend purchasing a travel insurance plan ASAP to cover you financially with any costs that can come up like trip interruption or cancellation due to unforeseen circumstances. The IMG LX plan is one option that offers excellent medical and evacuation coverage, has no altitude restrictions, and offers cancel for any reason but do your research before purchasing a plan to make sure it works for you and your situation! 

DRY BAGS

When preparing your gear, pack everything in dry bags (or silicone bags for smaller items), we’ll be in the elements so we want to make sure our gear is always protected! We recommend bringing along different shapes and sizes of these to help organize and separate dirty clothing and gear.

For waterproofing your phone/passport/money, we recommend using a dry pouch.

SHOPPING BAG + PAPER BAGS

Having a stash of brown paper lunch bags, sanitary bags, or any form of biodegradable bag is great for collecting and carrying out trash on the trails and when we’re on the go. You’ll also want to bring a small reusable shopping bag to eliminate the need to use a single-use plastic bag for snacks or souvenir stops. They’re also handy to have in case you need another bag to take on the plane. Just another way to make Mother Earth proud!

FIRST AID + MEDS

We’ll have all this stuff on hand, but make sure you have a compact kit with a blister kit (including items like band-aids, moleskin, duct tape, Compeed, etc), antiseptic, pain relievers, antihistamines, antidiarrheals, eye drops, bug spray, etc. We like this one because it’s lightweight, waterproof, and has most of the things you might need!

SWIMSUIT

You never know when you will have the opportunity to take a dip; from the shores of Lake Geneva, to the occasional hot tub at your accomodations, make sure you are always water ready!

Toilet Kit

Sometimes nature calls when we’re not near a bathroom, so having a toilet kit is necessary! This includes a Kula cloth, a small amount of toilet paper, and compostable dog poop bags to pack out your toilet paper. You should keep this all in your daypack inside a small dry bag.

SUNSCREEN + LIPSCREEN

This is a must have for being in the strong mountain sun all day! Bring a new, full tube with an SPF rating of 30+. We love Raw Elements Natural Sunscreen because it works great, is reef friendly, and plastic free!

Luggage Lock

Always lock your luggage when traveling…better safe than sorry!

TOILETRIES

Don’t forget the travel essentials like travel sized deodorant, sun screen, hair ties, hair brush, tampons, contact solution, toothbrush, toothpaste, face masks, hand sanitizer, and ear plugs. Remember our pledge to keep single-use plastics out of the places we love, so pack reusable bottles, bar soaps and biodegradable products! Pack it all in this amazing upcycled toiletry bag!

universal adapter

During this adventure you’ll be visiting 3 different countries - Switzerland, France, and Italy - all of which have different plugs! Ensure your universal adapter will work for C, E, F, J & L plugs.

QUICK DRY TOWEL + WET WIPES

Bring a quick dry camp towel that packs small. This camp towel from Cocoon is great. Also, don't forget about the environment and make sure your wet wipes are biodegradable.

EAR PLUGS

Recommended for light sleepers, and for sleeping in refuges. We recommend Mack’s ear plugs, and bonus: they’re WHOA pink!

SNACKS

There’s plenty of hearty food provided at meal time, but be sure to bring plenty of extra snacks! The days can be long, you need to keep your energy up, and nothing beats comfort food when you're on the trails! Some of our favorite morale boosters are Cheez-Its, gummy worms, and Pringles. 

Packing extra snacks is especially important for those with dietary restrictions. While we can accommodate all dietary restrictions, due to the remote nature of our adventures, there might not be as much variety as you’d find at home, so packing the snacks you know you love is definitely advised. If you have questions about what to expect on your adventure when it comes to food, don’t hesitate to reach out to our team.